texts:
Here is the context:
"Employees who remained at Yahoo struggled to motivate themselves amid all the uncertainty. Some worked on side gigs in the office. Many feared more layoffs, with or without a sale."

source: money.cnn.com


texts: what's another way to say, "highly sought out"

texts: what is another way to say " highly sought out"? I am looking for an alternative phrase for this current phrase.


texts: Is this correct pluralization? "it is these three.."

texts:
It is these three sentences that show why I am an expert orator

Suppose that there are three paragraphs above this line that each talk about one of the three sentences being referenced.

Should it be

  These three sentences are the ones that show why I am an expert orator?

If a mod feels this thread may be redundant given the one posted in the comments, you have my blessing to close it. If you think it isn't redundant enough, then that's fine as well.


texts: usage of that in "the bridge that artificial life"

texts:
"That chasm was life itself, the bridge that artificial life in which Aleksey Aleksandrovich had lived."

This quote is from Anna Karenina written by Leo Tolstoy.

I want to know how "that" is grammatically used in this sentence.

Thanks.


texts:
I'm struggling to get my head around this sentence I have written. It feels right and wrong at the same time.

"Timeless family, children's and baby portraits"

I am not sure about the apostrophe use in 'children's'. It sounds right but then I begin to question the others in the list.

If you separate them I believe it would be OK...

Family Portraits
Children's Portraits
Baby Portraits

Children Portraits- Definitely doesn't sound OK, neither does Child Portraits.

Can anyone help with this and put my mind at rest?


texts: To withdraw volunteering, is it unvolunteer or un-volunteer?

texts: I read rules for hyphenating and I think it said an adjective proceeding a verb needs a hyphen. True?


texts: Is there a word or phrase which means "leads you into other or further research?"

texts:
I'm specifically looking for a word that means "leads into more research or further examination".
I was thinking that the word heuristic could mean this, but I'm not sure.
Does anyone know a word a phrase for this?

Here's the way we might use such a word in a sentence:

  He read a biography about Thomas Edison and he learned about how
  inventors think which became a [heuristic] which motivated him to do more research about
  creativity.

Or, in such a way that it would replace the following kind of an idea:

  When you learn to develop video games you have to learn how to draw on
  the screen which leads you to learn how geometric shapes are
  mathematical entities which will lead you to learn the math of
  geometry.


texts: What is the vocative expression we can use to attract the attention of someone whose name or surname we don't know?

texts:
I was reading one of my old English Language books when I came across this:

  "Madame, Señora, Signora, etc, are foreign vocative expressions and they have no equivalent, in either British or American English, for everyday use, among equals.
  Madam is a vocative expression used only by people in a position of permanent or temporary service; e.g. servants, waiters, waitresses, hairdressers, shop-keepers and assistants, clerks, etc.  Outside such service no vocative expression exists; that is to say, if one does not know the surname of a person, in front of which one can put the Mrs. or Miss, etc, there is absolutely nothing one can use.  You may ask: "But what happens if a lady drops something in the street and I pick it up and want to attract her attention?  How can I call her?"   The answer is that you cannot call her - unless you know her name.  If you want to give her whatever she has dropped, you must overtake her  and hand it to her without any vocative expression at all. In England, the same thing applies to the use of Sir; it is used only as an expression of service or respect (e.g. subordinates to superiors, school-children to their masters, young people to very much older people); i.e. among equals, there is no word to use.  In America, however, men - but not women - do often use Sir among equals.

This textbook was printed in 1961. ("British and American English" by John Millington Ward, pg 51-52, Longmans, Green and Co Ltd, 1961.)  My question is: dumb as it may seem, was this what people did at that time ? (Overtake someone who dropped something without calling him)  Is it still what people are expected to do in America and England in 2014 ?


texts: passive form of "recruit" followed by "in" or "into"

texts:
A total of 100 patients were recruited ___ the study.

Do I have to say recruited into the study or recruited in the study?


texts: What part of speech is the word "to" in "Alice likes to dance"?

texts:
Annie likes to dance

What part of speech is the word to?

Reopen note:

Merriam Webster lists it as a preposition and gives the following definition:

  8 —used as a function word to indicate that the following verb is an infinitive < wants to go > and often used by itself at the end of a clause in place of an infinitive suggested by the preceding context < knows more than she seems to >

It doesn't seem to very convincing that to is  a preposition when it occurs before a verb like this.


texts: Is "Math Calculation" redundant when describing how to solve a problem?

texts: I was corrected by another individual when describing the solution to a problem as a "math calculation". Is math implied when using calculation in a sentence therefore making my statement redundant?


texts:
What's the difference between the following two?

  God, cure me of this sickness that I have.
  God, cure me from this sickness that I have.


texts: Can till be used for expressing distance?

texts:
I know that till is used as a preposition  for time .
But if  I say, " I want to trim my hair till the shoulders"
would that be correct? If not then which preposition would be more appropriate for the given sentence?


texts:
I would like you to help me to explain the usage of the comma before "was" in this famous quote from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. I've already looked through many grammar textbooks but haven't found the exact answer to my question.

All we had to do, was follow the damn train, CJ!

In my estimation, there seems to be either just a common mistake or author's solution to emphasise this part of the sentence.


texts: How to make Passive of infinitive objects

texts:
I have been reading Micheal Swan's English Grammar. There is a point in passive section:

We hope to make a profit this year (active)

But it cannot be made passive as:

  *It is hoped to make a profit this year (wrong)

Why is it wrong ?


texts: Replacement for preclude meaning to make implausible rather than impossible?

texts:
Is there a word with similar meaning to preclude, except that the noun acted upon is made implausible or unlikely rather than completely impossible?

Ex: Large stock market gains ____ the possibility that there will be a recession?


texts: Abbreviations of St, Ave, Blvd, etc., for intersections and plurals of

texts:
For a document I'm preparing that includes photos, each photo caption includes the approximate street intersection from which the photo was taken, e.g.:

  ...., Market St & Grant Ave looking east.

In cases where both streets are of the same "type" (both "St" or "Ave"), I omit the first and pluralize the second, e.g.:

  ...., Market & Kearny Sts looking west.

Is that an OK thing to do?  (I couldn't find this addressed in The Chicago Manual of Style. If it's in there, please give the citation.)

One thing I did find in the CMOS is that I should put the period after the abbreviations, e.g.:

  ...., Market St. & Grant Ave. looking east.

If I do that, what is the proper plural?  Still just the period after the abbreviation and no other punctuation?

  ...., Market & Kearny Sts. looking west.

Do the same rules apply for intersection abbreviations in the main body text? Thanks.


texts: What do you call a person who loves facts?

texts: Someone who loves learning and knowing and saying random facts??


texts:
As far as I know British people "go to the theatre" meaning "go to see a stage play"  but for Americans theater is a place where you can watch either a movie or a play.
So would an American say "Would you like to see a play?" instead of "go to the theater?"
Another question
When someone says "Chicago is famous for theaters" how do I know if he's talking about live stage theater or a movie theater?


texts:
Can we start a sentence with 'of'. I have been working this poem and I am starting every sentence with of:

  "Of rotten eggs and gap-toothed grin.

  Of white lies and silly faces."

Is it grammatically correct?


texts: A single word synonym for "A person not to mess with"

texts:
I'm looking for a single word synonym for "A person not to mess with" without explicitly evoking a specific reason, as in "fearsome" for example.

Example in a sentence:

  Kidd was an unfuckwithable pirate for my lack of a better
  placeholder.


texts: Have I used too many commas for this sentence?

texts:
Here is what we are trying to say:

  Before you hit any of the URLs below, please, make sure you have logged into the application first using your default browser.

Are the commas correctly placed?  How else would you fix this sentence?


texts: Is ' Preferred to learn practically over theoretically' a correct phrase?

texts: The concept of Artificial Intelligence fascinated me and urged me to work on a project as I preferred to learn practically over theoretically. Does this sentence make any sense?


texts:
In the following passage from the book "Do androids dream of electric sheep?":

A merry little surge of electricity piped by automatic alarm from the mood organ beside his bed awakened Rick Deckard.

What is the verb "piped" actually conveying, was Rick awakened by a "merry" pipe sound activated by automatic alarm or was he awakened by the "merry surge of electricity" being piped (through a pipe) into him like an electric current passing through his body?


texts: Practice makes perfect OR Practice makes perfection OR Practice makes sth/smb perfect?

texts:
The verb make is used in various sentence patterns as follows.

  SVO = She made some coffee.
  SVOC (Adjective Complement) = Music makes me happy.
  SVOC (Noun Complement) = They made her the team captain for the coming year.
  SV(iO) (dO) = The chef made him a special cake.
  SVO+PP with for = I’ve made an appointment for you at the dentist’s.
  SVO+AC/NC+PP with for = He made life difficult for me.

All these example sentences are from the "Cambridge Dictionary's" English Grammar Today, and all of them show the presence of an object after the verb make.

The question is: Why does the saying/idiomatic phrase Practice makes perfect not take an object after make? Or, Should it not be perfection (a noun) after make instead of perfect (an adjective)?


texts: Is my usage of "any different" correct in this context?

texts:
I'm reading a Webnovel and in this particular chapter, there is this guy who is on a high position and everyone around him(not including those who have a higher authority and status) is bending over to his authority and status.
And someone commented about if it ever crossed these kind of people's minds about everyone not existing simply to bend over for them or if their ego is big enough to bend reality itself.
So I replied to that, pointing out that everyone the guy has met who have a lower authority and status than him have been bending over to his whims and demands thus far therefore he isn't in the wrong to think that a newcomer won't do the same.
Here is what I wrote:

People of lower status than him have been bending over to his whims thus far so logically speaking he isn't in the wrong to think that ZY will be any different.

Note: ZY is an acronym for the newcomer's full name.
The first time I wrote my comment, I thought nothing of it but I have a habit of re-reading whatever I write online because English is my 3rd language and I guess I got tired of having to get whatever I say/write discredited simply because my English skill isn't up to par.
Anyways is what I wrote correct in this context? given what I wanted to convey.


texts: Why is it possible to delete "or" in this sentence?

texts:
He plays it well,(or) at least better than you.

I am told by aparente001 that it is possible to omit "or" in this sentence.
But I am not quite sure how it is possible. Can any of you guys explain?


texts:
I'm just wondering if it is right to say that

I'll learn English faster than they will translate this book

=or

I'll learn English earlier than they will translate this book

I'm confused about using " faster than" and both parts of sentences are Future simple.. Is it okay? Maybe i should use other tenses .


texts:
I'm writing an (important) letter to someone who happens to be an English major.

Basically looking for a rewording of the cliche

  "I lack the words to communicate"

and have come up with

  "I lack the verbiage to sufficiently articulate"

But for the life of me I don't know if it's grammatically correct, or sounds good.

Is it ironic that I can't find the words to express the fact that I can't find the words to express myself?


texts: What does “'Avoid plastics' in commencement speeches" mean?

texts:
Today’s (May 12) New York Times carries an article written by Arthur Brooks, the president of the American Enterprise Institute under the title, “How to avoid commencement clichés”.

The author says:

  “When I asked my 20-something colleagues (about commencement speech),
  they warned me that, while this might sound great to a baby boomer at
  the podium, to a millennial audience it’s just product advice. It
  sounds more or less like the famous unsolicited counsel in the 1967
  movie “The Graduate,” in which a middle-aged businessman told the
  young Ben Braddock: “I just want to say one word to you. Just one
  word. Plastics.”

  So here’s my advice for anyone asked to give a commencement speech:
  Avoid plastics; put purpose ahead of product; emphasize sanctification
  and service. Also, keep it under 30 minutes.”
  http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/12/opinion/how-to-avoid-commencement-cliches

.

I can associate the word “plastics” only with (1) synthetic resins, (2) credit card as a noun, (3) elastic, flexible as an adjective, and with no moral significance.

What does “plastics” that was dubbed as a cliché here mean?


texts: How to describe the feeling you get when something exceedingly irritating, irritates you?

texts:
Got extremely annoyed today.
But that's not the word I was looking for.

I had to deliver a case of bottled water to some friends living in another dorm in our college.  I have to tell you, the sound of tight plastic rubbing against tight plastic is never a pleasant experience.  In any case, I had trouble describing the moment to my fellow friends, and they in turn had no idea how to describe it.

You know, the reaction to nails on a chalkboard, or something like that.


texts: Looking for single word to represent "degree of completion"

texts: I am writing a paper. There is a term used in my work that represents "the degree of completion", i.e., 32% in the phrase "32% was completed". I tried "progress" but think it's not intuitive and "completeness" but find this should be used to represent if an event is complete. This term is important for my work hence I want to find a single and intuitive word to represent its meaning, any suggestion?


texts:
What does it really mean "to take the opponent down."
I have looked it up in several dictionaries and none had other meanings of take down than dismantle, shoot/hit someone, write or criticise.

In the article: https://www.yahoo.com/beauty/tennis-pro-cuts-her-own-hair-on-court-in-a-bid-to-win-143555907.html
there's this sentence:
"Kuznetsova returned to the court, and proceeded to take down her opponent and win 7-5, 1-6, 7-5."

My personal conclusion is that it somply means "she beat her opponent." However, I am not sure if it's just clear "beat" or it expresses something more emotional like "beat someone badly" or something. Can anybody help?


texts: Why is this considered a "romantic" poem?

texts:
In Willam Blake's poem, what makes it a romantic poem?

  I wandered through each chartered street,
  Near where the chartered Thames does flow,
  A mark in every face I meet,
  Marks of weakness, marks of woe.

  In every cry of every man,
  In every infant's cry of fear,
  In every voice, in every ban,
  The mind-forged manacles I hear:

  How the chimney-sweeper's cry
  Every blackening church appals,
  And the hapless soldier's sigh
  Runs in blood down palace-walls.

  But most, through midnight streets I hear
  How the youthful harlot's curse
  Blasts the new-born infant's tear,
  And blights with plagues the marriage-hearse.

Can romantic poems have rhymes?


texts: Is "grown not made" correct English and can it have a totally opposite, to the intended, meaning?

texts:
Reading through the Heinz's ketchup bottle, I noticed that their tagline, Grown Not Made could mean something totally different and opposite to it's intended meaning i.e. Grown Not, Made and Grown, Not Made.

Questions:

Is grown not made correct English (although it's not necessary)?
Can that statement, as mentioned above, have two different and totally opposite meanings?


texts:
I am developing a website, in which a user can send a request to another user. What's the correct way to describe the date that the request was made on, in the format of [request/requested/requesting] date? In addition to a straightforward answer, it would be nice to see some explanation. Thanks.

PS. I can't come up with a better title. Please help on this, too.


texts: To "levy criticism" or to "level criticism?"

texts:
In a recent NY Times article the reporter writes, "Criticisms are also levied at Jews...".  I have always heard the idiom as "to level criticism" or to "level charges" against.

Which is the proper expression? Or do they both make sense?


texts:
What did "Four-F." mean in the United States of the 1940s?

Here is the quote from Catch-22:

  They had to send a guy from the draft board around to look me over. I was Four-F. I had examined myself pretty thoroughly and discovered that I was unfit for military service


texts: Are "prototypical" and "prototypal" different?

texts: I typed prototypal inheritance and got a wavy red underline conveying a alternative word for the same from Google. I am getting the same underline while typing this post. The suggestion is prototypical. Does prototypal exist as a word?


texts: Is there a term for switching syllables of words?

texts:
Primary question: A common speaking mistake is to exchange syllables of words, saying "It's trace rhyme!" instead of saying "It's race time!", or pronouncing "kickin' chackatory" instead of "chicken cacciatore." Is there an existing name in poetry, linguistics, or English studies for switching syllables of (quasi-)consecutive words? I am not especially interested in the case when switching syllables results in interpretable homonyms or portmanteaus, like in the first example.

Secondary question: if not, what would you call it?

Tertiary question: is there somewhere a (playful?) taxonomy of fruitful or unfruitful lingual aberrations?


texts: In some dictionaries paradigmatic is more closely related to standard than to conventional,why?

texts: I am confused why some dictionaries show conventional and standard both as a synonym to paradigmatic while most only show standard as a synonym. Does standard and conventional means something different ?


texts: A case that exhibits all the possible conditions a subject can suffer from?

texts:
We have this Hungarian phrase "Állatorvosi ló", which literally translates to "Veterinarian horse".

It originated in 19th century Hungarian literature, when someone created an illustration of a horse that exhibited all the possible external and internal sicknesses a horse can have.

Nowadays it is used to describe all the possible (negative) conditions something can have.

In our concrete case, we're doing software testing for a CAT (Computer Aided Translation) software that has a QA module; and we're going to build a special project (the 'vetenarian horse') that exhibits all the possible errors the QA module can throw at us.

What would be an idiomatic word or phrase to express that?


texts: Usage of "and" and comma when writing numbers UK style

texts:
I am trying to understand the rules for writing numbers in words under the UK rules (with "and"). I understand how to write small numbers (up to a few thousands), but I am not sure when to use "and" when the number is bigger. I tried Wikipedia, but the rules are not clear. Here are a few numbers I'm reasonably sure of:

102: one hundred and two
120: one hundred and twenty
1002: one thousand and two
1203: one thousand two hundred and three

(though I'm not sure whether I should add a comma after "thousand" in this last one).

Here are some bigger numbers. Is it okay to have multiple "and"s like this? Should some "and"s be commas instead, or just be omitted altogether?

102003: one hundred and two thousand and three
102304: one hundred and two thousand three hundred and four

Here are some numbers bigger than one million (I use a space to separate digits for easier reading):

1 000 002: one million and two
1 000 020: one million and twenty
1 000 200: one million two hundred
1 002 000: one million two thousand
1 002 003: one million two thousand and three
1 023 045: one million twenty-three thousand and forty-five
1 203 450: one million two hundred and three thousand four hundred and fifty

And some bigger ones still:

100 000 300 : one hundred million three hundred
102 000 003 : one hundred and two million and three
102 304 567 : one hundred and two million three hundred and four thousand five hundred and sixty-seven


texts:
I've heard many times phrases like "this particular thing has been a fact of life throughout recorded history".

In fact there is this definition:

  Recorded history or written history is a historical narrative based on
  a written record or other documented communication.

That seems to contradict this widely accepted definition of history stating that history is "the study of the past as it is described in written documents". And "prehistory" (before history) is considered "events occurring before written record".

  History (from Greek ἱστορία, historia, meaning "inquiry, knowledge
  acquired by investigation") is the study of the past as it is
  described in written documents. Events occurring before written record
  are considered prehistory.

From this Wikipedia article quoting this sources:

  Joseph, Brian (Ed.); Janda, Richard (Ed.) (2008). The Handbook of
  Historical Linguistics.  Blackwell Publishing (published 30 December
  2004). p. 163. ISBN 978-1-4051-2747-9.

  "History Definition". Retrieved 21 January 2014.

  "What is History & Why Study It?". Retrieved 21 January 2014

So if history implies records, and the time before writting was invented is considered prehistory, why is "recorded history" so widely used?


texts: The correct positioning of a sentence adverb in a sentence

texts:
Three days? I think that it is not simply enough time.
  Three days? I think that it is simply not enough time

What rule of grammar informs acceptable word order in this case?


texts: What's the term for someone elevated in a position due to need?

texts:
A teacher might be teaching to only a few students, but then the number of students grows, so a new teacher is hired to help teach the larger number of students.
What would you call that teacher, or the action of hiring that teacher for that specific purpose (or any related situation)?


texts: Can I define our company's business as sell furnishings if we do not sell furniture?

texts: Our company produces and sells rugs, throw pillows, decorative objects, cushions, lamps, wall decor products, curtains, candle holders and generally everything else which is decorative for the house, but we don't sell any furnitures like beds, sofas, chairs and so on. Can I still define our company's business as sell furnishings?


texts: Should this sentence end with a Question mark or period?

texts: If you'd like one of the above times, let me know?


texts: Is there the difference between “I was determined to overcome stage fright” and “I determined to overcome stage fright”?

texts:
The New York Times’ article titled “Overcoming a Lifetime of Stage Fright” in its Sunday Review page describes how a female pianist who has suffered stage fright in her lifetime felt when she played piano in public at an international airport: It goes:

  It had been 40 years since my last recital, but the first time I
  played the piano at Mineta San Jose International Airport, my body
  responded right on cue. My hands turned wet with sweat, my heart
  pounded, my feet gave a soft little drum roll on the floor.

  I was there because, at age 59, I was determined to overcome a
  lifetime of stage fright. I had quit playing the piano when I was 19
  because of my anxiety.
  http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/31/opinion/sunday/overcoming-a-lifetime-of-stage-fright.

OED defines “determine” as a verb meaning (2) firmly decide, as well as “determined” as an adjective meaning “having firmness of purpose, resolute.”

Are the meanings of “I was determined to do sth” and “I determined to do sth” same and interchangeable? If No, what’s the difference of meanings / nuances between them?


texts:
I am wondering which one is more natural and makes more sense.

1) "Good things are for to share"

2) "Good things are for sharing"

which one is correct?


texts: I've been working "in Linux" or "on Linux"?

texts:
I have this question, how should I say:

I been working in linux.
I been working on linux.

I know that "in" implies something is inside another thing, and "on" is like something is over the other thing, but not literally inside.

I've read this but it didn't help me:
in a system vs. on a system


texts: Native English [Brit./N.Amer.] ways to greet someone after the event?

texts:
Suppose you forgot to wish someone an occasion, and you're wise after the event, how do you go about offering your wishes given that a couple days have gone by since?
"[Wish you a] Happy Birthday/Thanksgiving, etc. 'belatedly'"
OR
"[Here's wishing you a] 'belated' Happy Birthday/Thanksgiving, etc."

a] Is is okay to use "belated" or "belatedly" to this purpose?

b] How would Americans say it in their native/vulgar/idiomatic tongue, slang, vernacular, etc.?

In the same vein, if you wanna wish someone well before time, perhaps cuz you might be away during the event,

a] is it acceptable to say "Happy Birthday/Thanksgiving in advance"?

b] how would Americans say it in their native/vulgar/idiomatic tongue, vernacular, slang, etc.?

If there is more than one possible way to express these ideas each, it would help to list them all.


texts:
I am completing a research paper on King Olaf II of Norway. How would I use this monarch's name as a possessive noun?

Example sentence:

  Olaf II's succession to the throne...

Is it correct to say Olaf II's or is there a better way to denote this?


texts:
I am listening to a story that has no transcript. So I can’t make out some phrases and therefore the meaning of some sentences. I would really appreciate if you could help me out;) thanks in advance!

The town where my whole family is, the town I grew up in, the town I took acid and talked to hoodies in.
I went to drama school for 3 years. I pretended to be steam. Knowing that my dad, the man who raised me, doesn’t love me the way I live him.
And we are standing outside the funeral home. You are not meant to be the pull and bear for your family. But for some reason, nonno wanted us to carry him for the last time.

Here is the link to the story:
https://player.themoth.org/#/?actionType=ADD_AND_PLAY&storyId=14403

It’s from 2:50 min


texts: English Usage: what are the best dictionaries/online sources?

texts:
I have problem with word usage.  Am I angry/furious/enraged?  Did he threaten to castigate/reprimand/admonish/rebuke/punish me?  And I was surprised/puzzled/disconcerted...since/due to the fact that/because of...?

In addition, I often mix formal and informal language.  Or formal with literal.  For instance when you type "sunder" in google, it is noted that this is a "literary" verb; "peruse" is "formal"; while "exacerbate" is apparently neither.  Different sites have different views on these distinctions.

Some of these issues have, recently became more relevant for me (or is it pertinent?) when I started to relearn French.  It has forced me to look at my English usage.  And discover a lot of holes there.

Anyhow, appreciate suggestions, links, references to books, dictionaries, etc.  Especially sources that make reference to etymology, as I find that helps me get a better grasp of difference in word usage.

p.s. I just want to add that what I've been doing so far is I've been picking up bits and pieces of info from various online dictionaries (including stackexchange), but the process has been too time-consuming and inexact.  To spend half an hour searching all over the place for a single usage question and sift through pages of differing views and opinions, is a sure way to exhaust yourself and give up all together.


texts: How to avoid Linking verbs flagging up as Passive

texts:
Example sentences:

The place was deserted.

The cars were red.

My grammar checker keeps flagging up linking verbs (was / were) as passive. How am I supposed to rewrite it?

(I suspect it's not a major grammar problem and that I can ignore this).


texts:
There are many disreputable businesses that operate on the idea that you pay them for the privilege of trying to sell their product(s). Is there a common term for this kind of scam; one that could be used without an accompanying explanation?

For example:

  Yesterday, John was contacted by a door-to-door sales company. They wanted him to buy sets of knives, then cold call family/friends/strangers. I think this company might be a(n) _____.

Edit: I'm looking for a word or phrase that is specific to this kind of business model.


texts:
I was writing a text and got to this part.

"Characters can turn hostile quickly, drawing in interested bystanders that will either help the player or try to kill them. Nothing less than murder will quench their bloodthirst."

Is the whole idea clear? But more importantly, is the expression "quench their bloodthirst correct?


texts: Origin of the terms "curse words" and "swear words"

texts:
I'm having trouble finding the origin of the terms "curse words" and "swear words" when used as a synonym what many call "bad words" (although I don't agree).

I've found that "curses" when used as an explicative is from the late 19th century, but not much more than that.  I'm assuming they have some origin in religion/mysticism/witchcraft due to the earliest meaning I can find of the word "curse," and how "swear" is believed to come from the invocation of the the "sacred" name (Exodus).

Unfortunately, these explanations don't satisfy me.  I ask, does anyone have a more detailed explanation with specifics as to the origin of these terms in order to satisfy my curiosity?


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  How to connect a word and a phrase with a dash?

Hello, I'm a non-native English speaker and I'm writing a scientific paper about biometric identification based on heart sounds.

In this context, is the following phrase correct?

  Comparison of recent articles on heart sounds-based biometrics.

I am using it as a caption for a table.


texts: Who was the first white person in media to use the phrase “Shout-Out”?

texts:
Jazz was created by African-Americans.  It's impossible to say with any authority exactly where and how it started, other than to acknowledge that it started in Black-American culture.  It is much easier to point out who was the first white person to play on a jazz recording.

Likewise, with “shout-out” and the hip-hop DJ culture of the late 70s and 80s, only black people ever used the slang phrase, until one intrepid white announcer used it on-air, and the rest is history.  Who was that first white announcer and when?  Probably in the mid to late 90s.

I'll settle for the first known use of the term in print; used in exactly the modern urban-hipster context.


texts: What do you call it when you make a baby laugh?

texts: What do you call it when you talk or make funny sounds to a baby to make it laugh or giggle?


texts: A good word for the mix of Date Of Birth or "Date Of Birth" of a organization (founding date?)

texts:
I guess there is quite some overlap in the concepts. Is there a good word that would work well for both cases?

  Albert Einstein / DateOfBirth

  FC Barcelona / DateOfBirth


texts:
In some fields of study, there are various placeholder nouns/proper nouns---basically nouns that are conventionally used in an example but are understood not to correspond to an actual object.

In economics examples you frequently see 'widgets'.

In law you have 'John Doe' or 'Blackacre'.

In computer science you see 'foo' and 'bar' used as variable names.

Is there, in any field of study, a verb that fulfills the same role? That is, a verb that does not actually correspond to an action, and is conventionally understood to be some sort of placeholder? I can vaguely remember encountering such a verb in the past---something that ended in -ulate or -ize, but I can't for the life of me remember what it was.


texts: Prepositional verb structure - "[rely] [on John]" or "[rely on] [John]"

texts:
It is difficult to determine the correct consituent structure of prepositional verbs, such as rely on someone. Either on someone forms a constituent to the exclusion of rely, as in (1), or rely on form a constituent to the exclusion of someone, as in (2).

  (1) Mary [VP [relies] [on John]] (to do something)
  (2) Mary [VP [relies on] [John]] (to do something)

Which analysis of the constituency of prepositional verbs is better and why?

Addendum

The following observations might be helpful.

  (3) I rely [on a good provider] and [on a AC3200 router] to assure my access to the internet. (supports (1)?)

  (4) a. Mary relies on John to dress himself.
          b. It is [John] that Mary relies on _ to dress himself.
        c. *It is [on John] that Mary relies _ to dress himself.
  (Bresnan 1982: 398) (supports (2)?)

  (5)   They were relying, foolishly or at least naively, on the fifth division to cover their retreat.
  (Postal 2004: 87) (supports (1)?)

  (6) a. John, she relied on _ to help with record-keeping at the school.
        b. ?* On John, she relied _ to help with record-keeping at the school.(supports (2)?)

  (7) a. Mary relied [on John] to fix the car, and Sue [on Bill] to mow the lawn.
       b. *Mary relied on [John] to fix the car and Sue [Bill] to mow the lawn.
  (supports (1)?)

  (8) a. Mary [relied on], and indeed [depended on], John.
        b. ?? Mary [relied], and indeed [depended], [on John].(supports (2)?)

  (9) ?*I relied on there to be a solution.
  (not sure if this supports either (1) or (2)?)

  (10)   These are people he [relied on _ ] and [lived with _ ].
  (not sure if this supports either (1) or (2)?)

  (11)  a. Mary said she would rely on John to help her...
          b. * ... and rely on John she did _ to help her.
          c. * ... and rely on she did _ John to help her.
          d. * ... and rely she did _ on John to help her.
  (not sure if this supports either (1) or (2)?)


texts: Is there a term for making a statement while denying you're making said statement? e.g. "I'm not saying your mom... but"

texts:
Is there a particular term for making a statement while explicitly denying ownership of the statement? Sometimes this is followed up by an appeal to another party to validate the truth of the statement. We've probably heard this a lot recently. For example:

"I'm not saying she's a crook..."


texts: The fact that something lasts or will last a lot of time

texts:
I'm looking for a single word that expresses the fact that something lasts through the passing of years, decades, centuries.

What would be a word that describes the art of lasting?

From my mother language, "persistence" is what Google Translate comes up with, but I am dissatisfied.

Current contenders:

Perenniality (from perennial)

  lasting for an indefinitely long time; enduring

perdurability (from perdurable)

  very durable; permanent; imperishable.


texts: Can a verb in the -ing form take a direct object?

texts:
Here is the example:

  We condemn such behavior that can risk damaging a company’s brand and reputation.

I think, the 'a company's brand reputation' is the object of 'damaging'. And the whole phrase is the object of 'risk'. is it right?


texts: Construct a "the more x the more y" compound statement

texts:
Something doesn't feel 100% correct in the structure of the following statement:

The longer you stay here, the higher the chances are that you'll never get there on time.

My question is, what should I do with the "are"?

Leave it right where it is.
Put it after the "higher".
Put it after the "time".
Get rid of it altogether.

Thanks


texts:
I am confused about the pronunciation of "message", if we look it up in a dictionary, the written phonetic is "ˈmes.ɪdʒ" (Cambridge Dictionary), but it is pronounced as if it was like "a" in hat ("hæt"). But, in IPA for English "e" is not "æ", for example red has a phonetic like "red". I have listened to the pronunciation for that word in many different places like forvo, Longman Dictionary and so on. So where is the problem? Why is message pronounced like "ˈmæs.ɪdʒ" although it has to be "ˈmes.ɪdʒ"?
It was a little hard for me to clearly explain it, but I hope I could tell it.


texts:
Is it an inappropriate choice of word to use 'nascent' in a negative context? For example, "Auditory hallucinations were one of the more notable symptoms of his nascent schizophrenia." Or should the word be reserved for something which is only in a positive context, i.e. nascent talent, nascent technology etc?

If not, then can anybody suggest a more appropriate word to indicate the early developing stages of an illness or disorder?

Many thanks, I'm sure I'm being more than a little dim and missing out on the obvious answer.


texts: Ideas for a word or term that encompasses humanitarians, environmentalists, etc.

texts:
Are there any words or terms that describe all aspects of making the world a better place. Also, are there any labels to describe a person who does?

By making the world a better place I mean aspects like environmentalism, veganism, volunteering, going green, activism, corporate giving, social justice, etc.

Humanitarianism wouldn't cover animal rights and environmentalism wouldn't cover things like food pantry volunteers and animal shelter volunteering. I'm at a loss for an all-encompassing, umbrella term or word.


texts: What's the English term for taking off expired products?

texts:
I forgot the term, feels like it's at the tip of my tongue.

Imagine that I have a shop, with an expired product, took it off the inventory. Now what do you call that item?


texts: Saying meaning "Don't speak unless you can improve silence"

texts:
Is there an English equivalent to this familiar saying used in India:

  Don't speak unless you can improve silence.

The saying loosely means it is better to be silent than prattle on about something.


texts: Is there a word that means "both micro and macro"

texts:
I am looking for a word that means "micro and macro". For instance, if I was describing an economic phenomenon that can be observed on both the micro and macro levels of the economy, I could call it a __ phenomenon.

If you don't know of a "real" English term for this, I'm open to suggestions for new words!


texts: What is an appropriate word for a "rerise"?

texts: I'm wondering if there is a more appropriate term in English that describes a rise of something (like a nation) that has already achieved that status before, like  a second rise or re-rise.


texts: What is the two-item list equivalent of the Oxford comma?

texts: I was recently told that the Oxford comma is only for lists with three or more items. A preliminary search confirms this, as far as I can tell. I'm wondering if there is an equivalent word for a comma in a list with only two items, or if that's universally considered inappropriate?


texts: When to use mid-sentence commas when adding a formal name

texts:
Where is it appropriate to insert a comma when putting a persons name in the middle of a sentence, such as when writing an email or letter.  Is it really before AND after?

Examples:

  Thank you for writing me back, Michelle, and all the best to you in
  2019!

  I really appreciate you taking the time to meet with me, Michelle, but I hope we don't have to meet under these circumstances again.

Is this correct?

I feel like I use commas too often and this is one scenario where I always question myself.


texts: Is “what in hejudas?” a common idiom or phrase?

texts:
I noticed the following phrase used in another question:

  Is this a common idiom? If so, what in hejudas inspired such a phrasing?

Obviously, this is similar to the phrases “what in hell” or “what on earth”.  Does it have its own etymology?  Does it relate to Judas Iscariot somehow?

Is this a common idiom? If so, what in hejudas inspired such a phrasing?


texts: Could you get me a glass of water, please? Is this an interrogative sentence or an imperative sentence.?

texts: Could you get me a glass of water, please? Is this an interrogative sentence or an imperative sentence?


texts: Why are curses not offensive if you mask all but the first letter with symbols?

texts:
Nudity and foul language is often blurred in the media. I can understand the need to blur nudity, but when it comes to blurring F-words I don't see the sense of it. When you write F- off, you simply introduce a new synonym for a foul term.
So if blurring foul words are required by law, you would need to blur the blurred word in time, right?

So is this an cultural oddity of the english language, or is there more to it?


texts: Meaning of "individual" in "dystopian texts [...] emphasize the importance of the individual"

texts:
I'm trying to help my son understand an essay question but am having trouble understanding the question myself.  He's studying George Orwell's 1984 and the essay question is this:

  Dystopian texts are valued because they emphasize the importance of the individual in his or her particular context.

I'm not looking for an answer to the actual question but rather an explanation of what it's actually asking.  In particular who is the individual — do they mean the author? And if so, do they mean the importance of the author at the time the book was written, importance to literary history, or something else?


texts: How to best correct ambiguity of “in the room next to me”?

texts:
A common construction in English is:

  There is a person in the room next to me.

However, this is ambiguous because it’s unclear whether the person is in a separate room that happens to be adjacent to my own, or whether they are in the same room as me (and standing beside me).

Given this is grammatically correct, how would I best go about specifying which is the case?

For example:

  There is a person in the adjacent room to mine.

or:

  There is another person in the same room as me.

Both seem unnecessarily confusing.


texts: Is there a special name for these big balloony toys in parks? (image included)

texts: Do these toys have a common widely-accepted name?


texts:
Is "what am I to do" be commonly used in daily lives?
Also what do following sentences imply?
What should I do the next?
What am I to do the next?
Please.


texts: Light bulb on a bare/poorly-executed/dangerous wire

texts:
In German lots of people would call this lamp, with its poor wiring, a "russischer Kronleuchter" (which translates to "Russian chandelier"):

Is there a common English term for that...

Additional note: In German, if something is called "Russian", it usually means a combination of different properties. Those may include, but are not limited to:

simple, easy to use/build/repair
very robust
functional, especially under bad conditions/circumstances
not good looking, as the appearance is unimportant
practical
not requiring much or highly qualified maintenance
inexpensive (not cheap in a negative sense)

A good example of something typically "Russian" is the AK 47 machine gun - maybe that's where the meaning comes from.


texts:
I have observed this in some quotes or dialogues that people say 'period.' at the end of their sentence/quote.

I wanted to ask why and when is it used


texts: Why is "ten-minute break" singular but "two weeks' time" uses a plural?

texts:
We say a ten-minute break
We say two weeks' time.

Ten-minute is singular but two weeks' is plural, why?


texts: Just because he ... he doesn't need to be

texts:
I hear sentences like

  Just because he is old doesn't mean he is slow

a lot, and I don't like them. Is the alternative

  Just because he is old he doesn't need to be slow

easy to parse and understand in spoken english?

I am asking because my suggestion is modeled after the German construction, thus might be unnatural and confusing to natives' ears that expect another structure (Maybe natives might hear it as "The reason that no one requires him to be faster is simply that he is old").

I could also give up on the 'Just because' altogether, and say "The fact that ... doesn't imply that...", but I am looking for something that I can use in speaking without sounding like a computer.


texts:
I'm looking for/seeking a word that is the opposite of "hospitable".
I don't mean inhospitable. I'm going to talk about a society that praises strangers, and I'd like to be natural.
Let me know if there's anything wrong with my writing, grammatically or otherwise.
Thank you in advance.


texts: the difference between company and a companion

texts:
In what situation would you use company or a companion in the following sentences?

  I have a dog and it's my company.
  I have a dog and it's my companion.

Can I use company instead of companion in "a traveling companion"? For example: traveling company.


texts: Word or phrase for a person who does something because a loved one asks, not because it's necessarily correct

texts:
I'm looking for a way to describe someone who does something not because it's correct, but because someone they care about asked them to. For example:

  "Please keep the light on so the monsters can't get me," said the boy. And his mother did, for she was a _____ woman"

I've thought of loyal, but that doesn't exactly get across that they are only doing it because it is more important to them to take care of their loved one than be correct.

In addition, a word describing the sort of request itself would be very helpful. Such as

  "She obliged his ____ request"


texts: question tags for sentences with dummy elements

texts:
I have a question about question tags.

  That is our new teacher, isn't it?

or

  That is our new teacher, isn't he?

Which one is correct?


texts:
Take this passage from Agatha Christie's The Seven Dials Mystery. [Emphasis added]

  "Do you think you could go out and buy me a pistol, Stevens?"

  "A pistol, sir?"

  True to his training, Stevens betrayed no hint of surprise.

  "What kind of a pistol would you be requiring?"

  "The kind where you put your finger on the trigger and the thing goes on
  shooting until you take it off again."

  "An automatic, sir."

  "That's it," said Jimmy. "An automatic. And I should like it to be a
  blue-nosed one—if you and the shopman know what that is. In American
  stories, the hero always takes his blue-nosed automatic from his hip
  pocket."

  Stevens permitted himself a faint, discreet smile.

  "Most American gentlemen that I have known, sir, carry something very
  different in their hip pockets," he observed. Jimmy Thesiger laughed.

In this passage, what is a "blue-nosed" gun?

In addition, in the 1930s, what would a fictional American gentleman be keeping in his hip pocket?


texts:
The married person in an affair is clearly having one, but is the unmarried participant?

To use a well-known real-life example, Bill Clinton had an affair with Monica Lewinsky. But did Monica Lewinsky have an affair with Bill Clinton?


texts:
Is there a difference?

With animals, for instance: I feel like one refers to the taming of an individual. While the other refers to the adaptation of an entire (sub)species for integration with humans; via multiple generations of selective breeding.


texts: Is it incorrect to say "...it's not, is it? Or is it?"

texts:
The sentence I was thinking of is:

  Someone's blocked you in. It's not me, is it? Or is it?

It certainly reads oddly, but I've heard it used in general speech quite often.

As I understand it, the speaker is stating the question twice, firstly expecting the answer "no". Then secondly expecting the answer "yes".

Is the sentence grammatically incorrect? Something about it feels wrong.


texts: Is "museal" an adjective that you can use?

texts:
Briefly, as I think it is a valid word/adjective in French, can we say "museal" to describe to an activity or thing that relates to museums? such as:

  The museal forms of the nineteenth century were radically
  different than today.

Would that be understandable to native ears? Or does it sound ridiculous? Too contrived?

PS: I'd use museological but I think it relates to museum studies instead of just museums. At least that's how it sounds to me.

PS: I totally edited the word 'formation' into 'form' as I think it caused a lot of misunderstanding. My fault!

Thanks in advance!


texts: Can a music band be referred to as an artist?

texts: Is it correct to refer to a band as an artist such as 'My favourite artist is The Beatles'?


texts: What is the definition of "You're so far behind, you think you're first"? Should a dictionary entry of this expression be "One is so far behind, one thinks he is first"?


texts: What does ' Loyalty gave way to desire and Garrett' mean?

texts:
I am wondering what this expression means.
It is from the movie 'Flipped' and here is the rest of the sentence.
'Loyalty gave way to desire and Garrett, the turncoat told Sherry what I was up to.'

In case you need to know the situation...

'Bryce,the main actor, asked out a girl Sherry because he wants the other girl,Julie, to lose interest in him. Sherry became aware of his plan because his best friend, Garrett told her because Garrett took an interest in Sherry himself.' and the Bryce saying the sentence that I'm asking here.


texts:
I work on a content management system that allows authors to create drafts of entries. When they are finished with the draft, they can click a “Publish draft” button to update the main entry with the draft’s content.

That generally makes sense, however it’s a little awkward because the entry isn’t necessarily live yet. You can “publish” a draft of a disabled entry, and the entry will be updated with the draft’s contents, but remain disabled. But the word “publish” seems to imply that the entry will go live, making me think it’s the wrong word.

Possible alternatives:

Commit
Submit
Finish

Leaning toward “commit” but hard to know whether that’s going to be clear to non-developers. (“Commit [to] the draft’s changes”)

Am I overlooking a better option?

(“Save” is a no go because it’s already possible to save a draft, which just updates the draft’s content with whatever’s in the form, but doesn’t have any effect on the main entry.)


texts: What Are 2 Opposite Meaning Words Put Together Called?

texts:
For example if you said,'a beautiful tragedy', the words 'beautiful' and 'tragedy', are completely different things.
What is the English concept of putting these two words together to describe something?


texts:
As the title says, I'm looking for a word for "someone who diverts". I could not find "Divertor" or "Diverter" in the dictionaries I trust or even the Google define search query. Merriam-Webster was asking me to subscribe to their Unabridged edition but I'm still unsure if they would have it.

I did find a definition at Your Dictionary though:

A person or thing that diverts or is diverting.
A valve used to change the flow of fluid through a system of pipes.

I'm doubting the word is a real English word.

My context:

He is a diverter from the path of the Lord.

Just to clear the context, I'm referring to someone who diverts others from the path of the Lord since the person who himself has diverted would be an apostate. [Thanks to @DanBron for suggesting this clarification]

Thanks for your time.


texts:
You often hear people follow up the word "absolutely" with words such as "fantastic", "amazing", "brilliant", "knackered".

But to hear say someone say "That was absolutely good" or "I am absolutely tired" would sound ridiculous.

Is there actually anything grammatically wrong with these 2 statements, or are they just so unconventional that they sound wrong?


texts: Should I begin with uppercase when placing a sentence inside a apostrophes?

texts:
Here's an example:

Warren said, 'could you help me remember some English basics?' vs.
Warren said, 'Could you help me remember some English basics?'


texts: What is the origin of x-mark used as a signature of illiterate

texts:
I'm not sure that it is the proper site to ask this question, maybe it's an off-topic. However, I've heard it is also a kind of lingual expression used in English/American culture.
I've heard that X-mark is "used as a replacement for a signature for a person who is blind or illiterate and thus cannot write his or her name" (written in Wikipedia.)
I tried to find the origin of the usage, but I can't.
Woud you give me some references about this? If it's impossible, the earliest known example of X-mark used in this usage would be appreciated.


texts: How did 'pick out' evolve to mean 'read'?

texts:
Initially, I wanted to know the etymology of eclectic. Then I saw that it referred to lecture {noun}:

  late 14c., "action of reading, that which is read," from Medieval Latin lectura “a reading, lecture,” from Latin lectus, past participle of legere "to read," originally "to gather, collect, pick out, choose" (compare election), from PIE *leg- (1) "to pick together, gather, collect"** (cognates: Greek legein "to say, tell, speak, declare," originally, in Homer, "to pick out, select, collect, enumerate;" lexis "speech, diction;" logos "word, speech, thought, account;" Latin lignum "wood, firewood," literally "that which is gathered").

  To read is to "pick out words."Meaning "action of reading (a lesson) aloud" is from 1520s. That of "a discourse on a given subject before an audience for purposes of instruction" is from 1530s.

1. How did the PIE root * leg- evolve to mean “to read”?
2. How can the  explanation in grey be true? How can you claim to read something,  if you pick out words? In that case you're skimming (and not reading) a text.

I heed the Etymological Fallacy, but what are some right ways of interpreting this etymology, so that it feels reasonable and intuitive?.


texts: Single word request: to be burned at the stake

texts:
... Fiction writers (eye roll)

To be burned at the stake

If we can't come up with a verb, perhaps a corresponding noun or adjective would suffice.

15th century historical fiction, so modern terms such as marshmallowed wouldn't really help.

Here is my sample:

You, the accused, have been found guilty of practicing Judaism as a Christian. This heresy against our Lord Savior carries the penalty of ____(noun).

Or

[C]onvicted of heresy, you are to be ____(verb).


texts: “Programming” versus “programing”: which is preferred?

texts:
I was surprised that my spell checker did not complain for programing with one m, so I Googled it, and found on free dictionaries that both forms were acceptable.

Which one is more common? Does it depend on the geographical location? My perception is that the spelling two m’s seems to dominate.
Is this part of a more general word formation rule, or mostly an exception?


texts: I was happy playing the piano (gerund or participle?)

texts:
In the sentence, “I was happy playing the piano,” is the phrase “playing the piano” a participial (Playing the piano, I was happy) or a gerund with an elided, or assumed, preposition (I was happy [with] playing the piano)?

Thank you!


texts:
Merriam-Webster's Eleventh Collegiate Dictionary has this entry for the noun ducat:

  ducat n {ME, fr. MF, fr. OIt ducato coin with the doge's portrait on it, fr. duca, doge, fr. LGk douk-, doux leader, fr. L -duc, dux} (14c) 1 : a former European usu. gold coin 2 : TICKET 2 ["a certificate or token showing that a fare or admission fee has been paid"]

I am wondering about the origin of the second meaning. How did ducats come to mean tickets for a show or performance?


texts: Is there a term for using a correct word having a double meaning that creates ambiguity given the context of the sentence?

texts:
Tough to describe this in the title so I'll give an example many English speakers have come across:

Speaker 1: "Should we go left or right?"
Speaker 2: "Looks like our friends went left."
Speaker 1: "Right. Let's do that."

Though Speaker 1 was probably wanting to agree and say "correct", the use of the word "Right" isn't incorrect but makes this response completely ambiguous.

Maybe this example is very singular since I'm struggling to come up with others. Perhaps if slang were used and up or down were the options given by Speaker 1, a response from Speaker 1 saying "I'm down" would be analogous.

Is there a specific term for this sort of mix-up?


texts:
The context: I have 2 databases. The source database where I retrieve data and the target database where I insert data.

What is the collective name I can use for source and target in this context? Target can also be called destination.


texts: I understand it's possible to use narrating in present tense in some texts, particularly in essays. In this picture, though, what seems odd to me is sentences like "Albert and Bernard just become friends" or "At first I don't know when Cheryl's birthday is but I know now". Should the author have changed those to past tense or it is fine as it is?


texts: Word for someone who is ignorant and proud?

texts: Many a times, we tend to meet someone who is ignorant yet arrogant; to the extent that they can go a long way blabbing about something they don't really know with so much vigour. What can you refer to such a person as?


texts: Are both "see you at the lesson" and "see you in the lesson" correct?

texts:
I have been studying English with many teachers. Some of them say "See you in the lesson" while others say "See you at the lesson." Yesterday, one of them told me that the correct way of saying it is "See you at the lesson."

Are both of them correct? If one (or both) of them is incorrect, please tell me why.


texts: What do you call a person who says sweet things about person to win his favors?

texts:
Ok, I am not native English speaker. But in my language there is a word for a person who starts saying good things about you just to get you do what he wants.

It's kind of repulsive to be around such people. You know they don't mean it; they know you don't believe them. But they dare to keep stretching your qualities, and you know what they are coming to. To get you do something for them. In reality they hold no admiration for you, and disregard you as soon as they no longer need you. In fact, you are never sure if any word they speak is from heart, ever. You sometimes feel sorry for them, that their inner person is forever drowned in their lies, censored.

You would usually find these people with kings, who would be like you are the best.


texts: "Go shut the door" or "Go and shut the door": AmE/BrE difference

texts:
The usage you put the verb (in its infinitive form) right after "go" is used in AmE but not in BrE, as I heard. For example,

  Go shut the door.

However, I doubt this is true and want to know the truth.

I know it may very well depend on the speaker's age/gender etc. and am not expecting one-or-the-other answers. This question is for more of a statistics purpose.
Do you think the statement above is true (based on your usage)?


texts: Using 'at the time of ' instead of the word 'when '

texts:
I will go when you come.

Can I use 'at the time of' instead of the word 'when', as follows?

  I will go at the time of your coming.

After the change, Is there any difference in meaning?


texts: 'Watch' as a noun vs imperative. Are they connected for native speakers?

texts:
Well, this question originates from a redesign of Apple Watch ad.

Original poster has a slogan

  The Watch is here

One guy offered that

  Watch here

would have added more pun.

But I am not sure whether watch used as a verb in a short phrase is ever perceived by a native speaker as a noun?


texts: which one is correct? said to not go VS said not to go

texts:
I learned "not to go" is right but sometimes I could find "to not go"
what's correct?
ex) She said not to go there.
ex) She said to not go there.


texts:
I am working in a brewery and throughout our day we go through beer tasting panels. During these panels we attempt to describe the exact flavors and smells that we experience in a particular beer.

However, we have run into an issue in that many of these descriptors are often seen in a negative, and sometimes unpleasant, light.

Are there any words that are more appealing or romantic that can be used in place of words such as - funk, phenol, umami?

All of these words can be described - funk - barnyard, must, horse hoof - phenol - vinyl, medicinal, band aid - umami - earthy, savory - but they lack a concise descriptor that can be used to denote something innately positive. Something more in tune with how terroir is used to describe the effect that a particular region's climate, soils and aspect (terrain) change and impact the taste of wine.


texts: Comma before nonessential clause ending a sentence

texts:
Is it correct to place a comma before a nonessential relative clause ending a sentence? For example

I met Katherine Jankowski, who is a world-renowned engineer.

Is the comma here correct?
I have been to told to avoid commas between an independent and a subordinate clause:

I took the bus because my car broke down yesterday.

not

I took the bus, because my car broke down yesterday.

Is this also correct?
I thank all helpers.


texts: Is there a word like biped that applies to creatures that move like snakes?

texts:
The SAT version of my question would be this analogy:

  Fill in the blanks:

  1) human : biped :: snake : __

The best I've gotten is "legless vertebrate" but I was hoping a single word answer.


texts: Why are spoken and written English so different?

texts:
This is in some way a question regarding the evolution of the English language: why did it happen that, more than any alphabetic lamguage that I know of, English language has developed such independent and pronouncing norms?
It depends on the different etymology of the words English has adopted, but it's clearly not only that, because every language includes words from many different sources. It goes down to the core of the language itself, I believe, because very basic English words show this problematic behaviour, like those including the letters "gh".
I don't think it's about its spread around the world either, because every language shows dialects, some more different than others; some dialects even have different alphabets than the relative official language, but I don't see the same phenomenon of divergence of written and spoken word as occurs in English.
From what you know, is there any known explanation?


texts: Is there a term for how old films appear to wiggle on screen, if only slightly?

texts:
I was watching some of Charlie Chaplin's videos and couldn't help wondering what caused them to look as though the cameraman had unsteady hands. But obviously, it's not the cameraman's fault, especially because the film cameras are rarely held in hands, save for a few films like 'Saving Private Ryan'.

The film projection effect I am talking about is unmistakable and I would be very surprised if anyone who has seen these videos hasn't noticed it. And If my guess is right, there is a technical term for it.


texts:
Can the phrase "at one's beck and call" only be used after "to be?"  For example, I can definitely say "her daughter was at her beck and call," but I am unsure if I can use it adverbially i.e. "her daughter answered at her beck and call."

Thanks!


texts: What's the phrase 'It would then be' mean ? What's the meaning of then here?

texts:
At first, I attempted to Base64-encode a minified version of this JavaScript and include it within the onerror event of the XSS payload. It would then be decoded and executed using eval(atob()), as shown below:

The sentence is from How I Built An XSS Worm On Atmail. I have met this one serveral time. I can't understand this well. Here I know that the author is assuming that he tried to build xss payload, then the result may be like what he think instead of the reality. Therefore, What's phrase 'It would then be' mean? What's the meaning of word then here?


texts:
The word "antonyms" covers any pair of words where the meaning is opposite -- quiet and loud, cautious and foolhardy, simple and complex -- but each word in these pairs could have other partners instead -- loud and silent, cautious and reckless, simple and intricate, etc. Some pairs of antonyms are much more closely related, linguistically, with one having been derived from the other or both derived from a common root -- visible and invisible, normal and abnormal, hopeful and hopeless. There is no other word which has the same direct relationship with visible that invisible has.

Is there a specific term to describe these special antonyms?


texts: Word for "someone who injects themselves into conversations"

texts:
I'm trying to think of a word for someone who injects themselves into conversations. Typically in an uninvited manner.

You know the guy that comes over when you're talking to someone else and stands around until he can join the conversation.

Nosy isn't quite right.


texts:
In such a context as...

  I have never applied to job that I cannot do, nor to one that I have not gotten.

vs.

  I have never applied to job that I cannot do, nor to one that I have not got.

My guess would be the prior, as

  I have never applied to job that I have not gotten.

just sounds "better", to me.

I referred to this ultimately-just-confusing-reference - without a clear conclusion as to the correct form.  It said...

  Gotten is probably the most distinctive of all the AmE/BrE grammatical
   differences, but British people who try to use it often get it wrong.
   It is not simply an alternative for have got.

Any help?


texts: What would be the best way to describe the non-standard syntax of "The spider he was confused."?


texts: Tool or service to generate valid word types based on grammars

texts:
The sentence below has several tokens (T1 - T5):

  To gain T1, you must T2 it from T3 T4 T5.

I'm trying to figure out what the values for each token could be, but can't even figure out what types of words each token is (noun, pronoun, adverb, etc.).

Is there a service or website that would generate the word types for me (for instance, if T1 was the word "access", this tool would hopefully show T1 as having verb as a valid word type, etc.

If not, can anyone spot what (from a valid syntax/grammar standpoint) the valid word types for each token are?


texts: Is the verb "redouble" just a redundant way to say "double"?

texts: A colleague and I were reading a corporate memo that contained the phrase 'redouble our efforts'.  His claim was that the word redouble was equivalent to double and simply nonstandard.  (Similar to, say, using irregardless in place of regardless).  I've heard this phrase fairly frequently, and don't see anything wrong with it in particular, but I was wondering if perhaps there was some style guide that prescribed against it or something similar that marked a preference for simply doubling our efforts rather than redoubling them.


texts: A word that describes all of my close friends

texts:
Is there a word that describes all of my close friends whom I go out with and we are best friends? Is "company" appropriate for this usage?
Sorry if it is a dumb question.


texts: What is the differentiator between these two phrases?


texts: What should be the preferred tense in the latter half of the sentence?

texts:
The song I tried sharing is/was Burn Card by The Barr Brothers.
Can this be a substitute for, "The song, that I tried sharing, is Burn Card.."? If so, is the use of 'is' incorrect instead of 'was'?


texts: What is it called when for comic effect, behavior and words typical of one situation are used in a different situation?

texts:
To help visualize, I would like to present a situation from the comedy series Friends. In the second episode of the second season, Monica goes shopping with Julie, and when Rachel finds out, she becomes upset because she is jealous of Julie. The following conversation takes place between Monica and Rachel:

Monica: Look, when it started I was just trying to be nice to her because she was my brother's girlfriend. And then, one thing led to another and, before I knew it, we were...shopping.
Rachel: Oh. Oh my God.
Monica: Honey, wait. We only did it once. It didn't mean anything to me.
Rachel: Yeah, right.  Sure!
Monica: Really, Rachel, I was thinking of you the whole time. Look, I'm sorry, all right. I never meant for you to find out!
Rachel: Oh, please, you wanted to get caught. (Waves the receipt)
Monica: That is not true!
Rachel: Oh, so you just sort of happened to leave it in here?
Monica: Did it ever occur to you that I might just be that stupid?
Rachel: Ok, Monica. I just have to know one thing. Did you go with her to Bloomingdale's? (Monica looks away.) Oh! Ok, ok, ok, I just really, uh, I just really need to not be with you right now.

The conversation plays out as though it were a couple arguing, referencing all the stereotypical reactions people who have been cheated on tend to have when they find out.
Is there a term for this kind of ‘transposition’ of words, behaviours or circumstances from the situations they’re normally associated with into other situations they’re not associated with?


texts:
I wrote this:

  ... show on startup of the application.

My colleague corrects me and says it should be:

  ... show at startup of the application

because at indicates a moment in time. However, when I google it I get more results on on.

What's correct/better?


texts: What is the most common English term for a person who attempts a coup d'état?

texts:
In Latin America, we have the Portuguese/Spanish word golpista (from the word golpe = coup d'état). In the British media, I've read coup monger and also putschist (from German word putsch = coup d'état).
But are these expressions as common in English as golpista is for Latin Americans?


texts: Word / idiom meaning things you had to have seen live

texts:
In the viewing party episode of The Office (US), office worker Jim   describes some special events which are broadcast live on television as:

  Some events are so news worthy, so historic, that you have to stop everything to watch. Balloon Boy, Michael Jackson's funeral. Things that if you didn't see them live, you wouldn't really care that you didn't see them at all.

There are of course phrases to indicate they you only get a joke or statement when you were at a certain event, for example the phrase had to be there. This phrase, however, excludes those who saw events as they unfolded on television, I am looking for a phrase which includes those people.

To put it more generally, I am looking for a phrase or idiom, possibly slang, to later describe a situation you should have seen live (either by having witnessed the event(s) in real-life or by having seen it unfold as they happened on television) to fully understand a statement, joke or feeling?

Can you come up with such a phrase or idiom? I get that the description in the popular-culture quote slightly differs from how I phrased it, however, I would point out that any answer which captures the sentiment of having to have followed it live, in real time is within the scope of this question.


texts: Can I use "wow" to express surprise but not necessarily with something related to pleasure, but confusion and surprise?

texts:
For example: "Wow! How can he do that? Unbelievable..."

or:

"Wow! How can he be so insensible!? Unbelievable..."

I would like to double check so I don't become the insensible myself... :)


texts: What does the word "rolling" mean in "rolling grassland"?

texts:
I found the following definition of "prairie" online:

  An extensive area of flat or rolling
  grassland, especially the large plain
  of central North America.

I understand what "flat grassland" means, but what does "rolling grassland" refer to?

I couldn't find my answer using Google. I do get different sets of images for each search phrase in Google Images, but can't figure out the difference between the two.


texts:
I was looking at another StackExchange site and saw this phrase:

  Although it was ultimately accepted, the reviewers who accepted it
  look more like robo-reviewers than those who rejected it.

When I tried to search on a search-engine for the meaning it almost always referenced to a Spanish term that apparently means to steal / or to be stolen from. (depending on the pronunciation).

But I cannot see this meaning to be related at all with this phrase that I posted.

Source of the post: https://meta.stackoverflow.com/questions/254122/is-this-edit-correct-or-does-it-change-too-much-of-the-question?cb=1


texts: Why do 'organization' and 'organisation' both seem to be commonly accepted spellings, and when is one used over the other?

texts:
Looking at several online dictionary resources, it seems that the accepted spelling of "organization" is with a 'z', however, even on this site, "organisation" is frequently used as the spelling.  Why the difference, and when is it appropriate to use one over the other?

EDIT: Here is a link to the Oxford Dictionary article, just for ease of reference: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/organization?q=organisation

The link for the non-American-English article as well: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/organization


texts:
I was just asking a question on Cooking Stack Exchange and I have written the following sentence:

  how should I cook the steak at home

Well, it looks wrong to me, but I couldn't find any alternative word for that. Grill might fit more here but I didn't mean that. What I was getting at is to express to make the steak eatable with pan and oven.

So what do you think?


texts: A word/phrase to describe implicit expectations between people

texts:
I was talking with a chinese friend about the concept of renqing (人情) and the idea that when two people know each other they may develop implicit expectations that they are obligated to help each other (人情在) based on that relationship, even if it isn't a deep friendship. She was saying that there may not be a word or phrase for this in english because of the difference in our cultures - that we are more individualistic, but I think the idea is fairly universal even if the degree is different.
My closest approximation is "strings attached"  but I'm not sure if there was something better.

*Also is there a word to describe the idea of looking for the right word/phrase to encapsulate a large concept like above?

Thanks!


texts: Many people tell me that the full form of NEWS is North,East,West and South. For quite a long it looked convincing to me as the full form seemed to cover all the direction giving an impression that any thing happened in any direction in reported by the News. After a little pondering however I found that the base of the word may be just "new". It simply means what is new. Later on may be convey specifically about new information it might have got changed to news. Is it correct or I am missing some thing over here?


texts:
In choosing whether to use the expression

  He spewed his usual vitriol

or

  He spewed his usual caustic comments

does one carry more weight than the other?


texts: “Could you please repeat?” or “Could you repeat please?”

texts:
While teaching my students in a elementary school, I asked them to use the question

  Could you repeat (that), please?

However, the next day I received a letter from a mother saying the correct form is

  Could you please repeat (that)?

I teach in a Spanish-speaking city (This is in Peru, Latin America).


texts: Question mark(s) when asking about a quoted query

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

Although some might say you can't say a question, only ask it, I assume I can say (write)...

  He said "What's happening, man?".

so if I want to check if that statement is true, logically, shouldn't I write...

  Did he just say "What's happening, man?"?

My gut instinct is I can't have two question marks. So I have to ditch the first one, because the fact that the original is a question is less "important" now the "bigger" question has been asked about it.

I can't think of a good example "original" where the presence or absence of the question mark changes the meaning, but I feel there must be utterances that can be read as a question or a statement, dependent solely on the question mark being there or not. So I don't really want to unilaterally abandon the first one just because there's another coming up real soon.


texts: Word to describe a relationship betwen two tangentially related objects

texts:
In the sentence "people who like apples also like swimming", is there a word to describe the relationship between apples and swimming? They're only related by the fact that people like both of them.

An alternative way of describing the relationship would be "appeal to the same demographic".


texts: Can I make an inverted sentence from the following original one?

texts:
Here is the original sentence: So, I decided to walk only at night until I was far from the town.

A teacher said this sentence can be changed into the following one : Only at night, did I dicide to walk until I was far from the town.

I know subject-auxiliary verb should be inverted when a sentence starts with only in the beginning. But, I think here, the phrase, only at night, is a part of to-infinitive chunk, to walk only at night. It itself is not independent adverbial phrase and thus I think it can not be fronted. If it has to be fronted, I think the meaning changes a lot. It is not to walk only at night what you decided, but it is only at night that you made a decision to walk.

It would be really great if you could give me your opinion :) Thank you :)


texts:
Are these two sentences grammatically correct and mean exactly the same?

If I knew he was going to come, I would have gone and met him.

If I had known he would come, I would have gone and met him.


texts:
In film reviews/essays about a book or film, does the title of the movie/book always have to be highlighted/put in italics?

I know that at the start you have to put the title in italics, e.g.:

  Director Tim Burton brings us Edward Scissorhands, which is about...

But do I need to put the title in italics in subsequent paragraphs too? E.g.:

  The film techniques used in Edward Scissorhands are....


texts: One word to mean “the proper way of doing things”

texts:
We are working on a project to replace the work that wasn't quite done in the best way possible the first time around.

We want the code name to be something that means "this is how you ……… do it, ………", but in a nice way.

What word would I use for this?


texts: What is a word for a punishment given by people without proper trial instead of the court?

texts:
Is there a word that describes the giving of punishment (usually stoned to death) of a criminal by the local people near where the crime happened?

A typical example would be when a thief in a village steals a motorcycle, and then gets caught by the angry mobs, and then usually the thief gets either killed by the mobs or beaten badly without proper hearing and trial, usually until the police intervene.

I've tried searching for "trial by the mass" (but apparently Google found mass trial instead), "public trial" (but apparently it means something different), "trial without hearing" (but the results are not what I'm looking for), "punishment by the mass" (but Google found capital punishment and collective punishment instead), and so far, nothing gives me a word for punishment by the public/mass.


texts: How to rephrase this sentence in order to be more American style?

texts:
I want to rephrase this sentence:

  A challenge that it needs to address is how to best
      perform feature selection.

If the sentence looks like this, how to rephrase it:

  A challenge that it needs to address is how to best
      perform feature selection in order to ...

it refers to a new method. Can anyone give me a help?


texts: Which is correct — "a year" or "an year"?

texts: The word year when pronounced starts with a phonetic sound of e which is a vowel sound making it eligible for being preceded by an. Yet, we tend to write a year. Why?


texts: Is the phrase "yellow card" slang for a female body part?

texts:
In Hemmingway's The Sun Also Rises, Braddocks says of Georgette that:

  "She was rather splendid, you know. Showed her yellow card and demanded the patronne's daughter's too."

But they weren't playing soccer, so what did he mean? My best guess is that it means that Georgette showed something immodest and demanded the patronne's daughter do likewise.


texts: Who is the originator of the proverb, “be (not) worth the candle?

texts:
There is the following passage in Jeffery Archer’s fiction, “Be careful what you wish for”:

  “If Diego failed to turn up, Cedric had already decided that the game
  wouldn’t be worth the candle, to quote Mr. Sherlock Homes. He couldn’t
  risk placing all his shares on the Market while Diego remained in
  London, because if he did, it would be (Diego’s father) Matinez who
  would end up blowing the candle out." – Page 325.

I checked the meaning of “worth the candle” on Google, and found the following definition in dictionary.reference.com.;

"The returns from an activity or enterprise do not warrant the time, money or effort required. This expression, which began as a translation of a term used by the French essayist Michel de Montaigne in 1580, alludes to gambling by candlelight, which involved the expense of illumination. If the winnings were not sufficient, they did not warrant the expense. Used figuratively, it was a proverb within a century.”

Jeffery Archer says it’s a quote from Sherlock Homes, namely Arthur Conan Doyle.

dictionary.reference.com, claims it’s the term invented by Michel de Montaigne.
Which is right?

If it’s from Montaigne’s “The Essay” (or Sherlock Homes stories), what is the English version of the original text of the passage including this phrase?


texts:
How much has it cost?
  My father has paid for it. That's why I don't know its price.

vs

  How much did it cost?
  My father paid for it. That's why I don't know its price.

Which one is more correct ?


texts: "To camouflage" is to sight as "to ____" is to sound

texts:
I am looking for a word that describes disguising or hiding sound with other sound. Much in the same way that camouflage acts in hiding visual objects.

  I ______ our conversation with loud music to avoid recording.

What could be used for hiding one sound under another ?


texts:
I often hear people (especially policitians) giving an "apology" that is phrased so that the speaker does not seem to be accepting blame.

e.g. Instead of

  "I am sorry I let you down"

they say:

  "I am sorry if you feel I let you down."

or

  I'm sorry if I let you down.

Can these be considered apologies? In the first, the speaker almost sounds to me as though he is feeling sorry for you for (mistakenly) feeling that he let you down.

In the second, the speaker doesn't seem to be acknowledging he let you down at all.


texts:
Is this sentence correct:

If he returned safely, he would have been hailed as a hero.

Are there any other correct ways of saying this?


texts: What does "We sure don't go undocumented" mean?

texts:
Can anyone help me to figure out this sentence's meaning?

We're not restricted, but we sure don't go undocumented. May as well get a paycheck for it.

I was playing Mass Effect 1 when I saw this sentence, and I've got no idea about this. The full of the conversation as follows:

A: You've got a good grasp of the situation. You a career man?
B: Yeah. A lot of biotics are. We're not restricted, but we sure don't go undocumented. May as well get a paycheck for it.


texts:
Let's say I'm narrating a past incident in which a sentence goes like --
There was a rumor that Citibank is in debt.

Is the above sentence correct or do I need to replace 'is' with 'was' ?


texts: Term when a brand name become synonymous of the product it produces

texts:
For example most of the people hearing "I really like my BMW" will understand than he is referring to a car whereas someone saying "I do enjoy my Lacoste" will leave doubts about what kind of product(a shirt, a fragrance, etc) he is talking about.

The term where saying

  I  really like my [brand name].

has the same meaning as

  I really like my [product name].

For example

  I really like my BMW.

means the same as (because BMW is so famous that is implicit that it is a car)

  I really like my car.

The term would be fit in:
 BMW is an example of _____, the manufacturer of cars is so well-know that we all know pretty sure that we are talking about a luxury car when we hear "I really like my BMW"


texts: Using past tense when referencing a still-true fact

texts:
In the sentence: "I didn't know she had a son,"

Can I say "I didn't know she has a son" instead, because he is a teenager now?

Or are both correct?


texts:
Is efforts being used properly in this sentence because we are promoting multiple efforts?

In efforts to promote our products, we are providing a website and flyers for your use.

Or should it be:

In an effort to promote our products, we are providing a website and flyers for your use.


texts: What conditional statement is the following?

texts:
I was reading an AP report and I came up at the following passage:

  If the NATO troops do pull back, it would leave vast areas of the country unprotected including border areas with Pakistan. It would essentially mean the end of the strategy of trying to win hearts and minds by working with and protecting the local populations.

Shouldn't this be 'did' at the first place?


texts: Using gerund: "applying" or "on applying"?

texts:
In a mathematical paper my co-author wrote: "On applying s to the coefficients of the polynomials defining our variety X, we obtain a new variety sX".

The anonymous referee suggested a correction: "Applying s to the coefficients ...", without On.

Which version is better? We want to say that after we apply s to X, we obtain a new variety sX.

Maybe "By applying s ..."?


texts: What's the term for a comma that commences non-restrictive clauses?

texts:
You pine to use a comma, to clarify that John has just one ball. Is there a term for the mandatory comma that I embolded?

In each of these examples, the phrase set off by commas can
be eliminated without destroying the meaning of the sentence.
Remember, however, that there are some phrases that do not merely
describe a quality of a noun or verb but instead positively identify it.
An identifying phrase should not be set off by commas. To take an
earlier example, the following sentence includes a descriptive phrase
that can be eliminated without damaging the sense of the sentence
and therefore can be set aside by commas:

John threw the ball , [What's this comma called?] which was coming apart at the seams.

If you wish to indicate that John picked one particular ball out of a
selection of many, you would delete the comma, writing:

John threw the ball which was coming apart at the seams.

Stacie Strong. BA English literature (UC Davis 1986), MPW (USC 1990), JD (Duke 1994), PhD Law (Cambridge 2002), DPhil (Oxford 2003). How to Write Law Essays & Exams 5 Ed 2018. 149.


texts: “There’s still an outstanding balance...”

texts:
In the midst of preparing an invoice document for a client, I found myself stuck with this sentence:

  There’s still an outstanding balance of RM 300 to be paid.

Of course in conversational English, I could just say: “Hey dude, you still owe me and this is the amount...” How do I construct a simple sentence to be placed in an invoice document?

These variations lingered in my mind:

  There’s still an outstanding balance of RM 300 to be paid

  There’s an unpaid balance of RM 300

  There’s still an outstanding unpaid balance of RM 300

Can anyone shed me some light?


texts: What is the difference (if any) between _mien_ and _demeanor_?

texts:
Mien is a word I don't encounter much, but when I do it always seems like it would have been interchangeable with demeanor. Dictionary definitions don't really clarify much (they still seem interchangeable).

Both seem to refer to someone's outward characteristics (look and behaviour) as a reflection of that person's likely or suspected inner characteristics (mood and temperament).

Are they totally interchangeable, or do they have a subtle difference in meaning or usage? Are there any contexts where you might use one, but the other would be inappropriate?


texts:
I often say, or hear people say in conversation "I think you think [a thing]"

This feels rather cumbersome to say, and whenever I hear it I always have to really consider what was just said. It seems like such a common idea that a single word should exist for it. Does anyone know of such a word?


texts:
I am looking for a synonym for the adjective "professional" as it is sometimes used to mean "of high quality" or "projecting confidence & skill" when describing the perception of a group of people by the public.

I'm in a musical group that strives to put forth a "professional" image in terms of musical quality, visual appearance, and interaction with the public during and after a performance.  But, since our members are not paid, we are not professionals in the strict sense.   I sometimes have to advise our members how to conduct themselves, so I'm looking for a good word to use in place of saying "be professional" or "that looks professional".    Obviously I don't want to say "look amateurish", even though we are, in fact, amateurs.

I appreciate the answers suggested below which might be useful.  We're not a grunge band; the group is a Japanese taiko drumming group which is supposed to operate with a measure of self-discipline, so 'classy' might be suitable.  To give some specific examples of where I would normally use "professional":  1.  "Chewing gum in public makes us look unprofessional."  and 2.  "Having a dedicated email address with our group name looks more professional than @hotmail.com or @gmail.com".    The reason I'm looking for alternatives is that I once made a suggestion that the group do something "professionally" only to have one member (who has a contrary and difficult personality) snarkily reply, "We're not a professional group."


texts: This came up as a multiple-choice question in an exam. Is using "very crucial" redundant?. . .  or tautology?


texts: Homer's "Odyssey"? Homer's "The Odyssey"?

texts:
Right now I am writing an essay, also I am currently stuck doing so because I don't know how to properly use a piece of grammar. This essay is focusing on the book written by Homer. The problem is I don't know what to call it:

Do I call it Homer's "Odyssey" or do I call it Homer's "The Odyssey"?

The books name seems to be "The Odyssey" so I think the second option is correct but it seems really clunky making the first option attractive.


texts: Usage of "booked on" "booked in" and "booked for"?

texts:
Which usage is correct in terms of booking a room/course/session?

  "booked on a room/course/session"

  "booked in a room/course/session"

  "booked for a room/course/session"

Googling it, I usually see all three versions for crime-related headlines:

  Booked On Assault Charge

  Man booked in car crash that killed wife, son

  Booked For Alleged Drag Racing

I am wondering if this is a regional choice, like "standing in line" vs. "standing on line."


texts: Word for a company that doesn't generate any profit on its own, but that generates customers for its parent company

texts:
Word for a company that doesn't generate any profit on its own, but that generate, customers for its parent company. Someone told me there is a word for that but I have since forgotten it.

For example a fishing magazine company that loses money every month, but is kept alive, as the parent company which sells fishing gear needs the magazine to keep the interest for fishing up. Probably not the best example, but anyway...


texts: The opposite of "rights" — "obligations" or "responsibilities"?

texts:
Lead SA composed a Bill of Responsibilities to complement the South African Bill of Rights and express those rights in a practical way.

I think it is an inspirational idea, but I expected the corollary of rights to be obligations rather than responsibilities.

Is there a difference between my responsibilities and my obligations, and which term is the most accurate and appropriate in this context?


texts:
In this article†, Edward Hibbert (who plays Gil Chesterton), describes his character:

  Gil’s effete and affected with a wash-dish tongue.

What is meant by a "wash-dish tongue?

Note: Googling "wash-dish tongue" returns only the article I have linked, and this question. Also "wash-dish" does not appear as a result in dictionary.com.

† Which, if you are a fan of Frasier, you really should have a read, because it is excellent.


texts: Is saying "Let me show you it" totally wrong?

texts:
My kids (8-10yrs) love to say things like this. It just rolls naturally out and I correct them often. Is there is a specific reason the grammar is wrong? Maybe for the brain it is more direct than saying "Let me show it to you."

Shall I keep correcting them, or is it OK for them to say it?


texts:
Is "incest" primarily used nowadays to refer to child sexual abuse by a relative?

Some dictionaries' definitions of incest just refer to it meaning sexual relationships between people who aren't allowed to marry. For example, Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary refers to it as

  sexual activity involving people who are closely related and not legally allowed to marry

though the example given refers to sexual abuse:

  a victim of incest

Likewise, Wiktionary doesn't refer to sexual abuse in its definition.

By contrast, some uses of "incest" refer to child sexual abuse by a relative, for example the US organisation RAINN, founded in 1994, has "incest" as part of the acronym's name, and Republicans Clash Over Rape and Incest Exception for Abortion in an article published by Time Magazine this year quotes US politicians talking about rape and incest as being part of the same phenomenon.

Does "incest" primarily refer to child sexual abuse by a relative nowadays? Are other terms used for scenarios which are not as commonly regarded as abhorrent, such as distantly related adults having a sexual relationship?


texts:
This is completely minor, but it caught my eye in the signature section:

  Please don’t use signatures or taglines in your posts, or they will be removed.

Maybe it's me, but the "or" feels redundant in there. It feels like "as", "because", .  or   ; would be better.

(Asking this here as opposed to meta, because it is about word choice)


texts: Dubious Tenses in Airline Preflight Speech

texts:
I fly a lot of places (usually within the United States).  When I take Delta, the flight attendants seem to recite (with minor differences) a prepared preflight speech detailing safety information.

They seem to have a lot of minor grammatical issues, but the most annoying to me is something like the following: "Pull the mask firmly toward you to start the flow of oxygen.  Even though the bag will not inflate, oxygen is flowing." (something similar appears in an official version).

My main concern here is the tense.  They are saying that the bag "will (not) inflate" (future) but that oxygen "is flowing" (continuing present).  It's surprisingly difficult to come up with a better version, although I thought of a few variations that, if not solving the problem, would at least improve the sound (e.g. "Oxygen flows even if the bag does not inflate.").

Although I can't think of a grammatical reason, I feel like once the imperative tone is dropped (e.g. "[You ]Pull the . . ."), having consistent tenses becomes more important--and not having them becomes more egregious.

The whole thing is supposed to be conditional future also, although tacking the necessary would onto each sentence would decrease clarity, so I agree with their choice to leave it implicit.

I'm not so much asking because I don't know whether this is wrong (I'm almost certain it is), but because I'd like to know what the internet thinks of this.  I have never seen anyone else notice this (and because it's so consistent and awkward, I usually visibly cringe).


texts:
I do not understand some of usages.

  It's more of a sanity check than anything.
  even more of a hack
  I'd argue that a course in algorithm design would be of more utility in understanding how most efficient inference schemes boil
  down.

Why should we use of the above examples? Especially, the last one is the most complex example for me. If I remove of from the first sentence, the sentence will be awkward, I feel it, but for the last one, I am totally speechless.

By the way,

Is it legitimate to say:

It's more like a sanity check than anything?


texts: 'The company I work for' cannot be shortened to 'My company'?

texts:
My English teacher said that it's not correct to say 'my company' for indicating the company I work for, because 'my company' means the company I own. But I don't think this kind of confusion happens often. It's too long to say 'the company I work for'.

So can't I use 'my company'? If so, what about 'my apartment' or 'my band' or 'my country'?