texts: Use of present perfect tense in news articles

texts:
When to use present perfect tense has always been confusing for me.
I know that it carries a sense of continuity from the past, but many times in news articles, I come across sentences with present perfect tense that do not have anything to do with continuity.
For example,
"President Trump has promised legal action in the coming days as he refused to ..."
Here, it does not sound right to say that Trump had been continuously promising legal action.
Another example:
"While the mission is “indeed challenging,” McDowell said China has already landed twice on the moon...."
For this one, China landing on the moon twice was events completed in the past. They are not landing continuously.. So why use present perfect tense here rather than just go "China already landed twice on the moon"?
What nuance does present perfect tense carry that I'm not getting here?
I would greatly appreciate any help!
Thank you in advance! :)


texts: Why did JK Rowling write “then tomorrow was…” instead of “tomorrow would be”?

texts:
The following is from J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (US title: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone):

  If it was Monday - and you could usually count on Dudley to know the days of the week, because of television - then tomorrow, Tuesday, was Harry's eleventh birthday.

I suspect, it isn't correct and grammar-wise it would be better to use "would be Harry's eleventh birthday". I want to understand, why "was" is used and why "would be" is better to use.


texts: Word, expression or idiom for looking at nothing in particular

texts: Sometimes, when people are absorbed in thinking about something they appear as if their gaze is fixed, but they look at nothing in particular. In my language there is an expression that translated word for word would sound like "looking at the void". Maybe a vacant look would describe this in English. Are there any expressions or idioms that would mean describe that kind of gaze?


texts:
I am not sure of the difference between these two phrases, especially the meaning of on reality.

I found the phrase lost his grip on reality; can I use in instead of on in this case?


texts: Is there a difference between a TV and a TV set?

texts: Why can a one-piece TV be called a "TV set" if a TV is a single item?


texts: If I measure myself am I only measuring my size?

texts:
In Italy when people say they measure themselves, they are not only measuring their height, or their waistlines. Instead they are measuring how well they do something in a challenging or difficult situation. It's like saying, I measured my expertise.

It is similar to put yourself to the test but it doesn't quite convey the same meaning. Put yourself to the test is about seeing where your limits lie. Misurarsi (measure oneself) on the other hand, isn't so much about competing against yourself, it's saying whether you will sink or swim in a specific situation. Will you cope? Do you have enough skill/knowledge/expertise to overcome this challenging episode?

I'm sure there is a phrasal verb or idiom that means you can "measure yourself" in a difficult situation, I just can't think of it.


texts: What do people usually mean when they ask "Do you have a family?"

texts: When American people ask you, "Do you have a family?" does that mean "Do you have any children?" or just "Are you married?"


texts: What's a word for a person who loves old or ancient things?

texts:
I am looking for a word to contrast with neophile. Just as a neophile loves novelty for the sake of it, I want to describe a person who loves old or ancient things (may include the abstract, e.g. tradition or bygone mannerisms).

A neophobe is ruled out, since that is merely a rejection of newness. Antiquarian comes to mind, but that seems to be specifically for human history (its objects and trivia). The word I'm after could refer to someone who loves fossils or ancient rocks (of which there are many. . .).

So, what word describes a person who loves an object or concept on account of its age? Perhaps archaeophile or paleophile?


texts: Correct answer for the following question

texts:
Question: Who broke the jar?

Answer 1: "I"
Answer 2: "Me"

Which answer is correct?


texts: Is the expression, “Romney will not to let Obama change the subject” grammatically right?

texts:
The article titled, ‘U.S. factors may spare Obama EU allies’ fate’ on Japan Time May 9 issue wraps up with quotes from Mitt Romney and his campaign spokeswoman, Amanda Henneberg;
“'The real question is not just about how we'are doing today. It's about how we'll be doing tomorrow,' he (Romney) said. 'When we look back four years from now, or 10, 20 years from now, won’t we be better off if we have the courage to keep moving forward?'
But Romney will not to let Obama change the subject.
“President Obama would like for voters to believe he hasn’t been president for the last three years, “ said campaign spokesman Amanda Henneberg."
I have a few qestions on the above ending lines:

Is ‘to’ necesasary in “Romney will not to let Obama change the subject”? In other word, is [will + to + do] combination grammatically right??
If it is a typo. I see typos too often in reputable publications these day as in the case of “He went on explain (Clucify metaphor)” in New Yorker magazine I posted a week ago. Is it still a ‘local’ problem?

Can spokesman be used for a female? I understand Romney’s campaign spokesperson, Amanda Henneberg is a female.

The last line, “President Obama would like for voters to believe he hasn’t been president for the last three years,” looks winding to me. Is Henneberg saying President Obama was only good for the first year in his term?


texts: What's the phrase or idiom for acting like a baby when subjected to criticism?

texts:
I was wondering whether English has a phrase or an idiom for someone acting like a baby when subjected to criticism, as well as honest and negative assessment of their actions or personality. By "acting like a baby", I mean a conglomerate of being all offended, resentful, keeping interaction/answers to a minimum by, say, giving merely a "yes" or "no" when you'd normally engage with the person more, refusing to do things they normally would, and all-around passive-aggressive behavior towards those that criticized them.

It's hard to describe what I mean exactly, and if I were to translate directly from my language, it'd be "act like an offended/hurt bride". The word "sourpuss" perhaps comes close, but I don't think it truly captures the meaning. Something that also comes very close is the stereotypical behavior of teenage girls when grounded and then not wanting to talk to their parents, come out of their rooms etc. But this again is just something that comes close, but isn't exactly what I mean. Basically, just acting all offended when one shouldn't be, but should instead accept criticism like a grown-up. Which brings us back full circle to acting like a baby.


texts: Meaning of "To all whom these presents come, greetings"

texts: You see this a lot on formal government and institutional documents such as declarations and diplomas. What, exactly, is being said?


texts: Why do we say "rise in demand" instead of "rise in the demand"? Is this logic also applicable for phrases such as "increase in adoption" and "increase in demand"? Please assist. Are these idioms??


texts: What is the best word for a student who gains highest grades in school or university?

texts: The best student in a school or university


texts: 'refer friends to enroll' is this grammatically correct?

texts:
I was writing a paragraph for a friend and after finishing, I realized that it doesn't sound quite right. I feel as though there are issues with the grammar.
For example :
'refer friends to enroll'

the 'friends to enroll' sounds particularly off even though logically it's fine as it's an infinitive verb following a noun.

If you are able to successfully refer friends to enroll in all our Loving Tree English Language courses, both parties will receive a $400 tuition fee waiver.
Not to mention, if enrollment in tutorial or preschool classes are successful , the second month tuition fee is half-price.


texts: Is it correct to say "information furnished above"?

texts:
I have just received a CV from India, where it is stated at the end

  I hereby declare that information furnished above is true to the best of my knowledge

(emphasis mine)

It sounds terrible to me and I was quite sure it is incorrect way to say 'provided', 'given', 'specified' etc. But after checking on internet, I have found

http://www.yourdictionary.com/furnish

  to supply; provide; give: to furnish information

It still doesn't mean that 'furnished information' is a right thing to say, but it got me wondering. Is this phrase common outside of India? Does it sound right to native speaker?


texts: What is the difference between "being in" and "being down"

texts:
I've come across both sentences and was wondering if there is any difference in their meaning. Here are the sentences where I met them:

To be down:

  Give me a call if you're down

To be in:

  Who's in for the show tonight?

Can one switch them without any impact as in if you're in and who's down for ?

Edit: a new challenger joins the list, to be up to:

  Tell me what you're up to

Also, I would point out that I've read/heard that in America and English is my second language.

Now the main question becomes: Can we interchangeably use "to be in for", "to be down with" and "to be up to" ? Can we also switch the extra words such as "to be in with", "to be down to", "to be up for" ? If you have any concrete example where one or another could be more appropriate/meaningful, please let us know!


texts:
Does the phrase "Legacy brands" just mean "companies that are inherited from generation to generation" or there is another particular meaning?
Here is the context: The writer is wanting to know what other companies use for email responses - do they use a auto-reply or a personal reply?

The first thing to do was decide which companies to send these out to. This was probably the most subjective part of the experiment. One hundred companies seems like a lot until you start considering the many thousands of potential companies to pick from.
I knew we wanted a lot of SaaS companies and a good mix of technology startups. I also wanted a range of small, medium, and large sized organizations. But just for good measure, some non-tech and legacy brands could be interesting. A lot these companies have been thinking about customer service for generations. I added a few hardware companies, some airlines.

Wikipedia showed this result https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brand_legacy But I don't think it's appliable to my case.


texts: Is the meaning of "find" in the phrase "How did you find it" related to the meaning of "find" in other contexts?

texts:
Compare the following:

How did you find the restaurant? It was excellent. I enjoyed my meal.
How did you find the restaurant? I looked it up in a street directory.

Asking, "How did you find [something]" to query someone's opinion or experience doesn't seem to relate directly "find" in the context of locating something. Even as a metaphor, referring to the act of locating something rarely includes a description of the thing itself. Are the two uses homonymic then? Or polysemic? Why this wording? Is there some history to the phrase or word that can clarify?


texts: The meaning of 'Let her out' when driving a car

texts:
When you say to a driver "Let her out" referring to a car, do you mean "let's drive fast"?
Can you say like that?
I am reading a story and there is such a phrase:

  "Let her out, Frank," called he to his chauffeur, as we rounded into a
  broad and now almost deserted thoroughfare.

In which situations can one say this?


texts:
Why are some lakes called "X Lake" and others called "Lake X"? Is there some sort of linguistic reason behind the naming?

Lake First

Lake Michigan
Lake Union (Seattle)

Lake Last

Great Salt Lake
Green Lake (Seattle)


texts: Is there evidence of "think tank" meaning "the brain"?

texts:
The  Random House Dictionary defines the expression think tank as:

  a research institute or organization employed to solve complex problems or predict or plan future developments, as in military, political, or social areas.

According to etymonline the above connotation  is an extention of an earliar sense  which referred to "the brain":

  also think-tank, 1959 as "research institute" (first reference is to Center for Behavioral Sciences, Palo Alto, Calif.); it had been colloquial for "the brain" since 1905.

Ngram: shows usage of "think tank" only from the late '50s.

Is there evidence  of earlier usages of "think tank" meaning "the brain"? Despite  its colloquial   usage I assume  the expression was quite widespread before it was adopted by the Stanford University.


texts: What’s another phrase for....pushed to the limits? going through great adversity?

texts:
i want to say “the protagonist of movie X goes through so much, i love movies where the protagonist is......”

there’s a phrase that i had forgotten that was on the top of my tongue, no it’s not “pushed to the limit”, it’s another phrase with a similar meanining....meanining the protagonist goes through hell, is beaten down to his knees, etc

i know i’m not being helpful with my examples lol but i can’t explain it another way, but it’s a popular phrase that i had forgotten that means....”going through s**t” lol


texts: The Speed Of Time - Does That Phrase Make Sense

texts: We often say that "time seems to be going very fast" or "it feels like the time just sped up".  When you think about it, do these phrases make any sense? Isn't our definition of speed "how far some distance passes in a certain amount of time"? Doesn't that make it incorrect to say "the speed of time", because time does not travel any distance? Or does it?


texts:
From the following sentence:

  Weintraub says that the distortions began with Jobs' first bullet points, in which a slide claims that the iPad 2 is the "First dual core tablet to ship in volume." Weintraub notes that the Dell Streak 7 has been shipping since January, and the Xoom "is certainly shipping in volume as well."

What is the meaning of "ship in volume" and what is the difference from regular shipping?


texts:
A JobInstance refers to the concept of a logical job run.

In the above sentence, is the final word "run" a noun? and which word does the adjective "logical" modify? job or job run?

Is the word "job run" a compound noun?


texts:
I am wondering whether excelled was correctly used or not in this paragraph?. I do not want to use outstanding.

Despite she is from a vulnerable region in the countryside with low educational performance, she managed to graduate from one of the most academically demanding universities of our country with an excelled thesis work


texts: Why is it not appropriate to appropriate?

texts:
When used as a verb, the word appropriate means "to take (something) for one's own use, typically without the owner's permission". Basically, stealing.

However, when used as an adjective, the same word means "suitable or proper" — which stealing is definitely not.

So, why is there such a conflict between two meanings of the word?


texts: What is the correct way to properly quote and cite a foreign language resource?

texts:
Should I provide my own translation? If so, where?

It is important for this particular quote to appear directly: it is the crux of the argument.


texts: We have a word for an adjective of a country: demonym, but do we also have a word for the adjective of a group? For example, people who belong to reddit are redditers, and this is an adjective for the group of reddit.


texts:
Is "publicate" well used word? It only dates back to the 16th century according to Oxford Dictionaries, and most likely it's a backformation of "publication".

But there are more than 23k hits on GitHub. I'm not quite sure if it's
 already gained traction as fairly used word...


texts: Valid use of apostrophe for abbreviated words

texts:
My understanding of the correct use of the apostrophe would be:

the posessive form, e.g. ApostropheLover's obsession with the apostrophe
a contraction: don't, it's, there's
an abbreviation, my id' badge is in my backpack

Is the third case correct? How should one punctuate an abbreviated word like "id" (identification) or "repo'" (repository)?


texts: Is there a slightly ironic idiom for "one's purpose in life"?

texts:
In one of my two native tongues there's an expression which, if literally translated, would sound somewhat like: "to make it one's flag"...

It may be used in a positive sense, connoting that someone has really devoted himself/herself to exercising his/her ideals in practice - and chances are that this is the prevalent usage - but it can also be amenable to a pinch of irony when such devotion is shown towards things that are commonly admitted as repercussions of vanity, or perhaps even sheer foolishness.

Here's a few examples where it might be used in the latter sense:

  Getting together with your pals for a poker evening every once in a while is one thing. Making gamble your
  flag is quite another.

  I can understand he finds it difficult to cut smoking; but that doesn't mean I approve of him strolling around, making “anti-hygienism”
  - or whatever you wanna call it - his flag!

I wonder if there is some English half-slangy (non-offensive) idiom that might do the same trick?

(Hope this one's clear enough).


texts: Difference between "ask of me" and "ask me"

texts: Can somebody please explain the difference between "ask of me" and "ask me"? Why do we use "of" between ask and me?


texts: Apostrophe use in singular (and parenthesized plural) possessive noun(s)

texts:
How would one combine the sigular and plural possessive forms of contractor into one form? Like for example contractor’(s’).

A friend of mine is busy editing a fairly technical document and arrived at an interesting dilemma. We were confused over how to use the ’s  possessive in a sentence regarding contractor liability.

The sentence had to cover not only the singular contractor and the plural contractors, but also the possessive form, like  contractor’s and contractors’ both.

How do you do that?  Or would one rather use the plural and imply that the singular in included in the meaning?


texts:
This is an area of English that I consistently have trouble with. Consider the following sentences.

I have a couple of books on my desk.
I have a bunch of books on my desk.
I have a number of books on my desk.
I have a few books on my desk.
I have several books on my desk.
I have many books on my desk.

How many books, give or take, do I have on my desk in each case?

[digression: one example of how I tend to get these wrong is the following: not long ago, my wife (native speaker of American English) and me were out with a few friends from out of town. At one point I said "[famous landmark] is only two hundred meters from here", to which my wife replied "no, it's more like a a couple hundred meters".]


texts: Can a negative be used to express a positive, such as "mangoes are sweet and so aren't papayas."

texts:
Is it incorrect to use the positive/negative construction when the intent is positive/positive? In other words can these two statements be viewed as equivalent:

  Mangoes are sweet and so aren't papayas.
  Mangoes are sweet and so are papayas.

When I mean so is, I say so isn't. When I mean so are, I say so aren't, etc.

Is this a regional quirk? I regularly speak this way, and I believe my wife is the first to have ever questioned it (I'm 55 years old). I happen to be from Northern NY near the Canadian border.


texts: "Shininess" word to indicate shine effect

texts: In the shaders more than once met the word "shininess" to indicate shine of 3D-object, such as glass. Please tell me why this rare word is used? This word is not even in my dictionary. Thanks in advance!


texts:
The law requires that there shall be no delay.

Q: In this sentence I think 'should' (not shall) is right. Am I wrong?

Thanks in advance!


texts: What is the origin of face 'turning around'?

texts:
I'm watching a documentary movie on the history of Roman Empire. There's a part where the narrator says "In 113 BC, the Roman General Carbo parleyed for peace with the barbarians. Then he turns around and murders their ambassadors."

Meanwhile in the enactment the actor playing Carbo actually 'turns around', faces to the opposite side towards his soldiers and signs them to ambush and kill the opposite party when they are gone.

Has this phrase 'turning around' got some significance more than the literal meaning?


texts: What is the proper construction of this comparative?

texts:
This sentence appeared in a recent New Yorker article written by the copy chief there:

  I find it easier to use the serial comma consistently rather than stop every time I come to a series and register whether or not the comma before the "and" preceding the last item is actually preventing ambiguity.

Isn't this grammatically incorrect? Shouldn't this be:

  I find it easier to use the serial comma than to stop every time I come to a series ...

– deleting the rather and adding a to? Isn't something easier than, and not easier rather than?


texts: Could "shazam" be used to describe a ninja?

texts:
I'm translating some products description from Japanese to English. The product in question is characterized by its compactness and portability. In Japanese, they use the word ドロン (doron), that seems to describe the sudden appearance of a ninja in a somewhat onomatopoeic way, to show how easy it is to lay the product for its use.
I would like to keep the idea of the ninja, due to the design of the banners and because the product is Japanese, that is why I searched for words for sudden appearance and found this post:

Word for "to appear suddenly"?

The accepted answer to that question was “materialize” and I did use this word in one instance of “doron”, but another answer was “shazam”. “Shazam”, according to Merriam-Webster is: used to indicate an instantaneous transformation or appearance.
This word goes really well with the context of the product, but I am not sure if the fact that its origin is the word from a DC comic would raise unexpected connotations.

Would you say that “shazam” could be used to describe what a ninja does or is it too deeply connected to superheroes?


texts: What is the origin of the term, “to 86 someone”?

texts:
I came across a phrase, “86 to sb.” in the following paragraph of an article titled “The owner of the Red Hen explains why she asked Sarah Huckabee Sanders to leave,” in the Washington Post (June 23), that comes with a picture of an actual paycheck issued by the restaurant showing the code, “86” above the name of a recipient.
The paragraph reads;

If you ever heard the term “to 86 someone,” it comes from the
restaurant industry – code to refuse service, or alternatively to take
an item off the menu.

I’m curious to know why the number 86 came to represent the refusal of service at service establishments. Does someone know the provenance?
Addendum
I noticed that my post duplicates with the similar question posted in 2011, but I dont' think I find a convincing source of its provenance (first appearance, sources, usage trend, currency). It seems that the word gained recency and life with the restaurant owner's refusal to serve  Sarah Huckabee in her Mexican restaurant. Is there any new source of its origin than  ones I saw on the previous post?
I checked both Cambridge and Oxford online dictionaries for this word.
Cambridge doesn't carry this word.
Oxford Dictionaries define "eighty six" as;

1.(informal) Eject or bar someone from a restaurant, bar etc.
2.Reject, discard or cancel.

Origin:
1930s (as a noun) used in restaurants and bars to indicate that a menu item is not available or that a customer is not to be served. Perhaps rhyming slang for nix, which sounds like a bit overstretched assumption to me.
The currency of the word or number - 86 is unexpectedly high based on google Ngram.
The usage can track back to earlier than 1800 (at 0.002% level) and keeps rising up to 0.00672% level in 2000.


texts: Is there a word for feeling that one is not properly fufilling one's role?

texts: Does there exist a word for when, for example, one is not being masculine or feminine enough, that one is not American enough? In general, that one is not sufficently meeting expectations of what the group that they are a member of is?


texts:
What's the term/word for a legal case without merit?

There's something more technical than "fraudulent" or "groundless"... can't pinpoint it.


texts:
Original sentence:
"If ethics and business are to be viewed as inextricably linked, management must play
an important role in this process, ensuring that a company follows an ethical code of
conduct"
(1) [...] management must play an important role in this process and must ensure that a company follows an ethical code of conduct
(2) [...] management must play an important role in this process which ensures that a company follows an ethical code of conduct
Does "ensuring" refer to the management who must ensure that ... (1) or does it refer to the process which needs to ensure that ... (2)?
I know that sentences like: "I see a men who is walking on the road" could be transferred to "I see a men walking on the road". However, I see often this construct above which is not easy to distinguish as an English learner. What is the rule behind it?
Thanks in advance!


texts:
I'm not an English speaker, so my question might seem a little bit weird, but I'm truly confused. I saw some other cases like this one, which caused me to question what they really meant.

There's a reading challenge in a social platform, and the tasks are:

  1) Set and share a reading goal

  2) Share if goal was met

My question: Should I share only when I meet the reading goal, or should I share nonetheless, even when I don't meet the goal?


texts: A word for "a chance to makeup for past mistakes"

texts:
I'd like to use a single word that means "a chance to makeup for past mistakes." It would likely be a synonym of any of the words/phrases in the following list:
second chance
another opportunity
do-over
retry
makeup
retake
repeat
rerun
fresh start
I recognize that this is a long list, but none of the single words here work for me - they're all a little too on the nose. I'm inspired by the Biblical concept of the Jubilee year, a year in which all debts were forgiven. For further context, the word should be applicable in reference to technical mistakes (not necessarily moral mistakes) as demonstrated by the sentence below.
A sample use:
"Due to her poor job performance, her first annual evaluation at her new post was very negative. This made her eager for something of a(n) __________ so she could demonstrate her competence to her supervisor."


texts: Pluralization of savings and costs (plural expressions of plural quantities)

texts:
I have a list of savings, expressed in terms of the items that necessitate the original costs. For example, say that I have to purchase sewing material. My first question is: in expressing the amount of money required to obtain this material over the course of a year, should I say Sewing Material Cost or Sewing Material Costs?

In the act of purchasing material, there is a set cost per unit of product. However, when discussing the cumulative money spent on material in a year — the sum of multiple purchases — do you use the plural?

Now, I want to express the amount of money saved in my material purchasing expenses. I would say Savings of Material Costs (savings of material cost doesn't seem to make sense to me), which ultimately becomes Material Costs Savings. This, for some reason, seems weird to me.

Something resembling material costs savings is where I want to end up, but I'm not sure if my grammatical composition is correct.


texts: Is a "To Do List" familiar to other countries?

texts:
I'm researching if a "to do list" is a familiar term or concept to English speakers around the world.

I found this related question on how to spell to do. Specifically, Hugo's answer hints that to-do list may be familiar at least to the US and UK.

My specific scenario is explaining the idea of a "task" (for example, what Microsoft calls a task in their Outlook program). Would a to do list be an okay comparison for English speakers of various countries (the US, UK, Netherlands, and Japan could be the primary audiences)?


texts:
My friend and I (yes, it's the same friend) were chatting the other day about how some people are too poor to afford even drinking water, so much so that they don't urinate every day.

The root of the discussion that followed was whether or not the term piss poor is appropriate to describe these people. As in, not only that they are very poor, they don't even have much piss.

I'm also wanted to ask if it's PC, which is why I added the tag, but I wonder if it's asking two things in a question because I'm certain there was a rule about that.


texts: "I think that ... not ... " and "I don't think that ..."

texts:
Are there differences between negating the dependent clause and negating the independent clause?

  I think this is not the reason.

  I don't think this is the reason.


texts: What is the correct plural of "stadium"?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Which style of Latin plurals should I use?

If my memory of Latin lessons serves me correctly, it should really be

  stadia

However, I think most people would probably write

  stadiums

Which is right?


texts: Can an em dash be inserted in the middle of a quotation for interjection?

texts:
I've found questions asking about an em dash in quoted speech, and punctuation rules for em dashes in quotes, but this question is quite different.

The example I saw comes from a tweet, reproduced here for convenience:

  "For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior—not a divine social justice warrior, not a liberation theologian, not a critical race theorist, not an ecumenical pluralist, not an interfaith universalist—a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." — Luke 2:11 (NASB)

One reply tweet argued that that is not what that scripture says, obviously referring to the text between the first two em dashes. My question is, would this be a valid usage of em dashes, namely to signify an interjection within the quote, that is, text which is not part of the quote itself?

Edit: It has been pointed out that the use of square brackets is sometimes used in quotes to modify the quote for contextual clarity.  See here for example. Could the em dashes in the example above be replaced with square brackets to achieve the desired effect? Maybe. But this deosn't answer the question of whether em dashes can be used correctly to perform this parenthetical/interjection function.


texts: Use of neither with a list of tensed verbs

texts:
There are some related tips, but I did not find any one as this.

The sentence:

  1) he considers himself a healthy person because he does some sport and neither smokes, drinks nor takes drugs

According the Cambridge Dictionary website (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/neither-neither-nor-and-not-either), I suppose that it would be something as follows:

  2) he considers himself a healthy person because he does some sport and he does not smoke, drink nor does he take drugs.

I was thinking about these other options:

  3) he considers himself a healthy person because he does some sport, does not smoke or drink, neither does he take drugs.

  4) he considers himself a healthy person because he does some sport, and he does not smoke or drink, neither does he take drugs.

I have no idea which one is correct or sounds better.

EDIT

Thank you everybody!
Now I am clear with it.


texts: "I don't recommend ..." vs "I recommend we don't ..."

texts:
[This question comes from a sentence I read in a book.  Anathem, if you must know.]

I'm a native English speaker (California style) and I understand what the semantic difference between "I don't recommend we [do something]" vs. "I recommend we don't [do the same thing]".

But I'm sort of vague on what the impact of those two different ways of saying almost the same thing are ... I'm not sure of the proper terminology ... but how does the phrasing change the emphasis or something about how you feel about the remark.  I'm going back and forth on which one is ... stronger? more ironic? more dismissive?  Something.  I'm not sure.

How would you characterize the difference between these two phrasings?  (To make this not a subjective question, consider what rule is it I could use to pick between the two phrasings were I writing a book...)


texts: Is there a word for beautiful/happy/pleasant dream?

texts: I am looking for one-word to represent a pleasant dream - a dream that leaves lingering happiness. Exactly unlike a nightmare. So I am basically looking for an antonym of nightmare


texts: "Quality comes naturally with integrity."

texts:
Is the title a correct way to convey that, quality is a byproduct of integrity?

Any suggestions on how to rephrase the title are welcome of course.


texts:
The pool of loans underlying the mortgage bond conformed to the standards, in their size and the credit quality of the borrowers, set by one of several government agencies: Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, and Ginnie Mae.-The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis

I've searched meaning of the word "underlying" and found several meanings, but I'm not sure of which one is correct one.
a)Lying or situated under something. [Lexico.com]
b)used to describe something on which something else is based [Cambridge dictionary]
c)anterior and prior in claim [Merriam-Webster]


texts:
When i first came across the name Ouroboros it was in Fullmetal Alchemist referring to the tattoos that the Homunculi; I was watching the Dub so it was pronounced in English as Or-Ro-Bo-Ros.

However in Atelier Iris 3 and Bravely Default, the final bosses for both are called Ouroboros pronounced as Or-Rob-Bo-Ros, both of which do have English dubs for voices.

Atelier Iris 3 was released in 2007 in the US (though it was released almost a year earlier in Australia) and Bravely Default was released in the EU and Australia in 2013, while the first usage I heard of Ouroboros in the Fullmetal Alchemist series was in the original 2003 anime.

I am wondering what is the correct pronunciation of Ouroboros?

NOTE: in case the difference can't exactly be seen because of how I've worded it, Atelier Iris 3 and Bravely Default you hear a distinctive "Rob" in the pronunciation, in Fullmetal Alchemist you don't.


texts: What is the term for the origin of a cliche?

texts:
From wiki sources :

  A cliche is an expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has become overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, even to the point of being trite or irritating, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel.

Consider (for example) a sentence framed by Shakespeare

  "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet"

which became very popular. Now-a-days, it may be overused or irritating and hence may be considered a cliche, but Shakespeare himself did not use it as a cliche.

What did he use it as ? What did he invent ? What is the term for the origin of a cliche ?


texts: Could you may be point us to the right person? Is this sentence wrong?


texts:
The Chicago Manual of Style says

  A phrase that is restrictive—that is, essential to the meaning (and
  often the identity) of the noun it belongs to—should not be set off by
  commas.

What sort of phrases cannot be restrictive or non-restrictive? What about the following, is 'rusted' non-restrictive?

Your car, rusted, looks ugly

I don't think so, because it seems to me to change the meaning of the predicate, that your car looks ugly as it is rusted. Why is the sentence not grammatical?


texts: Would you use the term "looker" to describe a man?

texts:
Both Merriam-Webster and Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionaries define looker as a word used to describe an attractive person, usually a woman.

The operative word is "usually".

Urban Dictionary, however, tends to be a bit more liberal, and the term's used to describe both men and women (but, then again, it's Urban Dictionary).

So I'd like to know the opinion of native English speakers coming from different parts of the English-speaking world:

How unusual would it be to call a handsome man a "looker"? E.g., "Joseph Stalin was quite a looker in his youth".


texts: What word is used to describe an event that will never occur?

texts:
If an event happens a lot in a small window of time, it is considered frequent. If it does not, it is considered rare. What about a possible event that has never happened and which is expected never to happen? What word would describe the frequency of that event?

For example how would you answer this question: "How often does a nuclear war occur in your lifetime?"


texts: Another word for "ignorance," in the context of "ignorance of the law is no excuse"

texts: My son and I were discussing a legalism and he suggested that "ignorance of the law is no excuse" is not always correct usage. He contends that calling a person "ignorant" because he is unlearned, or uneducated about a matter depends upon whether he should have been aware of, or might have previously been oblivious to the matter. He recalled having learned another term, in a college English class, but which he could neither correctly pronounce, or spell. The best he could do was that it sounded like, "ness-e-ence." I couldn't find it in the dictionary either. Does anybody know this word and usage?


texts: What is the difference between 'would get me out' and 'got me out'?

texts:
Mother would get me out of bed early in the morning so I could see the dew sparkling in the sun.

And

Mother got me out of bed early in the morning so I could see the dew sparkling in the sun.

I guess these 2 sentences are show past tense


texts: Are there cases where a possessive pronoun is omitted?

texts:
Are there cases where the possessive adjective is omitted in a sentence, or is it always used?

For example, in a sentence like "Susan was walking with her hands in her pockets", is it necessary to say "her hands", and "her pockets"? In Italian, we don't say whose hands, or whose pockets if not in a sentence like "Susan was walking with her hands in Michael's pockets".

I was wondering if the use of the possessive adjective is strictly necessary in cases like these.


texts:
I'm looking for an idiom that means "dominate" and can be used in the following sentence:

  Our team dominated from the beginning to the end.


texts: Does æ differ or not (American English)?

texts:
There is a Cambridge American English Dictionary web-site. I was checking pronunciation on some words that have a common sound "æ". Although the sound supposed to be the same, its pronunciation differs in my opinion. I splitted two groups based on how the words sound.

The web-site I used is http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english.

The first is group:

that, capital, apple, have

The second one is:

cat, glass, grass, class

First question, does the sound really differ or it is me hearing it differently for some reason?

If it is different in the recordings, should that sound sound the same in all the words?

If it should sound the same, may it possibly differ in the recordings because they were taken from people living in different parts of America?

UPDATE:

http://vocaroo.com/i/s1LolF3gkztt

Here is my recording in which I read the words from the list by two ways:

1) the one I heard in an American English phonetics video and from a girl living in Minnesota.

2) the one I taught in school and heard from one guy living in Michigan that said that the first option is more Canadian or something.

Are they both possible ways of saying it and I can choose any? If not, what is most correct way of saying it? And please tell me what sounds I make in the terms of transcription. Thanks!


texts: Quoting a question at the end of a sentence which is itself a question

texts:
If my sentence is a question and ends with a quote of a question, where exactly do I put a question mark?

Did she ask, "Is it raining"?

Did she ask, "Is it raining?"?

Did she ask, "Is it raining?"


texts: Business meeting jargon- a "walkthrough" of a document

texts:
I'm writing a document and I need to discuss sessions during which one party presents a document and walks the other party through the document, reading each sentence out loud, asking for any comments or questions, and ending with a final edited document.

Is there a standard business jargon term for this? Does "walkthrough" work?

Thanks,
Ilan


texts: Adjective for engine running at high speed

texts:
Let's consider that an engine has 4 states, as defined by what is happening to its speed (RPM) over time:

Idling: Running at a constant low speed.
Accelerating: Throttle is being applied; the engine's RPM is increasing
???: Throttle is still being applied, the engine is running steadily at the highest allowed RPM
Decelerating: The throttle has been released; the engine's RPM is decreasing, eventually to return to idle.

I can't come up with a word that describes that middle state.  Some suggestions I have heard:

Running: Doesn't work for me; I take running to mean having a nonzero RPM, so all four states are running.
Under load: Better, although an engine running at the highest allowed speed doesn't have to be under any load - consider a parked car with the accelerator held on the floor.
Cruising: Not general enough; this would work great for a plane or boat, but you couldn't describe a chainsaw running at top speed as cruising.

There are probably phrases for what I want, such as running at high speed, but I want a single word that describes such a state.  The best I can do is high, but that seems too vague to me.

Context: I'm writing iPhone and Android apps to produce the sound of a chainsaw. In the code, I must keep track of the state of the chainsaw's engine so I know what to do next. For example, if we are in the accelerating state and the user releases the throttle button, transition to the decelerating state and play the corresponding sound. These words will not be used in the UI, but in my source code to describe the various states and sounds of the engine.

Any suggestions?


texts: if the name has a junior e.g. Jose A. Ruiz, Jr. which comes first when the surname is asked first? Which is correct Ruiz, Jose Jr. A. or Ruiz, Jr. Jose A.?


texts: Usage of a participial construction in a specific interrogative sentence

texts:
I cannot grasp the construction and meaning of the following sentence.

"What do Company A and Company B intend to achieve, anticipating that their intentions may be somewhat different?"

Could you please teach me the construction and who is anticipating in the sentence?
I have never seen this kind of sentence before.
I have no idea what is the subject of "is anticipating."
Thanks in advance.


texts: "a truce to sport.." from a poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar

texts:
From "A Lazy Day" by Paul Laurence Dunbar:

No ripple stirs the placid pool,
When my adventurous line is cast,
A truce to sport, while clear and cool,
The mirrored clouds slide softly past.

What is the meaning of "a truce to sport"? What part of the sentence does it refer to?


texts:
Is there one word for "hiding an obvious fact". For e.g.

  I will not be __ about the fact that this task is difficult.

Some words that come to my mind are "deny" or "pretend", but they don't necessarily imply that there is something obvious about the thing being denied.

For e.g.

  I will not deny the fact that this task is difficult (doesn't imply
  that the task is obviously difficult)

Another example -

  She kept mum about her affair with him, but it was obvious to
  everyone.

  She was __ about her affair with him.


texts: How would you describe the lava in a lava lamp?

texts: I can only think of the word morphing but that is pretty boring and not exactly what I am looking for. I want to talk about the way that they seemingly levitate as it changes and absorbs itself while simultaniously breaking apart


texts:
What is the difference between mostest and most?

Can they be used interchangeably?


texts: The meaning of word "do" in “Yes, I do watch TV”

texts:
Suppose Alice asks Tom “Do you watch TV?”

Tom answers,

  “Yes, I watch TV”

But Tom can also answer as follows

  “Yes, I do watch TV.”

What is the difference between the two answers and the inclusion of the word "do", in the answer given by Tom.

I would also like to know  which one is the more precise answer.


texts: What does the use of the word "deserts" mean in this passage?

texts:
A man of great deserts, it would seem is most liable to be small
  minded, for what would he do if his deserts were not as great as they
  are? - Nicomachean Ethics: Aristotle.

I'm not looking for the philosophic meaning but rather how the word desert is being used here. Is it to imply vacuousness?


texts:
Can I say this in one whole sentence?
He is a Master of his trade but what makes him exceptional is that he ‘goes the extra mile’ gaining your trust, leaving you reassured of the problem solved
It’s long winded, the verb tenses are wrong and needs punctuation
It needs to be short and concise
This sentence is at the end of an appraisal, it’s central to the review
Can you help me?


texts: What is meant by saying "X, not to say Y"?

texts:
When someone says "X, not to say Y", do they mean "X, but not Y" or do they mean "X, and even Y"?

Normally I would assume it's the first, but I've seen a few examples where it seems ambiguous. Or maybe it's literally the first, but used ironically to mean the second?

An example (for some reason writers for The Atlantic seem to use this phrase a lot):

  In somewhat different ways, Orwell and Larkin were phlegmatically pessimistic and at times almost misanthropic, not to say misogynistic.


texts: Why can we say "half a [something]" but not "quarter a [something]"?

texts:
I often see the expression "half a [something]", but never "quarter a [something]".

Why is the first grammatically correct but not the second despite "half" and "quarter" both being fractions?


texts: Simple past or present perfect? (in unknown point in time in the past)

texts:
Describing the typical Twitter user:

  I criticize what you wrote/have written and then I block you, without
  waiting for your reply.

Which one is correct? Thank you.


texts:
I'm from a place where there is no "L" in the language, and it's always been tricky to say.

Well, I did some research and, at least for American-English, there are two types: A "light L" and a "dark L".

Individually, I don't have a problem, but putting the dark L together with another word is sometimes a challenge. For example, I'm uncertain about "all of". Out of habit I use a light L to say it similar to "olive", but from what I read (and correct me if I'm wrong), I think I'm supposed to use a dark L for "all". This is very uncomfortable to say.

What's the proper way to pronounce "all" and "all of"? Is there a difference when put together?

EDIT: I did some more research, and some sources say that the dark L also uses the tip of the tongue as well as raising the back of the tongue. It's possible that "all of" is used in this manner. "All of" and "olive" may be different after all.

The linked post Confusion of the pronunciation of Dark "L" consonant sound? does have some information, but it doesn't fully answer this question.

Tom says in the question that

  Dark "L": is "L" at the end of the word or after a vowel sound.
  Example: ball, pull.

  Light "L:: is "L" at the beginning or before a vowel sound. Example:
  light, love.

Araucaria says in an answer that

  The rule for dark /l/ is that we always use dark /l/ when /l/ isn't
  followed by a vowel. So in the word falafel the first /l/ is clear, the second is dark.

But neither of these posts seem to say if the rule applies when a word ending in "l," such as "all," is followed by a word starting with a vowel sound, such as "of."


texts: Succinct phrase for "work well under pressure"?

texts:
So I was working on my resume, but it literally took me  two hours to come up with a succinct phrase for "work well under pressure".

So far I could think of phrases like " pressure performer " or "multi-tasker" or something like these.

But they are not that satisfying right? Does anyone have any suggestions?


texts: What word would you use to describe someone who believes humanity needs to come together to survive?

texts:
Its a hard to describe situation, but if you can imagine a man like Carl Sagan - someone who was a massive advocate of space exploration and science in general.

He once described The Cold War -

  “The nuclear arms race is like two sworn enemies standing waist deep
  in gasoline, one with three matches, the other with five.”

Someone who sees beyond the wars fought for oil and holds humanities survival above everything; this person knows that the only way to achieve this survival is if we all come together to overcome our problems through science.

I am describing a 'world-view', an ideology if you like.

Perhaps this quote can better explain the situation :

  When you're finally up at the moon looking back on earth, all those
  differences and nationalistic traits are pretty well going to blend,
  and you're going to get a concept that maybe this really is one world
  and why the hell can't we learn to live together like decent people.

  — Frank Borman, Apollo 8, Newsweek magazine, 23 December 1968

Edit: I will include an example to better describe the word I'm looking for.

  He carries out his duties in an extremely adjective manner


texts: Is it correct to say "We do better, because we do for you"?

texts:
Here some context to my question. I'm not a native english speaker and I would like to know if the following sentence is grammatically correct:

"We do better, because we do for you"

It feels super weird to me. Intuitively I think it should be:

"We do it better, because we do it for you"

Can someone tell me if any of this phrases would be grammatically acceptable? More than that I would like to know the gramatical reason why one would be better than other. I think the verb must always have a direct object, but I'm not sure if this is a rule.
Furthermore, people have pointed out that there might be a problem with the meaning of the first sentence. This supposes to be a kind of a slogan, the meaning is as important as the grammar.


texts: What is the plural form of 'Achilles(Achilles tendon)'?

texts:
In Oxford Learner's Dictionary, under Achilles tendon, it says that

Achilles tendon = Achilles

Then the plural of 'Achilles tendon' is 'Achilles tendons'.

But, what is the plural form of "Achilles"?


texts: How would I use "the heck" or "on earth" to put emphasis on a "how much" question?

texts:
I would like to add "on earth" or "the heck" to put emphasis on a "how much" question. What I mean by this is you can add emphasis to a "what" question like this, for example:

  What is a ...

can be changed to

  What the heck is a ...

I am just using ... as an example.

My question is how would I add a "the heck" to put emphasis on this question.

  How much does a ... cost?

In simplified terms

  What is a ...?

is to

  What the heck is a ...?

as

  How much does a ... cost?

is to what?

I googled "How the heck much" (quotes included), and this question was the first hit, so I don't quite understand the argument that this question shows lack of research effort.


texts:
I'm trying to find a word that describes an individual who votes in this way; check the word below ballot from longman

what do we call this person? a secret voter? a voter?
Is there more specific word other voter?


texts:
Recently one of my friends told me that there is distinct difference between 'know of something' and 'know about something' expressions.

'know of' is used when you have personal experience with what you are talking about
'know about' is used when you have heard about the subject but never had any experience with it.

This contradicts with my experience. To me it seems like 'know about' is used in every situation and the use of 'know of' is mostly limited to 'not that I know of' expression. Short google search seems to support my point of view, there are articles named '10 things I know about journalism' where person is speaking from the experience and not that many encounters of 'know of' expression anywhere.

So, is my friend's statement true?


texts:
I need a title for one of the pages in my application. It only contains words with their definitions. So this word is not going to be a part of a sentence but used as a title of the page and button name.  Something like:

(title that I'm looking for)

car - a road vehicle with an engine
plane - vehicle designed for air travel

I was thinking of word Reference or Definitions but maybe there is something more accurate.


texts: Single word when you know destination but not path

texts:
Is there a single word which describes knowing the destination but not the path?
Knowing the objective but not the method?
Knowing the 'what' or 'where' but not the 'how'?
In a sense this would be the antonym for coddiwomple where the destination is vague, but the steps are purposeful.
Thanks much.


texts:
I am trying to think of a noun that describes things that are destructive.
More specifically, a noun describing all devices and chemicals that cause destruction, encompassing explosives and chemicals like thermite and napalm.

I was thinking of using the word "destructive" itself as in having a list, the header being "Destructives:" in the same way you'd use the word "Explosives" to describe nouns that are explosive.

Can I use the word "Destructives" and if not are there any others I could use?

By the way, I am using this word in the context of a header of a list like I said above.

Thanks!

EDIT: I think I'll just use the word "Destructives". I guess it doesn't make perfect sense, but it kind of does because since it's the header of a list, it's describing each object on the list as destructive.
Also "explosives" makes sense so why not.


texts: Preposition + relative clause - "This is the house about which I told you."

texts:
This is the house about which I told you.

In the above sentence, the relative pronoun "which" is considered to be the prepositional complement of the preposition "about".

1.) If the relative pronoun "which" is the prepositional complement of the preposition "about", what is the rest of the relative clause "I told you" considered to be?

2.) Why is it possible to use a relative clause as a prepositional complement? If the prepositional complement is a clause, it should normally be a nominal clause.


texts: Are stative verbs always inchoative when used with an imperative?

texts: Wikipedia says that stative verbs are always inchoative when used as imperatives. However, negative imperatives are used to exhibit prohibition in "including the giving of prohibition," and saying "Believing that is prohibited" does not seem to have the inchoative aspect. So in a sentence like "don't think badly of this" does it have the inchoative aspect?


texts: what is the difference between "reservation" and "advance reservation"?

texts:
Aren't they both have meaning of 'pre'?
I'm Korean and there's same problem in Korean. But there's no clear answer so I came here
please let me know plz


texts:
Stumbled along the use of the feminine pronoun for "baby". Previously, I've used it and singular they when the sex of the baby is unknown.

Is it correct to use the feminine pronoun (she) for "baby" when you don't know if it is a boy or a girl?
Can somebody please explain that to me?
Here's an example: "At about 6 months, when your baby can sit up, she'll probably be too big to be bathed in an infant tub" (http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/baby-bathtubs/buying-guide.htm)


texts:
Here are two instances in a formal paper I submitted where my professor told me my semicolon  usage is incorrect.  He says that, in both instances, a period should be used.  Is he right?  I maintain that I've used them appropriately and at my discretion to indicate closeness of subject matter between two independent clauses.

Instance 1:

  Baz Luhrmann, in his 2013 film adaptation of Fitzgerald’s work by the same name, represents its major characters in a manner mostly true to the novel; Nick, Gatsby, Daisy and Tom are somewhat polarized, however, in their speech and actions.

Instance 2:

  In the novel, when Nick is “urged” (28) by Myrtle to go along, bribed with the promise of Myrtle’s sister, he responds “Well, I’d like to, but—” (28); in the film, he worriedly says, “No, no, no—that’s alright.”


texts: What is the meaning of 'arc' as in "arc of a movie" or "arc of someone's character"?

texts:
Examples:
Preet Bharara: "In any arc in a movie, when someone treated his or her spouse badly, you want to see that person pay for that later."

"The arc of his character over the three stories is how he becomes humanized..."

I've looked at definitions of arc and didn't see a good/precise match:
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/arc


texts: When referring to the plural of a movie title (in the case where the movie has sequels), do you have to obey the pluralization rules of the last word in the title, or do you just add -s or -es to the end? For example, if I wanted to watch each of The Matrix movies, would I say, "Let's watch The Matrixes" or "Let's watch The Matrices?" The latter sounds kind of silly, but is it proper?


texts: Going through a hard ordeal to achieve something important?

texts: What is a strong expression for someone going though a hard ordeal to achieve something important? For example a mother who has lost her children will _______ to get them back.


texts: Is it correct to use "got" when expressing the simple past tense in British English?

texts:
I'm an American and my daughter is learning British English in school, so when I help her with her homework, I have to know the British rules.

She writes:

  I have got a horse poster.

I understand that that is correct expression of the present tense in British English (even though I would write "I have a horse poster"). But now she wants to write in the past tense, so she writes:

  For my birthday, I have got a horse poster.

I think this is incorrect even in British. I think she should write:

  For my birthday, I got a horse poster.

But that sounds too American to me.

Which is the correct version?


texts: What would you call the terminal leaf of a human organisation in layman term?

texts:
Let's say you represent a human organisation with a tree data structure (organisation of a company, or for example for the USA you have the federal state then Texas inside it, then the county, then the township, etc.).

How would you say
"This entity does not have anything inside it, it's a leaf or a terminal node in my tree structure" without using computer science term. If we were speaking about a genealogy tree it would be "This person did not have any child". Only I want a term that is applicable for an administrative entity, inside other administrative entities, not a person.

How is it possible to tell "The Escuadra de maniobra does not rule over any other spanish military entity" or "The civil township is one of the possible lowest level of administrative division in the USA"?


texts:
In the opening of “An open letter to the White Walker Army” in The New Yorker (June 12), Sarah Larson exclaims:

  Dear White Walkers and Your Thousands of Undead Wights: I get it—you’re scary and disgusting. To Jon Snow and his ragtag, reluctant band of allies, you’re a formidable enemy, an unstoppable harbinger of death; to TV critics, you’re a horrifying thrill. Your triumphant appearance in the “Game of Thrones” episode “Hardhome,” after seasons of teasing, was a coup, a set piece, a breathtaking, daze-inducing experience so pleasurable that it transcended what was already transcendent. To me, however, you’re a snooze factor eleven.

  http://www.newyorker.com/culture/sarah-larson/an-open-letter-to-the-white-walker-army

Though I assume “snooze factor” is a snooze button, I cannot find the meaning of “snooze factor” in Google search headings.

What does “a snooze factor eleven” mean? Why should it be “Eleven”, not twelve, ten, nine, or even one?


texts:
She got mad because I didn't call Bob Principal Bob.

Should it be

She got mad because I didn't call Bob 'Principal Bob.'

thanks


texts: What grammar entity is this: a "product number"? How can a noun become an adjective (if it does at all)?


texts:
Is there a word that implies that a person is educated and ignorant at the same time?

I tried ignorant, ignoramus and similar words but they imply that a person is uneducated and does not convey the sense of educated and ignorant. I searched up synonyms of ignorant and ignoramus but did not find the word I need.

In my native language we have a word which means "educated idiot." Is there any word for that?
Thanks.


texts: One word adjective for "the owner of" and "shared with me"

texts:
I'm not a native English speaker and have to organize accounts into three distinctive sets:

The owner of
Shared by me (to others)
Shared with me (by others)

I need to give these sets proper one word names

Own or owned?
Shared
??? Can't use Shared again...

I also don't like the Own/Owned name because especially the latter relates to being possessed. The only one I actually am ok with is Shared for those accounts that I've shared with others.

Questions

I'm looking for one words/adjectives of each of these sets:

What would be the name for third set of accounts? Could accredited work in this context.
What better synonym could I use for own or owned to still be applicable to accounts?


texts:
Compared to other languages, English is in practice pretty indifferent with regards to parts of speech. The lines are often blurry.
I'm curious about the following phrase:

  It's fun.

Usually, I'd think that "fun" is a noun. For instance I can have lots of it. However, there are phrasings where it is used much like a qualifier.

  It was a fun ride.

Just looking at the structure, it could be either an adjective or a noun in the phrase in question.

  It's fun/milk.
  It's fun/nice.

My first impulse was "noun" but seeing how there is no article and how most phrasings that express roughly the same would use an adjective, I am not so sure anymore.
Here are my questions.

What part of speech is "fun" in the phrase?
Do native speakers clearly perceive it as noun or adjective respectively or would both readings make sense on an intuition level?


texts:
I am composing a sentence describing results of an experiment:

  we find [results] beyond what can be expected from [theory]

I am not sure this is a proper use of "what". Does my sentence needs rewording?


texts: What is a word for a place to study and rest?

texts: My father wants to name our house as a place to study and rest. Is there any single short word which means this. Any suggestion are welcome.


texts:
Take a look at this article,

  Several decades ago Israel began presenting itself as the “bulwark against communism” in the Middle East and as of vital strategic importune to the USA vis-à-vis the USSR in the region.

Is the word importune used here as a verb or noun?
If it is used as a noun, what is its meaning?


texts: Where do “‑ess” and “‑ine” suffixes come from?

texts:
English has a lot of words in which the suffix ‑ess makes a word feminine, such as actress, hostess, huntress.

That looks like a suffix that is also used frequently in Italian, so I’d guess it has Latin origins.  Are those all the same suffix?

Heroine uses what seems to be a Germanic suffix.  Are there any other instances of using a Germanic ‑ine suffix to make a feminine version of something in English, or is heroine unique in this?

Are both these ‑ess and ‑ine suffixes still productive in English, or can we only use premade forms that somebody else already coined?


texts: What is the term when the other person is doing same or similar thing every time you said I'm doing this or that

texts: I have this person saying that when I said, I just woke up, she will then say the same thing on her reply on our exchange of messages through SMS which most often not believable at all. I know there's a term on this I just forgot.


texts:
A British guy ask me on fb

  Up to much?

How should I respond to it?


texts: Is there a more common word than "mnemonicization"

texts:
What's the word for the process of creating a mnemonic?
I coined (? did I?) the verb "to mnemonicize" and the noun "mnemonicization"
Google shows so few  results for these, 25 results for "mnemonicization" and 0 for "mnemonicisation".
I am now hunting for established words that may be more common.


texts:
I was listening a song called To The Left from Beyonce.
There is a part that she sings:
“Because you was untrue
Rolling her around in the car that I bought you
Baby you dropped them keys
Hurry up before your taxi leaves”.

Could you guys explain me what does she mean?
If she was talking about the car keys, it shouldn’t be “you dropped its keys”


texts: Term For Argument by Showing 1 Counter Example

texts:
I've been in discussions where I have made a statement and the other person refutes the entire statement by bringing up 1 counter example.  Is there a term for this?

For instance, if I said "Child murderers are bad people".
Then, someone would say, "Not all child murderers are bad.  What about the cop that killed a some 16 year old that was in the mall shooting other people?"

This is an overly simplified example.  You make a statement that is 99.9999% true, but they find 1 counter example to refute the entire statement.


texts: How to abbreviate “compare”, “see”, “refer to”

texts:
In my native language (Italian) there are convenient abbreviations for compare (cfr) and see or refer to (vd). Is there anything similar in English? Or should I just use the complete words see or refer to in these cases?

I am referring to something that I can use in an informal note, where citations and bibliography seem an overkill.

E.g:

The method they developed gave better results respect the traditional methods (cfr “Traditional methods for the task”)

The results for those experiments (vd paragraph “Those Experiments”) show a direct correlation between A and B.


texts: Omit hyphens in titles unless it alters meaning?

texts: I don't know if I read this somewhere over the years or made it up. Is there a preference or rule anywhere that says to omit hyphens in titles unless removing them changes meaning?


texts: Sometime, you will receive a call from a deliveryman to collect your express package in the office. I think the "wait a moment" is not a positive expression, and the "I am coming" is ambiguous to female courier. what is the alternative way to say "I am coming"?


texts:
To refer to future ability we should strictly use will be able to in certain instances, while in other cases it is possible to use either can or will be able to. Why? How can one account for that convincingly?

For example,

  I'll be able to use a typewriter perfectly after a few more lessons

  but

  We can/will be able to sit at home tomorrow and watch the match in comfort.


texts: In which context is the word "libation" more often used?

texts:
I noticed that the word libation has 2 meanings:

the pouring of a liquid offering as a religious ritual
Intoxicating beverage

But which of the meanings applies more often?


texts: Why ”were” and not “was” in “and e’en to tell it ᴡᴇʀᴇ no easy task”?

texts:
I am reading a translation of Dante’s Inferno made by Cary in 1805. Here I cite the translator’s text for the opening of Canto I:

  In the midway of this our mortal life,
  I found me in a gloomy wood, astray
  Gone from the path direct; and e’en to tell
  It were no easy task, how savage wild
  That forest, how robust and rough its growth
  Which to remember only, my dismay
  Renews, in bitterness not far from death.

I cannot understand why the translator uses were when he says:

and e’en to tell / It were no easy task

Instead of using this version with was:

and e’en to tell / It was no easy task

Can anyone tell me why he used were there? Is the subject of were really both the forest and its growth, which is why it is plural not singular for it?

Can anyone paraphrase this sentence?


texts:
I'm writing a scientific article.

In my study, the amount of food we eat affects the bodyweight for example. We call it "coupling of food and bodyweight" because bodyweight depends mainly on food and there exists a relation between the amount of food and body weight.

I would like to know if there is an alternate word to coupling which can be used in this context.


texts: What is the correct casing when there are brackets involved?

texts:
Just writing my own definition for some words in my spare time.
I have come across definitions such as:

fatso
(Discriminating) Somebody fat

I just put an extremely simple definition there. But what I am worrying about is the casing. Which of the following would be correct?

(Discriminating) Somebody fat
(discriminating) Somebody fat
(Discriminating) somebody fat
(discriminating) somebody fat

Which one would be correct punctuation usage?


texts:
Should I use "like" or "as if" before a statement containing a preposition?

Such as,

  John and Jane went together like/as if peas in a pod.

Thanks.


texts:
I just saw this sentence on cnn:

Experts believe if Friday's test would have been fired on a flatter, standard trajectory, it could have threatened cities like Los Angeles, Denver and Chicago.

I expected this:

Experts believe if Friday's test  had been fired on a flatter, standard trajectory, it could have threatened cities like Los Angeles, Denver and Chicago.

So what is the difference between these two sentences in terms of meaning and grammar?

Thanks in advance


texts:
What are the correct tenses to use in the following sentence between gerund and infinitive?

  What I do at this point is ____ home and _____ dinner.

Should I write:

What I do at this point is going home and having dinner
What I do at this point is go home and have dinner
What I do at this point is going home and have dinner
What I do at this point is go home and having dinner

If not clear enough, the specific concern of the question is: after the form "What I do at this point is..." what is the correct tense to use, gerund or infinitive? And then in the following "and" clause, what is the correct tense to use, gerund or infinitive?

Related questions, but none fitting the case:

Use of an ~ing form with another verb
"-ing" verb + gerund
When should we use -ing or infinitive verbs?

Other references, more fitting:

https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/basically-what-they-do-is-followed-by-to-or-by-a-verb.2865522/
http://context.reverso.net/traduzione/inglese-italiano/what+they+do+is+they
http://context.reverso.net/traduzione/inglese-italiano/they+do+is


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  How Should Trademarks be Written?
  How do you capitalize a proper noun such as “iPhone”?

I'm writing a paper about the function of twitter as a news medium and I'm wondering about the capitalisation of the brand name. Normally one would start brand names with a capital letter, but the twitter logo made me doubt - it's such an explicitly lowercase t.

Internet companies or standards often use quite refreshing capitalisations in their brand names (WordPress, jQuery), and I was just wondering what your verdict was on 'twitter'. Should it be a capital T since it's a company name?

The twitter website does not seem to provide much confirmation in either direction, as it seems like the differen authors (i.e. on the blog) tend to go by different rules.

And what about words like Tweet, Retweet and Mention?


texts:
I've encountered a situation where it would be very convenient to utilize a typographical symbol to indicate that the immediately preceding content was authored by an individual. Is there a symbol in use (albeit perhaps uncommon use) for this case? I realize that I can use the word "by", but a single glyph would be preferential and is what I'm asking about.

Here's what I mean, but in place of the emoji pencil:

Thinking in color
A book about color theory, exploring its history and psychology with application examples in various design industries ✏ Greg Williams
Twenty Pirates: The Adventures of Jack Sparrow
Take on the high seas with Jack Sparrow and his crew in this thrilling novel about pirate adventures ✏ Nabeel Strong
Etc.


texts: What does "disingenuous“ really mean in English? Any good definitions?

texts: It is like hypocritical? German translating dictionaries give me "unaufrichtig" mostly but I think that's only an approximation. I'm not sure I am really understanding the word.


texts: What role does the phrase "the way" perform in this sentence?

texts:
Walter thought she was wonderful the way she was (1). Whatever she
  did, he marveled. If she espoused extreme points of view, he was
  impressed by her arguments; when she shocked society by helping
  unmarried mothers and their children, he admired her courage; and he
  loved the way she looked in daring fashions (2).  (Ken
  Follett, Fall of Giants)

It seems like the second the way phrase is the complement of ‘loved’ (or the object). But the first is not that easy. It seems to be an adverbial or a predicative for ‘she’. How do I understand the first the way phrase?


texts: Does "fathers" in RP exclude R and unvoice the S?

texts:
In received pronunciation, the word "father" ends in /ə/. I haven't found an IPA transcription of the plural form, and am wondering:

RP being non-rhotic, is the "r" here excluded?
Is the S voiced (/z/) or unvoiced (/s/)?


texts: Does the phrase "violations will be enforced" make any sense?

texts:
I see this on traffic signs around my town, and I don't think it makes any sense.  I googled the phrase and apparently a lot of people use it that way, but that does not change my opinion.

I think you can:
Enforce a law
Respond to a violation
Punish a violator

But how can you enforce a violation?  Violations are prohibited… not enforced.


texts: tv commercial for a brain supplement asks, "Would you like to brain better?"


texts: should we use banned instead of banning? what's incorrect in this sentence?

texts: In 1971, US government not only put warnings on cigarette packs, but also banning TV advertising of cigarettes.


texts: Word or phrase for when you ask someone to do something but really there is not a choice

texts: If you ask someone a question or to do something where you are telling them the answer or the way to do it in the question im sure there is a phrase or word to describe it.... what is it?


texts:
Is it correct to use sentences in the following format?

  X asked, “...?”.

That is, a simple interrogative sentence enclosed within quotes followed by a period. Which is the correct sentence?

  He asked, “How do you do?” She colloquially responds, “NM.”
  He asked, “How do you do?”. She colloquially responds, “NM.”

Are there any alternatives to the above sentence?


texts: Meaning of "thwarting centuries of would be conquerors "

texts:
I got the following sentence from one of the GRE teaching websites. But I am not able to understand the bolded part in it.

  Thwarting centuries of would be conquerors, the Aztec fortress of
  Chapultepec seemed impregnable, until U.S. forces under General
  Winfield Scott were able to take the fortress with surprisingly little
  effort.

Is the sentence as a whole grammatical?


texts: Can you guys tell me which of these sentence is correct?

texts:
this is the procedures on my lab manual. I've always been wondering. which one is the correct one?
If the weight loss of soil obtained is about <5% (m/m) per 24h, the "soil sample is removed" from the oven.
If the weight loss of soil obtained is about <5% (m/m) per 24h, the "soil sample was removed" from the oven.
This is the original sentence from my lab manual,
If the weight loss of soil is about <5% (m/m) per 24h, remove the soil sample from the oven.


texts:
I am working with order page, when user press on Cancel Order Button, He should Choice one of the following:

1-cancel order.

2-(opposite of Cancel) order.(this choice Means do not do any thing with order)

What is the opposite of Cancel on this case?
keep in your mind, Cancel is usually what you press to decline an action in a UI situation, and here on my second choice, I am trying to do that.


texts: Word for repetition of the same word before and after comma?

texts:
How do you describe a type of writing in which a word is repeated (e.g. a word written before as well as after a comma), such as:

  "My point is that we cannot, cannot believe in a loving, forgiving, merciful, compassionate God that is exclusive." —Quora Source
  "He just made the minimum height to ride the roller coaster and he's just an awesome, awesome boy." —Example sentence suggested by @1006a.
  "His speech is quite, quite fabulous"

One of my coleagues suggested the term anaphora which denotes:

  the use of a word referring back to a word used earlier in a text or conversation, to avoid repetition, for
  example the pronouns he,
  she, it, and they and the
  verb do in I like it and so do they.
  the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.
  the part of the Eucharist
  which contains the
  consecration, anamnesis,
  and communion.

I think it's not a word which I am looking for because it refers to the repetition of a word or phrase from the starting of a sentence. See the following example of anaphora:

  Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.


texts: Is it appropriate to state a mathematical fact with the word "whenever"?

texts:
From time to time, in Math textbook, I encounter the statement using whenever, e.g. on page 12 of Horst Herrlich's Axiom of Choice "A has an upper bound in X whenever each pair of elements of A has an upper bound in A."

In my mind, the assignment of truth value of a particular mathematical proposition is either a prior belief at the metalevel of reasoning, or a logical consequence of some other more “basic” axioms, both of which are irrelevant to time, which could be specified or not.

Why not replace "whenever" by "if" and its timeless synonyms, say, "provided"?


texts: Is the "us" in "all that will be left is us" correct usage?

texts:
In this sentence taken from the movie AI is 'us' the correct form of the pronoun? It certainly sounds better than if it were written with 'we' instead of 'us'.  Also, I can sort of see why 'is' is used instead of 'are', and I think this is why 'us' is used rather than 'we', but would be interested in a clear explanation.

  All that will be left is us.


texts: How to remember using "have" instead of "of"?

texts:
I'm (reasonably) sure these are wrong:

I would of won.
I could of done that.

and are likely so common because if you phonetically transcribe "would've", "could've", etc, that's what you get.  Nevertheless, I commonly make that mistake over and over again.  How can I definitively correct this error?


texts: The extent to which one is, or the state of being, of or pertaining to turtles/tortoises

texts: I'm having trouble finding a word which fits. I did a google search for testudineousness and testudinateness, but sadly had no hits.


texts:
In the cases below, do I always have to use 'may' instead of 'can'?
Both sound correct to me however, I had read explanations that said that 'may' should be used after 'so that'.

I came earlier so that I may help them.
I came earlier so that I can help them.

Please be on time so that we may leave before 5.
Please be on time so that we can leave before 5.

Thanks


texts:
I have asked the same question in ELL stackexchange, but unfortunately haven't received enough answer/comment. The one answer I got is not satisfactory. So that's the reason I am asking it here again. Link to ELL post.

I have seen in some cases prepositions are omitted before some noun phrases. And it's explained that those phrases are actually an adverb phrases. But I know a simple thing. If the head of the phrase is a noun, it's a noun phrase. If the head of the phrase is an adverb it is an adverb phrase.
For example -

Look both ways before crossing the road. [both ways is a noun phrase, where the head is ways, but still there is no preposition.]

He approached me in a friendly way. [a friendly way is a noun phrase, where the head is way, but as expected unlike sentence #1 it's preceded by the preposition in. And I have never seen this phrase is used without a preposition. I believe dropping the preposition is wrong, according to the grammar.]

She made a pickle a different way from her mother. [a different way is a noun phrase, where the head is way, but strangely there is no preposition before it. But I have seen examples of a different way used both with prepositions and without prepositions. I think the preposition here is optional.]

Now from these example sentences I have tried to demonstrate my problem/confusing area. My question is -
1. When a noun phrase is used as an adverb phrase?
2. When before a noun phrase the placement of preposition is obligatory (like sentence #2)? And where it's optional (like sentence #3)? And where placing the preposition is wrong (like sentence #1)?


texts: What does 'compliment' mean in this quote of Melville?

texts:
What does compliment mean in the following passage from Moby-Dick:

I will not say as schoolboys do to bullies—Take some one of your own size; don’t pommel me! No, ye’ve knocked me down, and I am up again; but ye have run and hidden. Come forth from behind your cotton bags! I have no long gun to reach ye. Come, Ahab’s compliments to ye; come and see if ye can swerve me. Swerve me? ye cannot swerve me, else ye swerve yourselves! man has ye there. Swerve me? The path to my fixed purpose is laid with iron rails, whereon my soul is grooved to run. Over unsounded gorges, through the rifled hearts of mountains, under torrents’ beds, unerringly I rush! Naught’s an obstacle, naught’s an angle to the iron way!

I looked up the word in some dictionaries, but none of them seem to be very helpful. Methinks, for one, that compliment here is not a misspelling of complement. What y'all think?


texts: Where does English get the word “condom” from?

texts:
Although once a word that dared not speak its name, thanks to popular-culture references as well as the devastating AIDS tragedy, condom seems to be on everyone’s lips these days.

But does anybody really know where the word condom (BrE /(ˈ)kɒndɒm/, AmE /ˈkɑnd(ə)m/) ultimately comes from?

The OED says:

  Etymology: Origin unknown; no 18th-cent. physician named Condom or Conton has been traced though a doctor so named is often said to be the inventor of the sheath.

It is probably a coïncidence that it first appeared in the same century as shag, as the device surely predates the word.  It just must have been called something else back then.

Even if you allow that trees can be barked, folk etymologies related to an apocopation of condominium, amusing though they may sometimes be (particularly as blue punch-lines), seem to be barking up the wrong tree.

So where do we anglophones (and others?) get the modern word condom from?


texts: What do you call treatments which needs to go on for life for a person and there is no permanent cure for it in medical science

texts: Something like diabetes, blood pressure, thyroid etc which don't have a cure and medicine has to be taken throughout life.


texts: Required to repeat 'is' when specifying two attributions?

texts:
I am seeing that I often leave out copula when connecting two clauses. Like:

  A notation is fixed but the performance variable.

I have the feeling this is a mistake coming from my German mother tongue. Is the previous sentence correct English, or should it rather repeat the 'is':

  A notation is fixed but the performance is variable.

A second example:

  The function may be written into the control component or visible from the outside.

vs.

  The function may be written into the control component or be visible from the outside.

vs.

  The function may be written into the control component or may be visible from the outside.


texts: Request a word for believing easily because you desire to believe

texts: I find so many people on the internet who are quick to share articles as proof or quick to believe something on the internet is fact without doing research beyond said article/picture. They won't even look up the website to find if it is reputable or not. Basically they believe something is fact based solely on their desire to want it to be fact. Is there a word that describes this?


texts: What does “…because they had made up their minds, not to die,…” mean?

texts:
Can someone help me understand the meaning of this sentence?

  "I have seen Kru-men and others die in spite of every effort that was made to save them, simply because they had made up their minds, not (as we thought at the time) to die, but that being in the clutch of malignant demons they were bound to die."

To me the confusing part is "…, simply because they had made up their minds, not (as we thought at the time) to die…,"


texts: Use of is/are in sentences where you talk about two things - one singular and other plural

texts:
This recently came up when chatting with a colleague who moved companies. I asked "How is your manager and teammates?"

Later I thought if I should've used "How are your manager and teammates?"

Which one is correct?


texts:
How.

Is it grammatically correct to phrase a question starting with "How to"?

We see "How To" videos that explain how to do something, but is the question form valid English?

Example:

How to add two numbers?

vs

Do you know how to add two numbers?


texts: What is some poetry or famous lines/sayings on the "indifference to wealth and fame"?

texts: I want to describe someone who is austere, stoic, having the purest soul, although living in this world full of the desires of wealth and status. Is the phrase "indifferent to wealth and fame" the correct usage? I would be very grateful if you could let me know any poetry or sayings related to this.


texts: What does the phrase, a person (who) is “a pair of khaki pants inside a Manila envelope” mean?

texts:
I came across the phrase, someone who wears “a pair of khaki pants inside a manila envelope” in Vanity Fair’s December 1st issue, which came under the headline,”Look at what we love. It’s on fire: Stephen Colbert on Trump trauma, leadership  loss.” The lead copy follows:

The late night host is ready for a little less excitement. “If Joe Biden is a pair of khaki pants inside a manila envelope, that would be great.”

I don’t understand what on the earth “someone who is a pair of khaki inside a manila envelope” mean.
No dictionary at hand, nor Google search gives a definition of “pair of khaki pants in manila envelope.” I know it’s a figurative turn of phrase, and my naive guess is it implies someone who behaves just like an average people, though he or she is in upper social hierarchy. But, I’m not sure. Is this a common, well-received phrase? I appreciate if somebody teaches me.


texts:
I am a native English speaker. A Chinese roommate of mine who is an international student studying English asked me the following question:

The man who swam in the ocean drowned because he ....... to swim.

A. Hasn't learned
B. hadn't learned
C. wasn't learning
D. didn't learn

I am leaning towards either A or D, but she says it is B because the guy died and it's double past or something which I have no idea.

What is the correct answer?


texts: "Populist" in the following text context

texts:
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) - Taiwan’s main opposition party picked a
  pro-China populist mayor Monday as its candidate for the 2020
  presidential race against an incumbent who often bashes Beijing.

Does "populist" have a derogatory meaning according to the above text?


texts: Question about how to use the word suicide

texts:
I got this note from a literary agent and am curious about usage of the word suicide. I had written, "my father was a suicide." Which sounds a little archaic but wanted to avoid saying "committed suicide" and/or "Killed himself."
She wrote: Suicide should not be used in place of personhood – you don’t say “was a car accident” or “was an aneurysm”
What do you think?


texts:
The idea of machines waking up and becoming cleverer than we are is something that has long haunted science fiction and Hollywood, but it is the cold belief of many scientists that this will happen

Why did they use cold with belief?


texts:
Which is the correct use:

  Thanks for the opportunity of being here?
  or
  Thanks for the opportunity to be here?

The idea was to use the verb in infinitive.


texts: what is the name or term for someone with a faulty way of arguing?

texts:
What would be the term for some one. for example , who starts an argument by suggesting something absurd, or exaggerated - then as soon as i begin to speak OR begin to point out how obvious the suggestion\claim\grievance is nonsense by ways of simple fact - interrupted because "they dont want to argue" , and i started the argument in the first place, henceforth leaving me the one guilty starting an argument which i have also now lost???

or someone whos method of arguing is not giving the opposing person any chance to say anything, interrupting before 3 or 4 words are said in defense?


texts: Word to mean "capable of being walked on by having the strength to support the weight of humans"

texts:
I am wondering if a word exists that means that something is capable of being walked on by humans under normal expected load. For example, a roof you know that is strong enough to support normal amount of men working on it with no concerns. Say the word is "pattible". You would use it as;

"The roof is pattible, go on up"
"After the storm, I think the roof is inpattible, be careful"
"The ice is only pattible between November and February"
"Adding a column underneath really helped the pattibility of the bay window"


texts: Help to interpret a tricky component - 'understand' from a sentence by McCloskey

texts:
Can someone please explain to me what grammar role the verb 'understand' plays in the sentence below? What does it mean? I get the parallel verbs 'hate', 'have never heard of', 'dismiss' and 'favor'. But what does 'understand' mean in the sentence?

  "They hate the Chicago School, have never heard of the Austrian School, dismiss spontaneous order, and favor bossing people around—for their own good, understand."

source: https://reason.com/archives/2018/02/11/the-applied-theory-of-bossing


texts: Is it best to use height or length associated to width for describing a 2D object?

texts:
When it comes to 3D I see object dimensions described with attributes:
 - width
 - height
 - length

When it comes to 2D I'm a bit confused, sometimes I see width,height sometimes width,length

For example when defining a 2D canvas in a Adobe software you use width & height.

But if I make some research in the net it seems more correct to use width,length for 2D then height will be added as 3rd axis.

Maybe it depends also if the object is usually intended to be horizontal or vertically oriented. (That would explain a why using height for a canvas on a monitor)

But what if it's a paper sheet, where actually u don't know if it's intended for horizontal or vertical positioning?


texts:
I have spent most of my life not knowing the meaning of the word nostalgia. I have looked it up. But as I was talking to someone about the experiences he had, he used the word as if it were a common everyday word.

Would someone please tell me how you use the word nostalgia, and try to be detailed about the situation in which it is used?


texts: How to determine which definition of 'contingent'?

texts:
This quote was revealed to exemplify Definition 1, but working backwards, how would you determine the meaning of contingent? Even after seeing the context, I'm still vacillating between definitions 1 (not 1.1, the one above 1.1) and 3. Don't they  both look right?

  But, while personal biographies and group histories are mutually immanent, they are relationally irreducible. The same context may produce several different collective 'histories', differentiating as well as linking biographies through contingent specificities. In turn, articulating cultural practices of the subjects so constituted mark contingent collective 'histories' with variable new meanings.

Source: PP 177, Cartographies of Diaspora: Contesting Identities, by Avtar Brah


texts: I've always been interested in the word preposition and at times, had used it correctly. How would one use it?


texts:
Context: A tool that checks various settings or configurations to verify compliance.
Further context:
If I were a health safety inspector, I would go to a restaurant and I might review their meat temperatures, cleaning logs, sanitary documentation, food handling practices, etc...
If I were writing about this on a website, there might be a section that goes like this:

Things that are checked
Food safety is a serious matter! When we review your restaurant, we
will check:

Meat temperatures (both in fridge and when served)
Cleaning logs (kitchen, bathroom, and dining area)
Sanitary documentation (is it documented where to find gloves or how often a surface needs to be wiped down?)
Food handling practices (do chefs wear mouth covers and hair nets)

Im wondering if there is a one-word, accusative-type word for "Things that are checked." Like in German there might be a compound word for DasCheckedThingsen, but we dont readily use such constructions in English.


texts: The exact sense and origin of "to stick it to someone"

texts:
From a blogpost at BBC, Did internet kill the radio star?

  David Lowery, lead singer for the bands Cracker and Camper Van
  Beethoven, tells the BBC that illegal sharing of music files is
  sticking it to the "hippy freak musician", while internet service
  providers and other big corporations still get their profits.

I found some definitions: "to treat severely or wrongfully /  to give someone a problem; to confront someone / to punish someone who did something wrong earlier."

But that does not clarify the use of the word "stick". So I'm still curious what is the exact etymology here. In what sense is 'stick' used: "to glue, to attach" or "to press something against something else"? Or "to beat with a stick"?

Does 'stick it' derive from, pardon my French, something like "shove it up your ..."? If yes, why does it use the preposition 'to'? And isn't it verging on very rude in this case? Seems to be already mild enough to appear on the BBC website..


texts: THE (A) strategy of paying everyone the same salary

texts:
I was discussing a topic from IELTS writing test with anoter person. The topic sounded something like this “Should a company pay everyone the same salary?”.

I said, “A company could go bankrupt after implementing THE strategy of paying everyone the same salary”.

He corrected me, “A company could go bankrupt after implementing A strategy of paying everyone the same salary”.

I understand that in many cases we should use "a strategy": "A new business strategy" or "A new marketing strategy", but
I used "the" because I thought that "paying everyone the same salary" can be considered as a specific strategy.

Am I wrong?


texts: What's the difference between superpose and superimpose?

texts:
The definitions seem very much alike:

superposed - Place (something) on or above something else, esp. so
that they coincide: "superposed triangles".
superimpose - Place or lay (one thing) over another, typically so that both are still evident.

Are they just synonyms?


texts: What is the correct usage of “vis-à-vis”?

texts:
I hear people use the term vis-à-vis all the time in place of what I believe should more correctly be for example or that is.

What is the most generally accepted correct and appropriate use of vis-à-vis, and what are its origins?


texts: English expression for what Germans call 'Kompetenzgerangel'

texts:
In German Kompetenzgerangel means a situation between either persons or organisations (typically: government agencies, or departments in a company) where there is a lack of clarity about competencies of the individual parties, and parties try to grab competencies or responsibilities that others claim for themselves.

I tried to find an expression for that in English which has, like Kompetenzgerangel, an air of ironic criticism of the (childish, immature) behaviour of those involved.  However, dictionaries so far have not helped me. I found one suggestion: bickering over competencies but I do not know if I can trust the source.


texts:
Do these sentences have different meanings?

  I never saw such a thing.

  I didn't ever see such a thing.
  I never saw him dancing.

  I didn't ever see him dancing.

My questions:

Are both usages correct?
Is there a difference in meaning?


texts: Word for "using other's thing without their permission"

texts:
Could you give me a word which means using things of other people without their permission?

For example, in the sentence:

  You shouldn't touch my phone without my permission

I want to find an adverb to replace without my permission.
Can I say: you shouldn't touch my phone freely?


texts: Soy's medical efficiency - don't get the meaning of the paragraph as a whole

texts:
"Mark Messina's book The Simple Soybean and Your Health exudes recognition much less unrestrained in the description of the soy's medical efficiency than its versatility, but the author cautions against soy to be a panacea."

I've translated all the difficult words as: exude (emit/ooze) and panacea (cure all). However I don't catch the meaning of " exudes recognition much less unrestrained in the description of the soy's medical efficiency than its versatility" as a sentence.

I think that the meaning is:

  the author thinks the soy's efficiency is less effective in comparison to its versatility?

By the way, what is a versatility of soy? Does he mean that you can use it for a lot of purposes?  But it's not effective although the variation?