texts: Past perfect instead of past simple in fiction

texts:
I read web fiction a lot and sometimes I notice sentences that, while being written in past perfect tense, might have been written in past simple tense as well.

For example:

  He’d broken his glasses once, years ago.  He’d done it in a childish tantrum, and it had taken days before he could get new ones.  Back in the ugly days.

  That hadn’t been the day the tantrums stopped, but it had been a lesson that had stayed with him.  Rare, when he had so many terrible teachers.

What's interesting, the last sentence is past simple while everything else is past perfect, despite they seem to be talking about the same period of time.

My understanding of past perfect is that, when we talk about some event that took place at some time in the past (oftentimes expressed via past simple) and then we want to talk about yet another event that happened prior to the first (most recent) one, we use past perfect, like:

  I couldn't open the door [the most recent event] since I'd left my keys [the most distant event] at my friend's place.

So, past perfect implies the existence of the most recent point, explicitly expressed or implied by context, but it doesn't seem like this type of timestamp was given to begin with. The sample talks about a chain of events happened some time back in the past, there's simply no "the most recent event".

It's not the first time I encounter this usage of past perfect in fiction. Is this kind of usage common and what does it mean?

I can't help but wonder: what is the subtle difference between them?


texts: What are other idiomatic expressions similar to "shed light on"

texts:
Are there any idioms or expressions similar to "shed light on"
Example: this evidence sheds light on the complicity of the accused


texts: A question about "... from whose known good sense he fully expected to have"

texts:
I have a question about a sentence from the novel Persuasion, written by Jane Austen.

  Mr Shepherd, a civil, cautious lawyer, who, whatever might be his hold or his views on Sir Walter, would rather have the disagreeable prompted by anybody else, excused himself from offering the slightest hint, and only begged leave to recommend an implicit reference to the excellent judgement of Lady Russell, from whose known good sense he fully expected to have just such resolute measures advised as he meant to see finally adopted.

Could I rewrite the original sentence:

"from whose known good sense he fully expected to have just such resolute measures advised as he meant to see finally adopted"

as

"he fully expected to have just such resolute measures advised from the well-known good sense of Lady Russell as he meant to see finally adopted"?

Or could I rewrite it as

"he fully expected to have just such resolute measures advised as he meant to see finally adopted from the well-known good sense of Lady Russell?

Does "as he meant to see finally adopted" mean "the same as he intended to see just such resolute measures finally adopted"?


texts: Which ball do they mean saying "to be on the ball"? The meaning I see means "in good shape", "in good spirits", "in the zone".


texts: Polite version of "They don't give us jacksh*t"

texts:
Context:  I asked a mid-level state education official (Mr. A) to forward all the state ed memos he receives via email, as they come in.  These memos are important because they lay out actions that the state requires local school districts to carry out.  For example, there's one that says that school nurses are required to inform the parent if a child goes to the nurse's office with an injury sustained in school, or a suspected infectious disease.  Once I find such a state ed memo about something that my district should be doing but hasn't done, and refuses to do, I can request that Mr. A follow up and explain to my district what is required.  The state ed department does not have the memos collected in one central web location.  The ones that I have found, I have found more or less by accident.  They are powerful things to have for advocacy and activism.

Mr. A passed me off to a listserv that state ed maintains for keeping parents updated.  He said that if I subscribe to it I will get the memos.  I subscribed; I requested, and was sent, a copy of the archived messages as well.  I discovered that through this subscription, parents don't get any useful information.  I am ready to write back to Mr. A.  (Please don't suggest I try someone higher up at state ed.  I've tried that, and they send me back to Mr. A.)

Sorry if that was too long.  If someone can boil it down please be my guest.

Here's the sentence I need to clean up:

  They don't give parents jacksh&t.

Here is some documentation of that expression: http://onlineslangdictionary.com/meaning-definition-of/jack-shit

I need something succinct and expressive but without a four-letter word.  Mr. A is someone I don't need to beat around the bush with; but "jacksh*t" is not a word I can use with him.

I know a way of saying this in Mexican Spanish, if this helps anyone:

  Nos están dando atole con el dedo.

This means they are feeding us gruel with a finger (rather than a spoon).  It's extremely effective in Mexico.  That's the kind of expression I'm looking for, but in English.

The best I've come up with so far:

  They don't give parents jacks**t.

Update

Normally I wait a lot longer than this before accepting an answer, but I wanted to get the email out, so I went with diddly-squat.  I may as well go ahead and click the checkmark now.  If someone comes up with something better, I'll use it next time!  (Something tells me there will be a next time, sooner or later....)

My finished product:

  [...] Also, I signed up for the listserv as you suggested, and asked them to send me the messages I had missed so far.  They did.  Unfortunately I discovered that the listserv does not give parents diddly-squat.  It was a good idea, though, and I'm glad we tried.  [...]


texts: What is the flat part of an iron called?

texts: What's the word for this part of an iron?


texts: "Enter the Fairies" after a sudden clatter or crash?

texts:
In my family, who originate from Scotalnd, people cry "enter the fairies!" if something has caused a sudden crash, smash  or clatter.
I am guessing it comes from a stage direction, such as from Midsummer nights dream, but I cannot find any reference which requires there to be a crash and I don't know why a crash/smash/collape triggers the interjection.
IS it just our family who says this?
Nevertheless its fun to say and more original than "taxi" which is heard in bars all over Australia in response to a dropped beer glass.


texts:
Cambridge Dictionaries Online has provided examples on the word "next".

Why is "the" omitted in

  "What do you think you'll be doing this time next year?"

while next day is preceded by "the" in

  "We had a dreadful argument, but he phoned me the next day (= the day after) to apologize."

Do we include "the" before "next"?


texts: "I have not had an answer" - what is the real meaning?

texts:
I've been told that when someone says or e.g. writes in an e-mail: "I have not had an answer.", - it means they are very angry.
Is this so?

thanks for an answer:)


texts:
Yo, I got stucked in reading game of thrones song of ice and fire at prolog part on this sentence:

  They emerged silently from the shadows, twins to the first. Three
  of them....four...five...

I don't get this collocation and preposition to the first - means like "firstly" so like firstly twins appeared ? this however i found quite weird - why he called them twins, are white walkers all indentical?bear with me, iam just trying to understand :-)


texts:
In the sentence:

  How deep or deeply should I study something?

Which of the two is more appropriate?


texts: Sit and stand are oppositive, but look alike in some context

texts:
As a second sense, astride means extending across. But I am getting confused with some of its usage examples.

I found an example of a preposition astride used with the verb stand in an Oxford English Living Dictionaries usage example:

  ‘the port stands astride an international route’.

I also found an example of astride used with the verb sit in one of the Sentence Dict site's usage instances.

  It lies in the southeast of Asia and sits astride the Tropic of Cancer.

The verb sit and stand are opposite to each other, but how can they be used in a context indicating the same meaning?


texts: What happened to voiced velar fricative [ɣ] and velar approximant [ɰ] in English language?

texts:
The voiced velar fricative is a type of consonantal sound, used in various spoken languages.

Wikipedia says that it is not found in English today, but did exist in Old English.1

Why did this sound disappear? What happened in the history?

Some other Germanic languages still have that. Might it still exist in some dialects or casual speech in English?

Some relevant details1:

  The symbol ɣ is also sometimes used to represent the velar approximant, though that is more accurately written with the lowering diacritic: [ɣ̞] or [ɣ˕]. The IPA also provides a dedicated symbol for a velar approximant, [ɰ], though there can be stylistic reasons to not use it in phonetic transcription

Examples from other languages1:

1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voiced_velar_fricative


texts: Is "is when" acceptable while linking two objects or ideas?

texts:
In a grammar class I'm enrolled in, one of the diagnostic tests contained the following question:

  "Blocking" is when a television network schedules a less popular program between two popular ones

According to the test, a good revision would be:

  "'Blocking' is a television network's practice of scheduling a less popular program between two popular ones."

Why is it grammatically incorrect to connect two subjects with "is when" or "is how", as in the above example? My teacher called it an 'illogical expression.'

Are there any other "is __" phrases that I should avoid?


texts: I'm looking for a word like "routing out" that also describes a "blind gamble"

texts:
When my old dog and I had a regular local park, upon entering, she used to immediately run through all the bushes, hoping to flush out any squirrels. She didn't know if there were any squirrels there—she just knew that half the time she ran through the bushes, squirrels would appear. What is the word for what she was doing? A recce? Not exactly, it was specifically pro-active.

I'm looking for an action: To make some noise/activity in order to flush out something, to make something appear—so as to get a look at what is there. Maybe like the servants do when they bang things in order to scare the pheasants into the sky so that their lords and masters can shoot them. But not exactly like that; it has to contain the concept that it's a gamble, a guess, that there may be something there but you're not sure.

I'd like to be able to use the word in a general sense or to describe coming up with an idea/theory/plan/project designed to make a solution manifest itself even though you had no idea what it was, or even if there was one.

Let's think of a sentence:

  My project was designed to _____ a solution.

Sniff out a solution, rout out a solution, flush out a solution - actually: to set up the conditions whereby a solution may appear. Another example: UV light causes genetic mutations which means that there is more chance of a useful mutation appearing. What is UV light doing? But it's also got to work for what my dog was doing.

Can anyone help? Even a German word would be good....


texts:
Note that this is not about tests/exams/assessment in the academic settings. I'm doing translation for a foreign company and looking for a word to describe what they do.

This company takes requests from instutitions such as hospitals. They go to the hospital, conduct "tests" (quoting because I don't know if this is the right word) on things like whether the cleaniness of their labs meets certain standards, and give the hospital a "test" report that details the results of each of the test items.

Now since I'm not a native speaker, I'm not sure whether what they do is called a test, examination, assessment, inspection, or something else.


texts: Exactly what does "range" mean in "to range the bride costume"?

texts:
In a news article from Australia, a Kmart spokesperson said, "Kmart Australia regrets the decision to range the bride costume."

I checked various dictionaries including OED, but I could not find an appropriate explanation that makes sense in this sentence.

Is this a meaning unique in Australian English, or is this a typo?

Thanks!


texts: How to distinguish the spoken language and written language?

texts:
Today I was confused about the word, 'via'
I have seen this word in many texts, but I have not heard in oral communication.
I tried to search the word 'via' is used in spoken language, but I am not sure yet.

Is there any good way to distinguish the words are for the spoken language or written language? such as if I put a word on a website, the website shows me that the word is used in spoken or written language.

Thank you in advance.


texts: "hand something over to" or "hand over something to"?

texts:
Is there a difference in the word order in this structure? Is it the same if I say

hand something over to someone

and

hand over something to someone?

Collins uses both structures:

If you hand something over to someone, you pass it to them.
When you hand over someone such as a prisoner to someone else, you give the control of and responsibility for them to that other person.

Is there any difference between the two? Or any indication of when one structure would be more recommended than the other?


texts: What is the word for the opposite of “cheek puff”?

texts: How to name the face expression pictured on the right photo?


texts:
I guess this is an American usage.

When to use "inside of" versus "inside"?
Any example sentences would be greatly appreciated.


texts: "Though I recruited him, I do not like him." versus "Though I do not like him, I recruited him."

texts:
Is there a difference between

  Though I recruited him, I do not like him.

and

  Though I do not like him, I recruited him.

I always wondered if with subordinate conjunctions, the place "though", "although", or "albeit" was used gave a different weight in emphasis or some such nonsense.  Does it change the meaning a little or am I just sleep
deprived?


texts:
I sometimes see the term “critical but stable” in the news. It is often used to describe someone who has been very seriously injured.

For example (15 December 2019): "[A police officer] said the man who had been shot was in a "critical but stable " condition in hospital."

I understand that “critically ill” means that life is in danger. Similarly “stable” is the opposite.

Quotes from www.lexico.com

critically

  To an extreme degree with a risk of death.
  ‘two critically wounded people died in hospital’.
     ‘critically ill patients who were awaiting surgery’

stable

  (of a patient or their medical condition) not deteriorating in health after an injury or operation.

‘he is now in a stable condition in hospital’

What does “critical but stable” really mean?


texts:
The word opportunist seems to be used negatively for a person.

Is there a word with the same but positive meaning?


texts: "A number of programs" vs. "several programs"

texts: I am always confused between "a number of programs" and "several programs" for saying "many programs". Google Ngrams show that both are widely used terms. Could someone tell me which one should be used when?


texts: What is the error called when spaces are placed incorrectly?

texts:
He went home , but he forgot his phone .He returned to get it .
             ^                       ^                   ^

These are some examples, which nowadays get autocorrected by word automatically, but I used to see them  a lot. Sadly (or thankfully) Stackexchange also autocorrects multiple consecutive spaces, so I could not show those in the example.


texts:
I am finalising my PhD thesis introduction and was wondering where the following is correct.

"(Abstract information about physics and chapters 2 and 3). We briefly describe the content of these chapters."

Should it be content of these chapters, or contents of these chapters?

Thanks!


texts: What do I call an extra word or phrase that is habitually added but means nothing?

texts:
Some local dialects add phrases or words that add no meaning to the sentence or question.

Minnesota speakers add 'now'. 'Who was that guy died in Duluth, now ?'
Irish speakers add 'so I am/was/etc'. 'I'm going to be on telly, so I am.'
Jewish speakers add 'already'. 'I'm single; so get over it, already.'
Scots add 'd'ye ken (know)'. 'He died yesterday, d'ye ken.'

What do I call these little snippets of language that are added, locally ?

I don't accept that they can be called 'catch phrases', which are individual, not a part of a local dialect.


texts:
I've seen the word online:

  American woman jumps into West Lake to save suicide attemptee...

But then I tried the dictionary and didn't get any results.

Is attemptee actually a word?


texts: What does "antelope slapping" mean (context in body)? Is it some kind of idiom or euphemism?

texts:
I just encountered the phrase "antelope slapping" in the following article (first sentence, pasted below):

Ya know, when you’ve come inside from a hard day of unnecessary antelope slapping, there’s bound to be some thoughts going through your head about how to make curved shapes in SolidWorks without overwhelming your mind.

Link: How to Easily Create Curved Features Using Boundary Surfaces in SolidWorks -- https://www.solidsmack.com
Is this some kind of idiom or euphemism?  Is it literal?  Does it mean anything at all?
There isn't much context.  The article is an instructional article explaining how to do something specific with some particular 3D modelling software.


texts: what's the word for showing a person is clever but just in trivial matters?

texts: My friend wonders that is there any word can describe this, just a word. I found "clever-clever ",but it is not so capable.


texts: A suitable equivalent for the phrase 'give glad tidings'

texts: Can anybody give me any suitable equivalents for the phrase 'Give glad tidings' as in the example ' Give glad tidings to those who strive - they always get the best results.'


texts: Can anyone elucidate a comprehensive list of rules regarding the usage of 'no' and 'not'? I've found rules of thumb, such as 'no' for nouns and 'not' for everything else, but then there's the case of "there are no kids" and "there are not any kids" — what's the rule for that? And are there other rules lurking?


texts: Do an abbreviated word have to be enclosed by the apostrophe?

texts:
been searching for a while now so: When omitting parts of words with an apostrophe, do it have to be enclosed by the word?

A good example that helped me answer a few of my own questions was:
Using apostrophe when abbreviating "recommendations" as "reco's". Let me use that as an example:
Can I simply write ''recommendations'' as reco' and not enclose it like reco's.
Similar examples would be, from Wikipedia, spelling fo’c’s’le, contracted from the nautical term forecastle, can I simply spell it forecas' then move on in the sentence? Doesn't that also cause the word to be possessive, because of the S?

Is there any rule to this or can I also do it with any-thing, like:

  Have you seen my guitar amp'

or (amplifier)

  Have you seen my guitar amp'r

What about simpler words, spyin' or shootin' and so on?


texts: Term used for punishment where guilty person is forced to do community service

texts: What is the proper term used for punishment where the guilty person is sentenced to community service?


texts: What is the idiom 'what more could one ask for' in American English?

texts: My teacher said that this idiom would never be told by an American and is British English. What is an alternative way to say this in American English?


texts:
I find it really amusing when other people misuse words but my sense of humor fails when it's me. I have always used "notwithstanding" to mean "assuming that A doesn't impact B". For example

The delivery will be on time, notwithstanding the holiday.

To me, this meant, the delivery should be on time, but you never know what impact the holiday will have on it.

Turns out, notwithstanding means almost the opposite: in spite of, regardless of.

So my question is, what word should I be using instead?


texts: Which word is better for use and why: Datasheet or data sheet & Timesheet or time sheet

texts:
Which word is better for use and why?

1) Datasheet or data sheet,
See Both Examples:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datasheet, http://www.prb.org/Publications/Datasheets.aspx

2) Timesheet or time sheet,
See Both Examples:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timesheet,
http://www.miraclesalad.com/webtools/timesheet.php

3) Tasksheet or task sheet


texts:
Is there a difference in meaning between

  This operation rotates the object about the axis defined by ...

and

  This operation rotates the object around the axis defined by ...

(e.g. in the context of a graphical user interface)?


texts:
I have seen the use of "no?" instead of "isn't it?" in the following text:

  Finally she stepped back, wearing a smug smile. “Better, no?”
  I examined myself in the mirror. My hair shone.

(From Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone)

Is it correct to use that formula? When can it be used instead of the auxiliary verb and the pronoun, as usual?


texts: Rhetorical device? Answer question with example of the answer showing how to find the answer

texts:
Imagine the following online dialog.
Question: What is a hyperlink?
Answer: Click on the following, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hyperlink, or type it into your web browser.
(Thanks to @RegDwigнt♦ for suggesting I use a definition from somewhere other than Google.)
The answer provides an example of a hyperlink that shows the answer to the question of what a hyperlink is.
Is there a specific name for this rhetorical device, where one is shown how to find an answer through an example of the answer?

My Thoughts
My first thought for the right word was meta. From wiktionary ...

meta
(informal) Self-referential; structured analogously, but at a higher level.
Suppose you have a genie that grants you three wishes. If you wish for infinite wishes, that is a meta wish.

... but I wonder if there is a more specific rhetorical device that would describe the situation.
Thanks. I'm excited to be part of this site.

Edit: I was originally motivated to ask this question because of a programming example on another forum. @RobbieGoodwin suggested that the question be limited to English language, so I am including a link to a screenshot of that programming example and my explanation. The question is not about programming, it's about a strategy used for answering a question. (As a new user, I appreciate the suggestion.)


texts: Are Americans familiar with the term "mobile" when referring to a "cellphone"?

texts:
In the UK we call them "mobile phones", in the US "cellphones". However, would an American be familiar with the term "mobile" when referring to something pertaining to cellphones or would it sound completely alien to them?

For example, a British person would intrinsically know that an iPhone app named "Mobile x" would be a phone-version of x, but would an American find the same logical conclusion?


texts:
The techniques used/are used by the author in his last book are    quite different from those in his previous works

I came across this question in a textbook and I don’t really understand it.I thought that the relative clause was the subject of the sentence and since it’s the subject it can’t be omitted.So the answer should be sth like ”that are used” or “which are used” But they weren’t in the given options.
Let’s assume that the relative clause is the object of the sentence then what makes ”used” the true answer? I get that we omit “that” but why we also omit “are”? I also have a hard time differentiating between subject and object clauses because the rules are a bit different from the ones in my native language.


texts: The difference between be aimed at and aim to?

texts:
According to Longman, I think I can use "aimed at ing" and "aiming to v" both.

GRAMMAR: Patterns with aim
• You aim to do something:
I aim to study medicine.
✗Don’t say:  I aim at studying medicine.
• An action is aimed at doing something:
Our policies are aimed at encouraging economic growth.
✗Don’t say:  Our policies are aimed to encourage economic growth.Longman

Then are these sentences both okay?:

To improve sharing of information between two countries aimed at strengthening the safety control, we will blah blah...

vs

To improve sharing of information between two countries aiming to strengthen the safety control, we will blah blah...

What is the difference between aimed at and aiming to here?


texts: What are the origins of: to “bleed something”?

texts: I've come across the answer about what it means to bleed something but am having a hard time finding its origin. What was the original thing that was bled and in what context was it used?


texts: Words/phrases like "kindred spirit" that refer to both the speaker and the subject of the sentence

texts:
The google definition of kindred spirit is "a person whose interests or attitudes are similar to one's own."

That means that if I were to say to someone "You are a kindred spirit", I am describing them, but them with me as the assumed person being compared to.

I don't have to say "You are a kindred spirit to me" or "You and I are kindred spirits".

Is there a name for this sort of thing? Are there other examples of words like this?


texts:
English is not my native-tongue, so I always find it hard to grasp the concept of "question tags" and more importantly the way to answer to them. Let me explain with the help of this situation -

I am supposed to complete my homework and I haven't. My mom suspects that I haven't and asks me the below question. I want to confess that I haven't. What should I answer?

Mom : You didn't finish your homework, did you?

Me : Yes, I haven't [OR] No, I haven't?

I've always thought that it is "Yes, I haven't" because the questioner has already found out that I haven't and I should just assert it by saying 'Yes'. But a friend of mine says that it is "No, I haven't" because I am effectively answering the question "did you?".

Which of us is correct?


texts: "Which" or "what" for accepting multiple choices from a list

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  “Which” vs. “what” — what's the difference and when should you use one or the other?

I know that, in the context of radio buttons (the options are limited and they choose one), I should use which. For example, Which is your favorite color?

( ) blue
( ) green
( ) red

I also suspect that for an unlimited text box, the correct option is what. For example, What is your favorite color? ________________

My instinct tells me that the same is true for checkboxes. For example, What colors do you prefer?

[ ] blue
[ ] green
[ ] red

When they can select multiple answers, I should use What colors do you prefer?, not Which colors do you prefer?, right?


texts: Name of place where there are many buildings?

texts:
In some countries, in a closed area, more than one building (mostly apartment buildings) is constructed, and that place is given a name. Then buildings are named like A, B, C.

How would I call that area? I would say "building area", though am not sure about that.


texts: what does "'We're in the stickiest situation since Sticky the Stick Insect got stuck on a sticky bun."

texts:
What does

  We're in the stickiest situation since Sticky the Stick Insect got
  stuck on a sticky bun.

mean in plain english?


texts: Is there an etymological (or other) relationship between "amendable" and "amenable"?

texts:
The terms "amenable" and "amendable" seem to share some nuances in meaning.

Amenable: Open and responsive to suggestion; easily persuaded or controlled. — Lexico
Amendable: Capable of being amended, corrected, bettered, repaired. — OED

I have checked the etymologies of the two terms in the Oxford English Dictionary:

Etymology of Amenable: apparently < Anglo-Norman amenable (not in Godefroy), < amener to bring to or before, < à to + mener to lead < Latin mināre to threaten, hence to drive cattle with minatory shouts. Compare Scots ca' = call and drive. The spelling amesnable is quite artificial, influenced by mesne, demesne, etc.
Etymology of Amend: < Old French amende-r < Latin ēmendā-re to free from fault, correct, improve, < ē = ex out + mend-um , mend-a fault. The change frome- to a- took place very early, being found in Provençal and Italian as well as Old French Already in 14th cent. aphetized to mend v.

They seem to have a different root words and origins, but they seem to share some nuances in meaning (The idea of being changeable; able to be influenced) and in their word structure. I think the terms are related through visceral feeling (and I concede that I could be wrong, even about having a similar nuance in meaning). Was wondering if someone could share more insights about the origins of these two words and their perceived similarity (if any).
Edit: The idea of "Phonesthemes" was mentioned in the comment section. And this is could very well be the reason of the perceived similarity. Quoting from ThoughtCo:

Professor Michael Samuels puts this more simply: 'A phonestheme may grow from minor coincidental identification between a few roots to much larger patterns' (Samuels 1972: 47). The words scamper, skedaddle, scoundrel, scallywag, skulk, scrimshank, skive are all labeled 'etymology unknown' or 'etymology uncertain' in modern dictionaries. They all share in common the meaning 'swift, light movement,' thus associating them with the initial sc- sk- group. There is, however, a further association of 'swift, light movement away from one's responsibilities and duties'; hence, the pejorative sense of these words, a sense that is even present in the original skip 'to skip one's duties.' These additions illustrate well the 'larger patterns' that such a phonestheme may acquire through time, and perhaps scab, 'a disloyal trade unionist,' could be added here also."


texts: How to say that foods with too strong taste can kill the flavor of the wine?

texts:
Recently I had a dinner with my friends and I wanted to say that, "The food's taste is so strong that it kills the flavor of the wine."

Are there expressions with the similar meaning but also with the different flavors for description? (i.e. The strong taste of the food can cover the taste ...)


texts: Is this sentence correctly using the word "propagating"?

texts:
I'm using propagating as another word of saying spreading.

The sentence "However, my upper-level executive clients encounter technical issues propagating to the customer base and affecting the organization's business goals on a larger scale. "


texts: Why is a dead man like a plumber's candle?

texts:
Here I read the following about a man who had just died:

  He was the ghastly pale of a plumber’s candle.

What exactly is meant? As far as I can google, a plumber's candle is just a shorter and thicker one, perhaps containing more stearic acid (source). What has all that to do with colour?


texts: Idiom/saying/word request for "inappropriately complex analogy"

texts:
I'm looking for an adjective, saying or idiom for an analogy which makes the things even harder to grasp, that was supposed to make things easier to understand.

Examples:

A guy makes an analogy to express that playing violin and driving a car is similar, when he teaches driving cars. But since very limited people know how to play violin, it does not make things easier.
A guy teaches culinary on Youtube. But he rather than he explains the basics of culinary (say boiling water), he says 'oh this process is similar to gamma radiation'.

It is not important if the analogy is good or bad. Just it makes things harder to understand.


texts: verb conjugation after uncountable noun (evidence)

texts:
Evidence is supposed to be uncountable, though the form evidences is also accepted, as already discussed in the topic below: Is "evidence" countable?

We usually treat uncountable nouns as singular, right? So it should it be:

"evidence supports the associations..." correct?

However, I often come across this form too: "evidence support the…"

So it leaves me unsure as to what sounds better for an academic paper: "evidence supports" or "evidence support"?


texts: Word for email that renders across all devices?

texts:
It's important for our emails to render without issues across all supported email clients and devices: Outlook, Yahoo, Comcast, Gmail, iPhone, Android, tablets, etc.

The only word I can think of is "bulletproof" ("bulletproof email", "bulletproof email components") but I'm not sure if that's the correct technical term:

  We have a focus on developing ("bulletproof") emails- our emails render on any device or email client.

Is there a widely-used term to describe an email that renders well across all clients and devices?


texts: Does *tourist* have a derogatory connotation of *inexperienced* or any other meanings in the clip of Ice Age3?

texts:
As a major in tourism, I've already acknowledged that tourists' notoriety among the destination dwellers by taking pictures of anything,disregarding  the unwritten rules ... Here I will not go on to discuss it.

I noticed that the word tourist is loaded with other connotative emotion after I watched  Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Rio(2011), and The Tourist starring Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie.

Ice Age3 "00:40:12"

Also in Rio when Blue just arrived.  "00:13:18"

Now just take the one in Ice Age 3 for example, Buck sneers, "Tourists!" after rescuing Manny and Diego in the nick of time when they are trapped in a carnivorous flower with digestive fluids.

I think, in this context, it means someone who is inexperienced, cf.a newbie,  - a frequently used slang word for someone who is new to a job or task, which is told by my American friend.

Does tourist have a derogatory connotation of inexperienced or any other meanings in the clip of Ice Age3?


texts: Is it wrong to use 'but' and 'though' in the same sentence?

texts:
I was talking to a friend of mine when I asked

  Where can I find that in our book? I did some search but I couldn't find it though.

That sounded a bit strange to me but I really don't know if I'm being redundant saying but and though in the same sentence.


texts: How do I parse the phrase "it stands to reason"?

texts:
In the phrase "it stands to reason that...", is reason a verb or a noun?

If it is a verb, it is subordinate to the verb stands, which is being used metaphorically:

  it is sound/stable for one to reason that...

On the other hand, used as a noun, I imagine that reason is a synecdoche for the principles of logic and rationality, or something like that, and that to stand to reason is to withstand any logical rebuke from this capital-R Reason.

I feel these mean two slightly different things, and in either case, they correspond to different parse trees, so which is more accurate to the original/proper usage?


texts: Is there a modern book comparable to Crabb's English Synonymes?

texts:
EDIT:

I am looking for a book to make a study of modern synonyms.  @WS2 recommended what appears to be a book of exceptional quality, but it has great depth in a few topic areas rather than a breadth of words in general.  It is historical and interesting, but doesn't look like a good way to make a "study of synonyms."

ORIGINAL POST:

I ran into a copy of this book on Google Books years ago while trying to settle a dispute on the meanings of the synonyms "Soft" and "Gentle."

Crabb's English Synonymes

I fell in love with the book and have bought many used copies for myself and friends.  It is the only true study of English synonyms that I am aware.  The latest edition I can find was published in 1917.  It is a wonderful book, and explains the subtle differences between synonyms, truly helping the reader understand which word is appropriate in many different contexts.  It contains the basic etymology of each word, an explanation of the general nature that the synonyms share, and an extended explanation of their differences in meaning.  It also contains copious examples from "the best authors."

Is there a modern book of similar quality that I might read to further my knowledge of more recent words in the English Language?

I have provided a sample entry as an example of the nature and quality of the book to give you a firm idea of what I am looking for:

To Abash, Confound, Confuse.

Abash is an intensive of abase, signifying to abase thoroughly in spirit.

Confound and Confuse are derived from different parts of the same Latin verb confundo and its participle confusus.  Confundo is compounded of con and fundo, to pour together.  To confound and confuse then signify properly to melt together or into one mass what ought to be distinct; and figuratively, as it is here taken, to derange the thoughts in such manner as that they seem melted together.

Abash expresses more than confound, and confound more than confuse.

Shame contributes greatly to abashment; what is sudden and unaccountable serves to confound; bashfulness and a variety of emotions give rise to confusion.

The haughty man is abashed when he is humbled in the eyes of others; the wicked man is confounded when his villainy is suddenly detected; a modest person may be confused in the presence of his superiors.

Abash is always taken in a bad sense; neither the scorn of fools, nor the taunts of the oppressor, will abash him who has a conscience void of offence towards God and man.  To be confounded is not always the consequence of guilt; superstition and ignorance are liable to be confounded by extraordinary phenomena; and Providence sometimes thinks fit to confound the wisdom of the wisest by signs and wonders, far above the reach of human comprehension.  Confusion is at the best an infirmity more or less excusable according to the nature of the case; a steady mind and a clear head are not easily confused, but persons of quick sensibility cannot always preserve a perfect collection of thought in trying situations, and those who have any consciousness of guilt, and are not very hardened, will be soon throw into confusion by close interrogatories.

Examples:

If Peter was so abashed when Christ gave him a look after his demand,
if there was so much dread in his looks when he was a prisoner; how
much greater will it be when he sits as a judge? - SOUTH
Alas!  I am afraid they have awaked, and 'tis not done; th' attempt
and not the deed confounds us! - SHAKESPEARE
The various evils of disease and poverty, pain and sorrow, are
frequently derived from others; but shame and confusion are supposed
to proceed from ourselves, and to be incurred only by the misconduct
which they furnish. - HAWKESWOTH


texts: Is it acceptable to drop "having" in "having to do with?"

texts:
I encountered a problem having to do with the connection…

vs.

  I encountered a problem to do with the connection…

Is the second option a legitimate expression?


texts: What do you call someone who wants to be by themselves, but wants others to show they care

texts: Like I want to be a lone a lot, but I want a text from someone asking me if I want to hang out. Or someone to text me first. Make it seem like they actually randomly think of me and care. I'm always texting people first and asking them. I just want their reassurance that they still have me somewhere in their minds.


texts: Can some words of constructed languages be neologisms as well?

texts:
Recently I have found that words such as hobbit, quidditch even Khaleesi are used in the everyday language when not referring to the books and films they were invented for in the first place. Can they be considered as neologisms or just nonsensical words used from time to time?

I base my question on this lesson on TED,

and the fact that I found out that quidditch already entered dictionary.


texts: Is there a linguistic term for words that mean "not a member of a certain group"?

texts:
Is there a linguistic term for words that describe a group whose sole common characteristic is that the members are not members of a smaller, special group?

civilian (not a soldier)
Gentile (not Jewish)
layperson (not clergy)
neurotypical (not autistic, etc.)
Muggle (not a wizard in the Harry Potter series)


texts: What is the most widely accepted term for “circumventing support channels or standard operating procedures to gain faster or better service”?

texts:
Particularly in the case of tech support, what is the most widely accepted "correct" term for the act of artificially escalating a user or customer request, or maybe even circumventing support, service, or request channels and procedures all together? Are there differing terms for this act when requesting help or support versus when placing resource requests?

Aside from most commonly accepted term(s), does ITIL have an official term for this? All my searches for "disintermediation" AND "ITIL" return results dealing with "outsourcing your helpdesk" or something along those lines.

I seem to recall a colloquial term "turboing", but I cannot reach this website from work: http://www.macwhiz.com/articles/art-of-turboing.html if it is up at all anymore.

A very general term seems to be "disintermediation" but that seems to have been adopted by economics and retail sales disciplines.


texts: A phrase containing all "special" characters

texts:
A pangram is the phrase that contains all letters of given alphabet.

Is there any name for a phrase containing all "special" letters of given alphabet?

By "special" characters I understand all letters that differ that alphabet from standard alphabet from which it's derived (referred also as diacritics, though I'm not sure if it's usage isn't limited to Latin-derived alphabets and if, for example, ß is also a diacritic).

My question is inspired by that question on German.SE.


texts: What are the origins of using "bee" to mean a competition, as in a "spelling bee"?

texts: I find it interesting that they decided to call a spelling competition a spelling bee. How did the word bee come to also mean a competition, not just an insect?


texts:
To elaborate, I'm talking about the "sound effect" that people often make when imitating gunfire.

Eg.

  "Pew! Pew! I shot you Billy, you're dead now!"

I suppose this developed from the "Bang! Bang!" to instead imitate laser guns, but is there a specific inspiration for this, or is it just "laser guns" in general?


texts: When and why did our galaxy gain the name "Milky Way"?

texts:
The Milk Way as the name for our galaxy has always been interesting to me, and I've heard that it has been used as far back as the 13th century, where abouts did it originate and why was it chosen?

As a starting point: the Milky Way Wikipedia page lists a derivation from Greek via Latin.


texts:
I came across the following sentence in this article.

"The emasculated society of Europe serves, then, as a warning to conservatives, and reinforces their belief that America must reverse the trend of modern politics, which has involved the increasing assumption by the state of powers and responsibilities that belong to civil society."

My understanding is that the then here is a time indicator of the Europe at that time i.e. the author means "The emasculated society of Europe at that time." (Correct me if I am wrong)

Is this a common style? Are there other ways to indicate the time of a particular instance/event and give additional details related to that instance/event like how it is being explained here.

Also how is this sentence different from the previous one?

"The then emasculated society of Europe,serves as a warning to conservatives, and reinforces their belief that America must reverse the trend of modern politics, which has involved the increasing assumption by the state of powers and responsibilities that belong to civil society."


texts:
From the fourth sentence of the Edgar Allan Poe story 'The Oblong Box':

"…and among other names, I was rejoiced to see that of Mr Cornelius Wyatt…"

'Rejoiced' here is being used as a transitive verb, in a passive construction. The obvious parallel is with '…I was delighted to see…' which is the construction we'd expect now.

'Rejoice' isn't used as a transitive verb now. Can anyone suggest why a verb might lose its 'transitive capacity' over time? If 'delighted' has much the same meaning as 'rejoiced' has in the quote, why is 'delighted' still used exactly this way, but not 'rejoiced'?


texts: Hi there , i'm arabic speaker , i have a confusion between the "How" and "What" in the meaning?

texts:
can anyone explain the exact meaning of each word with example ??
sometimes i confused when using the word "How" with the same meaning of "What"


texts:
Your images will have their own pages/page.

I want to talk about several images. Each image has one page.

Should I use pages or page?

Why?


texts:
I am struggling to decide the correct tense / verb usage where one wishes to express some past plan for the then future:

  We agreed that, when xyz happens, we would do abc.

  We agreed that, when xyz happened, we would do abc.

Something else?

According to Future in the Past, the second form is correct because one must use Simple Past with clauses that begin with time expressions (such as "when").  This assessment is somewhat supported by this answer, which suggests that the past tense must be used since xyz has already occurred and is now in the past.

However, to my mind, the second form doesn't quite convey the same contingency that abc would not be done until xyz happened; whereas the use of the present tense in the first form better conveys that contingency.

Are grammatical constructs of this sort known by some formal name?  What do authorities on English (especially British English) have to say on the matter (citations would be most welcome)?


texts: Why isn't there a "the" in "I left work", but there is in "I left the office"?

texts:
Considering phrases of the form "I left [the] X", what causes some words to need a "the" before them, while it sounds awkward with others?

Needs "the":

I left the office
I left the bank
I left the house
I left the courthouse

Awkward with "the":

I left work
I left social media
I left New York

Either way works:

I left [the] school
I left [the] church


texts: Why did Abigail Adams write 'all' twice? (1778 November, US)

texts:
Original Source.
Source: pp 168-169, The Portable John Adams, by John Adams

  AA to JA
  [Braintree, 12-23 November 1778]

  I will not finish the sentence, my Heart denies the justice of
  the acqusation, nor does it believe your affection in the least diminished by distance or absence, but my Soul is wounded at a
  Seperation from you, and my fortitude all dissolved in frailty
  and weakness. When I cast my (Eye) thoughts across the Arl
  aantick and view the distance, the dangers and Hazards which
  you have already passd through, and to which you must probably be again exposed, e'er we shall meet, the Time of your absence unlimitted, all all conspire to cast a Gloom over my solitary
  hours, and bereave me of all domestick felicity.


texts: Word for the flavor found in green bananas or green persimmon

texts:
I have been asking this questions to a few native English speakers but none have given me a satisfactory answer, and it has been bugging me for so long.
What is the English word for the flavor that found in green fruits like green bananas or green persimmon? The closest I have found is bitter, but if you have eaten those 2 fruits, you would know it is not bitter. In Vietnamese we say “chát”, which when put in Google Translate it came out as “acrid” but the explanation doesn’t sound right, so here I am asking this.


texts:
I'm looking for a word which describes a certain relationship.

There are two people Adam, and Barry; and Adam sends Barry on a mission for him.
It can be said that Barry is Adam's emissary, but what is Adam to Barry?
I'm looking for an inverse word for emissary, such as employer is the inverse of employee.


texts: "high-reliable", "highly reliable", or something else?

texts:
There was a discussion with my colleagues about a paper that I am currently writing and in which I use phrases like "a high-reliable system architecture". Some of my colleagues hold the view that this is wrong and "a highly reliable system architecture" should be used instead, while others think that the first version is fine, too.

Is the first variant correct?


texts: Is the plural of the electronic mouse "mouses" or "mice"?

texts:
Is the plural of that device that you plug into your computer mouses or mice? Which of these is correct?

I bought some wireless optical mouses for my colleagues at work.
I bought some wireless optical mice for my colleagues at work.

I prefer the first one though I'm not sure why. The second makes me think there are some weird mutated creatures running around under my desk.


texts: How should I include names which are written in non-Latin scripts in a list of software authors?

texts:
I have a list of the authors of a software program, some of whose contributors are from such places as China and Russia. I would like to include both their transliterated Latin-script names and their actual names (written in their native scripts) in the list of authors.

What is the best way to handle the formatting of the names in such cases?

For instance, is:

  Transliterated Name -- ChineseName <em@a.il>

or

  Transliterated Name (ChineseName) <em@a.il>

or some other style of presentation preferable?

Also, is there a recognized standard that covers the way in which names displayed as both their transliterated Latin-script versions and their native-script versions should be written?


texts: Suppose a function of two real variables f(x,y) is scaled as f(ax,by), where a may not equal b. Is it correct to say that f is "scaled anisotropically." Is it correct to use "anisotropically" as an adverb?


texts:
One of my friends photography project is named "she's". I personally believe the name is wrong and that it sounds better and looks better if he uses "she is".

Is it grammatically correct to use "she's?

Thank you


texts: Is it natural to use the possessive adjective in "their olive trees"?

texts:
Does the following sentence sound natural?

  They harvest their olive trees in autumn.

Can I say: their olive trees or does it sound more natural without "their"?

  They harvest olive trees in autumn.


texts:
Get graphics working on tables, charts, the whole nine yards. Janine!

  What's the angle, five words?

  Far left of center.

  That's four.

  Very far left of center.

  Enough to put Walker on his heels?

  f*ck his heels.

  This will put him on his ass.

from season 1 episode 1, House of Cards

What's the meaning of "put someone on one's heels"?


texts: Idiom for a person who acts like you're not there

texts: What is the perfect idiom for someone doesn't or act like you aren't there? For instance, a group of two people are chatting and you are trying to join in with the conversation but they continue to chat with each other.


texts: The term for the negative equivalent of a peak point on a graph

texts: What is  the negative peak point  called on a graph as below?


texts: I was wondering if we could use mind's ear just way mind's eye is used. Is it ok to use it as a valid phrase?


texts: Origin and of the phrase "problem that needed solved"

texts: I recently listened to a podcast in which the narrator described an unresolved obstacle as a "problem that needed solved." My initial assumption was that he had meant to say "problem that needed to be solved," but had misspoken. However, he used the same phrase again later. I had never encountered this phrase before, so I did a google search for the exact phrase and found a surprisingly diverse set of results including user comments, professional web content, and books. I am now curious. Is this, seemingly grammatically incorrect, phrase commonly used in certain regions or is there some other known origin?


texts: Is there a word or phrase for "knowing what others know/does not know"?

texts:
I am looking for a word/phrase that would mean something of the sort "knowing what others (e.g., students) know in a subject".

I am looking for a word similar to empathy, which is defined by Oxford Dictionary as "The ability to understand and share the feelings of another." The word/phrase in this regard will have a meaning "The ability to understand the knowledge of others."

I hope I clearly stated my problem.

  Edit:

@FumbleFingers asked what kind of "knowledge" I mean. Basically I am dealing with a middle/high school teachers' knowledge of his/her students' knowledge in a subject, e.g., physics.

More precisely, teachers' knowledge of what pre-instructional knowledge (or misconceptions or difficulties) his/her students have that might facilitate (or hinder in cases of misconceptions and difficulties) planned instruction.

@Graffito If I understand you correctly, I leaning more towards "to envisage things from other's perspective." My explanation above, I hope, clarifies what I am after.


texts: How to deal with abbreviations like 'etc.' at the end of parentheses which are closing a sentence?

texts:
In Hungarian, when there's a dot both inside and outside parentheses at the end of a sentence, we write it as follows:

  Sok állatom van (kutya, macska stb.).

(Meaning: I've got many animals [dogs, cats, etc.])

I'm not sure though how do we write it in English.

I've got many animals (dogs, cats, etc.).
I've got many animals. (dogs, cats, etc.)
I've got many animals (dogs, cats, etc.)
I've got many animals (dogs, cats, etc).


texts: Is "downfall" the same as rainfall or precipitation?

texts:
I have this sentence:

  The heavy downfall (rain and hail) last night caused severe damage to the surrounding area.

Does downfall mean the same as rainfall or precipitation in this context?


texts: Being capable enough to do something "in anger"?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Is “used in anger” a Britishism for something?

My boss keeps using the terminology "Doug knows X but maybe not enough to use it 'in anger'", where X is a skill, programming language, etc.

I've not heard the phrase "in anger" used this way before. He seems to be saying I am a novice or am intermediate at a skill. If I were an expert I could really achieve a sense of focussed flow to solve a problem in a high stress/frustrating situation. Hence I could effectively wield the tool "in anger" to solve a problem.

Is this a correct interpretation of the meaning of this phrase in this context? What exactly does my boss mean?


texts:
I have created a set of laws I must follow to enforce self-discipline. One law is I will not steal candy from children. It sounds sort of weird to say "I broke my own law", and sounds sort of mathematical/unfitting to say "I broke my own rule".

Is there a more appropriate synonym for a self-created law? Furthermore, what would be an appropriate phrase to describe the set of laws I have created for self-discipline? A Code of Conduct? A doctrine?

The cooler the phrase the better, as it'll make the laws easier to follow.


texts: How strong is the religious connotation of "belief"?

texts:
The verb "to believe" has a very weak religious connotation: it can mean "to believe in God" or "to believe that God can work wonders", but it most oftenly is used in a general context, concerning all kinds of things and facts.

Exactly the same holds for the German verb "glauben".

But in German the noun "Glauben" is more often than not used in a somehow religious context and thus has a rather strong religious connotation.

Does the same hold for the English noun "belief"? I suppose not, but I am not a native speaker and unable to "hear" the nuances.

If you are both an Englisch and a German native speaker: Do you know of a German equivalent to the neutral "belief".

(Note that the German words "wissen" and "Wissen" are both connotationally neutral, just like English "to know" and "knowledge".)


texts: How to use semicolons (when listing people’s names and actions)?

texts:
I’ve been reading this paragraph:

  I unlock the bathroom door and pull the handle down, I open it slightly, only to see the face of every family member residing in this house, crowding outside my bathroom en suite door in my room. My mom is standing there—my baby sister, Tia, on her hip; Dad, standing next Mom, a bewildered expression painting his face; Caleb, my oldest brother, looking staunch as ever; the twins, Siobahn and Bryson, an expression crossed between amusement and concern on their faces; Oliver, standing at the front of the pack. He looks nervous and upset.

I understand that semicolons are placed in lists of locations, names, dates, and descriptions.  Is anyone able to tell me whether the semicolons have been placed and used correctly in that paragraph?


texts: "In 200 meters slight left" - Google Maps grammatical mistake?

texts: When Google Maps gives directions, it says "In 200 meters slight left". There is no verb in this sentence. Is it grammatically correct or just a mistake by Google?


texts: A word for someone succeeding at something due to a series of coincidences

texts:
"Lucky" can apply to any fortunate situation.

What I'm thinking is a situation where two people of equal skill face off in a competition of sorts. They have never faced each other before and have no knowledge of the other person's play-style. Yet one of them defeats the other with ease due to their play-style coincidentally countering the other's. When player A does Z, player B does Y simultaneously, over the course of dozens of engagements, which happens to favor player B.

"Lucky" feels too generic a word for this situation.


texts: Mixing British and American spellings in writing

texts:
I like color more than colour, but I like favourite more than favorite. For me it is better to write

  My favourite color is blue.

Is it wrong to mix British and American spellings in writing, and if so in which contexts shouldn't I?


texts: "Makes them difficult to simulate" vs "makes it difficult to simulate them"

texts:
Which statement is correct?

  The complexity of these systems makes them difficult to simulate on computers.
  The complexity of these systems makes it difficult to simulate them on computers.


texts:
My supervisor corrected the draft of my thesis, inserting a lot of articles here and there. I have doubts if he was correct. Could someone comment on the following sentences?

  Over the last decade a lot of companies recognized [the] importance of
  data warehousing     and business intelligence technologies to their
  businesses. Complex queries can significantly decrease [the]
  performance of a source system. [The] Availability and quality of data
  is crucial for this process. Because of [the] standardization of SQL,
  [the] technical heterogeneity could be solved automatically.


texts: Is the figurative sense of "schizophrenia" pejorative towards people with the mental condition?

texts:
"Schizophrenia" has two definitions.  The one I am concerned with is as follows:

  contradictory or antagonistic qualities or attitudes
  -- "schizophrenia," Merriam-Webster

This is a very useful word, but I'm concerned that it might be perceived as pejorative towards individuals with the mental condition, or as inaccurately stereotyping them.  I don't actually know whether this is the case, but I could imagine it being so.

On the other hand, I'm not sure what words I could use instead.  "Inconsistent" and "contradictory" are close, but they do not connote the same level of agency as "schizophrenic."  For example, if an organization is described as "schizophrenic," I imagine a number of departments locked in some kind of bureaucratic war with one another.  A "contradictory organization" doesn't make sense, and an "inconsistent organization" is a much less vivid image for me (maybe it's just incompetently run).  Meanwhile, the word "antagonistic" has agency but lacks direction; it does not denote that the antagonism is inward-facing.

On the third hand, this meaning seems entirely compatible with the Greek etymology of "schizophrenia" ("split" + "mind"), which makes it seem less like a twisting of the medical definition and more of a figurative allusion to it.  I'm not sure that makes a practical difference (people will or won't take offense either way), but it's worth noting all the same.

Is the word "schizophrenic" likely to be taken as pejorative or stereotypical of this group of people?
If so, what word or phrase should I use instead to convey the same meaning without the pejorative connotations?


texts:
In nonfiction, can the hyphen be used for dual purposes (i.e., between figures and in compound modifiers) within the same phrase? Unfortunately, I cannot recast these commonly uttered phrases.
This would supersede unsightly suspended hyphenation. Good to all below - yes or no?

a group of 45-55-year-old men

a $90-$95-million-a-year industry

20-25-, 30-35-, and 40-45-year-old men
75-95-cent-per-week raises

a 5½-10-minute explanation

10-20-gallon containers

within a 50-100-mile radius

a 20-30-mile commute

Thank you.


texts: What does the phrase "achingly beautiful" mean?

texts: Can someone explain the phrase "achingly beautiful"? I often find myself reaching for it, while being unsure how to break down the meaning of it.


texts: Is there a term for a married couple who have the same christian and surname?

texts:
My wife and I share the abbreviated form of our name - Alex derived from Alexandra and Alexander respectively. As we are married, we have the same christian and surname when used in the short form.

I was wondering if anyone is aware of a term for this? I would assume one exists because I know of several examples i.e. Sam(antha) and Sam(uel) Clark the chefs who are known as Sam and Sam Clark.

Many thanks for any assistance.


texts:
Does the pronunciation of "the" sometimes sound like "knee"?

I have heard someone read it in a sentence sounded like 'knee'. The specific phrase was:

  pulling the extra layer of shirt off of her arms


texts: Which was the first dictionary and how was it decided which words went into it?

texts:
I've heard the riddle: "If Websters' was the first dictionary where did he get all the words from?"

It has quite since intrigued me, honestly. Which was the first English language dictionary and how was it decided what should go in it? How did 'they' know what words existed in the language in the first place? What if there was a word "bloombasticoozled" in some other continent, but when the people in that continent got hold of the dictionary they didn't find that word and decided to drop usage (or the word never made it to the English lexicon). Seems to lead to the chicken and egg problem...

I'm really not trying to crack a joke here or be cynical, but am genuinely curious on how the first dictionary came into being and how did they choose the words :)


texts:
I just posed this question on sci-fi.stackexchange and had my wording corrected from reveal to revelation.

  I realise that to have said that too early in the film would have ruined the big reveal. Is there some in-universe reason for Palpatine to refer to Luke's father as Anakin? Some kind of psychological game that Palpatine is playing with Vader, perhaps?

I thought reveal was the correct word but I wanted to check the difference with experts.


texts:
Is there a more formal phrase for "messed up" in this sentence?

"My monthly payment was messed up with another person's payment"

Thanks


texts:
I am wondering what are the differences between "skulk" and "sneak"?
I looked on oxford dictionary:
Skulk: "Keep out of sight, typically with a sinister or cowardly motive."
Sneak: "Move or go in a furtive or stealthy way."
They sound the same. Are they different at all? Some concrete examples would be appreciated.


texts:
The line is from a translation of Bhagavad Gita by Sir Edwin Arnold:

  Never the spirit was born; the spirit shall cease to be never;
  Never was time it was not; End and Beginnings are dreams!
  ....


texts: Is it correct to say "The learning curve has always been uphill"?

texts:
A quick google search on the word uphill gave me the following results:

  Uphill [adverb] : towards the top of hill or slope [adjective] : slopping upwards [noun] : An upward slop

So, I'm trying to use it in a sentence like below :

"It was a great time there, and the learning curve has always been uphill"

Meaning to say "It was a great time there, and every time was a positive learning opportunity"

Made a further google search and found following articles:

  The Learning Curve ― The first steps are uphill
  http://pldata.net/the-learning-curve-%E2%80%95-the-first-steps-are-uphill/

  Travel: Europe - It's an uphill learning curve - The Independent
  http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/travel-europe-its-an-uphill-learning-curve-1177314.html

And in the above articles, uphill seems to be used to mean difficult, like climbing a hill.

Is it a correct usage of 'uphill' with 'learning curve' to mean it as a positive learning experience considering that uphill is upwards?


texts: How to indicate the number of persons that will be attending an event

texts:
I created a website for users to RSVP to a wedding. One of the questions they have to answer is to indicate how many persons will attend the wedding.

What is the correct wording for a question like this? Currently I have used the following:

We will attend with __ (where __ is the blank they have to fill in, e.g. 2)

Is this with preposition the correct one to use? Or is there a better wording convention to ask this? (e.g. We will be attending with)

It sounds a little awkward to me.

Edit: Added a picture to show the intent of the RSVP website


texts: The appropriate usage of relative pronouns?

texts:
I particularly have some difficulties while using relative pronouns to illustrate a point. Let's consider the following example:

-> The local volcano has recently woken up.

Then, I want to add an additional information to the above sentence by inserting something like "The waking up of the volcano has triggered a turmoil in the surrounding community. Therefore, my combination of the two above sentences is like this:

-> The local volcano has recently woken up, triggering a turmoil in the surrounding community.

However, I still wonder if I can use a relative pronoun in the above sentence? Something like:

-> The local volcano has recently woken up, which has triggered a turmoil in the surrounding community.

I get confused because the relative pronoun "which" should refer to the subject or object right before it. But in this particular situation, does "which" refer to the whole clause "the local volcano has recently woken up" or only "the volcano" or nothing? I will appreciate any explanation and help!


texts:
Should it be...
"To the south now stand a car park and a cruise ship terminal"

OR

"To the sound now stands a car park and a cruise ship terminal"


texts: Does the end of this sentence convey what I want it to mean?

texts:
My sentence:

  "It is quite a remarkable piece of prose because intuitive, humanities related metaphors are often used to explain difficult mathematical ideas (à la Blueman), not the other way around."

My intended meaning:

  Not the other way around meaning mathematical metaphors are not used to explain intuitive humanities related ideas

p.s. how is my use of prose and a la?


texts:
What meaning does 'ruinously' convey in the given sentence:

  "A city so ruinously sad that it had forgotten its name."

Does it mean that, it was so badly sad that it had forgotten its name or that it was sad in a way that tends to cause great harm?


texts: Should you use a comma after a number that falls at the end of a clause, even if the number has commas in it (ex: 1,000,000)?

texts:
For example, in the sentence

  The cost is anticipated to be $1,000,000, inclusive of pre-construction costs.

is it appropriate to use a comma after $1,000,000 or should a semicolon be used?


texts: Can the word 'motorist' also mean 'engine manufacturer'?

texts:
Can the word 'motorist' also mean 'engine manufacturer' ? The dictionaries I have consulted define motorist only as the one who drives an automotive vehicle. I've seen the word used in a tagline (supposedly proofed by an english linguist) that makes sense only if 'motorist' means 'engine
manufacturer'. So, I wonder whether it's a bad translation from a tagline in another language (would be french, in which "motoriste" means "engine manufacturer") or not.

In response to a comment asking for the tagline, it is [company name],
the motorist of time, and the company in question manufactures mechanical
watch movements. In my opinion, [company name], the engine maker of time
makes sense for such a company (as well as its french version, ..., le motoriste du temps), whereas ..., the car driver of time sounds funny, if motorist does indeed only mean car driver. I wonder how a native english speaker understands the tagline.


texts: Is it acceptable to use "almost" at the end of a sentence to make it sound dramatic?

texts:
Does adding the word "almost" at the end of the sentence make it sound dramatic or does it change the context of the sentence? Additionally, is it grammatically acceptable?

This new laptop has depleted my savings, almost.
She gives him a slap on the wrist, almost.
This new house has depleted my savings, well almost.


texts:
It's from the Vikings

"I think a wife was not supposed to nag her husband until THEY'D HAD time to grow tired of each other?"

Why did he use  past perfect here, it should have been only one "had", right??


texts: Most accurate word for coercing an action or behavior from someone?

texts:
Alice has a sensitive secret about Bob. She threatens Bob that if he does not act a certain way, she will reveal the secret. What is the most accurate term for Alice's coercion?

Blackmail is related to coercing money from the victim; here Alice desires Bob to behave differently than he otherwise would, so the term doesn't seem to fit.

Extortion is related to coercing personal property from the victim; again, the word doesn't seem to fit.

So what is the right word for coercing a behavior, choice, or action from someone?

In addition, when would such coercion cross the boundary of legality? (Surely I can withhold candy from a child in order for them to clean their room without fear of arrest.)


texts: What does 'A small medium at large' phrase means?

texts:
Just received this joke:

Q: What do you call a midget fortuneteller on the run from the law?

A: A small medium at large.

the 'Q' I understood. It's a runaway psychic gnome.

But what does A means? Is it geometric term or something?


texts: When to use "expectative" instead of "expectation"?

texts:
I'm not a native English speaker and here in Brazil we have the word "expectativa" as a noun.

The expectative in English is defined as an adjective: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/expectative

But I haven't see yet the usage in this form, rather we see "expectation", which act as the Portuguese "expectativa" (expectation). We do have this word as adjective "expectante" as is the "expectant" in English, but not the "expectative" form.

So, in which case we use "expectative"?

EDITED:
I've googled and found this one: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05712b.htm

  An expectative, or an expectative grace, is the anticipatory grant of
  an ecclesiastical benefice, not vacant at the moment but which will
  become so, regularly, on the death of its present incumbent.

And this one: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305750X96000770

  Expectative land rights, house consolidation and cemetery squatting:
  Some perspectives from Central Java

Can you clarify?


texts: How does Yoda's speech sound to native English speakers?

texts:
There have been a few questions about the sentence structure used by the Star Wars character named Yoda:

Yoda's sentence structure
What term can be used to describe Yoda's speech?

  When nine hundred years old you reach, look as good you will not
  If no mistake have you made yet losing you are ... a different game you should play
  Do. Or do not. There is no try.

But what I'm more interested about is how it is perceived by a native English speaker. For example, the unusual word order makes the sentence more poetical in Russian and some other languages. It does not make the sentence harder to understand nor does it make it sound incorrect.

I understand that English is quite different in that regard. There is usually only one correct word order. On the other hand, there exist things like alliteration which have zero effect on native Russian speakers, even if their proficiency in English is good.

Which labels would you attach to Yoda-speak? Is it easy to digest? Does it sound incorrect? Poetical? Nothing special at all?


texts: Is "Thanks a ton" a commonly used phrase?

texts: Is it correct to say so? Does this mean the same as "thanks a lot"?


texts:
What is the difference between conventional and traditional?

E.g.:

  My grandfather used to live a conventional/traditional life.


texts:
Is “We are quit” (meaning “We’re even, no more mutual obligations”) a usage from the 18–19th centuries?

Or are the examples of this on Google hits just people making it up (possibly a bad cognate from German “Wir sind quitt”)?


texts: Is "the song matches so good" grammatical?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  What is the difference between “good” and “well”

Is the song matches so good grammatical? It was posted in the context of a video link, like a comment. It simply sounded weird to me, but I can't really explain why. I personally would rephrase it to the song fits so well.


texts: What's the difference between "stared at" and "stared off at?"

texts:
What's the difference between these two sentences?

  Mary stared at the distance

  Mary stared off at/into the distance


texts: Is there a Public Library that lends English Audiobooks?

texts:
In germany there are now a plethora of public libraries where I can borrow Audiobooks. I can search and download DRM protected files and can use them for a couple of days or weeks before they get invalidated automatically.

Alas, there are (almost) only german ones. But I am much more interested in english Audiobooks. There must be a online accessible public library somewhere where I can borrow english audiobooks for a fee, mustn't it?


texts:
In the phrase beginners guide to …,  where should the apostrophe go?

Beginner’s Guide to […]
Beginners’ Guide to […]

In my particular case, this is the title for a presentation so there are multiple beginners that are being addressed.


texts: Writing "There" and "there is" in the same sentence

texts:
In a thriller/horror screenplay, I have written this sentence:

"There, at the bottom of the list, there is an app branded as 'new'."

They told me that repeating there in this way is wrong, but I'd like to keep the suspenseful tone. Eliminating the first "there" (preferred option, for now) would weaken the feeling of suspense, eliminating the second "there" (as I was advised to do) sounds a bit weird to me, but maybe it's not. What would you advise?


texts:
The OED Online, in an entry "not yet fully updated (first published 1899)", gives this etymology for 'hoodlum':

  The name originated in San Francisco about 1870–2, and began to excite attention elsewhere in the U.S. about 1877, by which time its origin was lost, and many fictitious stories, concocted to account for it, were current in the newspapers. See a selection of these in Manchester (New Hampshire) N. & Q. Sept. 1883.

The Online Etymology Dictionary has this to say on the subject:

  hoodlum (n.)
  popularized 1871, American English, (identified throughout the 1870s as "a California word") "young street rowdy, loafer," especially one involved in violence against Chinese immigrants, "young criminal, gangster;" it appears to have been in use locally from a slightly earlier date and may have begun as a specific name of a gang:

  "The police have recently been investigating the proceedings of a gang of thieving boys who denominate themselves and are known to the world as the Hoodlum Gang." [San Francisco "Golden Era" newspaper, Feb. 16, 1868, p.4]

  Of unknown origin, though newspapers of the day printed myriad fanciful stories concocted to account for it. A guess perhaps better than average is that it is from German dialectal (Bavarian) Huddellump "ragamuffin" [Barnhart].

  "What the derivation of the word "hoodlum" is we could never satisfactorily ascertain, though several derivations have been proposed; and it would appear that the word has not been very many years in use. But, however obscure the word may be, there is nothing mysterious about the thing; ...." [Walter M. Fisher, "The Californians," London, 1876]

Can we do better than OED Online or Online Etymology Dictionary?

The most expert analysis of the origin I've so far discovered is this from
"Hoodlums and Folk Etymology", Peter Tamony, Western Folklore, Vol. 28, No. 1 (Jan., 1969), pp. 44-48:


texts: A word to describe being the only one privy to the truth

texts:
Imagine that you are in a situation where you can tell that someone is putting on an act in a desperate attempt to win everyone's sympathy, but only you can see through the act.  You observe your gullible associates with total incredulity.  What do you call this kind of situation where the truth of this melodrama is only clear to one person?

I don't know if such a term exists, but I assume it does.


texts:
I had an IV last night because my blood pressure dropped too low.
I was given an IV (Fluids) last night...
I was put on a drip last night...
I got a drip last night...
I was on a drip last night ...
They gave me a drip last night...
I had a drip last night...
My blood pressure dropped too low last night so they put me on a drip.

............................

Are they grammatical?
What would be the best way to say?
Are these sentences natural to a native ear?
Is there any informal sentences you use?
Is the use of "IV or drip" correct in these sentences? what about the verbs?

Source: I wrote the sentence myself.

........................................

Drip (IV)

a method of slowly giving someone liquid medicine or food through a tube into one of their veins, or a piece of equipment for doing this:
He was on a drip for three days.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary


texts: Does the word "former" as in "former employee" shed negative light on the subject?

texts:
Does writing,

  Former technologist at Foobar, Inc. and Hello, World Ltd.

have a deprecating tone to it? Say, as opposed to,

  Previously a technologist at Foobar, Inc. and Hello, World Ltd.

That is, is former a word reserved for describing something (a state or position) once held but then revoked? It seems more often used in such a light, but I'm not sure whether it's meant that way.


texts: Orthograpy of /æ/ in unstressed syllables

texts:
Some words like:

  magnificent /mæɡˈnɪfəsənt/, anesthesia  /ˌæn.əs.ˈθi.ʒə/, acrobat /ˈæk.ɹo.bæt/
  accidentally  /ˌæksəˈdɛnt(ə)li/, aluminium  /ˌæl(j)uˈmɪn.j.əm/, satisfaction /sætɪsˈfækʃən/

have an /æ/ vowel in an unstressed position. The unstressed æ can come before or after the primary stress, is spelled with an "a", does not need to be directly before or after the stressed syllable (as in satisfaction).

Is there any orthographic (spelling) rule, that can help me identify an "a" as an "æ"? Why are

  Apparent, photogrAphy, Alumni
  transcribed with a "ə"?

Secondary question: How bad does it sound if, in careful speech, the /æ/ is pronounced as a [ə]?

Background: I am Bulgarian and if I had to follow my instinct I would have pronounced all the words from the first group with an "ə".


texts: A word for someone who knows when to ask for help

texts: What word could describe someone who knows when to ask for help, or someone who is not afraid to ask for help?


texts:
Which one is correct and why:

  I sent out the inquiry to the support team

vs

  I sent the inquiry to the support team

Even though the question is specific to "sent out", please verify the correct usage usage of articles.


texts: Writing a research paper, and can't figure out the best way to say sentence

texts:
Can I say

  Receiving an insufficient amount of sleep is an obstacle that may alter the performance of an individual.


texts: Neither-nor, usage of neither-nor with verb

texts:
Which one is correct?
1. Neither anything changed nor we were informed.
2. Neither changed anything nor were we informed.


texts: What's a word for someone who pushes boundaries?

texts: What's a word for someone who pushes boundaries and things forward that is positive in connotation?


texts:
The 't' in 'listener' is not pronounced, and these kinds of words always make me misspell them. Instead of memorizing each of them, can you give me some advice/insight/cause?
How common are these kinds of words in English?


texts: What does "four years in advance of the last fifty" mean?

texts:
In a speech given by Lucy Stone called "The Progress of Fifty Years" in 1893, she says, "Four years in advance of the last fifty, in 1833, Oberlin College, in Ohio, was founded. Its charter declared its grand object, 'To give the most useful education at the least expense of health, time, and money.'"
If the speech was delivered in 1893, how could "four years in advance of the last fifty" be referring to 1833?


texts:
I need a word that summarises the following scene:

Son tells his father that he loves him. Usually, dad has trouble expressing his emotions with words, so he is glad the son made the first step.

What did the son do for his father here - in one word.


texts: University research or Academic research

texts:
What do you call researches that are carried out in the universities as thesis or...?

academic researches
university researches
researches in university


texts: Is there another term for sharing knowledge

texts: Hello I am looking for a word that would best be used as an exchange of knowledge or teachings within a community. Is there a word or phrase that would best sum up a group of people who are sharing their knowledge or talents to others?


texts: Classification of culinary related item called?

texts: Related to this question, what is the classification of culinary items like (ingredients, spices, cooking materials called?)


texts: What is the name for the wall behind the suspect in a mug shot?

texts: It's the wall that a suspect stands in front of when a mug shot is taken. I don't know what to call it so it's hard for me to find information about the wall itself.


texts: Use of commas when writing date range in a sentence

texts:
Should there be a comma after 2014 in the following sentence?

From June 1, 2014 through April 30, 2015, there were 40 accidents on one stretch of road.


texts: Looking for a single word for 'almost real in appearance'

texts: I am looking for a single word for describing dolls that looks like real human beings.


texts: Word for "to cheat fate" or "to seize/act on a moment"

texts: I'm looking for a word that means a person seized an opportunity or acted on some sort of signal/sign in non-ideal circumstances.


texts:
Englishpage.com says:

  USE 3 Scheduled Events in the Near Future

  Speakers occasionally use Simple Present to talk about scheduled
  events in the near future. This is most commonly done when talking
  about public transportation, but it can be used with other scheduled
  events as well.

  Examples:

  The train leaves tonight at 6 PM.

  The bus does not arrive at 11 AM tomorrow

Vivquarry.com says

  Depending on the situation, the following tenses are used in the
  future in the past:   The past simple (a timetabled event)     .....

So, we have to say: "Today is Monday. That day was Tuesday last week. And according its timetable, the train left at 6PM the next morning (ie on Wednesday Morning last week)"

And I would say it is wrong to say ".....the train would leave at 6PM the next morning..."

Because this is a Future scheduled event in the past.

But I am not sure my guessing is right or not.

Does simple "Simple Past" express "Scheduled or Timetabled Future Event in the past" just as "Simple present" does in the present?


texts:
We are talking about an airstrike around 1930 wherein the reporting newspapers differed on the count of fatalities. One noted that 22 had died; another/two  claimed 24; yet another claimed 28 whilst two claimed 30, (which were the highest).

Suppose that, I am constrained by space and can't afford to leave a mention about the different figures. So, if I simply write As many as 30 people were killed in the airstrike; does it impress upon the readers that I am not certain of the count and instead, referring to the maximum reported casualty? Is the usage of As many as optimum?


texts: Is there a single adjective for "mercenary-like attitude"?

texts:
What is a word I can use for someone who acts like a mercenary? Someone who does something only when paid, without loyalty, ruthless and sticking to the contract, even in the case of life and death?

  "I would ask my best friend to help us in this project, but I don't trust him. He's not a bad guy, just very mercantile."

Mercantile means more towards merchants, but is there a correct word for mercenary-like?


texts: Is there a term for the principle governing the efficient spatial arrangement of items within a container?

texts:
This question was prompted this morning (and yes, it's silly) when I opened the refrigerator to see (yet again) that someone had placed several short items on the top (tall) shelf, usurping space from items that can't be stored on any other shelf.

Maybe it's as simple as spatially efficient.

(Yes, I realize I should maybe be posting this in OCD dot stackexchange dot com.)


texts:
I have come across this, in a recent conversation with an educationalist.
During our conversation regarding higher education; He said, "you will have to do that".

Is it the right phrase? What is the difference between these two statements?

You will have to do that
You have to do that (simply)

Any specific context, when one must be using each one of those.


texts: Not sure when to use "exist" and "exists"

texts:
As a non-native English speaker I have never been quite sure how to use the words "exist" and "exists".
For example is the usage of the said words grammatically correct in the following sentences?

1: "there would need to exist a point such that..."
2: "since the point exists, we conclude that..."

In addition it would be helpful if you could point me to some ELI5-like resource, that explains the surrounding grammatical rules thoroughly.


texts: I've been doing proofreading on a beta site and there appears to be a typo. Is there any usage of "many a times" that is correct, or is it always wrong to apply a singular "a" to a plural noun?


texts: postmodifying phrase/under the leadership of

texts:
Are these sentences correct:

Such activities found favor with the social democrats under the leadership of Schmidt.
Such activities found favor with the social democrats , under the leadership of  Schmidt.
Such activities found favor with social democrats under the leadership of Schmidt.
Such activities found favor with social democrats , under the leadership of  Schmidt.

Which of the above mean:

  a. Such activities found favor with those of the social democrats who were under the leadership of Schmidt.

and which mean:

  b. Such activities found favor with the social democrats, who were all under the leadership of Schmidt.

I am not sure the ones with the commas work at all. Maybe the phrase at the end is dangling.

Without the comma, the phrase seems restrictive, so the sentences 1 and 3 would normally correspond to a, but maybe one could see the noun phrase as a whole.


texts: A word to describe a negative event that may take place in the future

texts:
I am looking for a word ( a compound word or phrase would be acceptable) that describes a negative event that may take place in the future. However, I was unable to find such a word in the prominent online thesaurus or dictionary.
For instance, this year a number of countries the world over were forced to impose lock downs to stop the spread of the ongoing corona virus pandemic.  What word can be used to describe a negative event like the corona virus pandemic that may occur in the future?
Sample Sentence: A _ like the 2020 corona virus pandemic might occur in the future.
So I can fill that blank with the words negative event. A negative event like the 2020 corona virus pandemic might occur in the future.
In place of the words negative event I am looking for a word that describes such an event that might occur in the future.


texts: What do you call an individual who tolerates criticism?

texts: Is there an English word to refer to someone who tolerates (or welcomes, accepts) criticism given about them? Is there an adjective to use for such a person?


texts: To use a clause, an infinitive or a participle?

texts:
What's the difference between the three expressions, and how to correctly use each of them?

He is the only one who meets our criteria.

He is the only one to meet our criteria.

He is the only one meeting out criteria.


texts:
Information, crockery, stationery, luggage are nouns that refers to combination of heterogenous items.
Herd, flock, album, refers to collective nouns with homogenous items.
What is the difference between these two types of nouns in grammar usage?


texts: Usage of 'z' in the word serialized in English?

texts: Is it correct to use 'z' or 's' in the word "seriali z ed" when writing correct English? (I.e. not a variant of English like "American") Or should it be spelled like "seriali s ed" ?


texts: Correct usage of lagging behind/falling behind/deficient in

texts:
I would like to explain that I have been really slow with my work lately and I have yet to cover for few more remaining hours. Can someone tell me if I correctly managed to use lagging behind/falling behind/deficient in for this particular scenario? (I'm talking about the usage of grammar and phrase in this case)

I am lagging far behind my regular work schedule.

I have been repeatedly falling behind with my work.

I am falling behind rest of my colleagues.

Today I resulted in a work deficiency of 2 hours.

Today I was deficient in 2 hours at my work routine.

Please help me with the correction if possible. Thanks.


texts: Does (or did) "a trouser" or "a scissor" have a meaning?

texts:
We say (a pair of) trousers, (a pair of) scissors. For these two particular words, is/was there something like "a trouser" or "a scissor"? Did it use to mean anything?

E.g. in Czech, the word for scissors is also plural but is derived from "knives". So I was wondering if the pair-words like these are derived from some (now forgotten) words with a meaning in singular. Similarly, the Slovak word for trousers is a plural of a Czech word meaning "a single trouser leg". (Czech and Slovak are very close.)


texts: What does the idiom "heel to head" mean?

texts:
In Robert Charles Wilson's novel "Vortex" he writes:

In the morning I toured him through Vox Core, heel to head.

I know the saying "head over heels", but this one is new to me. What does it mean?

(Disclaimer: non-native speaker here)


texts: Chicago Manual of Style Headline-Style Capitalization

texts:
In the 17th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style, §8.159, the following rules are given (among others) for headline-style capitalization:

Capitalize the first and last words in titles and subtitles (but see rule 7), and capitalize all other major words (nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and some conjunctions—but see rule 4).
Lowercase the articles the, a, and an.
Lowercase prepositions, regardless of length, except when they are used adverbially or adjectivally (up in Look Up, down in Turn Down, on in The On Button, to in Come To, etc.) or when they compose part of a Latin expression used adjectivally or adverbially (De Facto, In Vitro, etc.).
Lowercase the common coordinating conjunctions and, but, for, or, and nor.

But then, in §8.160, the following example is given:

  Four Theories concerning the Gospel according to Matthew (2,3)

In understand that the is lowercased because of Rule 2 and to is lowercased because of Rule 3, but why are concerning and according lowercased? Aren't these “major words”?


texts:
While working on a standardized test, where one of the questions suggests to choice the only one correct answer, the following sentence seems to me a bit confusing:

  Long hours and unsociable shifts _____ take their toll on health, relationships  and family life.
  A (must)
  B (are able to)
  C (can)
  D (shouldn't)

The only correct answer for this question is C. However, it seems to me that B is also possible. As far as I understand, "can" is preferred here because it is used more frequently and the question is more about general capability. But these arguments are not seem strong enough to claim C as the only right answer.

So I am asking if you can clarify why this answer is so preferable and if you can "give a taste" about how much unnatural is B variant sound.


texts: try to change his opinion or try changing his opinion

texts:
A powerful opponent made a long speech criticizing John. This speech was so powerful that it threatened John's political career. John decided to try to change his rival's opinion of him. To do this, he sent a letter to him asking for a favor.

Instead of using "try to change", can I use this expression "try changing"? Does it sound awkward? Grammatically wrong?


texts: Hello:  Which is correct:  1) As the number of cases rise, so DOES John's suspicions. 2) As the number of cases rise, so DO John's suspicions.


texts: Does ambulance refer to the vehicle being used or the purpose of the vehicle?

texts:
Does the word ambulance refer to the large van-like vehicle or does it refer to the purpose of the vehicle.

By that I mean is this:

referred to as an ambulance or an "ambulance car"?

If it is an "ambulance car" should the large van-like vehicle be called a "ambulance van" ?


texts: Is this a correct construction: "Up to some point in the past I was not aware"?

texts:
How should I construct a sentence that would mean Up to some time in the past I was not aware of something (e.g., Until a few days ago, I did not know that you arrived in the city.)?

Is the sentence correct? Please suggest a few more equivalent sentences with better structure than this.


texts: Does appending a question mark to a declarative sentence result in a valid sentence?

texts:
Suppose I have the sentence:

  "All apples are green."

Although it is not a true statement, clearly it is a declarative sentence. Can any declarative sentence like this be made into an interrogative sentence (a question) merely by replacing the period with a question mark?

The reason I ask is because the typical word order for such a question would be:

  "Are all apples green?"

Notice that the verb has been moved to the beginning of the sentence. This is the way most of us would word the sentence when phrasing it as a question.


texts: I have been around on Twitter for awhile and I regularly find people using "Please to retweet this" or "Please to help me", etc. Is this proper English? I do not think prefixing the infinitive form with a 'to' is necessary here at all.


texts: Is "has it rained" an incorrect question?

texts:
One of my grammar books suggest that this question is incorrect and should always be " has it been raining" because rain can have multiple consequences.

Some native speakers have told me that " has it rained" sounded unnatural to them and one argued that it forced her to assume what timeframe the speaker was referring to. Others said they didn't feel like it was wrong.


texts:
How do they differ "separate payment" and "divided payment" when total amount for more than 2 persons  should be divided for each person?

Just one more query on "2 persons" used in the above sentence, is it correct to be used 2 persons as the plural of person should be "people"?


texts:
Is it offensive to refer to someone as a bird?

Is it similar to calling someone a chick in the US?

What's the difference?


texts: Separating two different types with "and"

texts:
Recently, I read through this sentence in my book.

  Limestone is found in association with rocks composed of calcium carbonates or calcium and magnesium carbonates.

I want to focus on this last part: calcium and magnesium carbonates

I thought that this could be two things. Either calcium carbonates and magnesium carbonates, or calcium AND magnesium carbonate.

In most cases, the first meaning would be the appropriate meaning and most would read it that way. What would be a good way to express the second meaning?


texts: Signing off an email with 'on behalf of'?

texts:
I am writing an email as one of the committee members of a voluntary organization. Is this an appropriate way to sign off an informal email whose audience is professionals?

Regards,

On behalf of <organization>,
John Doe


texts:
Recently I was reading a book entitled "50 Tips to Read People’s Mind". Somewhere in the book, the writer says:

  These men do the seemingly impossible when they appear to be reading
  people's minds, often to a point of exactitude that confuses and even
  frightens.

I've always had problems with plural possessive nouns! I know this question might seem repetitive, but the answers I've found for similar questions were never satisfactory to me, especially when I came across this particular example. Why did the writer in the example above use both "people's mind" and "people's minds"? How are they different?

I know it's more common to say "reading people's minds" than "reading people's mind", but a search on google news and google books shows that the latter is not uncommon at all.


texts: Out at the house (Hemingway's To have and Not Have)

texts:
This is from Hemingway's To Have and Not Have. It's not clear to me where they were having lunch.

Out at the house Marie and the girls were having lunch.
"Hello Daddy," said the oldest girl. "Here's Daddy."

... (conversation omitted)

when the girls were out of the room he said to Marie, "Cut it up, will you?"

This looks strange to me. At the first sentence, they were all having lunch "out at the house." And after conversation "the girls were out of the room." I wonder where Marie and her girls were having lunch first. May at terrace? Or the yard?