texts:
I have a sentence which reads

  Many people require that every lightbulb within a house have/has a switch.

Is it appropriate to use "have" here so as to utilize the subjunctive mode of the verb "require"?

Or is it more appropriate to use "has" in order to get the (lack of) pluralization in "every lightbulb has..." correct?


texts: Word for when you do something just because someone told you not to

texts:
Example, imagine someone tells a bald person: "You would be a terrible hair stylist; you have no hair!" Even though this person (the bald one) isn't interested in hair-styling, they decide to become a hair stylist JUST because they've been told they can't.

So, what is the name of that feeling?

(P.S.: English isn't my first language, I'm sorry if I spelled something wrong.)


texts:
I've been wondering if there is a word to express that something was current at the time of its creation. It (in bold) should plug-in into a sentence similar to:

  The results are based on an analyses that deal with the then-current methods.

As far as I can tell, both "contemporary" and "current" refer to now, whereas I would like to express something was "current" in the past.


texts: Is this correct : "the bigger a dream is, the harder is to achieve."

texts: I believe it's correct from a view of grammar, but is it clear?


texts: I'd like to know the term that's used to describe a list of payables that a company needs to pay at the end of the month (or any specific period)? "Accounts payable" seems to be tad technical. I'd like to know if there are other words for it.


texts: If I want finish a task by the end of this week, is it correct to say "I want to finish it within this week?"


texts:
In a bulleted list of very technical sentences, where each bulleted item has one or two parenthetical examples or restatements which are complete sentences, should the first letter of each e.g. or i.e. sentence be capitalized or not?

Example:

Here is my technical sentence. (e.g., Should the word of this example be capitalized like this?)
Here is another technical sentence.  (i.e., this really isn't an i.e., I just want to know if the first word should or should not be capitalized and am providing an example of yes and no.)

I originally posted this on English Language & Usage When using complete sentences in parenthetical e.g. or i.e. situations, should the first word be capitalized? and in discussion with @simchona the analogy of semicolon punctuation came up.  Here are the corresponding examples:

"As we discussed, you will bring two items; a sleeping bag and a tent are not optional." - No doubt, the "a" in "... a sleeping..." should be lowercase.
"As we discussed, you will bring two items. A sleeping bag and a tent are not optional." - No doubt, the "A" in "A sleeping ..." should be capitalized.
"As we discussed, you will bring two items (i.e., a sleeping bag and a tent are not optional)." - no doubt, the "a" after the "i.e.," is lower case.
"As we discussed, you will bring two items. (i.e., A/a sleeping bag and a tent are not optional)." - Now the sentence in parenthesis is standing alone, i.e., it's not embedded in the bulleted sentence.

Should the parenthetical in this example start with "(i.e., a sleeping ...) OR "(i.e., A sleeping ...)"?


texts:
In my grammar books it's written the relative pronoun 'What' is used only in singular.

Does this mean It's used just with a singular nouns. For ex, "What goal you want to accomplish" is a correct sentence. But "what goals you want to accomplish" is incorrect.

Did I get it right?


texts: Is "amend XX" a commonly understood English term to express "add something to XX" or "modify XX"?

texts:
In our company, we've recently had a discussion about the usage of the verb amend in the context of a screen in our software user interface, where a button reads amend set (meaning add something to this set or modify this set). We're mostly non-native English speakers and this word seemed a bit exotic. Is it commonly used in this context?

From a non-native English speaker perspective, I'd prefer modify set. Our target audience is native (British) English speaking, though.


texts:
Watching Meet the Press today I watched Chuck Todd insist that an accusation was unproven, but not unsubstantiated.  What is the difference between these terms?

"You have firsthand accounts. They're unproven but they are not unsubstantiated. You have a, you have a first-hand account. We have somebody that disagrees with that first-hand account. But they are substantiated, no?" - Chuck Todd

http://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/meet-press-october-16-2016-n667251


texts:
I'm trying to find a description for a group of people that get together at the right moment to find the perfect solution for a difficult situation. "Deus ex machina" came to mind but I was hoping that there would be a more modern, and preferably more succinct, option to describe this. So far I have found, with this site, "silver bullet" which is good but not quite as apropos as I was hoping as it seems to describe the solution rather than the people.

Any help or insight is greatly appreciated, thank you for your time!


texts: What is the formal way of saying "You have got something wrong"?

texts:
Let's say that I am working with my manager; he made some mistake which I have identified, and I want to point that out to him. So is there any polite way of saying "You have got it wrong."?

(By the way is the tense right in the question? I mean should it be

  he has made a mistake which I would like to point out.

or

  he made a mistake which I would like to point out.)


texts:
I am going to teach a Celta lesson on indirect questions. Amongst the indirect questions there's one which is a question with a question word as the subject:

Who cleans the house where you live?

Should I teach that as an indirect question or should I teach that after all other types of indirect questions?


texts: Name for words created from mispronunciations?

texts:
Is there a name for the process by which words are created out of mispronunciations of other words, or for the words themselves?

Examples that come to mind include ain't for isn't and prolly for probably.

I suppose these words would be called slang words, but they're a particular kind of slang that comes from the original words being more difficult (or just taking longer) to say.

Also, is this the same phenomenon that gives us more casual, abbreviated versions of longer words, like comfy for comfortable or even ˈkazh for casual?


texts: Has 'fat chance' always been used sarcastically or was it once a factual term?

texts:
That 'fat chance' means 'a small chance' (and is always used sarcastically) is clear to me. But what I was wondering about is if the term used to be factual and then changed meaning because it started to be used in a sarcastic way, or has it always been sarcastic and was it never used literally?

(Is that latter option even possible? Isn't it so that the sarcasm actually only works if everybody knows that underneath 'fat' means 'big' here? But I'm above all curious if it ever was a normal term, such as 'slim chance' still is)


texts:
I feel there must be a word I can use to mean the opposite of "golden", but I can't think of one. For example:

golden handshake: being sacked but with excellent remuneration.
****** handshake: being sacked unpleasantly

golden ticket: winning the prised invitation
****** ticket: letter inviting you back after routine cancer screening

golden sample: an example of a product that passes the quality tests
****** sample: an example of a product that fails the quality tests


texts: Did I "say" that online, or did I "write" it?

texts:
When we refer to something someone else has previously spoken or written, we usually differentiate between the spoken and written word with the verb introducing the quote or paraphrase:

In his speech at Cooper Union, Abraham Lincoln said, "Human action can be modified to some extent, but human nature cannot be changed."

vs.

In the letter to Trebonius, Cicero wrote, "How I could wish that you had invited me to that most glorious banquet on the Ides of March!"

I've noticed when writing online in conversation-like settings, such as comments threads or text chats, I almost invariably use said rather that wrote:

Q: what time is the party
A: same as i said before. 7:30.

When I take the time to redraft—something I do with comments, but not with chats—I always wrestle with these. I change said to wrote, but when used to refer back to words in "chatty" media, it just reads wrong to me.
It seems as if some intangible but intrinsic quality attaches to various media, spurring me to prefer write for referring to emails, long-form blog posts, essays, articles, and papers, but say for back-and-forth comments and chats.
Is my intuition about this shared by others? Would you bristle at seeing my comment,

...as I said in a comment yesterday...

or would this not bother you? Should I try forcing myself to substitute wrote for said whenever referring to words not spoken aloud?


texts: If walking across the street unlawfully is jaywalking, is it safe to say biking across the street is jaybiking?

texts:
Can the prefix "jay-" be used with any verb form so long as it represents crossing a street illegally?

For example, I went to NYC the past week for vacation, and noticed so many people, and bikers, especially bikers, crossing the street whenever they felt like it, red light or not, crosswalk or not.

Is it then okay to say they were "jaybiking"? Or is jaywalking just a loose term for any act of crossing the street unlawfully?


texts: End of the sentence: "heading" or "heading to"?

texts:
I did a Google search and I found both instances:

  ... on my mount and instance que pops, I get into instance, finish
  it, and after leaving instance Im back on my mount wherever I was
  heading to.

  Different strokes though -- I'd much rather have those extra 2-3 days
  in Turkey or wherever I was heading.

What's the difference between the two?


texts: Formal writing, scholarly citation: 'Given in italics' or 'given italics'?

texts:
Generally, regarding scholarly citation, I would say

  As a general rule, any work that is published or produced under its own title is given in italics.

However, yesterday I found another version of this phrase, without 'in':

  As a general rule, any work that is published or produced under its own title is given italics.

The second version is probably free of redundant word, but on the other side it's less clear to me (I'm not native speaker). Which version is better for formal writing?

Probably a better question: what's the difference between them?


texts: "Haven't we wasted our time, we'd be in better shape today"

texts: Is the above sentence grammatically correct?


texts: What is the meaning of “Can I have a slice?” In NYC?

texts:
I spent the day yesterday with some friends in Manhattan. We were in a food commons area of a mall and had just started to eat a pizza when a couple of college age guys stopped at our table and one of them said “Can I have a slice?”

My friend replied “Sure, if you pay for it” and then the guy said “Oh, you’re not from around here” and then he and his friend quickly walked away.

My friends and I are wondering if he actually wanted a slice of pizza or if he was asking for something else. We are all from the Midwest so forgive us if we are out of touch with modern East Coast customs or slang.


texts: Help me understand the word 'deflect' in this sentence

texts:
Belanger dances with an undemonstrative panache that draws one's attention as if by seeking to deflect it; through finesse and understatement, he manages to seem at once intensely present and curiously detached.

This is a question in my GRE text book. There are 2 blanks, and you can choose the words given  to best fit the blanks. I have put the correct words in the sentence, in italic.

I think I do not understand the phrase '...by seeking to deflect it'.


texts: Is there a word for 'subject' (of a sentence) that isn't 'term' or 'argument'?

texts:
I'm writing a philosophy essay that pertains to subjectivity (the condition of being a subject of experience).

I use subject in sentences like x is a subject if, and only if, x satisfies criteria x, y, z.
I use term in sentences like The term denotes x.
I use argument in sentences like John's argument for that claim procceeds thus:...

Is there a word that denotes 'the subject of a sentence' or 'the thing that satisfies predicates' that isn't term, subject, or argument?

I sometimes use work-arounds, such as the subject of a sentence and (grammatical) subject or (grammatical) argument. Nevertheless, there are cases where my sentences would read more easily if I could replace those work-arounds with a single word.


texts:
Does that mean pale eyes (color) or glazed eyes (energy) or sight-dimmed eyes(ability)? I have no idea. Just for your information, the wandmaker in the following citation is a very old man with pale eyes, and he is very tired.

Also, I’d like to know if the definition of “faded eyes” varies depending on the context.

  The wandmaker took the first of the wands and held it close to his faded eyes, rolling it between his knobble-knuckled fingers, flexing it slightly. (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (7) [US Version p.493])


texts:
I found this sentence in Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman:

There are all kinds of ninny-pinny, dopey things, like "it might be a good idea to try a date for the combination, because lots of people like to use dates."

What does ninny-pinny mean? I googled it but I only got the definition of ninny: a foolish or stupid person.


texts: What is the difference between “Special Counsel” and “Special Prosecutor”? Are they same after all?

texts:
USA Today (May 17) reports Robert Mueller’s appointment as a Special Counsel to oversee the investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election and the possibility of collusion between Russia and President Trump's campaign, and explains;

“The terms (Special Counsel and Special Prosecutor) are largely interchangeable to refer to someone appointed to investigate allegations that could involve a conflict of interest within the Department of Justice. But the manner in which they are appointed and why has changed over time.”

To me the standing and roles of “Prosecutor” and “Counsel” look quite opposite - for example, COD defines "Counsel" as barrister or other legal advisor conducting a case, and "Prosecutor" as 1. a person , especially a public official who prosecutes someone. 2. a barrister or other lawyer who conduct the case against a defendant.

There should have been a certain reason when the word, Special or Independent Prosecutor was replaced with Special Counsel in the code of Federal Regulation (Chapter 5) in 1999.

Are “Special Counsel” and “Special Prosecutor” the same in meaning and easily interchangeable as USA Today says, like “I say tomato and you say tomaho”?.

If there is a difference, what’s the difference other than the word?


texts: What does "wind levels" means in this context

texts:
I'm having a difficulty understanding something from the book You Only Have to Be Right Once, by Randall Lane, p. 32:

  Pulling onto the 405, he attentively configures the optimum temperature and wind levels for the convertible;

What are exactly those "wind levels" for the convertible?


texts:
which is better, starting a sentence with a command or giving explanation and then giving the command.

For example, is it better to say:

Do nothing until/till you hear from your boss

OR

Until/Till you hear from your boss, do nothing

Also, which is better for such a sentence, till or until ?

Thank you so much


texts: Both "dissociate" and "disassociate" are defined as removing an association but is there a difference between the two? Does the "associate" part of "disassociate" imply a stronger former connection missing in "dissociate?"


texts: In spoken language, if a name is used to substitute the pronoun I, which is the correct verb to use as the first person?

texts:
For example I am Aunt Jalene talking to a kid.

Instead of saying

  I try to cook

I said

  Aunt Jalene (I as the first person) tries/try to cook.

Should it be try or tries?


texts: If I want to use "bountying" in a sentence, how might I construct a spelling for it? If not possible, what word could be used instead?

texts:
I frequently add bounties to Stack Exchange questions. I do a lot of bountying. I find this question fascinating and in need of bountying, but alas, I do not know how to attempt to spell bountying and searching high and low I can not find a spelling.

Answering may require some extensive research, and I'm really interested in seeing it, so bountying.

It seems that the verb form of bounty might not exist or at least be popular. If I nonetheless want to use it in a sentence, how might I construct a spelling for it? Iff no such spelling is possible, what single word replacement would work in the examples above?
No verb form found on the following pages:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bounty
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/bounty
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bounty
https://www.lexico.com/definition/bounty
https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/american_english/bounty


texts: 'Correct' term for... upwards moving menu?

texts:
I posted a (technically inclined) question at StackOverflow — and I agree with a particular commentary, and we'd like to get your opinion. Here's my original question:

  Dropdown menu.

  But ours open upward - 'popup', as in
  'popup menu' has proved oddly
  confusing to some of our business
  oriented folk. So we tried throwing in
  'vertical menu' and then.. this was a
  mistake.. 'vertical animating menu'..
  so what would you call it?

And here's the original thread for our commentary. It'll be interesting to see what you all can come up with!


texts: Please explain what 'if generic' means in this case, or paraphrase it

texts:
"The store's design familiar if generic, like a miniaturized Whole Foods."
I understand every word of the sentence, but still the meaning is not clear.
The sentence is quoted from an American newspaper and it's about the new Amazon store in Seattle.


texts:
I am not a native English speaker and have some confusion on the word privilege. I checked its meaning from the dictionary:

  a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a
  particular person or group of people.

However when it's used in some contexts, I still can't get its exact meaning. For example, at the end of a remark, some people may say

  It is the privilege of my life to be here.

Why does he want to say it is the special right of his life to be here? Similarly, they say

  It is the privilege of my career to be chancellor of one of the
  greatest universities in America.


texts: Where should I put the comma? Inside or outside the quotation marks?

texts:
I need to put a quote in my research paper. My friends give me different answers so I'm confused now...

Would it be

  According to "Title", "blah blah blah."

or

  According to "Title," "blah blah blah."


texts: Translating his/her when the original language is genderless

texts:
I'm translating a course manual but I'm struggling with something. The manual could be read by a man or a woman.

In my own language, he or she or it doesn't exist, so I'm not sure how to make my texts easier to read.

  The student can meet his/her Inner Guide who opens his/her heart chakra.
  The teacher guides his/her student so he/she can advance more in his/her life.
  I'm going to open his/her chakra and so he/she can express his/her emotions easier.


texts: "In both an accurate and commercial" vs "in a both accurate and commercial"

texts:
Which of these two sentences is (more) correct?

  I can translate your texts in both an accurate and commercial way.
  I can translate your texts in a both accurate and commercial way.


texts: Word or expression meaning giving value to something that apparently doesn't

texts:
I'm trying to find an expression that means seeing value in something (or someone) when no one else sees it.
The idea I'm trying to put into words is the fact of challenging the defects of something or someone and enhancing their qualities for what they are.

An example could be someone that is seen as ugly under the mainstream standards of beauty, and is therefore rejected, but has some amazing qualities inside.

Thanks a lot for your help :)


texts: Meaning of this piece of dialogue in The Call of the Wild?

texts:
Here is an excerpt from Chapter 1 of The Call of the Wild by Jack London:

Yet his time came, in the end, in the form of a little weazened man
who spat broken English and many strange and uncouth exclamations
which Buck could not understand.
"Sacredam!" he cried, when his eyes lit upon Buck. "Dat one dam bully
dog! Eh? How moch?"
"Three hundred, and a present at that," was the prompt reply of the
man in the red sweater. "And seem' it's government money, you ain't
got no kick coming, eh, Perrault?"
Perrault grinned. Considering that the price of dogs had been boomed
skyward by the unwonted demand, it was not an unfair sum for so fine
an animal. The Canadian Government would be no loser, nor would its
despatches travel the slower. Perrault knew dogs, and when he looked
at Buck he knew that he was one in a thousand—"One in ten t'ousand,"
he commented mentally.

What does "present" mean in this context?
Also, what exactly does the second part in the bold mean in simpler English?


texts:
I have been taught to use the if I had form in conditional clauses referring to the past:

  If the president had asked me, I would have told him the same thing.

As far as I can tell though, the would have construct is sometimes used in conditional clauses as well, so it wouldn't be incorrect to say:

  If the president would have asked me, I would have told him the same thing.

What is the difference between the two and the proper use of the latter?


texts:
Please consider the following sentence.

  I summarize these topics in the conclusions, with hopes that others
  will research them further.

Does “them” refer to the “topics,” or does it refer to the “conclusions”? It is supposed to refer to the former. Am I forced to write it more verbosely, as follows?

  I summarize these topics in the conclusions, with hopes that others
  will research the topics further.


texts: Difference between 'melancholic' and adjective 'melancholy'?

texts:
Is there any difference in meaning between the adjectives melancholy and melancholic? Can they be used interchangeably?

The Oxford Learner's Dictionaries define them as follows:

melancholy (adjective):

  very sad or making you feel sadness
  SYNONYM mournful, sombre

  melancholy thoughts/memories
  The melancholy song died away.

melancholic (adjective):

  (old-fashioned or literary) feeling or expressing sadness,
  especially when the sadness is like an illness


texts: "He gave her a gesture while leaving the room." - Is this sentence correct?

texts:
The intended use of the sentence is for a scenario where a guy gives a positive indication (with facial expressions) to  an employee before leaving the presentation room.

Is "give a gesture" grammatically correct? Does the sentence portray a positive action?


texts:
As in these Rome - To Die Among Strangers lyrics:

  the whores of rome and the kings of
  france

  have tried to brave my fire

  now the snakes curl up, the curtains
  part

  will you try to brave my fire?

and

  keep your treason brittle as glass

  you could have been the first

  could have been the last to brave my
  fire

Full text

I checked all the different meanings of brave in dictionary.com, but this sentence still hardly makes any sense to me... I can only guess. Thanks in advance!


texts: In an essay should say I swim in the ocean or through the ocean. For sailing what should we say?


texts: Meaning of the sentence: "I am not particular"

texts:
I just stumbled into this phrase, coming from a person when describing themselves:

"I am not particular"

Because of (one of?) the meaning(s) of particular, I would've expected that sentence to mean something like "I am quite general". But from the conversation and other cues I believe that it meant the opposite thing.

Any help?

For context, it's from the novel Bartleby, the Scrivener by Herman Melville. There is a character who says this every now and then.


texts: What does ‘Put one's big boy (girl) pants on’ mean?

texts:
I saw the phrase “put somebody's pants on’ in today’s ‘Quote of the Day” of Washington Post (July 17).
It quotes the following remark of DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz on Mitt Romney's record at Bain Capital in an interview Monday (July 16) morning:

  You know, this is a campaign for president of the United States. Mitt
  Romney is running for president of the United States, and he and his
  campaign leadership need to put their big boy and big girl pants on
  and defend his record.

No English online dictionaries of Cambridge, Oxford and Merriam-Webster carries ‘put one's pants on.’ Google Ngram registers ‘put one's pants on” neither.

I found an example of ‘Put Pants’ in the heading of the following text in Google:

  “Put pants on before you "hangout" with President Obama on Google+ Google+, impervious to the teasing of tech-bloggers, marches on. Now with more than 90 million users, they just picked up a rather prominent one.”

I don't know what the writer is talking about.

Although the word, ‘put one's pants on’ doesn’t seem to me a word of very good taste, nor worth adding to my repertory, what does it mean? Does it mean to ‘behave in disciplined manner’?

Is it a well-received English phrase as used publicly by DNC Chair, and specifically quoted in Washington Post?


texts: "Which foods do you..." vs. "What foods do you..."

texts:
The word "which", by its definition, is "asking for information specifying one or more people or things from a definite set." So, naturally, "which foods do you..." is the correct way of phrasing this question, right? But some people tell me that "what foods do you..." is the correct way. This phrasing even returns more Google results — 1.4 million as compared to 221k for "which foods..."

So which one... err... what one is correct?


texts: Is this original or did I hear it somewhere?

texts:
My neighbour was down-sizing her library, and insisted on keeping certain titles so, "people who look at my books will know that I'm well-read and have some intelligence."

They'll see that you have "shelf esteem," I said. : )

She got it. : P

Q: Can I take a bow for this? Or did I read it somewhere?


texts:
Is it just singer? Or there's a specific word for them?
Like "Hymner" (which I certainly believe it's not an existing word) or something?
There is Hymnody but that refers to the singing of hymn but not the ones who sing hymn.


texts: Idiom to say something beats something else greatly in a rivalry situation

texts:
Say for example we are comparing the hotness of weather of two countries or cities. They are both hot, but one beats another one to a great extent. Lets say we are comparing Dubai to Death Valley. How can we say in short that Death Valley beats Dubai in hotness greatly? Something maybe in the form of:

Death Valley ____ Dubai in hotness!

But not necessarily confined to the form above, if there is a better way to deliver the meaning.

EDIT:
In Persian for example we say something like:

Death Valley is so hot, it puts Dubai in its side pocket!


texts: Meaning of “sees fifty shades of ...” in this context

texts:
The thing is, everyone’s peeves and crochets are different. People who couldn’t care less about “could care less” will, faced with the use of “impact” as a verb, geschrei the house down, and that mob that sees fifty shades of red, scarlet, and carmine over the relatively newfangled use of “begs the question” to mean “raises the question” may well pass by a “comprised of” without so much as batting an eye.
— Dreyer's English: An utterly correct guide to clarity and style, Benjamin Dreyer pub. Random House 2019 [My emphasis]

Could anyone help me understand “sees fifty shades of ...” in this paragraph?


texts: I have often heard presenters talking about something centered around another thing, but it seems a bit illogical and hence improper to talk like this. Am I right about this?


texts: Why is "exhorbitant" a common mis-spelling of "exorbitant"?

texts:
I discovered that my natural (British English) spelling of "exorbitant" added an "h", and upon looking it up on oxforddictionaries.com discovered that it is a common mis-spelling.

Can you help me unpack why I would have thought that the non-obvious spelling was correct? Are there a number of other words that exhibit that pattern (wow, "exhibit" is probably such a word...)? Apparently it's not just me, given the Oxford citation.


texts: I've 'always' wondered about its etymology

texts:
What has way been doing in always all this time?

etymonline:

  always (adv.)
  mid-14c., contraction of Old English phrase ealne weg "all the time; quite, perpetually," literally "all the way," with accusative of space or distance, though the oldest recorded usages refer to time; … Meaning "every time" is from early 13c.

If literally the reference is to "space or distance," how did "the oldest recorded usages refer to time"? (Note the "oldest": it's not even like it has evolved/ changed later, it's always been so.)

To conjecture that it was on the lines of "all the way" (from one end to the other of; in or to every part of) would still leave you in the space-distance realm.

Some sources include the meaning "all the while." However, the etymological root weg is distinct from that of while, which is OE hwīl instead.


texts: Comma in a sentence just before the start of a list

texts:
If I am asking a complex question, I would write it like this:

  Do you have, by chance, three
  pennies on you?

Should I write a complex question that turns into a list without the comma?

  Do you have, by chance:

  3 pennies?
  2 shillings?

or like this

  Do you have, by chance,:

  3 pennies?
  2 shillings?


texts: What's the difference between "over and over again" and "again and again"? Are there any subtle hues in meaning?


texts:
I'm writing a companion document to a spreadsheet my company provides to clients. The spreadsheet consists of columns that correlate to the database, and, therefore, cannot be changed, added to, or otherwise updated.

I want to explain—in a non-techie way—that the programming itself is, well, plug-and-play. We install it and the data/functionality is what it is.

Is there a single word or simple phrase that accomplishes this? I'm worried the phrase "plug-and-play" might be a little too specific/rare for quite a bit of our clientele.

Here's the opening sentence, if it helps at all:

  The products module is a «something» e-commerce solution.

Edit:
There seems to be a bit of confusion. Here's a little more context:
We provide a product upload via a pre-set spreadsheet. The spreadsheet itself does not update.


texts: Using respectively when two subjects receive the same treatment

texts:
When describing the fact that A, B and C received treatments 1, 2 and 3, we can write:

Subjects A, B and C were tested; and treatments 1, 2 and 3 respectively, were applied.

If subjects A, B and C are applied treatments 1, 1 and 2, should we apply the same sentence?


texts: What is the equivalent word for "walking like a king"?

texts: I am looking for a phrase or an vocabulary that means "walking like a king".


texts: Meaning of Quote from Plutarch, Life of Pyrrhus

texts:
In the Life of Pyrrhus, Plutarch writes:

  "I know not what kind of barbarians these may be; but the disposition of this army that I see has nothing of barbarism in it."

The context being King Pyrrhus is invading Italy, and apparently Greeks called all other nations barbarians.

By "nothing of barbarism in it" is Pyrrrhus praising the army by saying that they look brave and ordered? Would a correct alternate wording be:

  "We call these guys barbarians, but this army doesn't look very barbaric to me"


texts: I know that it refers to eating and as far as I'm aware, it is quite recent but does anyone know the origin of it?


texts: Is there a more precise phrase for "can and should?"

texts: The idea that one is able and obligated to act is often conveyed through the phrase, "can and should." Is there a way to convey the same idea through a single word or is there a stronger way to combine the verb can with an auxiliary verb?


texts: Pronunciation guide for foreign words: Single or double quotation marks?

texts:
Is the use of single quotation marks below standard style in American English?

  The Japanese word “Nagasaki” is pronounced as ‘na+ga+sa+ki’

Double quotation marks would seem more natural to me, but I found the two style guide points below. However, the info in the single quotation marks is a pronunciation guide, not a definition or translation.

  Use single quotation marks for definitions or translations that
  appear without intervening punctuation (e.g., ainsi ‘thus’).

  7.52 Parentheses and quotation marks. A translation following a foreign word, phrase or title is enclosed in parentheses or quotation
  marks. ...In linguistics and phonetic studies a definition is often
  enclosed in single quotation marks with no intervening punctuation;
  any following punctuation is placed after the closing quotation mark.
  (Chicago Manual of Style, 15th. ed.)


texts:
We did some google searches for the origin of "dirt simple" and we can not find it.

I personally learned it from a college roommate who was from India, and I have borrowed it from him for the last 20 years.

Could this be from "dirt cheap?"


texts:
We integrated A, B, and C from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) PanCanAtlas project to classify aberrant pathway function (Mermel et al., 2011).

In this sentence, was C only from TCGA or was all of A,B,C from TCGA?


texts: Is there a difference between "seemingly" and "apparently"

texts:
In the context of a business report would there be a difference (albeit subtle) between writing of "a seemingly unambitious plan" and "an apparently unambitious plan"?

To me the first seems to suggest that in reality the plan is ambitious, we just can't see it. Is this also the case for the second?

Edit — more explanation:

One of my difficulties is the differences in definitions (seemingly doesn't appear in most dictionaries).

The definitions from Google:

  seem:

  Give the impression or sensation of being something or having a particular quality: "Dawn seemed annoyed".

  apparent:

  Clearly visible or understood; obvious.
  Seeming real or true, but not necessarily so.

Definition from Merriam-Webster:

  seeming:
  outwardly or superficially evident but not true or real

So the MW definition of seeming seems to closer to the definition of apparent in Google to me.

My query really is whether and to what extent does either word imply that the reality is or may be different to the appearance.


texts: Is the phrase, bacterially sealed, correct usage

texts: If one is referring to a connection between two metallic elements as being so tight that it excludes bacteria, would it be correct usage to say that the connection is bacterially sealed? It sounds incorrect, as if the connection is sealed by bacteria.


texts:
This is both a usage question and a grammatical analysis question. I am familiar with complex transitive verbs, such as "to place", where one has to have at least one complement, besides the direct object, to make the phrase grammatical.
There is no such thing, apparently, as a complex intransitive verb. But then I find that I cannot analyze a sentence like "She headed up the drive to the service entrance." The verb "to head" (in this sense) clearly needs at least one adverbial phrase as complement, but it cannot take a direct object. So my first question would be: how do you call this kind of verb?
I also note that this sentence has two adverbial phrases after the verb, and I'm not sure how to analyze them. I suspect "to the service entrance" is a complement to "the drive" rather than to the verb phrase, mainly because I've never seen "head" with a preposition other than "for" in this context. Does this analysis make sense to you?


texts: "In the event of rain, the parade is canceled." Is it correct?

texts:
I have found a conditional sentence "In the event of rain, the parade is canceled." on page http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/in+the+event+of

I have thought that main clause of such conditional sentence should contain future or imperative mood. For example:

In case of an emergency, push this button.
In the event of a fire, alarms will sound.

But in this sentence main clause contains present. Is it correct?

Is correct similar sentence with future:
"In the event of rain, the parade will be canceled."?

What the difference between these two sentences if both correct?


texts:
Should this sentence be:
"What do I have to do with it?" He asked.

or

"What do I have to do with it?" he asked.

Can it be both?


texts: Word for 'possessing large gravity well'?

texts:
Is there a word which means "possessing a large gravity well/exerting much gravity"?

My friend suggested "gravacious" which, though not a word, sounds fitting. And in the non-existence of a such a word already, I will most likely begin using it.


texts: How to describe a person who always prefers things from other countries but not from their home countries?

texts: For example: this person thinks that the goods from other countries is always better than his/her own country's.


texts: Is prefixing "old" before the word "adage" correct or not?

texts: Is it correct to say "old adage" or simply the word "adage" itself is enough because most of the adages are old?


texts: This record has been set by Rod Laver until now - incorrect?

texts:
I've got one correct and one incorrect sentence. I don't understand why I cannot say the first sentence as there is only a change in adjectives. One has "set" instead of  "closed".

This record has been set by Rod Laver until now. (incorrect)
The bridge has been closed until now. (correct)


texts: What figure of speech is this statement?

texts:
The cynical indifference of the sea to the merits of human suffering
  and courage revolted me.

An English professor insisted that the above statement is a metaphor. To me though, it looks like personification since the sea is described as showing indifference towards something. It is clearly being personified.

I would like to know if my view is correct.


texts: Word-usage: “two pair” or “two pairs”? Proper phrasing: If one has “two pairs of eyes on everything” wouldn’t that mean they have four eyes?

texts:
I was considering downloading the Grammarly app and was reading the reviews. I cut and pasted the following review just to make sure I didn’t make any mistakes:

“When I discovered Grammarly it seemed like a no-brainer solution. It allows me to have confidence that I have two pairs of eyes on everything that I write.”
Sara H.
Talent Acquisition Manager

I admit I sometimes need help with the proper usage of the English language but basically I’ve gotten along on just what ‘sounds right’.
Which is correct: “I have two pairs of eyes” or “I have two pair of eyes”?  I’m probably wrong but the second one just sounds right.
Second question: She stated, “It allows me to have confidence that I have two pairs of eyes on everything that I write.”
If she has “two pairs of eyes” checking her grammar, wouldn’t that mean she’s reading it with four eyes?
Come to think of it, that last sentence just sounds funny to me. She has confidence that she has two pairs of eyes on everything? Does she have a problem with her eyes wandering and Grammarly helps her focus, therefore she has confidence in Grammarly?
I’m sure I’ve made tons of grammatical and punctuation errors just in the questions on this page so I will stop nitpicking!
Thank you in advance for your help and time.


texts: How did "inmate" evolve to only apply to prisons and asylums?

texts: If you look at census records from the 1920s and before, dorm residents in schools, seminaries, and institutions are referred to as "inmates."  The term, then, was not limited just to prisons as today.  How did the association of the word to prisons only, evolve?  Has this evolved usage made the former, broader definition obsolete or inappropriate?


texts:
The specific sentence is:

  "Nasreddin Hodja is simple at/in his approach."

Meaning that the way he thinks on a specific subject is simple and practical.


texts:
I've begun reading the introduction to Best of H.T. Webster on Archive.org and came across this paragraph on page 9:

  Webby had not yet reached his teens when the family moved to a small Wisconsin town which rejoiced (and still does) in the name of Tomahawk. George Ade said it was once on the map in pencil, but "some fresh drummer rubbed it out."

The book, including the dedication from which the paragraph was taken, dates to 1953.  I cannot find a source for the quote in question, but Wikipedia says Ade was a writer from 1890 possibly up to his death in 1944, although I haven't researched this in depth.

Several online dictionaries have a definition for 'drummer' as a traveling salesman, so I'm assuming a "fresh drummer" would be a traveling salesman who's new to the profession. But I feel like I'm missing some context: why would such a person erase a town name from a map? Am I completely up the wrong tree?


texts: Comma preceding "with" clause at end of sentence

texts:
I read a sentence that I found very awkward:

  "This March was the hottest of the decade with every day above average."

My brain wants to add a comma before "with." I know one way to avoid the sentence altogether is to rephrase it as:

  "With every day above average, this March was the hottest of the decade."

But, if I were not to rephrase it as such, would it be correct to add a comma or to leave it in its original form?

Edit: My original sentence is not very clear; I made it up quickly just as an example. A better example might be:

  "It was the best game of the season with every player scoring at least one goal."


texts: Words to describe a strategic choice that is also a lie?

texts:
I'm looking for a way to describe expressing an opinion that isn't true because there is a strategic motive.

For example: If I ask someone to name their least favorite 2016 GOP presidential candidate, and they say "Jeb Bush", even though there are others they like even less than him.

The reason they say "Jeb Bush" is because their favorite GOP candidate is Rand Paul, and they know that Jeb is a good competitor and might give Rand a tough time. Their least favorite candidate is actually Donald Trump, but they purposely don't pick him because they think he'll never win the primaries.

Basically he's strategically saying his least favorite candidate is Jeb Bush (even though it's not).

What is the best way to say this without having to provide a large example like the one I provided above?


texts: How to word two items together compared to a separate item?

texts: Consider the following example: "there is a relationship between cats and dogs and bears". How can this be punctuated/worded so that it is clear that the comparison is between [cats and dogs] and [bears]?


texts: What does "To weep into stones are fables" mean?

texts:
The above words are taken from Thomas Browne's Urn Burial (1658), in this context:
"... Sense endureth no extremities, and sorrows destroy us or themselves. To weep into stones are fables. Afflictions induce callosities; miseries are slippery, or fall like snow upon us, which notwithstanding is no unhappy stupidity. ..."

Please, could you tell me only how you understand this part: "To weep into stones are fables." Is it the purpose of fables to weep into stones: "Fables are (made) to weep into stones"?

Or rather: "The weeping into stones is a/only exists in fable/s" (weeping into stones meaning to hollow a rock with one's tears).

Is there, or has there even been an idiom "to weep into stones"?


texts:
What is one word for "extensively researched and written about"? Not famous in the sense of "known" or "talked about" but specifically "written" about in a positive way.

"....and one became highly acclaimed and (extensively written about), but was 'kept a secret' because of the colour of his skin…."


texts: What does "life plays tricks on him" mean?

texts:
What does this statement mean?

  Life plays tricks on him.

Is it similar to

  He has a twisted fate.


texts: What does "Eat our peas" mean - where does it come from?

texts:
In a recent speech about the national debt, Obama said it's time to "Eat our peas".

What does it mean - where does it come from?


texts: "Washington biographer" or "Washington's biographer"

texts:
Which of the following is correct?

Washington biographer Ron Chernow says...
Washington's biographer Ron Chernow says...

The only difference that comes to mind is that the latter implies there are no other Washington biographers, but what if there was only one biographer? Is the latter then preferred over the former, while the former is more appropriate for one of many biographers? Is one always preferred over the other? I've seen both used.


texts: Catchall term for "Junior", "Senior", "the late", "widow", and the like?

texts: I'm analyzing a bunch of late 16th century Hungarian names, and I need a word for those extra bits that sometimes get appended to names, like junior, senior, the late and the like. My "working title" has been prefix (because they generally come first in Hungarian), but that's inaccurate, because they're not actually attached to anything. I thought of appelation, but that's just another term for "name", and as such is too broad. Suggestions?


texts: Which has more positive implication "I'm envious of you" or "I'm jealous of you"?

texts:
I read some definitions about "envious" and "jealous"
but still not sure which has more positive implication and is common used in conversation. If you were me which would you choose? For example, if you're a bachelor and your friend get married to a very cute lady, but you're really happy with that.


texts: Synonym For End of the Line, Last Person to Call

texts:
What is a good word or two that means "The last person you can call on?"

For example, you've tried calling your normal plumber, but he can't do the job (primary), you've called your backup. They can't do the job. Now you're calling your ______ plumber, because they always pick up and they can handle anything.

I've thought of "end of the line" and "final" but they don't capture the idea of "the one you can definitely count on, but you don't call on them unless it's dire."

I've thought of "primary, secondary, tertiary" and "Primary, penultimate, ultimate."

But those don't quite capture the idea either.

Do you have a better idea?


texts: "Too short a time" or "Too short of a time"?

texts:
What is the correct phrase to be used among these two:

Too short a time
Or
Too short of a time

Which one is correct for daily English usage?


texts: Is there a single word for attitude of showing off one's weaknesses?

texts:
Think about a sports player who, upon getting injury, does not tell themselves, "It's fine, I have the team that relies on me, I can continue playing", but instead shows it off, as to get others' care and slack off a bit.

Another example would be a handicapped person, who does not try to mitigate their disability and find appropriate work, but instead puts the disability forward and is always asking for favour.

Is there an adjective describing such an attitude or a verb meaning sticking to it?


texts: What’s the difference between “sauce” and “gravy”?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Spaghetti and gravy

For all translators I checked it means the same.


texts:
The ability to echo words and still make a meaningful statement has always bugged me. Take this example sentence:

"Thank you for bringing this issue to my attention. We will take care of this this afternoon."

Is this sentence grammatically correct? Also, is there a technical term for the echoed 'this'?


texts: 'Have both' -not sure I'm using this correctly

texts:
Is this correct?

  Have both of today’s meetings been cancelled?


texts: Is this a saying? "I am here to [show/tell/...] you ..."

texts:
I am not a native English speaker, but I translate English texts into my native language, Danish.

I sometimes come across phrases like "Many believe that (x) but I am here to show you that (y)."

I sense that "I am here to ..." is not so much about where the person is located, but more that they have a point to make about something. Could this be true? If so, what might be a common equivalent way of saying it? Because, literally translated, it does not carry the same meaning in Danish of making a point - but perhaps an equivalent, alternate way of saying it would.


texts: The sentence structure containing a relative pronoun indicating the indirect object in the clause

texts:
When you want to indicate an indirect object with a relative pronoun, you might change the sentence structure from "verb + IO + DO" to "verb + DO + to IO. But this conversion may be unnecessary. Which is comfortable, acceptable or wrong among the sentences below? Does it depend on formality? Let me know what you think.

There were two healthcare workers who I handed the paperwork to.
There were two healthcare workers who I handed the paperwork.
There were two healthcare workers to whom I handed the paperwork.

IO: indirect object
DO: direct object

As John kindly commented, it may depend on the verb. Therefore I added two more sentences below.

There were two healthcare workers that I gave the paperwork.
There were two healthcare workers that I gave the paperwork to.


texts:
I often hear sport scores being mentioned as '5 up' meaning the score is tied at 5 each/apiece.

AHD gives:

  up  adv.

  ...

  Each; apiece: The score was tied at 11 up.

Can anyone explain the basis of this usage? thanks


texts: "Is this the right way?" vs "Is this the correct way?"

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  “right” vs “correct”

I've had this question for a long time. Which sentence is grammatically correct?

  Is this the right way?

  Is this the correct way?


texts: Is there a single word noun that is equivalent to "night owl" or "someone who regularly stays up too late"?

texts: If possible, perhaps with a very mildly negative connotation, with the suggestion that said behavior of staying up late is not necessarily productive and potentially avoidable.


texts: what does this mean " I got 70 + application forms"

texts:
Today I saw, someone has written

  I got 70+ application forms

What is the purpose of the plus sign in that statement?


texts: Is "since" necessary in the sentence? "Never speak harsh words, since once spoken they may return to you."

texts: I got this sentence from my English class. Some said 'since' can be omitted.


texts: Are the words victim and victor related?

texts: They seem to come from the same proto-indo-european word "weyk", which has two separate meanings. Is this a coincidence, or are the words related?


texts: How to tell someone that he is in the X% best players in a leaderboard?

texts:
I'm working on a game/web app. I display a leaderboard to the players with their rank and their score.

I'd also like to display the "part" of best players they are in percentage (e. g. if there are 200 scores in the leaderboard and the player is rank 20 then he is in the best 10% players).

I'm not native-English speaker and  don't how to tell this to the player. It should be a small sentence. I was thinking about things like:

Top XX% players
You're in the top XX% players
You're in the best XX% players

I don't know what is "correct" and the most understandable. Could you help me to find something clear?


texts:
We use "as well as" to mean "and in addition", "and also", but the following sentence completely made me confused:

  There are roughly 1000 different words for “water,” as well as for “louse”.

I know that above mentioned sentence should mean that "there are roughly 1000 different words for “water,” and also for “louse”.

Doesn't that mean that there are individually 1000 words for “water” and another 1000 words for “louse”? If so, then we have 2000 words. Please correct me if I am asking wrong.


texts: what do you call a person who always goes out of their way to fulfill other's needs, such as caring for kids of a sick person, bank rolling friends, taking a friends kids all the time, paying for meals/gifts to look good around their peers.


texts:
When speaking of (alleged) attempts to lie or cover up the truth, someone might say "truth will out," an expression that seems to make no sense: where is the verb?

"Will" can be used as a verb, but it only works in connection with another verb, as in "He wills it to happen."  "Out" can also be used as a verb, but it's a transitive verb: "Bob outed Alice as a spy."  Neither of these conditions apply in this phrase.

If the word "come" was added in there, we would have "truth will come out," which is both grammatically correct and appears to clearly convey the meaning of the phrase.  But it gets used without any verb, which makes the meaning of the phrase a lot less clear.

What exactly does "truth will out" mean, and why is the expression used in such an ungrammatical way?


texts:
In in the following sentence, what does the "v." stand for?

  The new system was partially indebted to Stanley v. Georgia

Does it mean "Stanley and Georgia" or "Stanley against Georgia"?


texts:
I am writing an academic manuscript to describe the action of "digging certain stuff out." For instance, given an image containing several pedestrians, my image analysis techniques can extract those pedestrians as separate small images.

While "digging pedestrians out of the background image" seems legit, it sounds a bit too verbal to me. Therefore, I am writing to inquire some comments on a "formal" way of saying "digging certain stuff out" in my context. Thanks a lot.


texts: the names of (plural) or the name of (plural)

texts:
I'm wondering which option is correct:

1) we will have the name of the people who play on this team.

2) we will have the names of the people who play on this team.

Should 'name' be plural or singular?

Thanks.


texts:
Understanding what feeds procastination is only step one. The next step, stopping it, is a bit bigger.
Understanding what feeds procastination is only step one, the next step, stopping it, is a bit bigger.

Which would be correct? Is the part after "step one" is an independet clause? I've been searching online with no answer.


texts: Word or Phrase that describe the action of hastily accusing someone else of a crime you did not commit to escape being accused yourself

texts:
I am looking for a word or phrase to describe hastily accusing someone else of a crime you did not commit in order to escape being accused yourself. Another EL&U question (What to call someone who falsely accuses you?) drew suggestions that amount to synonyms for liar, but I am looking for something different.

I want to describe the action, not the person doing the accusation.
I am looking for a word or phrase that gives the impression that the person only made the accusation because he/she was already threatened or was under pressure and had no choice but to blame someone else to save himself/herself from being punished. He/she did not put blame on the other person through evil intentions but out of a desire for self-preservation. He/she might have been thinking that if no one else got caught, he/she would most likely be blamed, and so moved preemptively to redirect all the suspicion toward this third person. The crime involved is also heavier than libel or slander, and conviction might result in a death sentence. The situation is similar to the Salem Witch Trials, where the suspects started naming other people as witches in hopes of avoiding being lynched.

  Tituba accused Sarah Goode without evidence to save herself from execution.


texts: What is correct use of definite article "the"?

texts:
They hiked the price and demand wasn't decreasing.

Or

They hiked the price and, the demand wasn't decreasing.


texts: What is the etymological justification for taking the grammatical term "pluperfect" and turning it into an adjective meaning 'more than perfect"?

texts:
I'm interested in the usage of the word pluperfect in the following passage from Thomas Harris’s crime thriller, The Silence of the Lambs.

Jerry Burroughs of the National Crime Information Center makes a comment to Jack Crawford, an FBI special agent, regarding Dr. Frederick Chilton, the administrator of the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane:

  “Chilton was blowing off about “The Search for Billy Rubin.” Then he
  went to dinner with a television reporter. That’s where he was when
  (Hannibal) Lector took a walk. What a pluperfect asshole.” - Page
  272.

Though several online dictionaries define pluperfect only as a grammatical term equivalent to “past perfect tense”, Readers-Plus English-Japanese Dictionary defines it as

  (grammar) n.a. past perfect. 2.(slang) a. perfect, extraordinary.

I’m curious to know how the slang usage of pluperfect to mean “perfect, extraordinary” came about. What is the etymological background for the appropriation of the grammatical term to this slangy use? Is it common to use the word like this?


texts:
The word is in Chapter two of Rebecca Solnit's Men Explain Things to Me (have to read this for a class).

It seems to be a new word that was coined by Hamida Ghafour, but I can't find anything about it.

  “Women in the online gaming community have been harassed, threatened,
  and driven out. Anita Sarkeesian, a feminist media critic who
  documented such incidents, received support for her work, but also, in
  the words of a journalist, 'another wave of really aggressive, you
  know, violent personal threats, her accounts attempted to be hacked.
  And one man in Ontario took the step of making an online video game
  where you could punch Anita's image on the screen. And if you punched
  it multiple times, bruises and cuts would appear on her image.' The
  difference between these online gamers and the Taliban men who, last
  October tried to murder fourteen-year-old Malala Yousafzai for
  speaking out about the right of Pakistani women to education is one of
  degree. Both are trying to silence and punish women for claiming
  voice, power, and the right to participate. Welcome to Manistan.”

I've looked up different dictionaries but can't find the meaning anywhere, please provide me with a definition.


texts: What's the adjective for the spoon when some one uses the spoon, scoops and licks it and then gives the same spoon to other

texts: What's the word when some one uses a spoon to scoop a jam and lick it and then gives the same spoon to you. I would like to know another word apart from "used" or "spoiled" as in my culture there is a specific word for it because it should be differentiated from a new spoon purchase become used spoon after its usage but here it is more impure per se.


texts: Using a singular or plural verb after "and/or"

texts:
If the subject of a sentence is separated by "and/or", should the verb be pluralized, as with "and", or agree with the rightmost subject, as with "or"? For example:

  His co-workers and/or his boss was at fault.

vs.

  His co-workers and/or his boss were at fault.


texts: Term of Art Designation for a Tightrope Walker's Balancing Pole

texts:
One hot and humid summer day--7 August 1974, to be precise--my father, in a tone of unusual excitation, bellowed for me to join him in our living room where he directed my attention to the television set. On screen, a live video-feed showed a man dressed in black who appeared to be floating on thin air between two skyscrapers, an occurrence I had previously understood to be impossible. Soon it became clear that the young man wasn’t actually floating on thin air, he was standing on thin wire (hey, I’m somewhat credulous!).

That young man was the practitioner of tightrope walking or funambulism, which is the art of walking along a thin wire or rope. It has a long tradition in various countries and is commonly associated with the circus.

As can be seen in the photograph taken that same summer afternoon, the wire walker, a young Frenchman named Philippe Petit, is holding a flexible pole of fifteen or twenty feet length. A little research revealed that tightrope walkers often use these poles to maintain what is a rather precarious balance. The apparatus distributes mass away from the walker’s pivot point, increasing the moment of inertia and reducing angular acceleration because a greater force is required to rotate the performer over the wire. The result is less tipping. In addition the wire walker can correct sway by rotating the pole, which creates a compensating torque on the body.

Though tightrope walking can claim an enduring and international pedigree, and the balancing pole plays an important part in the success and safety of the tightrope walker's practice, I have been unable to discover a name for the apparatus other than the disappointingly generic and pedestrian, balancing pole.

Does the device have a term of art designation?


texts: How to describe that the color of this pair of socks is too strong or colorful?

texts: I received this pair of socks (the blue one) from an online clothing recommendation service. But I want to return it because I think the color is too strong for me to handle or pair with other clothes. What is the most precise word that I can use to describe that this sock is too strong in its color and too challenging to pair with other clothes? I am not satisfied by just saying that the color is too strong/bright/colorful.


texts:
First of all English isn't my first language so bear with me if you see any grammar mistakes here and there.

So my question is: can we use 'a/an' for plural pronouns? For example, "they are a good people".

If we can, how to use the correct indefinite article according to the correct grammar? But if we can't, can you give me the reasons?


texts: Is an ellipsis interchangeable with an em dash?

texts:
I know than an ellipsis can be used to show a broken sentence, the same way an em dash can be used. What I don't know is that if the two are interchangeable and it is writer preference or if different meaning is conveyed by their use.

Are ellipses and em dashes commutable?


texts: Is "sans" a drop-in replacement for "without"?

texts:
I keep hearing people use the word sans in place of without which causes me to cringe. Can sans really be used as a drop-in replacement?

Examples:

  "I prefer cheeseburgers sans pickles."

  "I went to the store sans my brother."

  "I typed my essay sans using a sans serif font."


texts: Meaning of "nulled" in reference to software

texts:
I've seen so many links which have this title:

  ioncube php encoder nulled

What does it mean?


texts:
While reading this (interesting) article about how to improve english and reduce accent, I met a concept I've never heard about before: Xerox words.

  So I visited toastmasters.org and found a club close to me.
  [...]
  The club I go to uses a dog training clicker to call people’s
  attention to their use of filler words like “mm,” “ah,” or “Xerox”
  words like “I, I ...”, “We, we ...”

But I couldn't find any example online: what is it exactly ?


texts: I know it is a reference of some sort to "space", but in what sense and why?


texts: What is the phrase used to convey the meaning of "to clock in and to clock out"?

texts:
Recently most big companies use digital attendance systems to keep track of their employee attendance.

Employees must clock in before starting working and clock out at the end. Is there a special English phrase to convey the meaning of the procedure of "clock in and clock out"?

More precisely, what is the special phrase to fill in the following blank space?

  In order to keep track employee attendance, the company prompts employees to ____________ on weekdays.

Edit:

For the sake of generality, the phrase I am looking for is something like "to declare attendance".


texts:
Broadly speaking, peer seems to have two meanings, looking intently and being partially visible.

  a). She peered into the darkness.

  b). The moon peered from behind dark clouds.

However, I have difficulty understanding ‘peer’ with ‘around something’ as follows. Would you help me? (‘Around’ often annoys me!)

1.

  Go, Harry pleaded with him silently, go with Snape … go … Mrs. Norris was peering around Filch’s legs…. Harry had the distinct impression that she could smell him. (Harry Potter 4 [US Version]: p.470)[Bold font is mine]

  N.B.: Mrs. Norris is a cat. Harry is in an Invisibility Cloak.

2.

  All of them were looking at something Harry couldn’t see and sniggering heartily. Pansy’s pug-like face peered excitedly around Goyle’s broad back as Harry, Ron, and Hermione approached.(Harry Potter 4 [US Version]: p.511)[Bold font is mine]

PS: *No.1:* I thought at first the cat is just walking between somebody’s legs like forming a figure 8, but I couldn’t find a good example on the Net or YouTube. Or is the cat looking at a specific thing, for example, Harry as a smelling point or Filch’s legs? Or, is it similar to ‘looking around something’: to visit somewhere, walking around it to see what is there? (Unlikely… well, the sentence pattern seems similar, though…)

No.2: I wish I could find any dictionary says ‘around’ means ‘from behind’.


texts: Is there a single word to describe deliberately losing with the best hand in a card game?

texts: I want a single word to describe deliberately losing with the best hand in a card game.


texts: When talking to American clients, should I say "smoothie" or "milkshake"?

texts:
We have a client visit planned to our service center (in India) and I am in-charge of Food and Beverages for our client's entire itinerary. I am writing to my client's Travel coordinator(an American) seeking a clarification on beverages that are to be arranged.

  For breakfast, we have finalized on Filter Coffee (Hot) and Fresh fruit [Smoothie/Milkshake] (Cold) in Beverages. Kindly let us know if there are other preferences. Thanks

The cold beverage will be mixture of fruits + milk + ice cream + dry fruits (nuts)

N.B: Since I probably will be dealing with British clients in the near future, I'd be grateful if you could point out which word is clearer for Britons.

Verdict

First of all, thanks to each and every EL&U member for registering their answers and comments. What started out as a word-choice dilemma has spiraled out of control (in a good way, I should say:)) and has provided clear guidelines on the usage of the words "smoothie" and "milkshake", and more importantly what goes in it and what does not. I showed this to our catering manager and she couldn't help but be amazed! Therefore, I feel the need to update you all on the outcome.

For beverages, we will be offering our American clients banana and apple smoothies with lot of fruits, zero sugar and a little amount of low-fat milk (none of the dignitaries are lactose intolerant, phew!). We are doing away with the nuts as suggested by many but will anyways be placing some dry fruits and nut varieties separately as a "top-up"( can be included with the drink or taken separately, as per individual tastes!)

I once again thank everyone for your answers and comments and of course, if someone has an alternative definition of these words, you can always post them here.

Cheers


texts: "Pupil" or "Student", what is the correct use?

texts:
I'm German and we distinguish between "Schüler" (pupil) and "Student" (student).

When reading English news articles, and I read the words "student" or "students", most of the time the articles seem to refer to school kids, not university students.

My questions:

Am I right or is my impression wrong? If I'm right, why is "pupil" used so rarely?


texts:
I'm having trouble finding a definition of telescope that works for all telescopes (optical, radio, or otherwise). So far, all the definitions I've found only apply to optical telescopes.

ODO:

  telescope
  An optical instrument designed to make distant objects appear nearer, containing an arrangement of lenses, or of curved mirrors and lenses, by which rays of light are collected and focused and the resulting image magnified.

Dictionary.com:

  telescope
  an optical instrument for making distant objects appear larger and therefore nearer. One of the two principal forms (refracting telescope) consists essentially of an objective lens set into one end of a tube and an adjustable eyepiece or combination of lenses set into the other end of a tube that slides into the first and through which the enlarged object is viewed directly; the other form (reflecting telescope) has a concave mirror that gathers light from the object and focuses it into an adjustable eyepiece or combination of lenses through which the reflection of the object is enlarged and viewed.

These definitions work just fine for optical telescopes, but there are many different types of telescopes, and not all of them fit either definition. According to Wikipedia,

  [In certain] types of high energy particle telescopes there is no image-forming optical system.

A telescope's optical components seem to be a defining feature, and I'm uncertain how some of these types of telescopes are considered telescopes under the current definition.

Is there another, more generic definition of "telescope" that I've missed?
 If not, is there a reason why the definition of "telescope" hasn't been updated to include a wider range of devices?


texts:
What is the difference between the verbs "call" and "ring" in the meaning of telephoning? For example:

  I will ring you back shortly.
  I will call you back shortly.


texts: Why does Tucker Carlson (an American) say "A man called" rather than "A man named"?

texts:
Tucker Carlson is an American FOX news anchor. He's from San Francisco CA originally.
However he constantly uses the non-American (British) expression
A man called...
rather than
A man named...
What could explain this? Example: https://youtu.be/mi-_VqYODLw?t=292


texts: What is the opposite word to “straight man” in comedy?

texts:
The New York times (February 10) article titled, “Panic in the locker room!” written by co-ed columnist Frank Bruni begins with the following sentence:

  “A news flash for every straight man out there: You’ve been naked in
  front of a gay man. In fact you’ve been naked, over the course of your
  life, in front of many gay men, at least if you have more than a few
  years on you.
  http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/11/opinion/bruni-panic-in-the-locker-room.html?hp&rref=opinion

To be honest, I didn’t know "straight man" has another meaning related with sexual orientation until I was told by members now. But let’s forget about that usage.

According to CED, the straight man is the more serious of the two men in a comedy act, who is often made to look stupid by his partner.

Merriam-Webster English Dictionary defines “straight man” a member of a comedy team who says things that allow a partner to make jokes."

We have a Japanese word, “ぼけ役- boke-yaku” meaning “bonehead’s role” for “straight man,” and “突っ込み役- tsukkomi-yaku” meaning “offence role” for the partner who gives a spicy joke / repartee in turn in popular popular “Manzai” – two-man comedy, or sometimes even in daily conversation.

What is the English word for the counter role of “straight man” as an English  translation of “突っ込み-tsukkomi-yaku”?


texts: What is the act of breaking a pen nib after signing a death sentence called?

texts:
I have noticed that every time a judge sentences someone to death sentence, he breaks his pen’s nib after signing his order.

So what is this act called? I mean any specific term or single word for this in the English language.


texts: Capitalization - heated debate on titles

texts:
The capitalization in question is the following:

  The first commander wasn't happy with the decision you made.

Normally, if I was to swap it out for something like "Dad" it would be capitalized, but the research I've done says do not capitalize the f or c.

But some have gotten heated saying you would because it is referring to a person. However, in other circumstances, president in the same sentence would not be.

What should happen here?


texts: The pronunciation rules of words which begin 'Com-, Col-, Cor-' or 'Con-'

texts:
What is the standard rule, if there is one, for pronouncing words beginning with the prefixes com-, col-, cor-, con-?

Very often these words have an /ɒ/ vowel, like in the word hot - in Gen American, I think it's the vowel /ɑː/. Other times they may have a schwa, /ə/, like the first vowel in amazing. Sometimes they seem to have a syllabic consonant, /m, l, r, n/.

Sometimes there even seem to be two words which are spelled the same but have a different pronunciation. For example content meaning "happy" and content as in "the content of the lecture", for which Cambridge Dictionaries gives the transcriptions  /kənˈtent/ and /ˈkɒntent/ [US:/ˈkɑːntent/] respectively.

Here are some examples with transcriptions from Cambridge Dictionaries Online:

common /ˈkɒm.ən/
commercial  /kəˈmɜː.ʃəl/
colleague /ˈkɒl.iːɡ/
collection /kəˈlek.ʃən/
correlate /ˈkɒr.ə.leɪt/
correct /kəˈrekt/

So my question is:

Is there any rule for whether a schwa or full /ɒ/ or /ɑː/ is used?
Are there generalisations that can be made which will help me have a good guess at which to use.
Are there any rules that will enable me to tell in certain restricted situations.
If I'm unsure about a particular example, would I be better to go with a schwa or a full vowel. Why?


texts:
What are the factors which stipulate habitualness which is usually conveyed in English by the present simple? For example,

1 He builds houses. She works as a manager. I go to college.

However,

2 I am reading War and Peace. I am building a house. I am studying economics.

If we look at the aforementioned actions in the light of real physical universe, we will see that they can take the same amount of time.
Actions 2 may last as long as actions 1 in reality. Plus, "I go to college" clearly indicates that the action is going to end (as a rule). People, usually, don't go to school, college etc. all their life.
So, why do English speaking people say "I go to college" instead of "I am going to college" if it's clearly understood that "going to college is a temporary action"? /Maybe you will say: because it happens almost every day./ OK. But why do English speaking people not say then "I read war and peace."? Or, why is it not right to say "Today, I call all my friends and wish them all the best". It's a repetitive action which is habitual in terms of one day.
I hope I have managed to get my point across.


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  What is the meaning of “get as far as doing something”?

According to my dictionary, we can use this expression to talk about how much progress someone makes, or how much effect something does. In my point of view, I think that there is no difference between these sentences, supposing they are both correct.

I went to Spain and I bought 5 Spanish music cd's.
I went to Spain and I got as far as buying 5 Spanish music cd's.

I reallly can't understand why the explanation talks about progress. Supposing the 2nd sentence is correct, I bought 5 cd's as well as in the 1st sentence.


texts:
In the phrase "$1 to $25 million budget," I don't like how that reads in my head -- I feel as if it reads "one to twenty-five million budget." But, I know it's not really accepted to spell out "dollar" if the dollar sign is used. I can't find any strict rules, however, on how to structure a range of millions when it is a descriptor of a noun (in this case, "budget"). What I'd like to use is "$1 to $25 million-dollar budget." Or, is it "million dollar?"

I think I am getting in my own head here. Can someone please just set me straight? Thank you!


texts: Use of 'scan' vs 'copy' vs 'scanned copy' referring to an email attachment

texts:
When I attach a scan of a document to an email, and say, 'Please find attached a [scan|copy] of my passport,' should I use 'scan' or 'copy'?

I also saw here that 'scanned copy' is also an option, but I think that is too much for a quick email, and is merely qualifying the type of copy it is (as opposed to a 'drawn copy' or a 'computer-generated copy,' let's say.

For me, 'scan' seems accurate as it's a noun, and says exactly what it is. But 'scan' (as a noun) also feels like it refers to the instance of the action of scanning when the scan was first done (exactly as just used in this very sentence).

A 'copy' feels more generic, hence the qualifying phrase above 'scanned copy'. But I see 'copy' used quite ubiquitously for things like this. But it also seems more correct with respect to 'scanned copy' as it is subjectively the same but without the qualifying 'scanned' part - it is expected that the reader would know it is scanned.

Would welcome any thoughts on this.


texts: One word that means both radial AND annular

texts:
Radial lines divide a circle into pizza slices

Annular lines divide it up to make a bullseye shape

What if you do both, as in polar coordinates? Is there a word that means radial and annular?

Radannular? Radioannular? Radler?

Context of the sentence: "Pictures were divided into radial/annular slices"


texts: Why is it true that "I before E, except after C"?

texts:
I almost hesitate to ask this, because it is hard to believe no one else asked it; but it isn't showing up in the "similar titles" list.

What is special about 'C' that switches the 'IE' immediately following it?


texts: Phrase for always watching for something better

texts:
There's an idiom for never being satisfied with what you have and always looking out for something or someone better, particularly in reference to dating. The phrase is something like

  Keep one eye on the door

referring to watching the door for the next new hot person to walk in the room.

My google searches have not resulted in any hits, which make me believe that I don't have the wording quite right. Does anyone know what this phrase is supposed to be?


texts: Why does European packaging use "gb" to represent English?

texts:
Something I've always wondered is why companies that are based in Europe tend to use "country" abbreviations to represent a language instead of the language abbreviation itself.

Given that there are European countries with more than one official language does it make sense to use, for example, "gb" which only includes 3 of the English speaking countries?

Note, that although many languages are named after the geo-political region they come from, it doesn't guarantee it. What abbreviations would Hebrew and Arabic have?


texts:
Occasionally I see sentences where "while" functions as a preposition:

While assistant director for statistical standards at the Bureau of the Census, Morris H. Hansen was one of the first survey methodologists to emphasize the responsibility of all who conduct surveys to produce data ... (source)
Tiede met Nugent in March 1990 at her husband's funeral, with which Tiede helped while assistant director at Hawthorn Funeral Home. (source)
While assistant director for the Arts Council of New Orleans, he was responsible for creating and administering the city's public irt program. (source)

While most dictionaries do not list a preposition usage for "while", I found it in the OED and Merriam Webster, labeled as "British, dialectal" meaning "until", so apparently it is a different usage.
Is the usage at issue a proper preposition usage of "while" or is it considered ellipsis ("while [he was]/[being] assistant director")?


texts: What is a single word for 'a descriptive list of stages'?

texts:
Sometimes, as below, somebody will set out the 'stages' of some sort of life experience.

What is a single word for this collection of descriptive stages? I am not sure if a 'taxonomy' of stages is what I am after here. Can anyone help?


texts:
I need to sign a document to clarify I am not aware of something. The negative statement on the document goes like this:
Please certify that I am not aware ...

[YES]         [NO]

So which one is correct? I was thinking either of them are meaningful.

Yes, I certify.
No, I'm not aware.


texts: What is correct:  If you or your attorneys have questions, they should call or email me.  OR  If you  or your attorneys have questions, you should call or email me.


texts:
I'm writing some text for the website of my hosting company and I simply cannot figure this one out.

I currently have the following sentence:

  We provide reliable hosting for creative professionals and X

I am very confused about X. I need a term for the following:

  those who want their own website but do not have a creative professional hired, but rather handle everything on their own

Naturally, I cannot say:

  We provide reliable hosting for creative professionals and non-technical people

Any help anyone?

My question is not a duplicate as the context is completely different. Normally this would not be a problem however in this case the term we're looking for is completely different than those already answered in the other question.


texts:
I want to say "she had a pleased smile on her face" but in the form of "she smiled pleased(-ly?)".

I just can't seem to find the right word.

It's driving me nuts.


texts: Confusion between disparage, belittle, denigrate, deprecate and depreciate

texts:
I have been building my vocab for a month. I am pretty confused at the usage of these words; I have consulted many dictionaries like Cambridge, Merriam-Webster etc but they all seem to "prevaricate". Here is what I know so far about "disparage".

a. criticize unfairly.

So yeah, you are criticizing someone unfairly, so you are damaging their good name and reputation, so it's synonymous with "denigrate".

b. regard as of little worth.

So, now "disparage" is synonymous with "belittle".

Question 1. Does "denigrate" has both meanings as "disparage"? Is it synonymous with "calumny" and "belittle" both?

Question 2. Google says "deprecate" is another word for "depreciate". Now depreciate has a secondary meaning: disparage or belittle something. So, are all these words synonyms: disparage, deprecate, depreciate, denigrate with primary meaning to criticize unfairly and secondary meaning to belittle?


texts:
I'm wondering if the words in this list which describe my university coursework should all be capitalized, or just the first word? If its relevant, these are NOT the actual name of the courses. But since I brought it up, what if they were the actual name of the course?

Ex.

Relevant Coursework: Machine Learning, Database Management Systems, Data Mining, Mergers, Financial Recapitalization, Leveraged Buyouts


texts: An alternative phrase or sentence for "With reference to the subject above"?

texts:
I have been using the following sentence for all my official communication, but I have become bored by its monotony.

  With reference to the subject above

I am looking for a total change over of my starting phrase. Is there a better way to begin an official communication?


texts: Hypernym for "restaurant", "cafe" and other food places

texts: I am looking for a hypernym for all places that provide food, beverages, or both, of any quality or price — such as restaurant, cafe, fast-food and so on.


texts: What is the meaning of “appreciate the injustice”?

texts:
At the time, Mariam did not understand. She did not know what this word – harami-bastard – meant.
  Nor was she old enough to appreciate the injustice.

In the above, what is the meaning of the term appreciate the injustice?


texts:
When describing my product (actually a computer system) in a presentation, what way is best (most understandable or natural) for writing the heading of the introductory slide, where “XYZ” stands for the name of my product?  I've looked at:

  • XYZ – What is that?
  • XYZ – What is it?


texts: English language question combined with Math from Movie Heat

texts:
I asked about this to an American, I couldn't understand why 'additional 40%'
instead of 60%.

Look, Van Zant. Nobody knew the merch was yours or

  they would have respected it. Be that asit may: now
  you get 100% from the insurance company and
  you're even, plus you can get the bonds back for 60
  cents onna dollar. You make an additional 40%. Your
  operation doesn't skip a beat, and everybody's
  making out.

and he answered

“merch” I would assume means merchandise. Otherwise it
 could somehow be short for “Mercedes,” the car, but it
 seems like they are talking about goods here.

As far as the 40 percent goes, my best guess would be
 that he is not just referring to the 60 percent, but
 rather doing another calculation. So, maybe person 1
 was taking into account the 100 percent back from the
 insurance along with the 60 cents on the dollar –
comparing that to how much profit he knew person 2 had
 originally intended to make – and then calculated that
 person 2 would now make 40 percent more than
 originally planned.

That’s my guess, but I’m not sure it’s correct.

I asked about this a long time ago, and left it there but honestly I still don't get it.
did he explain why, still, it makes 40 percent? Is it the language or 40% context is not fully explained? It's just a movie, doesn't have to be logical, but in case I'm missing something here. Anyone who've seen Heat direted by Michael Mann in 1995, starring Al Pacino, Robert de Niro, Val KIlmer...


texts:
How acceptable is it to say things like:

This word spells differently in my book.

By analogy to other examples of ergative use, such as:

The glass broke.


texts: Is it true that the "i before e" rule is vastly untrue?

texts:
After reading questions like Why is it true that "I before E, except after C"?, and searching for the rule on Google, I happened upon the following image:

This claims that only 44 out of the 967 English words with E and I next to each other are ordered as according to the rule "I before E except after C, or when sounding like A as in neighbor and weigh". Is it true that ~95% of such words break the popular rule?


texts:
A friend of mine opened a bar named “KOON Bar” in Germany.

The bar is in Kassel and Kassel is often named as raccoon city, because a lot of raccoons live here. So he was looking for a short version paired with the raccoon head as a logo.

So in Germany, only a few people know the meaning it has in the US.

What do you think? Is it offensive to use it that way? It was never intended to be racist and the last 6 months nobody complained. A lot of different ethnical groups visit the bar.

I just wanted to know what people from the US think about it.

Thank you and greetings from Germany.


texts: A series of three is 'trilogy'. A series of two is______?

texts:
I am looking for a word that describes a series of two. 'Duo' isn't quite what I need. It should more be in line with 'trio', 'quartet', and so on.

I am looking for a word that would contain the same connotation of 'continuity' where one component depends on its predecessor to be understood and appreciated, but for a number of two things.


texts: A laser with/of frequency 25THz? On/in the excited state?

texts: my major is physics, and now I am trying to write a paper about laser. My question is about the preposition choice. Should I use "a laser with frequency 25THz" or "a laser of frequency 25THz"? Should I use "an atom on the excited state" or "an atom in the excited state"? Thank you fo your help!


texts: Subordinate conjunction "Just as": different meaning depending on the position in the sentence?

texts:
I was searching for sentences with just as in the meaning of "in the same way as".
It seems to me that subordinate sentences with just as can either describe 'the way' something is being done (a), or providing a comparison with a 'similar situation' (b):
(a) He's signing his name just as he's always done it. (https://www.dictionary.com/browse/just-as)
(b) Just as an adjective can describe a noun, an adverb can describe a verb.
The above examples, as I see it, show that just as can "focus" on different aspects of a situation. What would be the correct explanation of the difference?
Also, it seems that in the case of (a), the sentence with just as can't proceed the main one (*'Just as he's always done it, he's signing his name.') unless we mean not the way he signs his name but have some specific context (like referring to the fact that 'he has signed his name before, he is signing his name at this moment, as well.')
Whereas (b) seems to allow such a modification without changing the meaning:
(c) ?An adverb can describe a verb, just as an adjective can describe a noun.
How can it be explained? Would it be true to say that when at the beginning of the sentence subordinate sentences with just as can modify how smth is done but not compare two different situations? And when used after the main sentence it can have both meanings?
Other examples are:
(d) comparison of situations:
Just as Jack abandoned his family for an adventure, John left his wife and went to sea.
John left his wife and went to sea, just as Jack abandoned his family for an adventure.
(e) in the same way as:
I wrote my essay with five paragraphs just as my professor told me to do in the instructions. (https://www.myenglishteacher.eu/blog/subordinating-conjunctions/)
?Just as my professor told me to do in the instructions I wrote my essay with five paragraphs.
I would be very grateful for any information on this matter.


texts:
I'm totally confused about this sentence; its grammar seems crazy. Please help me to understand it. It is from a documentary film about ancient history I've watched.

  Life wasn't easy for ordinary Egyptians, but order was infinitely better than disorder. We all remember the pyramids and pharaohs, but advances which were, in the long term, just as significant were being made behind humbler walls. (0:49:41.60)

  source: Andrew Marr’s History of the World – Age of Survival

What are humbler walls? As I have watched the whole film, I think the meaning is:

  Although pyramids and pharaohs were better developed than ordinary Egyptians, the significant advanced inventions of history were made by the ordinary Egyptians rather than by those pharaohs and pyramids.

What do you think about it?


texts:
I was once told of a word describing how utterly overwhelmed you feel when looking at mountains.
Not sure if the word describes the actual mountains, or how you feel


texts:
I am reading Arthur's Teacher Trouble. I am not sure of who made some mistakes: Mr. Ratburn made some mistakes with correcting their papers, or Francine misspelled some words in her test. Could anyone tell me who made mistakes? Here's the context:

  Mr. Ratburn corrected their papers during lunch. "Class," he said,
  "most of you did very well on the test. But only two of you spelled
  every word correctly." Muffy smiled. Francine hiccuped. Buster patted
  his good-luck charm. Mr. Ratburn cleared his throat. "Our class
  representatives for the spellathon will be the Brain and Arthur."
  "There must be some mistake!" said Muffy.


texts:
Are these sentences grammatically correct? (I feel as though "it" should refer to something in the first one.)

It is certain that the weather will change.
The weather is certain to change.

Thank you.


texts:
What do you call both persons involved in a transaction?

E.g. Alice gives 5$ to Bob, Bob is a recipient. But what name can I give them both?


texts: What does the line, “If there was a mistake made, it was probably ever doing one,” mean, and what is the implication / function of “ever”?

texts:
Today’s (October 26) New York Times reported that a spokesman of GOP presidential candidate, Rick Perry suggested possibility that Mr. Perry might not participate in all of the upcoming debates.

According to the article titled “Perry May Curtail Role in Coming Debates”, Mr. Perry told Bill O’Reilly on Fox News, “It's pretty hard to be able to sit and lay out your ideas and your concepts with a one minute response,” and added, “So, you know, if there was a mistake made, it was probably ever doing one,”

As I’m not got used to the usages of “ever,” I’m not clear with the exact meaning of “it was probably ever doing one.” What is the implication and function of ever?

Does this line mean “I may repeat the same mistake again”? Is the subject (it) in the subordinate clause the whole antecedent clause, or “mistake”? If it is the latter, why an inanimate object, “the mistake” can take “do one (mistake)”?

Structure-wise, this line doesn’t seem to me to agree with grammar. Can you explain what this line exactly means, and if the line is grammatically acceptable or not?


texts: Informal language: “you guy’s” vs. “your guy’s”

texts:
You guys and Your guys are somewhat informal in English language.

Typical example usages:

  Do you guys want to come around to watch movies tomorrow night?

Is addressing a party of more than one, extending an invitation the them.

Similarly:

  Do you guys sell pencils?

Said to a shop assistant, is asking whether the collection of people (the store), sell pencils.

In both of these examples, you guys refers to a collective entity.

'Your guys' might refer to the ownership of 'guys' by a single person.

eg.

  Can you send your guys around to my house to clean my windows?

In this example, the guys belong to, in the sense of 'are employed by', the person being asked.

And similarly:

  Can you drop your guys' tools around at mine to be cleaned?

Here, the guys belong to the employer, and the tools belong to each of the guys.

The question is, what about when I'm referring to ownership by a collective entity?

Eg:

  I love your guy's beer.

Is this correct?

Or should it be:

  I love you guy's beer.


texts: Is the use of 'of' necessary in 'all of those who'?

texts:
Which is correct:

  We would like to thank all of those that believed in this project.

or:

  We would like to thank all those that believed in this project.


texts: Name for relation between a man’s two wives?

texts: What is the relation between the two wives of a man called?


texts: What does "reaching nothing down" and "I was promoted to him" mean?

texts:
I am reading "Quality" by John Galsworthy and there are some phrases and lines which I could not grasp. I thought that this site would be the perfect place to ask this question. Below are some lines from the story from the beginning.

I knew him from the days of my extreme youth, because he made my father's boots; inhabiting with his elder brother two little shops let into one, in a small by-street--now no more, but then most fashionably placed in the West End.
That tenement had a certain quiet distinction; there was no sign upon its face that he made for any of the Royal Family–merely his own German name of Gessler Brothers; and in the window a few pairs of boots.
I remember that it always troubled me to account for those unvarying boots in the window, for he made only what was ordered, reaching nothing down, and it seemed so inconceivable that what he made could ever have failed to fit. Had he bought them to put there? That, too, seemed inconceivable. He would never have tolerated in his house leather on which he had not worked himself.
Besides, they were too beautiful–the pair of pumps, so inexpressibly slim, the patent leathers with cloth tops, making water come into one's mouth, the tall brown riding boots with marvelous sooty glow, as if, though new, they had been worn a hundred years. Those pairs could only have been made by one who saw before him the Soul of Boot–so truly were they prototypes incarnating the very spirit of all foot-gear.
These thoughts, of course, came to me later, though even when I was promoted to him, at the age of perhaps fourteen, some inkling haunted me of the dignity of himself and brother. For to make boots–such boots as he made–seemed to me then, and still seems to me, mysterious and wonderful.

My Questions:

What does the phrase "reaching nothing down" mean? I think it means that he did not make more shoes than required, that is, he only made what was required.

What does "These thoughts, of course, came to me later, though even when I was promoted to him, at the age of perhaps fourteen, some inkling haunted me of the dignity of himself and brother." mean? I am unsure of its meaning.

You can read the full story here: https://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/g/galsworthy/john/inn/chapter2.html
Thanks for your help.


texts: When 'willing' is added, does this intensify or weaken the meaning of “I bet”?

texts:
Although I could not see it in the fog, I knew that Gibbet Wood lay
  not far ahead at the top of Gibbet Hill. It would be wet and soggy in
  among the trees, but I was willing to bet that the police had not been
  there before me. (from The Weed that Strings the Hangman’s Bag)

Oxford says ‘I bet’ is ‘used to express certainty.’ If the word ‘willing’ (Oxford says; ready, eager, or prepared to do something) is added like the example, does it intensify or weaken the meaning of “I bet”?


texts: Two past perfect verbs in the same sentence even though sequence is indicated

texts:
A group of environmentalists helped direct several small sharks that had lost their way after they had swum through polluted waters to migrate South.

Swimming comes before losing the way, yet both verbs are in past perfect. I'm told that this sentence is correct. Is this sentence correct and what about the past perfect should I know to explain this usage?


texts: Word for looking cute to try and get something from parents?

texts: Is there a word that describes the attitude of a child who is trying to get something from their parents, and so they try to look cute/sweet/innocent?


texts: Can I say: one route number traverse with many buses with the same number!

texts:
For example there is many buses with the same number drive the same route so can I say, so can I use traverse like this:

"one route number traverses with many buses with the same number!"