texts: What is the difference between 'outstrip' and 'outrun'?

texts:
I can't see any difference between 'outstrip' and 'outrun'. I think they have the same meaning but in the gap-filling question

"The economy did very well for a number of years until public expenditure began to ________ tax collected by the government."

the correct answer is 'outstrip', not 'outrun'. Would you be so kind as to clarify this problem for me? Thanks in advance.

(The question is taken from Proficiency multiple choice questions on esl-lounge)


texts: I know the right answer is the former one thanks to Google, but is there a reason behind it other than idiomatic usage?


texts: Alternative for "overshout" somebody/something

texts: I'm confused. I need to say: attempting to overshout the noise would quickly get me hoarse. But I can't see the word "overshout" used anywhere. Is overshout an understandable word? Or would "shout over" make any difference? What other way should I say it, meaning to shout louder at the same time than somebody/something in order to be heard.


texts: Is there a linguistic term the type of solecism of using "more X" when "Xer" is the established comparative?

texts:
So I posted a joke on Facebook, and one of the peanut gallery chimed in that where I'd used vaster, he would have preferred more vast.

Leaving aside the question of whether vaster itself is well-established enough, is there a linguistic term or at least well-understood heading under which errors in English comparatives are collected?

I'm talking specifically about the kinds of errors where non-native or less well-read native speakers use, e.g., more hot rather than hotter, or more wet rather than wetter. Really egregious cases.

I am not asking about cases where reasonable and well-educated people can legitimately disagree on whether "Xer" is well-established enough to displace "more X", or usage of "more X" is still broadly observed in the population.


texts: usage of "look down at" to convey a meaning

texts:
"My brother looked down at the water and he saw his own reflection in the sea."

Is this sentence correct to convey the meaning of seeing one's reflection in sea water,  i.e., when one stands and looks straight down at the sea?

Any other, more effective, manner of saying the same in a different way?

"My brother looked straight down at the water and he saw his own reflection in the sea."

Does the adj "straight" make it clearer?

Thanks,
Tommy.


texts: Usage of "More concrete" at the beginning of a sentence

texts:
I was wondering if I can use "More concrete,..." at the beginning of a sentence in order to specify a general statement.

So for instance:

The company does not really perform well.
More concrete, the market share of the company dropped by 30%.

Is there another term that I can use instead or is it fine to use it?


texts: What's the etymology of the British informal usage of the word "nutmeg" as a verb to mean "kicking a ball through a player's legs", usually used in football?  It doesn't seem to bear any relation to the noun.


texts: One word request - Synonymous with noun "shreds" and connotative of squishy bits?

texts: I'm writing a bit of a gorey scene, where the character in question is overcome with violent muscle spasms in his arm; his muscles flex and convulse and swell so violently that they basically tear apart his arm, into "_____"'s. I need some noun that fills the blank that is synonymous with shreds, ribbons, scraps etc, but is connotative of squishy bits, flesh, etc. Almost like a descriptor for intestines?


texts:
I am writing a formal document.  It is a petition to appeal an administrative law decision.  The decision is jam-packed full of sloppy mistakes of every kind imaginable.  (The guy who wrote it couldn't even manage to spell the name of my town correctly in the title of the document.)  I list all the errors and inaccuracies in my appeal petition, with specific references to pages in the hearing transcript and exhibits.  But I want to preface the list with something that means the following:

  A number of the problems noted might seem rather insignificant, but I will list them all, to show the review officer how incredibly sloppy the decision is.  OR: what a slapdash job the hearing officer did in analyzing the case and writing up the decision.

Only I can't say "incredibly sloppy", I need more formal language.  I need a more subtle way of saying sloppy.

I don't mind making adjustments in my sample sentence to accommodate a different part of speech or whatever.

Note, the following question is somewhat related but doesn't. A word for not paying attention to detail, causing sloppiness.

One idea:

  A number of the problems noted might seem rather insignificant, but I will list them all, to show the review officer the shocking lack of care taken in analyzing the case and documenting the decision.

Another idea:

  The hearing officer's slapdash [or: haphazard] analysis and write-up resulted in erroneous references and errors of fact that are too numerous to list in the space allowed.  I will only be able to provide corrections for a portion.


texts:
A noun or adjective that defines all single-word nouns (i.e. pronouns, proper, collective). This excludes multi-word nouns such as compound-nouns.

  Noun: Single-word nouns are called ______.
  Adjective: Single-word nouns are called ______-nouns.


texts: Why are some first names always abbreviated and some not?

texts:
Is there any consistent rule or at least an explanation why in some names the first name(s) are traditionally nearly always abbreviated and in some are not?

Why, for example, T.S. Eliot but Thomas Wiseman,

or H.G. Wells and not Herbert Wells;

Charles Dickens and not C.G. Dickens or something?

Obviously, both forms must be correct, but in practice only one or another appears for a particular name in writing. And it mustn't be the first name that affects it, as the first example demonstrates... (And let's stick to real names, as opposed to pen names, which can be anything).


texts: What's "kind of shot that horse in the face" in Easy A?

texts:
In the film, Easy A, Olive has a conversation with her parents like this:

OLIVE: What would my punishment have been otherwise?
DAD: 　Bed without supper, I guess.
OLIVE: But I'm already finished.
MOM:　No dating, no dating.
DAD: 　Yeah, no dating. No dating for you, young lady.
OLIVE: I think my complete lack of allure already kind of shot that horse in the face.

　　Does anyone know the meaning of this phrase? What situation is Olive trying to describe?


texts: What word means what many people think 'ironic' means?

texts: 'Ironic' is often used to mean an unusual coincidence rather than its true meaning which is closer to sarcastic. That being said, is there a word that would be a good replacement for what many people seem to think it means?


texts:
What's the name of this kind of act? It is commonly seen between friends. (I mean the act between two people, not necessarily 4 people like this one.)

Or can you describe it with a few words?


texts: Does "clandestine ignorance" make sense?

texts: Does the following make sense, "clandestine ignorance"? I would like to see if anyone else is thinking the same way as to the meaning or definition as I do. Thanks.


texts:
In my native language God is named "Dumnezeu" which comes from Latin "Domine Deus". Wiktionary indicates that "Domine" is still being used in English (or at least a dictionary contains it) meaning:

  Lord; master.
  A clergyman; especially a settled minister or parson.

So there is no clear indication that domine refers to a man (male person) only.

Question: Can "domine" be used to refer to a woman?


texts: What is the name of the horizontal division line? Is there a name for it other than "division line?


texts: "I'm sure I can do it" or "I'm sure THAT I can do it"?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Use of “that” in a sentence

It's all in the title. Should I use "that" as a connector, or should I refrain from using it ?


texts:
I saw the following question. It is puzzling not because of the grammar, but the meaning of 'need':

In the past we threw a lot of our kitchen waste away, but today many itmes such as plastic bottles and newspapers _______.

There are only two possible choices, one being "are recycled" and the other "need recycling", but the answer given is "are recycled". Does anyone know why "need recycling" is incorrect, or is it really incorrect at all? Some people say 'need recycling" is illogical here, because such items as bottles probabably also needed recycling before. But I was wondering whether 'need recycling' can be justified by the fact that the need stems from the law.

I'd appreciate your help.


texts: How does 'bear off' explain the etymology of 'berth'?

texts:
Which meaning of 'bear' befits 'bear off' below?
Please see the titled question, and in the screenshot beneath of the OED page for 'berth'. The punchline's the red underline in the screenshot:

  A nautical term of uncertain origin: found first in end of 16th cent. Most probably a derivative of bear v.1  in some of its senses: see especially sense 37, quot. 1627, which suggests that berth  is = ‘bearing off, room-way made by bearing-off’; compare also bear off  in 26 b.

Etymonline lacks details.


texts:
I'm looking for a better adjective that means focused in the sense of "intense concentration" like an elite warrior in battle. I guess it doesn't even need the sense of having blinders on, more about being "in the zone".

The problem with focused or concentrated (even worse) is that it can apply to too many other things. The word should apply to a person focused on an activity.

It needs to be one word, an adjective, not a noun or verb. Does such a word exist or is focused the best English has to offer?


texts: What is the correct term for this electricity device type?

texts:
Not sure how to phrase the question so, please, feel free to edit. Preferably without biting my head off.   :)

I'm looking for the (technically) correct term to describe the box that delivers electricity to a home or workplace.

I've found "fuse box" and "electricity plant" but those are not quite correct. I'm looking for the correct name describing the boxy thingy that (formerly) had a rotating disc counting the kilowatt consumption, the reading of which is used for invoicing.

If there's a difference, I'd prefer US version but it's definitely not a requirement.


texts:
Whether we like it or not, we mold ourselves to what society would have us.

I don't understand what the society would have us.

What is this structure? I've never come across this usage of have.


texts: Is this sentence containing "it will bring you to watch them" grammatical?

texts:
"You can't imagine the freaky sense of time travel and second youth it will bring you to watch them."

Is this sentence grammatical? I wonder if the clause "it will bring you to watch them" should be separated to be another sentence. And what does the pronoun "it" in this sentence refers to?

I found this sentence from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/digitize-those-memory-filled-cassettes-before-they-disintegrate/


texts: of existing or an existing .Which is more correct?

texts: Extending functionalities of existing applications or Extending functionalities of an existing applications .Which is more correct?


texts: Can I also use 'outsource' to refer to goods, not just work or service?

texts:
I know to outsource is to subcontract work to another company. But for example if company A, a TV maker, wants to buy panels from a panel making company B instead of producing panels themselves, can we say:

  Company A outsources panels from company B.

If not, how else can we put it?


texts:
It's in a book and a character goes like:

  "That comes as no surprise. They strike me as thick as pigshit; one narrative for all.But what exactly in this instance don’t they understand?"

Here,what does it means by "one narrative for all'?


texts: Which expression means "total number of lecture hours in a course"?

texts:
I want a word or short expression that signifies the total number of lecture hours in a course.

This is something I want to write in a syllabus along with other relevant data about the course.

The expression would appear like this:

  "Total number of lecture hours in this course:" 40

I believe I could simply write "Lecture hours." But is there any other usual expression?


texts: What does reverence mean in this context?

texts:
Their two children were like all agreeable children, and Lucile and Bellard went through the reverence, anxiety, and joy of their upbringing. And whether the moment yielded a torn frock or a hurt knee, croup or a moral crisis, Lucile seemed to put the event in its place and not to be overwhelmed by it.

Dose it mean that sometimes they experienced (felt) great admiration for having children?

This passage is from the short story named: The woman by Zona Gale


texts: What is the word for 'slow change of direction'?

texts:
While combing through an article I was proofreading, I came to a sentence:

"I slowly swerved towards Computer Science."

The sentiment that the sentence tries to convey is of a slow change towards computer science, but swerve means, according to the dictionary, a sudden/abrupt change in direction. Can anyone suggest a single word for a slow change in direction?


texts: What's a Good Word Meaning "Vaguely Interested In"?

texts:
The title says it all and there's very little context: today I wanted to describe something I have a vague interest in.

  He is vaguely interested in the study of hex editing but has yet found the time to look into the subject at any length.


texts: In the same respects/aspects, we can say it's right.


texts: Using "as much" at the end of a sentence

texts:
What does as much mean in this sentence:

  You may not mind the sound of your voice as much?


texts: What's an "umbrella" word for attendees and invitees?

texts:
I'm hosting an event. Some people have confirmed their attendance, the attendees. Others have been invited but not responded, invitees.

What is a single word to refer to both groups of people?


texts: Word for start (like catalyst) of something forming

texts:
Maybe my mind is playing tricks on me.  I thought there was a word for the "imperfections" where water bubbles form in a glass.  Or the instigation of the nucleus forming for a crystal formation.  Something like catalyst, but not chemical.  But I'm drawing a blank.

I'm trying to capture (without being verbose) the idea of something that is going to start, but is waiting for a trigger.  Not in hindsight (X was the catalyst for Y), but to express something impending to people that aren't expecting a change.


texts: What do you do to the throttle on a motorcycle?

texts:
To accelerate a car, you press or push on the gas pedal.

To accelerate a motorcycle, you _____ the throttle.

Thanks!


texts: Is there a term for pejorative parody names of people or places?

texts: I recently saw someone refer to Michele Bachmann as Michele Botchman [emphasis added] and was wondering what the term for such a parody name would be? Obviously it was intended as pejorative, so I'm not sure if "parody name" is specific enough.


texts:
I was reading The Invisible Man by H.G.Wells. He uses There! without connection to other words (or maybe there is connection, but I don't see it).

  She glanced at his white-swathed head and blue goggles again as she was going out of the door; but his napkin was still in front of his face. She shivered a little as she closed the door behind her, and her face was eloquent of her surprise and perplexity. "I never," she whispered. "There!" She went quite softly to the kitchen, and was too preoccupied to ask Millie what she was messing about with now, when she got there.

What is the meaning of "There" in this context?


texts: The use of "over-" as an excess term (as in "overzealous")

texts: Is the word "overzealous" only used in a negative sense? Because I understand that "over-exaggerate" is used in a negative way due to it's double-excessive use. Would that mean any excessive term accompanied by "over" is said to be in a negative way?


texts: What does "Brewed with the finest ingredients since 1982" mean?

texts:
Brewed with the finest ingredients since 1982

Does it mean:

"Since 1982, we have been brewing with the finest ingredients"

"We brewed this with ingredients, the ingredients being the finest since 1982"

"We brewed this with the finest ingredients, and those ingredients have existed in the year 1982 and beyond."


texts: English equivalent of a Malayalam saying "In the land where no one has a nose, the broken-nosed one is the king"

texts: There is a saying in Malayalam which can be roughly translated as "In the land where no one has a nose, the broken-nosed one is the king". Is there a way to express the same sentiment in English?


texts: Is there a simple guide for 's' vs 'sh' pronunciation in words?

texts:
Consider the following words as examples:

1) Version
2) Progression
3) Differentiation
4) Fission
5) Fusion
6) Insurance
7) Sure

I pronounce all these words with a 'sh' sound even though it is not explicit in written.  I have heard people using some of these words with a 's' sound, especially #6.  Both myself and the folks I have heard talking are non-native English speakers.

Are there any defined rules that tell when 's' or 'sh' sounds should be used?


texts: Question about Subject–auxiliary inversion

texts:
Is this sentence correct?

  I enjoy motivating the students and helping them understand that they learn as much from making mistakes as they do a perfect score.


texts:
I work in software in a technology field, and hear the word nominal tossed around quite a bit. Sometimes I have a hard time understanding which meaning people are intending. Maybe I have a mental block, but this word really gets me. For example, Dictionary.com gives as many as ten definitions!

adjective

being such in name only; so-called; putative: a nominal treaty; the nominal head of the country.

(of a price, consideration, etc.) named as a mere matter of form, being trifling in comparison with the actual value; minimal.

of, relating to, or constituting a name or names.

Grammar. of, relating to, or producing a noun or nouns: a nominal suffix. functioning as or like a noun.

assigned to a person by name: nominal shares of stock.

containing, bearing, or giving a name or names.

(of money, income, or the like) measured in an amount rather than in real value: Nominal wages have risen 50 percent, but real wages are down because of inflation.

Aerospace. performing or achieved within expected, acceptable limits; normal and satisfactory: The mission was nominal throughout.

Slang. done smoothly as expected: The space shot was nominal, proceeding without a hitch.

noun

Grammar. a word or group of words functioning as a noun.

The usage I'm seeing it in right now is “When the system enters this mode, these portions of it are active and power consumption is nominal.”
I think the author intended meaning #8 or possibly meaning #2. I'm leaning towards #8.
I can't just ask the author of the paper which meaning they meant, so which would it be?
In the future when I hear someone use the word nominal, I intend to pull out my list of synonyms and ask them which one they mean (if any!).


texts:
In software development, I’m using the so-called “Façade Pattern” to hide the complexity of a workflow via abstraction and encapsulation. I’m naming my classes using a “_Façade” suffix, so like Customer_Façade, Filesystem_Façade, and such.

I’d like a better word to use in my naming convention. What is an alternative to façade?

I've seen the question Word for "ability to hide complexity", but it does not provide an acceptable answer.

After thought: I’m actually wondering whether I should even try to find a generalized word from the English language, or whether I should instead try to find a word from the specific domain (software development), considering that these will have different meanings depending on context — for example, Profile.


texts: Can some nation "approves" something to other countries?

texts:
I'm a South Korean.
Today there was an issue in Korea about what Donald Trump the US President said.

https://youtu.be/JLbLk2AUSjs?t=25

Donald Trump : They won't do that without our approval. They do nothing without our approval.

Lots of Korean Media translated it as "South Korean government are not allowed to do it without getting permission from the US".

but I think it's wrong translation and this related some cultural differences.
I understand like, US and SK keep in touch each other and so US know and strongly believe SK will step forward about this issue with the consent of all.
Am I wrong?

I'd like to hear how native speakers think.
the word choice "approval" is too much for other countries and insulting word for Koreans? like sub-country?


texts: Is [Its'] a word? (Note the apostrophe at the end.)

texts:
I just had a strange flashback to a conversation I had when I was in high school, with a man who was regarded by many members of a particular online community as having an impressive degree of knowledge of the English language.

The conversation centered on a claim this man made that I found very difficult to accept. I had made some remark involving the difference between it's and its (a distinction which I trust is quite well-known to the majority of users on this site), to which he had contributed, mostly phrased as an amusing aside, that there was one more word I hadn't mentioned: its', with the apostrophe at the end.

I originally thought he might have been joking, but we ended up debating this rather fervently. I seem to recall that I kept demanding he use the word in an example sentence, but he either could not or refused to do so. Yet he maintained that it is a word.

Is this true? I must concede I haven't put a lot of thought into it just now; but at the time, I was perplexed by the very suggestion that it could be a word (what could it mean?), and at the moment I can't really think of any scenario where it would make any sense.


texts: In a specific construction of the sentence below, which one should be use: he or him?

texts:
In a college exam reviewer, I encountered a sentence:

I suspect the murderer to be him.

I am confused about whether or not the objective him is the appropriate case to use there when it appears to be a subject complement (since it comes after the linking verb be. Shouldn't it be

I suspect the murderer to be he.?

I tried browsing the internet but failed to find an answer. Thank you in advance.


texts:
Which one is correct?

  I go to school by foot.
  I go to school on foot.

Are there instances when the expression by foot is preferred?

My last question is the following:

Why is the singular noun, foot, used?

If a person goes to school by bus/train/car they are using only one means of transport, they are travelling in one car not two. But people use both feet for walking, so why would the following expressions be ungrammatical?

  I go to school by feet
  I go to school on feet

I read the answers on this question why is it always "on foot" not "on feet"? but they did not convince me.


texts: Hamlet - what does "O heart, lose not thy nature" (Act 3, scene 2) mean?

texts:
In Hamlet's soliloquy at the end of Act 3, scene 2 What does the line, "O heart, lose not thy nature" mean?

SparkNotes's No Fear Shakespeare interprets it to "Oh, heart, don’t grow weak."

shakespeare-online.com interprets it to "lose not the natural feelings between a son and his mother"


texts: What does "slicker than snot on a doorknob" mean?

texts: I have a friend from Mississippi and I've heard him use this expression sometimes: slicker than snot on a doorknob. What exactly does it mean? (I guess it's something positive but I'm not too sure myself.)


texts: How should a character address an unmarried woman in conversation in the 1930s: would they use Mrs., Miss, or Ms? Example: "Good evening, Ms. Smith."


texts: Simple Past vs. Present Perfect: "was" vs. "has been"

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  “Did it close” vs “Has it closed”?

As a English non-native speaker it is difficult for me to understand when I must use present perfect or past simple because in my official language there isn't the present perfect tense.
I know that present perfect is related to something that happened in the past but its result is important now.
But for instance:

  The message has been sent.
  The message was sent.

Please help me point me out any examples/contexts where I should use 1. instead of 2.


texts: Using semicolons to create run-on sentences ... what's the deal with semis?

texts:
I often see people making sentences quite longer than I'm comfortable with, such as like this:

  The dog ran, the dog fell, the dog dwelled; the dog didn't wish to be a part of such a place in his life; however, the dog did do his deed and carried on.

That is how I witness people with semicolons, and they're always making sentences longer and longer this way. It's wrong, isn't it? A semicolon used is to include a separate clause that does not stand well in a sentence of its own, yes?

If so, that example sentence above should be phrased as:

  The dog ran, the dog fell, the dog dwelled. The dog didn't wish to be a part of such a place in his life; however, the dog did do his deed and carried on.

Alternatively, you could make it a bit different by carrying it on with a comma instead:

  The dog ran, the dog fell, the dog dwelled. The dog didn't wish to be a part of such a place in his life, however, the dog did do his deed and carried on.

Basically, I want to know what the deal is here: Are those sentences with tons of semicolons that continue endlessly correct, am I wrong, or how do you accurately determine if the sentence should be snipped of semicolons?


texts: Usage of "no longer are" vs "are no longer"

texts:
I'm writing some code and as I wrote a comment I realized I don't know which of the following forms is the correct way to phrase it:

  The moment there no longer are any valid blocks, the loop terminates in the defrag section.
  The moment there are no longer any valid blocks, the loop terminates in the defrag section.

Is one of the forms completely wrong and should never be used (or maybe, god forbid, both)?

And assuming at least one is correct - which one is better suited for this case?


texts: Alas, is it informal or formal? Can it be used in formal writing?

texts:
Question title is enough. Can I use alas in formal writing , especially in scientific writing?

I do not remember seeing it a lot in scientific articles but dictionary references does not say anything about it informal.


texts:
I sent an email to my colleague for any questions he had, he could feel free to ask me.
This is the reply from him:

Will do, just got sidetracked for a bit here… what else is new. =)

Should I understand "What else is new" as a question or something else? It happens to seem an informal way of saying something but I couldn't really understand the informal meaning. I know what it says literally though.
TheFreeDictionary.com defines it:

Inf. This isn't new. It has happened before; Not this again.

But personally, I couldn't fit its definition in my colleague's sentence.


texts: I pinged a friend saying that I am feeling giddy and dizzy. She mistook me for being happy and thought I was expressing a positive feeling, while I was actually feeling sick and disoriented. Do we use the words giddy and dizzy to express happiness or excitement?


texts:
What do these sentence mean?

Jack is not a singer like John.
Jack is not a singer, like John.


texts: Repetition of the type : adjective1+ noun or adjective2 + noun

texts:
The question seems simple but so far I do not have a response. I'm wondering how to avoid the following type of repetition :

adjective1+ noun or adjective2 + noun

For instance (2 examples) :

1- "..a green car or a red car"

2-"It corresponds to a lower bound change or an upper bound change"

Here "car" and "change" are repeated twice. Can we change that to

1- "..a green or red car"

2-"It corresponds to a lower or an upper bound change"

It looks like we are loosing something by this reformulation.

Thanks!


texts: Comma after "In Italy" at the beginning of the sentence

texts:
Is it necessary to put a comma after "In Italy" in this sentence?

  In Italy, there are many historical art pieces.

Could you explane the rule please?


texts: When should you use "then" and when "than"?

texts:
As far as I know, then is used in a conjunction and in time-related sentences; than in all other cases. I believe that these are correct:

Because I'm older than she, I should be the first chosen;
I loved her and then she died;
If it rains [then] it pours;
I've had more then enough;
Would you rather be a mouse then a rat?
Who, other than you, likes the color red?

Or not? Can someone help me out clearing the mud? I think I'm 90% there, but I like to finally understand it completely. If you have other uses of then/than that I missed, please add yours.


texts: Should I use the word "might" to express someone's wish/hope in a past situation?

texts: The dictionaries are very clear as to the use of "may" to express a wish or a hope - and one can easily infer that a sense of future is always implied in such use. For example: "May she rest in peace"; "May you achieve all you wish"; "May the Force be with you". However, when it comes to expressing someone's wish or hope in a past situation, it seems to me the use of "might" - which would be a "natural substitute" to the word "may" - sounds somewhat strange. Let's take the following example: "I was going through the most difficult moment of my life. Might God help me!". Is the use of "might" correct in this sentence? If not, what would be the right way to express such hope/wish in the past?


texts: Word phrase, or idiom that describes when you compare yourself or circumstance to a fictional character or story

texts:
I heard a speaker once introduce himself and his wife as "If I'm the Beast then I'd like to introduce to you my Beauty."

Is there a single word to describe this?


texts: How to read the slash in a “ 1/1 plain weave” or “1/4 satin”?

texts:
Is it pronounced as one-by-one or as one-to-one when read out?

Please note that this use is related to the binding structure of textiles.

Here is an example of usage from Role of Yarn Tension in Weaving by  Samir Kumar Neogi (©2016):

  It is observed that when the weave is changed from 4 / 1 satin to 1 / 4 satin，
  the average warp tensions at shedding and beaten-up increase (Fig. 7 ．38A ）


texts: Term for the blatant use of the wrong word?

texts:
In my line of work I am confronted with people who blatantly or ignorantly misspeak.

Ex:  Customer - "Hi. Can I get a bagel" Me - "I'm sorry, we only sell pretzels here sir." Customer - "Yeah, that's what I meant."

It happens so frequently there has to be a term for this.  It's not parapraxis (Freudian slip), catachresis (no mixed metaphor), malapropism (no humorous intent), or mondegreen (person is articulate and literate).


texts:
In a press release draft, I came across the phrase 'under strict embargo'.

Here is the complete text:

"UNDER STRICT EMBARGO UNTIL MAY 17, 2015"

What does the phrase mean in the given context?


texts: Is it correct to use both "On the other hand" and "instead" in a single sentence?

texts:
I have this sentence

  "On the other hand, you can go to this page instead."

but I am not sure if the presence of both On the other hand and instead makes the sentence redundant.


texts: abbreviation or not Drive vs. dr home address

texts:
I put my home address on a credit application:

  266 Chateau La Salle Drive

credit report has

  266 Chateau La Salle dr

Is there a reference source to acceptability?


texts: Please explain the use of "would" with "have". Can we use them together twice in a sentence. If not then why?


texts:
The phrase:
"I'm an hour too late for something"

The question:
What is more correct "an hour too late" or "too late an hour" here?


texts: What does "not to look over the best scenes" mean in the following sentence?

texts:
... a detailed analysis will help them to notice the most important film elements and not to look over the best scenes.

I think that means that a good review of a movie (the full text is about that) should help you to don't watch the important scenes without paying attention.


texts:
I'm wondering if it's okay to use a word this way if it's used in a more poetic tone and less informative: "Rare valuables and homes unscavanged beckon ignorant survivors but most know a trip up the valley is never worth the trouble it brings."
The word in question is "unscavanged".
Thanks!


texts:
I writing a sentence as follow:

  The time made available and financial resources imposed their limits on the scope of this research.

I feel that "the time made available" is a bit odd. Is there a word for "available time" or "time made available"?


texts: How to format "and" or "&" in a three-line header or title

texts:
I need to know which formatting is more appropriate. Should I place the connecting and or & at the end of second line or at the beginning  of the third line?

Here is what I mean:

  Lorem ipsum
  Blah Blah and/&
  Blah Blah

or

  Lorem ipsum
  Blah Blah
  and/& Blah Blah

Which one looks better?

PS: I’m asking this for a poster design, so it has to be split across three large lines.


texts: The first two of ten thousand have been delivered

texts:
Does this mean that the first literal two have been delivered?

Or does it mean the first two thousand have been delivered?


texts: What's the difference between "voivodship" and "voivodeship" (noun)?

texts:
I am especially referring to voivod(e)ship ("województwo") in Poland.
Are these forms interchangeable?
I've noticed a different software developer used voivodeship while I used voivodship for an address form on the webpage


texts:
Please help me understand this sentence:

  Out of the back of the store came his dog running down the aisle followed by five little puppies.

I also don't understand the structure of the sentence. I'm sorry about my grammar!


texts: why was there a surge in the name 'Tiffany' in the late 1980s?

texts:
Last night Tiffany Porter won a gold medal for Britain in the European Athletics Championships (Womens 100m hurdles).

It came as no surprise to discover that she began life as an American. Apart from her accent, I know of no English girl or woman with the name Tiffany. Apparently there were 10,000 Americans per year named Tiffany in the late 80s and early 90s. (Porter was born in 1987.)

What interests me is why the name, which is an Anglicization of the Greek Theophania, was so popular. Did it have anything to do with 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'?

Is it ever shortened to 'Tiff'?


texts: Which of these three ways of using commas is correct?

texts:
Which of the following three sentences are grammatically correct and use commas properly?

1. Jack died peacefully in his sleep, not screaming and yelling like the passengers on his plane.

2.Jack died peacefully, in his sleep, not screaming and yelling, like the passengers on his plane.

Or

3. Jack died, peacefully, in his sleep, not screaming and yelling, like the passengers on his plane.

My intuition is that only the first one is correct. I'm quite sure that the third one is wrong and overuses commas. However, I'm not sure about the second one. My point of confusion concerns the comma before the word "like" in the second sentence. I'm not sure whether placing the comma there is legitimate. When I say the sentence to myself in my head, pausing briefly before the word "like" doesn't seem obviously wrong to me. But I think that the pause before "in his sleep" is unnecessary. So which of these three is right? There can be more than one that is correct, by the way.


texts:
I've just been listening to Jeff Clark, the first to surf Mavericks.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-31093276

Around 2:20 he relates a story with Mark Foo, a Hawaiian surfer:

  The big wave riders, they didn't believe that a wave like this existed. December 1994, I hear that Mark Foo and some of the premier big wave riders from Hawaii were coming to Mavericks. Mark was catching waves, and I'd paddle up to Mark and say, 'Mark, what do you think?' He goes, 'I never imagined it was this good of a wave'.

I translate this (very US-sounding) construction as, 'I never imagined the waves here were so good'.

How does this work, please? Can someone be 'so good of a surfer' for example ?


texts:
I understand the meaning of "triple", but what does "triple up" mean?  What is the meaning of "up"?

  Our campuses are increasing class sizes. Services may be diminished. Even in residence halls, you might see more tripling up. It's that type of ripple effect in the quality of the student experience.

  Admissions officers at the State University of New York college campus here are suddenly afraid of getting what they have always wished for: legions of top high-school seniors saying "yes" to their fat envelopes. Students are already tripled up in many dorm rooms after an unexpectedly large freshman class entered last fall.


texts: An adjective for your place of origin when it differs from your place of birth ? (like in Switzerland)

texts:
My question may seem strange since in most English-speaking countries, someone's origin is defined by their place of birth (at least that is what I think). But in Switzerland your origin is defined by where your last name originally comes from. As an example, if someone just gets Swiss nationality, the place where he is living at this moment will be his place of origin and the place of origin of his children. So for somebody who was born in New York you can say native New Yorker, right?

But in Switzerland this may be incorrect since on the ID it is the place of origin as explained above that is written. Thus would hailing from be a proper translation ?


texts:
The word crowd (as a noun, not a verb), can be fairly negative; it implies, if not disorderliness, then at least people being packed together. Sometimes that’s positive (like if a stadium or a concert draws a crowd), but in the context I’m writing for, it is not.

So what’s a positive version of the word crowd? Something that implies lots of people, but not in a negative way. I’ve looked at many synonyms in various thesauruses, but most are either negative, or have strange connotations — throng, congregation, mob, horde. As you can see, none of them really fit.

Here’s a sample sentence for the way I would like to use the word:

  A crowd gathered, to enjoy the sunshine and company.


texts:
Let's suppose that while looking for a new car, I end up with a list of requirements that I would like my new car to satisfy. I proceed to put these requirements into one of the following categories:

Must-haves
Nice-to-haves
"Not-so-nice-to-haves"
Deal breakers

Is there a more concise and/or idiomatic word or phrase for "not-so-nice-to-haves"?


texts:
I am getting confused to use a "not" while requesting. e.g.
I request you not to think in this way. I am not sure whether it is correct? But, I need to be clear how to use "not" in such situations.


texts: I'm confused about permission and privilege. What is the difference between them? I know both mean “the rights to do something”.


texts:
You have either betrayed me or you have thought of doing it.
Either you have betrayed me or you have thought of doing it.

Which of these two sentences is correct?


texts: I often come across the phrase bite me in many TV shows. What does it mean and is there a specific context in which this phrase can be used?


texts: Is it correct to simplify the multiple prepositions?

texts:
I saw this on news:
"....during a briefing on the opioid epidemic Tuesday at his golf club in New Jersey."

Does it mean "on the opioid epidemic on Tuesday"?


texts: What is the generic word for a TV broadcast?

texts:
What word should I use to translate Russian word "телепередача"?

I mean a distinct interval in TV broadcast dedicated to a certain topic and united with the same format such as a talk show, newsreel, an analytic monologue/dialogue, a learning TV class etc?


texts: What's the meaning of "to render/give plausibility to the myth"

texts:
What's the meaning of: "to render plausibility to the myth"

The mere possibility that we can choose and replace our rulers appears sufﬁcient to render plausibility to the myth that we are ruling ourselves


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
Are units in English singular or plural?

I want to say:

Those sixty dollars are gone
That sixty dollars is gone

The reason I ask is because I was originally typing:

Those $60 are gone

But that looks funny to me. Which is more correct?


texts:
When a horse is being registered with the country's official registry, a clerk arrives to the stable to file the necessary paperwork. This process involves writing down the owner's data, the horse's parentage, measuring height at withers, and noting down locations of the special "fingerprinting features" that are unique to individual horse and remain constant through its whole life - the fur pattern along the mane.

Specifically, the locations where the fur converges forming a small tip, diverges revealing a little skin, or forms a small whirl, clockwise or anticlockwise

These are noted down with respective symbols on a chart of horse's neck, filed with the registry, and allow to uniquely identify the horse, say, in case of theft and dispute of ownership.

What are these "features" called in English?


texts:
In "Finders Keepers" by Stephen King, there is a character named Andy Halliday and he says his lovelife has been in the rearview mirror for over 15 years.

What does “in the rearview mirror” mean in this context?


texts: Can a sentence start with a small letter?

texts:
Exact duplicate:
  How do you capitalize a proper noun such as “iPhone”?
  Also related:
  Capitalising a sentence whose first word is explicitly lowercase
  Should I change the structure of a sentence/add filler words to make sure that the sentence always starts with a capital letter?
  Is it a good idea to begin a sentence with a number or a variable name?

Is the following sentence alright?

  von Braun was a pioneer in space technology.

I am not referring to this sentence alone — most probably it's wrong (on Wikipedia, it would have been written as "Von Braun was a pioneer in space technology", in spite of the fact that his actual name was spelt as Wernher Magnus Maximilian Freiherr von Braun).

My question is more general: is there any grammatically correct sentence which starts with a small letter?


texts:
Imagine you have 100 files stored across your computer, and you need to add a certain piece of text in 20 of them.

A software tool helps you do this by providing filter criteria, which helps you arrive at the 20 necessary files. From within the tool, you can open each one from it's location so that you can add the necessary text.

The tool does not add the text for you, so we can't call it a bulk text addition tool. It does, however, simplify the process by removing the necessity of navigating to each relevant file and opening it in order to add the text.

What would the correct term/phrase be to describe such a tool?


texts: I'd like to know vs I like to...why is it or isn't it correct in this sentence?

texts:
I have this sentence:

I like to know if the rumor is true or not.

vs.

I like to know if rumors are true or not.

Since we are talking about likes, should 'rumor' be used in the plural tense, as we are speaking about rumors generally, or can both sentences be correct grammatically?

Could you explain explain the reasoning?


texts: Oxford collocation dictionary and my English editor say the imagination can be "active" or "great," but not big. Still, I found a substantial number of "big imagination" results on Google. What's the everey day language here? Do people use "big" to describe imagination or not? Also, is it correct to use it or not?


texts: What is the best term to designate a member of a sodality?

texts:
At first I would have thought that a member of a sodality would be identified as a sodalite, but if that usage ever existed, it has been completely erased by the mineral of that name.

I'm looking to mirror a usage where a member of a fraternity is a brother, a member of a sorority is a sister, a member of an initiatory order is an initiate, and so on.

How can I say "Bob is an X" such that X designates Bob as a member of a sodality?


texts: Taste of one's own medicine: the logic behind the phrase

texts:
Is there a logical story behind this phrase? Because when looked at from a naive perspective, giving somebody their own medicine sounds like a kind thing to do as it would only treat their illness. The phrase only makes sense in the context of someone who knowingly sells poison as medicine, which is a rather rare thing (or was it common in the old times?).

The most popular origin story I could find about "dose/taste of one's own medicine" is a tale where a cheat sells a medicine that does nothing, then gets sick and people give him his own medicine. And even with this background, it makes little sense, as the medicine doesn't sound like it harms him. Does anybody know the name of this story? Perhaps there's more depth to it.


texts:
I am confused about the use of tenses in describing an event in the past.

I went to a Funfair and I played several games.

(a) My favorite game is Ring toss. I like tossing the rings to the cones.

OR

(b) My favorite game was Ring toss. I like木 tossing the rings to the cones.

Which one is the correct one? Are both of them correct?

When I talk about the game rules, can I still use present tense?

(c)  For the Ring toss game, we need to draw an question card, then answer the question by tossing the ring to the corresponding cone.

(d) For the Ring toss game, we needed to draw an question card, then answered the question by tossing the ring to the corresponding cone.

Many thanks!!


texts: What is the meaning of "A is not as old as B"?

texts:
In my understanding, the following sentence

  A is not as old as B.

may have 2 meanings, either

  A is older than B

or

  A is newer than B
  .

So what is the actual meaning of  "A is not as old as B"?


texts: What do you call a person who dislikes something just because it is trendy?

texts:
I'm trying to describe someone who no longer favor something simply because more people are aware of it/like it now.

Possessive and selfish come pretty close but still not quite what i'm looking for.


texts:
In my line of work as an IT Security Engineer it is common to come across articles written by prominent technology companies describing their practices and processes. It is then also common for another organisation to some time later adopt those ways of working with an expectation to see similar success.
I believe this can be an example of a 'cargo cult'. A term that Wikipedia can explain far more eloquently than I can.
However, the term 'cargo cult' appears problematic and pejorative against and not in particular Pacific Island cultures, and I would like to avoid using it.
I am therefore interested in finding alternative words, terms, idioms or phrases (ideally in common use in British English) that describe in a negative light the practice of copying the example of a successful activity and expecting similar results.


texts: Meaning of "well you done done me and you bet I felt it"

texts:
Well you done done me and you bet I felt it— Jason Mraz, I'm Yours

What does the first sentence from this song mean?


texts: Term used for the final work of an artist before their death

texts:
What is the name given for the final painting of an artist before they die?
For example:

It was his _______.
This painting was his _______.


texts:
I saw the answered questions which could make mine a duplicate (for instance "Approach to" or "approach for", but I did not find an answer.

Using approach as a noun, is there a difference, however slight, between the meaning of these two sentences?

  This could be a new approach to identifying outliers.
  This could be a new approach for identifying outliers.


texts: "Lives" vs. "life" in "the life of those living on the farm"

texts:
James is giving a tour of his farm to some of his friends. Which sentence is correct:

James introduces some of the animals on the farm: "This is Elmer, the pig... That's Mini, the mouse, and that duck is called Daffy... "
James tells his friends about the life of those living on the farm. His friends follow each word.

or

James introduces some of the animals on the farm: "This is Elmer, the pig... That's Mini, the mouse, and that duck is called Daffy... "
James tells his friends about the lives of those living on the farm. His friends follow each word.

I understand that the singular of life is more appropriate when discussing a shared life, but this distinction is less clear in my example sentence. We're assuming there are many different animals living on the farm.


texts: "Each/every 5 ml contains..." - which is correct?

texts:
Many drug leaflets for liquid dosage forms state how much of the active ingredient is found in 5 ml of the solution.
Would it be correct to state it as "Each 5 ml of the solution contains..." or "Every 5 ml of the solution contain..."?
Here's an example from a British leaflet, and here's one from an American leaflet. Both use "each", but is it correct to refer to a quantity of 5 ml as a single unit?


texts: There’s a word I’m trying to recall, it means something such as “extra pieces of fabric hanging from clothing.” I believe it ends with -gibles or -gables, and perhaps it starts with im- or ex-, and it’s a noun. I’ve spent the last hour trying to figure it out.


texts: What is the origin of the word "cocktail"?

texts:
I am familiar with the word "cocktail", meaning a mixture, and in particular, a mixed drink.  But I'm unable to find any useful information about its origins.  The Shorter OED simply says, "origin obscure".

Is there any evidence of early use and/or influences on the formation of the word?

Please include dates with your references, so that answers can be easily compared.


texts: I was wondering where the noun punk stems from. Obviously, it's used for members of a certain subculture, but has the word been in use before the invention of said subculture and been adapted for it, or has it been made up specifically for it?


texts:
I have searched lots of websites to understand which one is correct in this sentence:

It is too hard to (be) explain(ed).

Some people say that after some adjectives called tough adjectives you can't use the passive form of verbs. I have heard from some native speakers that It is too hard to be explained is very strange to their ears. So I search on the Internet and I found that at least 14 million people think that to be explained is correct and they actually have used it.
I am sure that I am missing something here. Maybe they are used in different situations. But I couldn't find any real difference between them.

Any help is more than welcomed.

P.S: To further complicate the situation for a word like pass, when I searched it on the Internet, you can't really say "Exam was too difficult to be passed".


texts: Can you describe a person with a nonterminal medical condition as "nonterminal"?

texts:
The term "nonterminal" is used to describe a condition that is not fatal. Can it also be used to describe a patient who has a nonterminal condition, e.g.,

  She only accepts nonterminal patients.


texts: A single word for turning something Italian?

texts:
I’m looking for an equivalent to “Anglicize”, essentially, but “Italicize” has an existing definition that seems to refer exclusively to typefaces, which complicates things.

For instance, it sounds fine to say that the name Joseph is an Anglicized version of the Hebrew name Yosef, but it sounds weird to say that Giuseppe is an Italicized version of Joseph, because your brain just reads that as “it became cursive...?”

But it also sounds unwieldy to say “A version of the word made to sound Italian”. Is there a more-or-less commonly accepted single word or succinct phrase for this?


texts: Where does the adjective form extensible come from and does it connote anything different than extendible? What's the difference, if any, between the two?


texts: Trying to understand the sentence: "doesn't" vs "will not"

texts:
While doing an exercise, I came across the following sentence:

  If a Carl doesn't come to the party, I'll be really upset.

Shouldn't be it like this?

  If a Carl will not come to the party, I'll be really upset.


texts: "Even though" and "then" in the same sentence

texts:
Is it grammatically correct to use even though and then in the same sentence as in the following?

  Even though in the beginning, Picasso's work was influenced by other
  artists then Picasso developed his own style of painting, which
  consisted of pictures of the poor in various shades of blue.


texts:
Today, while reading my English-Vietnamese dictionary, I came across a relatively new phrase, "attic faith", which is translated into Vietnamese as "niềm tin không thể bị lay chuyển".

As I looked it up, I only found 4 related results:

http://www.whatdoesthatmean.com/dictionary/A/attic-faith.html

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Attic_faith

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Attic+faith

http://www.yourdictionary.com/attic-faith

All of them have the same definition: unshakeable faith or inviolable faith. However, as a selective learner, I do not usually believe something without questioning its reliability. I also looked up the word "attic" in the OED but there is no definition of it being "unshakeable" or "inviolable". Consequently, it made me doubt the existence of the phrase "attic faith".

I would like to know if it is a real phrase and its meaning is such.


texts:
I'm not sure which of the words from the title would be the best choice to indicate that I'm referring to a random consequence in general, in the context of the following sentence:

  Most often, a given/specific/particular consequence is the result of a
  combination of many factors.

I want to say that hardly ever anything happens as a result of only factor, i.e that many factors contribute to the occurrence of any effect.


texts:
I'm getting quite lost on the usage of the definitive article "the" in front of activity nouns like "analysis". Which one of the following is correct and why?

  A. Joe Bloggs is responsible for incident data analysis.

  B. Joe Bloggs is responsible for the incident data analysis.

EDIT:

I find many examples of when the article is used without referring to a specific incident. For instance, below is an extract from a journal article on traffic incidents in Australia.

  Attention is then directed towards the incident data analysis from
  different points of view along with categorising the data into
  homogenous patterns for data grouping analysis purposes.


texts: Is usage of “Yours sincerely” still appropriate?

texts:
I am currently in the process of writing a cover letter for an application for a PhD position. Upon proofreading it, my girlfriend, who has had training as a European secretary, told me that her English teacher instructed them not to use “Yours sincerely” as a valediction in such correspondence (such as a cover letter) anymore and use something like “Best regards” instead, stating that “Yours sincerely” is too formal and old-fashioned.

How accurate is this information?


texts: Passive Voice : Does it always have to have verb to be ?

texts:
I found this Headline article below :

  Lingerie Retailer Criticized for Image of Model That Appears to Be
  Edited

Shouldn't retailer be "Retailer was Criticized" ?

Thanks,


texts: A poetic word or expression for networking/lobbying/making professional connections

texts:
I’m looking for a poetic word or expression that means making professional connections, lobbying, networking, socializing professionally.

League, circuit, club, society, and so on and so forth.


texts: In a Tale of Two Cities, Dickens says "in short, the period was so far like the present period" in the first paragraph of the first chapter

texts: What does he mean? Does he mean that the periods were very different, or very similar?


texts: What are rules to reverse the position of subject and predicative when the former is too long

texts:
For example, in this sentence where the subject is qualified by a clause:

  The assumption that a new airport will for sure make Tudor a flight hub is highly dubious.

I thought we could move highly dubious to the head of the sentence but I forgot the general rules.


texts:
I have just read an article comparing two services, let's call them Maria and George.

The article concludes "I choose Maria in favor of George". I do not understand this structure?! "I choose Maria over George" would be clear to me, but here I am not sure if it means Maria or George was chosen?


texts: A question asked in order to expose ignorance

texts:
I am looking for a particular word that describes:

  a question that is asked in order to expose ignorance/lack of
  knowledge.

As with a rhetorical question, the questioner knows the answer, but suspects the person being addressed doesn't.


texts:
Can anybody explain the difference between computing and computation? Which one is correct:

computing/computation node (to refer to a server)
computing/computation power (to refer to the FLOPS of a machine)
computing/computation to communication ratio

The Internet seems to favour computing for the first two and computation for the latter:

http://www.netspeak.org/#query=%255Bcomputing+computation%255D+nodes
http://www.netspeak.org/#query=%255Bcomputing+computation%255D+power
http://www.netspeak.org/#query=%255Bcomputing+computation%255D+to+communication+ratio


texts:
Can we say all absolute phrases function as "adverbials" modifying the subject+verb of the sentence that they are attached to?

For example:

  Her determination stronger than ever, Nexisa resolved not to give up
  until she had achieved her dreams.

Does the absolute phrase in italic describe the subject as performing the action?


texts:
Is there a single word to denote pros and cons? For example,

  Here you can view the [pros and cons] of this product.

update:
When reading the word, one should immediately understand that it's about the pros and cons and not features/specifications in general. Think about a block or section, with 2 lists, a pros list and cons list. It's that block or section I want to refer to.


texts: Meaning and origin of "put a wrinkle on one's horn"

texts:
While investigating a recent EL&U question (What does "throw a wrinkle" mean?), I came across the unusual expression “put a wrinkle on [or in] one’s horn [or horns].” I have three questions about this phrase:

Where did it originate?

What is its literal meaning? (That is, what does actually “putting a wrinkle on a horn” entail? Does it mean wrenching an animal's—say, a bull's or a ram's—horn out of shape? Or something else?)

What is its figurative meaning?

My initial impression is that the phrase figuratively means something like "throw one for a loop," but that inference is based entirely on the context supplied by the three examples given below.

Preliminary Research
In an Ngram-based Google Books search of the years 1700–1900, the earliest instance of this idiomatic phrase occurs in Thomas Halliburton, The Clockmaker; or The Sayings and Doings of Samuel Slick of Slickville (1838), where a Yankee-dialect speaker is being "quoted":

Yes, said he, so I have often heerd tell ; and I have heerd, too, that the new ones [packet ships] won't lay to, and the old ones won't scud ; grand chance in a gale for  feller that, ain't it? One tumbles over in the trough of the sea, an the other has such great solid bulwarks, if she ships a sea, she never gets rid of it but by goin' down. Oh, you British are up to every thing ! it wouldn't be easy to put a wrinkle on your horns, I know.

The same odd expression appears in Emma Robinson, The City Banker; or Love and Money (1856):

"I must do it gratis," his attendants heard him at last mutter to himself. "But 'taint worth much more than thank you, now he has all the dockyments. Let some respectable citizens, gen'lemen, come and take my last dying confession. It'll put a wrinkle or two in their horns, I'll warrant them ! But it's come to that, and I'll do the Old 'Un himself, at last, arter all, and repent !"

And in R. M. Ballantyne, The Gorilla Hunters: A Tale of the Wilds of Africa (1861):

“ Look here, you naturalist, and I'll put a wrinkle on your horn. Yonder hangs a magnificent bunch of fruit that I very much desire to possess.”

Wikipedia says that Halliburton was a native of Nova Scotia, and Ballantyne a Scot who lived for seven years (between the ages of 16 and 22) in Canada. Robinson seems to have lived her entire life in England.


texts:
What are the first usages of "thong" as a wearable item of clothing, both on the feet and on the waist?

Tracing thongs as worn about the waist seems to lead to the Jazz Age and the "Chicago G-string", but was the term "thong" ever used back then?

Tracing thongs as worn as shoes via Cambridge does not yield any dates.

The primary meaning of "thong" is "a narrow piece of especially leather used to fasten something or as part of a whip".

For context, I am puzzling over the line

  this carl on the kopje in pelted thongs

from Finnegan Wake (1939), and wondering what this man is wearing? In the next few lines we learn that he is quhare and perhaps a daddy. I had always seen him wearing leather slip-slops.


texts: What is the meaning of "at its discretion"?

texts:
What does "at its discretion" mean in the following sentence?

  Dual Gadgets undertakes, at its discretion and cost, to repair or replace defective equipment covered by warranty in 3.b., provided that Buyer has notified in writing of the defects promptly...

Normally, I'd think it means "they can choose to", but they cannot choose to not repair or replace the parts, that's the whole point of the warranty, they have to do it. What do you think they mean by that?


texts: What is the best way to punctuate a list of questions in a declarative sentence?

texts:
In my report a need to write a list of example questions that someone might ask, but I would like to do it in a sentence rather than a separate list. Here is an example:

  This poses questions such as "How should I punctuate it?", "Are the quotes necessary?", "Are the commas in the correct place?", and "Should I have used a colon, or a semi-colon?"


texts: discount all improbabilities = make probable?

texts:
Mr. Graham Hancock in his book "The Mars Mystery" quotes Hoyle, "Origin of Universe"

  I saw that the answer to this question lies in what is now called the anthropic principle, which says that the fact of our existence can be used to discount all improbabilities necessary for our existence. If history and civilization were caused by the arrival of a periodic giant comet, all accident is removed from our association in time with such a comet. The arrival of the comet was random but our association with the effects of the comet is not.

The paragraph is full of riddles for me. The hardest is
"to discount all improbabilities necessary for our existence"
I can understand the "improbabilities" word here, multiple quite rare natural conditions should be accomplished for the human civilization to appear and evolve. What I don't understand is why we shall 'discount' (=dismiss) such improbabilities. To the contrary, I would think we should justify them , make them more probable (none of the dictionaries I use gives even distantly similar to "justify" meaning to "discount")

Oft it is natural to follow the current of the author's thought. This particular instance for me is quite the opposite. Feel myself paddling upstream against strong current. The last sentence is the example (IMHO) of the strong disagreement between logics used in the sentence and what I got accustomed is applied in the life ^H^H^H^H common sense logic.


texts:
Which preposition is correct in this sentence?
For context: It's a job description and I want to inspire candidates to apply. So, I want to say that "You will have an opportunity to make a difference in/to people's lives."
Google gives me both prepositions. Are both prepositions correct and only have different connotations?


texts:
In school, I learned to use 10 cent words, so instead of saying: (updated: from a paper that says a scientist doing experiment with fish would make it complicated to say:)

  All biota exhibited 100% mortality rate.

just say:

  All fish died.

which is plain and simple, and gets the idea across, so that people understand what you are saying.  But in the real world, time and time again, verbally or written, I see people higher up purposefully using $2 words, to convey that they are educated, and to convey they can use difficult words that you don't understand, and suggest possibly they can do things that other people cannot, so they have power over you (maybe to write something like that to the CEO or board of directors, and if you are against him, the board of director probably won't believe you or not on your side when you write something all with 10 cents words versus his $2 words every where).

So, was I too naive to believe "use 10 cent words"?  The world may not be simply about "getting ideas across"?   What might be an more accurate descriptions of "use of 10 cent words versus $2 words?"


texts:
This is probably related to whether one should capitalize Internet or not. I am looking for the correct spelling of wifi when referring to a wireless connection to the Internet. I want to tell the users of my iPhone app that they cannot use their cellular network to watch the HD videos.

If I use the capitalized and hyphenated version as seen on Wikipedia, will I be referring to the Wi-Fi brand rather than the concept of wifi?

  "Wi-Fi" is a trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance and the brand name for
  products using the IEEE 802.11 family of standards.

Some dude on Meta.stackoverflow made this claim with no explanation:

  WiFi" is a bit better than "wifi" as it asserts the etymology, compare
  history of usage of "hifi" from which it derives. – Steve-o Aug 29 at
  3:59


texts: Is there one word/phrase for a village or city that is recently established?

texts:
I am looking for a word or phrase or even something like a idiom to describe a city or village or a colony that has been newly or freshly established and thus does not things like government or a well structured society.

Primary focus should be that it is established newly, so words like 'anarchy' don't work. 'Virgin' cannot be used to describe a society I guess.

For example

  Vandals roam in your _____ city so you pick up your gun and with help
  of your friends you lock them inside your basement, one by one.

I have looked that thesaurus for new, but I find no word appealing.

Any connotation should work.
A compound word will also work fine.


texts:
I recently learned on the brink in context of to teeter on the brink of disaster.

Now, when I want to mention that something is marginal or borderline I remember on the brink.

  This question is on the brink of off-topic.

  The testimony is on the brink of truth.

Are these acceptable, or does on the brink only refer to negative circumstances?

Note: The latter example works very well in my native language whereas the first one is awkward.


texts: Know every words of a passage but not the meaning

texts:
A excerpt from 2010: A Space Odyssey 2:

  The scientist tapped out a code on the board, switching Sal’s inputs to the memory with the highest security rating. No one knew that he talked to the computer on this circuit as he never could to a human being. No matter that Sal did not really understand more than a fraction of what he said; her responses were so convincing that even her creator was sometimes deceived. As indeed he wished to be: these secret communications helped to preserve his mental equilibrium—perhaps even his sanity.

A little context: Sal is a super AI who accepts human voice instructions, and talks back like having a real conversation between human beings. It is mentioned that she can even pick up her operator’s intonation.

Questions:

Providing the context, the communications between "he" and Sal are actually based on talking. So even using the secret circuit, it is obvious that he will talk to Sal a lot. So why it says here no one knew that? Does the thing no one knew refer to the fact that he talked to Sal on this circuit or the fact that he talked to Sal on this circuit because he has trouble communicating with human being?
Sentence 3: I don't understand why the punctuation here is semi colon, "no matter" and the words following it is a clause, can clause be separated from other parts of the sentence by a semi colon? Actually, if the semi colon was replaced by a colon, I will have less trouble understanding this sentence.
Sentence 3: why does it says here Sal don't understand what he said at all? Or is it just saying that as smart as she appears, the super AI doesn't really understand anything anyone talks to her, not just what he said?
Sentence 4: what is that he wished to be? The thing after the colon or the sentence before? And I can't connect this sentence with the previous ones. I know the author is trying to portrait "he" as an isolated computer geek who cares nothing else, but even for a person like that, I don't see why talking to the computer on "a secret circuit" maintains his sanity.


texts:
I tend to think the following is incorrect because the 'it' that starts the second sentence refers to a noun which appeared in a previous sentence.

  The Milky Way is the name used for our own galaxy. It is 200,000 light
  years across.

When I went to explain this to my son I became less sure that the use of 'it' should be restricted in this way . I would appreciate some ideas on this .

I have looked at this previous question How to form sentences starting with "it" but it's too specific for my needs. I'm also aware that the list of general references should be consulted (What good reference works on English are available?) but there don't seem to be any of those which are freely available and cover this case.


texts: a verb phrase acting as a complement of a noun

texts:
In a noun phrase (NP), a verb phrase (VP) can act as a complement of a noun as follows:

OPEC's decision to cut production by more than 1.5m barrels a day
the option to replace you with your legal guardian
the ability to regulate
the opportunity to fix that

It seems that a VP acting as a complement of a noun in an NP can only take the form of a to-infinitive phrase.
Currently, I cannot think of any other form of VP (i.e., a bare infinitive phrase or a gerund-participle phrase) acting as a complement of a noun in an NP.
I'd like to know if this is true, and if so, what the reason might be.


texts: What are the difference of "so…that" and " such…that"

texts:
Are these two the same? Or what's different? I often confuse them.
I know that "Such that" is a description of HOW something is to be done,but I don't know what is "so that mean".I need your help. Thank you！
Benjoin


texts:
When pronouncing diacritics aloud, how would you say words with a tilde or macron?

For example, how would you spell jalapeño and/or Māori?

Would you say “n-tilde” and “a-macron”? I assume that’s most probable because with most diacritics, that’s how you would spell them aloud.
The word would then be “j-a-l-a-p-e-n-tilde-o”?


texts: A depends on B, is A dependant, or is B dependant?

texts: If A is dependant, what does one call B?


texts: How to say "give different value to certain things"?

texts:
There are these 3 things that in my view do not have the same (scientific) values. I mean, when I evaluate them, I give different degree of value to them. How can I say that? Does it make the sense I have in mind to say

  I value them differently.

or

  I evaluate them differently.

To me, above sentences mean "I evaluate them in different ways". But what I want to say is "I give them different degree of value". So I want a verb other than "give" to have the sense of "value" in it.


texts: Would you say "reading books "is" or "are""

texts: This is the sentence where it's used: "First of all reading books are important because it develops the mind."


texts: do i have to put AN in the sentence before incorrect diagnosis?

texts: Four of the eight participants reported that they had incorrect diagnosis of their condition at the early stage.


texts:
My question is all about the perceived formality of using about in the sentences like I'm all about that bass.
How (in)formal is using about like this?
OED has this definition for this usage:

to be (all) about:  (a) to have as subject matter, to be concerned with;  (b) to consist of essentially, to have as point or purpose; that is what it is all about: that is the reality of a particular situation or of life in general;  (c) to be principally concerned with; to be in favour of or fond of.

In OED, the first usage is from a1400 and there is an example from N.Y.Times as of 2006. When it involves "I" as in "I'm all about..", it sounds less formal and it usually appears in song lyrics. The title of my question "I'm all about that bass" is a song from Meghan Trainor. OED has another lyrics example from 1980 which is an informal usage:

Ya see I'm all about makin that cold cold cash.
‘Sugarhill Gang’ 8th Wonder (song)

And here is the example from N.Y. Times from 2006 (which lacks "all"):

This hotel is about eccentricity and the unorthodox.

The site http://public.wsu.edu/ says that this usage should be avoided in very formal English. (formal vs. very formal?)

“This isn’t about you.” What a great rebuke! But conservatives sniff at this sort of abstract use of “about,” as in “I’m all about good taste” or “successful truffle-making is about temperature control” ; so it’s better to avoid it in very formal English.

Another point is using "all" or not. Using "all" appears to be for emphasis but does it affect the formality? How about using this phrase for people vs. inanimate objects?

This question focuses on the meaning so not a duplicate:
To be about; to be all about
For the meaning of the lyrics, see:
New (slang?) meaning of bass?


texts: "simply", "merely" and "only" - Are they interchageable in formal writing?

texts:
In the following sentence: "They are ....... wasting their time."  Would "simply", "merely" and "only" be interchangeable?  When I was a student of English I was taught the use of "simply" in formal writing should be restricted to its use as an adverb of "simple". That was long ago and I wonder whether this is still valid in 2014.

EDIT (2019) By formal writing I mean any e-mail or letter where you wish to sound educated, impersonal, and following the rules of etiquette. You would avoid the use of slang words, colloquialisms, or whatever constructions that would make a grammarian cringe.


texts:
I know a number of speakers for whom English is a second language who are unable to pronounce sh. As a result, words such as passion become something along the lines of pass-en. I'd like to know what this inability to pronounce this sound is called?

Any other pertinent information will also be appreciated.


texts: "My feelings about you never..." — what verb can I use?

texts:
I am trying to say I always have feelings about you in a different way:

  My feelings for you never __

My first thought was reduced, but it seems that reduce is for size.

(I remember hearing something similar in some movies, but I can't remember the name of it.)

What's a good word to use here?


texts: "So many weapons and armor!" What is wrong with this sentence? And how would one fix it?

texts: The sentence rings false in my head. Clearly this is because "weapons" is a countable noun, and "armor" is an uncountable noun. So one could fix this sentence by breaking it up into two clauses (e.g. "So many weapons, and so much armor!"), or by replacing a countable noun with an uncountable one (e.g. "So much armor and weaponry!"). But barring those two types of drastic changes, can anything be done to fix this sentence? Is there any way to properly modify a sentence with an uncountable noun and a countable noun appended together?


texts: I know it's perfectly grammatical for native speakers to say "I'll have a latte/ a beer / a coke" etc. But is "tea", typically served in a cup, also countable?


texts: Using words used as words: Why am I confusing myself?

texts:
Humans, naturally, prefer simple over complex.

I would think that in the above sentence, both simple and complex are words used as words. (Though, perhaps, not as clear as it is in the preceding sentence.) Yet, I still feel confused. The source of my confusion is that I would not think of italicizing red and green in the following sentence:

  I prefer red over green.

Another example:

  The scientific distinction between simple and complex has long
  been blurred.

versus

  The scientific distinction between blue and green is [whatever].

In the first example I feel like I should italicize, but not in the second example.

In what ways am I confusing myself?


texts:
Sentence:

  Set the total votes to the value of the highest For plus Against votes

Background

Basically, there is a Total Votes textbox and a table with columns Age, For and Against :

| Age |For votes|Against votes|
| ----|---------|-----------|
|50   | 2000    | 3000      |
|60   | 3000    | 8000      |

There is a function that sets the value of the Total Votes textbox to the highest value of For plus Against votes of a certain row when compared with values of For plus against votes in other rows. In the above table, this value would be 11000 (3000 + 8000). I want to describe this function in simple layman terms.

I'm not sure whether simple users would understand Set the total votes to the value of the highest For plus Against votes. I think there is something missing in relation to the Age column and hence, it isn't clear enough.


texts: English equivalent of this Telugu proverb

texts:
What English proverb can be matched to this Telugu proverb?

  There is no harm in lying 1000 times in order to perform a single successful marriage.

This is a famous proverb in Southern India, where arranged marriage is more prevalent than love marriage.

Is there any English proverb that is equivalent to this proverb or which describes about the hardships that are faced to successfully pull off a marriage?

Please don't edit my question, it is from Telugu language not tamil.


texts:
Is there an adjectival form of the word "type" that means "having to do with types"?  The obvious adjectives "typical" and "typic" mean something different (roughly, "characteristic").

Context: In type theory I am looking for an adjective to modify "equality" to indicate that I am talking about the equality type rather than the definitional/judgmental equality.  For this reason, using "type" attributively won't work either, because "type equality" is established to mean equality of types.


texts: Difference between eloquent and articulate

texts:
Is there an intended difference between the words "eloquent" and "articulate," or are they simply two synonymous adjectives?

When I use the adjective "eloquent" I most often think of flowery, decorated, or crafted speaking. The individual puts effort into making their speaking more colorful or artistic. Whether they do this consciously or unconsciously is not relevant for my usage.

However, when I use the adjective "articulate" I think of someone who simply has a strong understanding and usage of a language. They are clear and easy to understand. Their words are proper and correct, but not necessarily the most flowing or "fun" to read or listen to.

So one can be articulate but not eloquent, in my opinion. I suppose that one can also be eloquent but not truly articulate, but I feel this is very rare for having the ability to craft a sentence for a certain effect more-or-less requires a fairly strong grasp of the intended language.

Is this particular variance in usage a common thing among English speakers, or am I just weird?


texts:
I'm just wondering if there is a word that describes the feeling of sadness I'm experiencing having solved a problem I've been working on every day for the past 10 months.

It should accurately describe:

  pain experienced when something comes to a conclusion/end,

or even better:

  pain experienced when something difficult and consuming ends.

Let me know if clarification is necessary.


texts: Irregular verbs: differences between BrE and AmE

texts:
I've just found BrE sneak/sneaked/sneaked and
AmE sneak/snuck/snuck.

Are there more of these deviations?

Generally, lists of irregular verbs in grammars are so poor that they show only half of what there is to know.

PS I see there is an article on the verb form snuck on the Internet.
"snuck" in AmE


texts: How did the word "lid" come to mean "poor operator" (in the context of telegraphy and amateur radio)?

texts:
This sense of lid is still common today in Amateur ("Ham") Radio (in the United States, at least), usually as "they're a lid", meaning "they're being a rude or unobservant person." It doesn't refer to new operators, usually, as much as someone who is willfully ignoring convention.

I can't really see how this originates from any meaning of lid; the most plausible origin to me seems the phrase "put a lid on", because as an operator, a lid "silences" others or "puts a crimp" in their operating.

Boys' Life, Feb 1932 is one of the earliest mentions I can find of a lid in radio:

  "...taking care not to play the lid—"
  "Lid?" questioned Soc.
  "A lid is a radio operator who is either fresh from school or hasn't taken the trouble to learn to use his head and his fist at the same time."

Popular Science, Feb 1933 also shows lid used around the same time for the telegraph:

  He uses a bug, but it runs away with him. As a sender he's a lid. He can't read ahead and has combinations.

This discussion about "lid" in amateur radio references some of the popular origin theories, such as the idea that

  operators would put the lid of a tobacco can on the mechanical sounder to make it easier to hear

and also references a 1919 letter published in QST, from W. L. Matteson. Multiplex Plant Dept. W. U. Tel. Co., that suggests lid came into the amateur radio vocabulary from telegraphy.

So, then, it makes sense for the meaning to carry over from telegraph to ham radio. But how on earth does a "lid" come to refer to a person in the first place?


texts:
As a child I was taught that opaque means doesn't let any light through at all, as opposed to translucent (lets some light through, but diffused/frosted) or transparent (completely clear, lets you see clear images).

However, it seems a lot of people use opaque as synonymous with translucent. Indeed if you ask Google for its definition of opaque, and looks at its definition, usage example (“opaque with steam”), and synonyms, it seems to support the translucent-synonymous usage. I don't know what Google's data source is for their definitions, but it's clearly descriptive of real usage (as most dictionaries are), not prescriptive of how a word “ought” to be used.

I've certainly heard people (mis)use opaque as synonymous with translucent in everyday speech.

So now I'm looking for a single word to use in place of opaque to firmly communicate that the thing being described is completely impenetrable to light.


texts:
The joke is: "Yesterday a pig invited me to see his new home. Actually it was quite stylish."
How should one understand this? It does't seem funny at all.


texts: What do you call a room in a company where you can learn the company's products by practice?

texts:
This room provides all the company's products (assuming this company is an electronic device manufacturer) and a newcomer can learn how these devices work and how to operate them by operating them him/her-self?

Training room is not an option. Because there is already a training room where you can learn theories.


texts: What does the description "go opposite direction of [blank]" mean?

texts: I was watching my friend playing a video game where they were running through some trees and eventually running toward/along a fence. I suggested to go the opposite direction of the fence, but they seemed confused by the suggestion of what direction that actually meant. I've always understood the phrase "go opposite direction of [blank]" to mean if you were facing [blank] straight-on, to take a 180° turn and go that direction. Is that an incorrect use of the word "opposite" when describing directions from an object?


texts: Etymology of legend (as used in a chart/map)?

texts:
Related question: “Legend” or “key”?

Legend, also known as a Chart's Key, often located on the right hand side of the chart or graph.

It took me some time to understand what the legend was when learning programming with charting controls. Now I am wondering how this usage originated.

Legend, as used in the film I am Legend is a narrative of human actions How was this word chosen to be used as key in chart?

To a non-technical English speaker, is there difficulty in learning "legend of the chart/legend of the graph", or is this usage intuitive?


texts:
Mohan started writing a story on 3oth May and finishes it 2 days later. When did he finish it?

Is the answer 1st June or 2nd June? Please explain. Thanks


texts: How do you split "cities" into morphemes?

texts: Would it be "cit/ies" or "citie/s"? I'm just starting morphology and I got confused about it.


texts:
A person speaking right now on the BBC Radio 4 'PM' programme has just asserted, following the extreme rainfall, that Somerset got its name from the fact, in pre-Roman times, that it was only fit for habitation in summer.

Is there any substance in this?


texts:
The word "Innuendo" is rarely used in articles and books. It is usually just found in informal conversations. I was wondering which phrasing seems correct, as well as which may be the best wording.

1."The singer’s comments were innuendoes that referred to love-making."

2."The singer’s comments were innuendoes about love-making."

3."The singer’s comments were innuendoes, which alluded to love-making."

*4. "The singer’s comments were innuendoes that alluded to love-making."


texts: The term "the moderns" refers to people who live in the present. Any words opposite to it?


texts: Mixing hyphenated prefixes with cased hyphenated compound modifiers

texts:
Suppose I know two professors.  Both of them are old, and both of them study English.  Then each one is an old English professor.

Suppose one and only one of them is a scholar of Old English.  Then that one would be an Old English professor.

So far this is unambiguous, according to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_compound#Hyphenated_compound_modifiers

But now I have a question about the other professor.

Is he a non-Old English professor or a non-Old-English professor?


texts:
One of the rules of using the perfect infinitive says that it can refer to something that will be completed at a point in the future.

We hope to have finished the building works by the end of March.

I would like to know what would happen if I changed the sentence to:

We hope to finish the building works by the end of March.

Is there a different meaning? Is it grammatically OK?


texts: How can this situation be described in a word(or a concise phrase)?

texts: I would like to describe the funded project of someone incompetent who has failed to properly complete it mainly due to his incompetence but who has managed to present it in its failed state as a success even though it is essentially useless and bears little resemblance to the pre-agreed specifications of the project.


texts: Use of semicolon - in this sentence - as a way to add additional information

texts:
I am trying to list the things that one should keep in mind when traveling with kids, but I also want to convey that child should not be allowed to travel with a teen alone. Am I using the semicolon correctly?

I read in a guide that Semicolons separate clauses or phrases that are related and that receive equal emphasis

Semicolons join two independent clauses (complete sentences) that
are closely related if no coordinating conjunction is used.
Semicolons signal to a reader that the information in both sentences
should be taken together.

My sentence:

Planning a trip with a toddler? Your 'travel-essentials' checklist should include the following things; however, note that you need to be 21 or above to drive alone with the toddler:

toddler seat, diapers, and baby feed


texts: Using purgatory to describe a between state?

texts:
I was going to use purgatory to describe the state between childhood and adulthood. However, I looked online and could only find two definitions for the word, one being religious and the other a state of temporary punishment.

I've come to know the word as also meaning a perpetual, undefined state where things are between two defined states. Is there an actual definition of the word meaning this, or am I mistaken?


texts:
Sometimes I'm embarrassed for the person I'm talking to. Is there a better way to describe how I'm feeling? English is not my first language.

Embarrassment might not be the right term. The feeling I'm trying to invoke is the kind you feel when a student claims to understand philosophy, then calls David Hume "light reading" or "pop philosophy," despite demonstrating clear unfamiliarity with the subject. ("Hume is a bit simple and silly. He doesn't resolve important issues of existence, like why we exist," etc.)

(Just an example, of course. A similar one would be a student claiming to be a physicist after reading Michio Kaku, and then proceeding to "demolish" the Standard Model.)

I think you know the kind of person.

I want to say that I feel embarrassed for this person, but that doesn't sound right. When I'm embarrassed, it's a deeply personal thing; when I feel "embarrassed" for the kind of person I outlined above, it's sort of a disconnected experience, one with the realization of "oh dear".

I want to say that I feel something like condescension, but that doesn't sound right. Condescension is usually mixed with anger; or the definitive grouping of the target of your condescension in the category "inferior". But, again, this isn't right because the feeling is distinctly disconnected.

The word I'm looking for has a very mild "presence", if it exists.


texts: What is an adjective that connotes "implied" and "hidden"?

texts:
"Analytical skills are used to uncover _________ data."

In the context of Data Science or Computer Science, I am trying to find a word that conveys "hidden" / "implied" / "underlying". As to say that once data manipulation and cleaning is done, some pattern can be deduced.


texts: Difference between 'Candor' and 'Sincerity'

texts:
In the chapter 5 of the book Creativity, Inc. the author, Ed Catmull, writes a lot about candor and honesty, but I'm not sure I was able to fully understand what candor means.

Maybe I'm confused because of Portuguese (my native language). In Portuguese we have honesty (Honestidade), sincerity (Sinceridade) and candor (Candura). However this "equivalent" of candor is used much more for innocence. That's the reason I would prefer the term sincerity.

Is there a big difference between those two terms?


texts:
Where did the phrase "third degree" (referring to intense interrogation) originate?

Additionally, how did "grill" come to have its related meaning?


texts:
Don’t listen to multiple perspectives, it will eventually lead to the confusion where it’s hard to focus.

Does using the definite article here make sense? We generally don’t use the definite article with uncountable nouns, unless we want to specify uncountable nouns.
In the quoted sentence, we are probably talking about specific confusion (where it’s hard to focus), so I think using the definite article is fine there. But I am not sure if the word “confusion” is used in its general meaning or specific meaning. Do we need the definite article here?


texts: A short noun equivalent to "non-applicability"

texts:
I'm looking for a shorter version of the noun "non-applicability" to complete the following triplet.

Truth is to true as Falsity is to false as X is to na.

What should X be?

Non-applicability has the correct meaning, but I want to find a shorter but equivalent word. For background, I'm writing a programming library and I have subprograms with names corresponding to the names of the above triplet. However, programmers hate long names so I need to find a shorter version of the last subprogram name.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.


texts: Something that is impossible but has happened

texts: I would like to know if anyone knows the word for something that should be impossible but has happened. An example is the Big Bang Theory. It shouldn't have been possible but something happened for us to exist.


texts: Do British English-speakers call American Lieutenants 'lef-tenants' or 'loo-tenants'?

texts:
In British English, the military (and police) rank of 'lieutenant' is pronounced 'lef-tenant'. In American English, it is 'loo-tenant' (approximately).
Are these treated as two distinct pronunciations of the same word, or as subtly different words? E.g., if a Brit is addressing a US Army lieutenant, should they say 'lef-tenant' or 'loo-tenant' (and vice versa)?


texts:
Can the word trampoline be used as a possessive noun?

Kind of like, the trampoline's elasticity ?

Or, ...belonged to the trampoline's frame... ?

Got the doubt because my auto-correct (granted, it was the auto-correct in Google Docs) marked the word as wrong


texts: responsible person, person in charge or designated person?

texts:
I am looking for a term that is commonly used in business reports to indicate the responsible person or person in charge of certain activities(for example, person who performed product inspection to be reported in a inspection document)
I am not sure which of the following terms is more appropriate and if these terms are actually used in business reports.
Responsible person/Person in charge/Designated person


texts: The use of "make fools" in a passive voice

texts:
Some people can be made fools by misleading advertising.

I'd like to know the use of "made fools" in this sentence is grammatically correct.


texts: Word to describe a PDF file produced by converting from another format (for example, from HTML)

texts:
A month ago, I asked whether it would be correct to call an HTML page saved as PDF file a converted PDF file.

"Converted PDF file" - what does it really mean?

According to Greybeard, the answer is "no"; a converted PDF file is the PDF file that is converted to something different, for example, to PNG.
Is there a word, probably a neologism, or maybe a phrase rather than a word, to refer to such files, and which will point to their converted-from nature?
Some table.

ID    Article    Format and source of original file    Converted PDF (we need another word!)
--    -------    ----------------------------------    -------------------------------------
01    Abc xyz    HTML, https://...                     abc_xyz.pdf
02    Xyz abc    PDF, https://...                      n/a
03    Aaa        HTML, https://...                     aaa.pdf
04    Bbb        HTML, https://...                     abb.pdf

I can cheat and call the files in the 4th column "converted HTMLs", but there are some drawbacks. For example, the original file may be in EPUB rather than HTML format.


texts: subjunctive in a "non-if" hypothetical clause

texts:
I know that both the conditional sentences below are acceptable:

If I were an animal, I would be a horse.
If I was an animal, I would be a horse:

But what about this?

It would be unwise for a person who were only a junior in the company to criticise the boss.

You could say Were a person only or Were a junior to criticise at the start of a sentence for a reversed hypothetical, but using were after the relative pronoun who sounds strange to me.


texts: Day without an article in “Day in the life of (xx)”

texts: Sometimes I find people use “day in the life of” instead of “a day in the life of” in YouTube titles. May I ask what is the difference?


texts:
I will give you

  I will give it to you

Which one is correct?


texts:
I'm writing a section about some mathematical properties and have trouble with the use of articles (indefinite/definite/no).

I could come up with the following variants, but don't know which one is the correct one.
What I want to say is that if we pick any values for A and B, considering they are
integers, there will be items such as (A, B, 2), (A, B, 3), ..

Which article should come before item?

For any A and any B, there will be an item (A, B, C) such that C > 1.
For any A and any B, there will be item (A, B, C) such that C > 1.
For any A and any B, there will be the item (A, B, C) such that C > 1.
For any A and any B, there will be items (A, B, C) such that C > 1.
For any A and any B, there will be items of the form (A, B, C) such that C > 1.


texts: One hiatus in the current understanding of [scientific field]

texts:
Is the usage of the word hiatus correct in the title?

I read this in a formal document and I am slightly surprised by hiatus being used in this context. I understand the intention of the sentence as 'One gap in the current understand...'.

I have never seen hiatus been used in this context. Is this a correct usage?


texts: How to stress the subject in a question beginning with "why"?

texts:
English isn't my native language, so my question might seem dumb to you, but I wanna be sure.

I'm writing some fiction, but I have some problems with syntax...
Here's the question at issue : "why is this guy my brother and not Ed...?"
The context : the speaker is annoyed by her brother behavior (named "Sven"), and love the personnality of the "Ed" guy. So I would like to say, or stress, that she would prefer have Ed as a brother rather than Sven. I don't even know if this type of question is relevant.

I hope you understand what I'm asking... Sorry if it's something really silly!

Thank you!


texts: Is there a difference between "depressive" and "depressing"?

texts:
Is news depressing or depressive? In what situations would you use these two words?
According to dicionary.com:

depressive - tending to depress
depressing - serving to depress; inducing a state of depression

That's why I'm asking. Those 2 explanations are very similar. Perhaps it's the difference is in intention?


texts:
First, what does the sentence below mean?

  He may not have been far wrong

Second, why do we use have rather than has?