texts:
This is my first question on English SE. I'm rewriting a technical manual and I'm stuck at some terms which I'm going to ask here in the following days.

I'm trying to find a better alternative for the "to remain open" phrase. It's being used in a parameter name and if it's possible has to be expressed in the passive voice. The complete sentence will be something like "Steam Output Remain Open Duration". The current translation for this phrase is "Steam Output On Duration" which doesn't sound correct to me.

Any ideas?

PS: To clarify the situation I have to explain this parameter. It is the duration whilst the steam output remains open.


texts:
I have heard people saying:

Que: Can I use your pen?

Ans: Yes please.

and also

Que: Can I use your pen?

Ans: Yes Of course.

I wanted to know if there is any difference between these two replies(may be of context) or  can they be used interchangeably?

Thanks.


texts: How bad is the usage of the word suck in English? Is this "bad boy" language or commonly used?


texts: Is it correct to say/write "In colonial times Quetta was known as little London because of its clean and organized urban sprawl"

texts:
Is it correct to say/write "Did you know that in colonial times Quetta was known as little London because of its clean and organized urban sprawl"

Is it correct to say "clean and organized urban sprawl" or "clean and organized urban area"?

What I want to say is that the city was not as unruly in colonial times as it is at present. How do I put that into words instead of using sprawl? Kindly give some advice


texts:
John McCarthy, Father of Artificial Intelligence, just passed away. I just read an article about him, which stated that

  he championed mathematical logic for Artificial Intelligence.

I am not sure of the meaning of champion, although I have seen it used in several similar occasions. I just looked it up and assume that it means to defend or to support.

My intuition is that champion could be the very word we should think of in the first place in this context. Is that true? Could any other word be a better alternative here?


texts:
I want to write down such a theorem.

Theorem. Strong existence and pathwise uniqueness hold for Equation (8). A unique solution is a continuous Markov process.

I have a question concerning the usage of an article. Should I write "A unique solution" or "The unique solution"?

As a non-native speaker of English, I have problems understanding how
to use the phrase "a unique solution" solution correctly.


texts: "The wind is blowing of the fan" vs. "The wind is blowing from the fan"

texts:
What is the difference between "of" and "from" in the following sentences:

The wind is blowing of the fan.
The wind is blowing from the fan.

Not sure if they are properly worded!


texts: What does "would" mean in this sentence?

texts:
What does this mean?

  What would you do if I come to your Clinic?

This makes me confused because I can not understand is it first or second conditional or even is it a conditional?  Please explain.

In general, what does would mean when it is used with present time?


texts: A technical word to describe the correct contact between a wheel and a rail

texts:
I am translating an Italian technical manual, and I'm having problems translating one word in particular: "planaritá". The literal translation of the word is apparently "planarity" but I've never heard of planarity before and from online research it doesn't appear to be a common engineering term for wheel/rail contact.
The direct translation of the relevant section is:

problem = incomplete wheel contact
solution = restore wheel and/or rail planarity

I wonder whether "alignment" would work instead.  Is there another more technical/engineering term to describe the relationship between wheel and rail?


texts: Position of only in a sentence and meaning?

texts:
OK, so I fall down on this one sometimes, but here goes, what sentence means which?

from my geography paragraph;

Only East Anglia was voted the most coastal part in the North London commuter belt.

East Anglia was only voted the most coastal part in the North London commuter belt.

East Anglia only was voted the most coastal part in the North London commuter belt.

East Anglia was voted only the most coastal part in the North London commuter belt.

East Anglia was voted the only most coastal part in the North London commuter belt.

East Anglia was voted the most coastal part in only the North London commuter belt.

East Anglia was voted the most coastal part in the only North London commuter belt.

East Anglia was voted the most coastal part in the North London commuter belt only.

and from my car paragraph - two separate sentences;

Only Renault sold 1,450 vehicles of MPV and 8,000 of commercial vehicles in total last year.
Renault only sold 1,450 vehicles of MPV and 8,000 of commercial vehicles in total last year.
Renault sold only 1,450 vehicles of MPV and 8,000 of commercial vehicles in total last year.
Renault sold 1,450 vehicles of MPV and 8,000 of commercial vehicles only in total last year.
Renault sold 1,450 vehicles of MPV and 8,000 of commercial vehicles in total only last year.
Renault sold 1,450 vehicles of MPV and 8,000 of commercial vehicles in total last year only.

Another paragraph.

Only in Europe, Toyota offers the Camry as the 2.5 GL or 3.5 V6 GLX sedan.

In Europe only, Toyota offers the Camry as the 2.5 GL or 3.5 V6 GLX sedan.

In Europe, Toyota only offers the Camry as the 2.5 GL or 3.5 V6 GLX sedan.

In Europe, Toyota offers the Camry only as the 2.5 GL or 3.5 V6 GLX sedan.

In Europe, Toyota offers only the Camry as the 2.5 GL or 3.5 V6 GLX sedan.

In Europe, Toyota offers the Camry as only the 2.5 GL or 3.5 V6 GLX sedan.

In Europe, Toyota offers the Camry as the 2.5 GL or 3.5 V6 GLX sedan.

And finally, my fourth sentence, which is:

Only John worked with Jane on a Monday when he went off-site.

John only worked with Jane on a Monday when he went off-site.

John worked only with Jane on a Monday when he went off-site.

John worked with only Jane on a Monday when he went off-site.

John worked with Jane on only a Monday when he went off-site.

John worked with Jane on a Monday when only he went off-site.

John worked with Jane on a Monday when he went off-site only.

John worked with Jane on a Monday when he went only off-site.

I'd appreciate any help in ensuring that my sentences read the way I intended, thanks! ;)


texts: What's the boundary wall on/of a roof called?

texts:
I walked over to the boundary wall of the roof, determined to see over the edge.
What word can I use instead of the phrase in bold?

EDIT: When roofs DO have boundary walls, usually a few feet high, what are they called?


texts: What does "of + company name + fame" mean?

texts:
I was doing a Cambridge English Advanced Use of English Part 2 test today, when I came across the following sentence in a text:

  The first mass-produced versions, made by Sam Foster _______ Foster
  Grant fame, were sold in the 1920s in US seaside resorts.

The task is to put one word in the gap. According to the answer key, that's of.
I did some research and found out it's a structure that appears with other companies as well: Internet Explorer, Facebook, etc.

Is this a fancy way of saying famous for because I can't find any references to this structure in Cambridge Dictionary or Merriam Webster?


texts: Word contractions in Shakespeare's plays

texts: In Shakespeare's plays it is common to find contracted words, such as "o'er", "e'en", "sulph'uous", "ta'en". Is it just a literary device or those words were actually pronounced (in day-to-day speech) that way in Early Modern English?


texts:
I'm not sure if I used the word "provided" in a right way in the following example:

  In general, this algorithm solves Fibonacci problem with higher scores rather than the original algorithm, provided/providing reasonable values are selected for stack size and array length.

In this text I want to say that if user choose reasonable variables then it is rightly expected that the mentioned algorithm works better than the original.

Finally, please can you tell me that are "provided" and "providing" the same? which is better to use for scientific papers?


texts:
I found a previous answer on here that said "Normally, a semicolon would be used in a construction with three or more list items, not just two."
But I'm curious about this because a list of two items could be confusing. Imagine I'm visiting my brother and his wife. If I said, "I'm visiting John, my brother, and his wife, Lisa," I could read that as visiting three people (John, my brother, and my brother's wife). So why wouldn't "I'm visiting John, my brother; and his wife, Lisa" be appropriate here? I realize the whole thing could be restructured to avoid this problem, but I've encountered some instances where it is difficult to restructure the whole thing and do not see why using a semicolon to separate two items where internal commas could create confusion would be wrong.


texts: What sentence parts needs to be repeated here?

texts:
What of the following is right?

"We need to find out..."

"...how to lower the costs or how to produce more."
"...how to lower the costs or to produce more."
"...how to lower the costs or produce more."


texts: "If something were" or "If something was" in the 2nd conditional?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Which is correct: “what if there was” or “what if there were”?
  Correct usage of was/were on the object of a sentence
  “Was” or “were” in subjunctive clauses

I have the following sentence in the draft of my latest paper:

  No arbitrage would be introduced if the project were traded.

Is this version correct? Or should it be:

  No arbitrage would be introduced if the project was traded.

What are the rules here?


texts: Meaning of "induce of" in letters by Thomas Jefferson

texts:
March 24th 1789

  In Europe I doubt whether you can; because our government gives it’s offices on it’s own knowledge of persons, and not on the recommendations of others. They give their diplomatic appointments with more caution too because of the distance at which they are to be exercised and the necessity which that induces of leaving to them a great latitude of discretionary power.

  May 25th 1795
   Dear Sir

  My last to you was of Dec. 23. 1793. Since that I have received yours of Nov. 7. 11. 13. 1794. May 22. 1795. Jan. 29. My not having written to you so long a time is to be ascribed with truth to the eagerness and activity with which I am pursuing my agricultural reformations, to the habit which this has induced of procrastinating every thing which will bear procrastination, and to the circumstance that my communications to you would bear it, as there was no change in the state of your affairs till lately.

What does to induce of mean? I found the definition of induce at Oxford Online, but it does not clarify it for me.
Is there a difference between induce of and induce?


texts: What does it mean to say that something is a "wash"?

texts: I've heard the word "wash" used in unusual context, where it meant something like "a thing yielding no practical advantage". I would be interested to know if that's a correct interpretation, if there are more examples of similar usage and whether this is appropriate for use in formal setting.


texts: Words for north/south and east/west dimensions?

texts:
There is "length", "width", "height", "depth", etc but these words are all relative in respect to the current viewer. The width for one person could be the depth for another person (who is at a 90 degree difference).

There is also "latitude" and "longitude", which describes position in terms of cardinal direction. This is close, but I'm wondering if there are words for describing the length of something in respect to a cardinal axis (north/south and east/west). Essentially "east-west-length" and "north-south-length".

I've had no luck with finding this using search engines. =(


texts:
Anthony Burgess once said, (through the narrator of one of his books…)

“The term Aryan has a purely philological significance. It can be applied only to languages.”

-Earthly Powers pg 371
The setting is in 1930s Germany, when the Third Reich was struggling to revise history and define its place on the world stage.
However,

Philologist J.P. Mallory argues that "As an ethnic designation, the word [Aryan] is most properly limited to the Indo-Iranians, and most justly to the latter where it still gives its name to the country Iran

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._P._Mallory
…and the Encyclopedia Britannica says…

Aryan, name originally given to a people who were said to speak an archaic Indo-European language and who were thought to have settled in prehistoric times in ancient Iran and the northern Indian subcontinent.
The theory of an “Aryan race” appeared in the mid-19th century and remained prevalent until the mid-20th century.
According to the hypothesis, those probably light-skinned Aryans were the group who invaded and conquered ancient India from the north and whose literature, religion, and modes of social organization subsequently shaped the course of Indian culture, particularly the Vedic religion that informed and was eventually superseded by Hinduism.

Apparently, the first attempt at the use of Aryan as a term to identify races began with the racist “theoretician” Joseph Arthur de Gobineau approximately 1848 (yeah, him again).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_de_Gobineau
Apart from the usage of “Aryan” coupled with “race” currently in use by  revanchist Hitler worshippers,  and its co-option by the original theoreticians of the Third Reich, is there any basis to the usage of Aryan to define race in the first part of the 20 century?
In other words, was Burgess right for the time, just not now?


texts:
!

Source

  'Central bank securities purchases have provided meaningful support to the economic recovery,' he said adding later that, 'we should not rule out the further use of such policies if economic conditions warrant.'

The verb warrant is transitive.  So is a it or that missing after warrant?


texts: Can "crepuscular" and/or "twilight" apply to morning half-light as well as in the evening

texts:
I know that's "sorta" two questions in one, but I'm stuck in an argument with a guy who says both words can apply to morning half-light. I disagree and think both only apply in the evening.

I think both can only be used about dim light in the evening, but I have to admit I don't know any equivalent words for dim light in the morning.

EDIT: More votes needed! I get the feeling I'm losing here!


texts: "Worry free life" - does this make sense?

texts:
I want to live a worry free life.

Does this make sense? I use this phrase a lot, but I am not sure
if this is grammatically correct.

Thanks.


texts:
The NOAD reports the following notes about should and would:

  The traditional rule is that should is used with first person pronouns (I and we), as in I said I should be late, and would is used with second and third persons (you, he, she, it, they), as in you didn't say you would be late. In practice, however, would is normally used instead of should in reported speech and conditional clauses: I said I would be late; if we had known, we would have invited her.

I thought that should and would really had a slightly different meaning. Am I wrong?


texts: "a person in respect of whom" vs. just "a person whom"

texts:
I just read an article containing this sentence:

  These criteria may be satisfied if the applicant is found to be a person in respect of whom Australia has protection obligations because they are unable or unwilling to return to their country because of a well-founded fear of persecution.

I don't understand what the phrase "in respect of" is doing here when you can just say "a person whom Australia has protection obligations […]".

Is it grammatically correct if I don't include that phrase?


texts: How to idiomatically express the idea "if you can cheat without being caught, do it"

texts:
What is an idiomatic way of saying that there is no reason to be honest just for the sake of being honest. That is, if you can benefit from a dishonest action and know that you definitely won't suffer any financial, reputational, or other damage that outweighs the benefit, then you should act dishonestly. To put it simply, if you can cheat and get away with it, then cheat.

Is there a common/idiomatic expression for this in English?


texts:
The context in which we use word "deficiency" is inspection. Let's say, I look at your gas furnace and file a deficiency report describing some component or part.

What would the opposite of "deficiency" in this context? What would I call the "report" that certifies that your gas furnace is working well?

Thanks!


texts: What is the opposite of "down-home cooking"?

texts: What is the opposite of down-home cooking? Somehow uptown gastronomy doesn’t sound right.


texts: Proper to add tense to acronyms, abbreviations and initialisms

texts:
What is the correct way to pluralize an acronym? asked about pluralising acronyms, abbreviations and initialisms, but is there a standard way to add verb endings e.g. -ing and -ed (what are these called?), at least in informal English?

For example, which of these is/are best?

I'm SMSing her.
I'm SMS-ing her.
I'm SMS'ing her.

I know I can rephrase it to "I'm sending her an SMS." but I wish to use SMS as a verb.

Similarly,

He FUBARed.
He FUBAR-ed.
He FUBAR'ed.
He FUBAR-d.
He FUBAR'd.

In the latter set, as the verb is actually the F ("foul", or something more explicit) — the expanded sentence being "He fouled up beyond all recognition." — should it even be "He FedUBAR." or similar?


texts: Usage of word "treat" in context of "a party"

texts:
Many times I hear people saying, "we want a treat" on the occasion of a person's birthday, for which they mean, "a birthday party".

I am concerned about the use of word "treat" in this context. Is this common with native English speakers or is it just another Indianism? Is it a colloquial usage of word "treat"?


texts:
A phrase being used by the "news" media regarding the recent arrest of people in Columbus, NM is "firearms favored by the Mexican cartels", referring to their purchase of AK47s and other semiautomatics; weapons that are in fact favored by many people who want a good weapon for a reasonable price. I'm trying to name the fallacy, and "guilt by association" and "red herring" come to mind but aren't really a good fit.

I've read this thread, but can't really match it to the situation. I've also looked through many of the fallacies at the Nizkor Project and logicalfallacies.info and can't see a good match. Any ideas?

It could be rewritten for clarity:

Person P bought weapons A and B.
A and B are favored by the Mexican drug cartels.
Therefore, P bought the weapons with intent to distribute them to the Mexican drug cartels.


texts:
I want to ask whether we're waiting for full attendance before convening, ex: 'waiting [to hold the meeting] until we're quorate', but 'quorate' (as I understand it) only implies 'enough people to hold the meeting' whereas I want to communicate 'everyone who is eligible to attend is present'.

ex:

  '... waiting [to hold the meeting] until we're _______ [quorate?]'


texts: What does 'plug their noses' mean in this sentence?

texts:
When serious actors take on jobs involving comic books and hours in machines and makeup, they generally plug their noses and take the paycheck.
Does it mean that they are unwilling to do that but had to accept it?


texts:
I'm writing a quotation and have to estimate a delivery date. My estimate is that we will make the delivery at January 1st. However, this will be impacted by when the project starts. It is in our interest to start as soon as possible and want to express this in a subtle way.

  The delivery date is estimated 01.01.2015, but may be accelerated if the
  commencement of the project is earlier than 07.07.2014.

According to my good friend, google translate, the "delivery may be accelerated" is the proper way to express this. Google returns 62000 hits for this phrase, so I won't be the first to write it that way, however, I'm not so sure it's the best way. Also "commencement of the project is earlier than" feels a bit wrong. I would actually like to write accelerated there, but in that case I can't use accelerated in the first part..?

I don't want to write: "The delivery date will be impacted by the commencement date" as I want to focus on the positive (it can be done sooner but not later).

Any views on this?


texts: What category name covers things that are designed to stand on the floor?

texts: How to name a category of tall objects that are designed to stand on the floor as opposed to standing on a table? The tabletop objects are shorter than the freestanding objects and I cannot use "freestanding".


texts: I've just learned a word forbear which means to abstain from something or refrain from something. It was fine until that point, but the moment I learned the meaning of forbearance, I was confused because it had tolerance as its synonym. When forbearance is used to mean tolerance, is it implied that enforcement is what is abstained from? Then, why did it happen? Why did it become to also mean tolerance, not just abstaining from something?


texts: What is a single word which could mean that I am "annoyingly proud" of something

texts: Let me explain, I have an apartment with a great view; I cant help but bring it up in every conversation and every time someone inquires about how life was in Trivandrum. I could excuse myself saying, I was annoyingly proud of my balcony view.


texts: What is the role of 'a lot' and 'much' in my sentences?

texts:
Can we use adverbs before pronouns?
As we know adverbs are normally used to modify 'other adverbs' , 'verbs', and 'adjectives'. e.g (I'm feeling a lot better today.)
I consider 'a lot' and 'much' as adverbs and 'more' as pronoun in the following. Is my analysis OK?

I earn a lot more than my sister does.
I have a lot more in common with my friends than my family.
I can't stand much more of this.
I eat a lot less than I used to.


texts: What is the correct word order between "have/had", "been", and "already" in statements?

texts:
What is the correct word order between have/had, been, and already in statements like the following:

  By the time the product was officially announced, I had already been using it.

Or:

  By the time the product was officially announced, I had been already using it.

Or:

  By the time the product was officially announced, I had been using it already.


texts: I have heard some people spell double letters individually, e.g. "B-B", "C-C", or "D-D". But I have also heard others use the word double instead. Is there any dialectical preference? Is there any such thing as American vs. British in this case?


texts: Usage clarification of nouns format and formatting

texts:
How do the following two sentences differ in meaning?

Ensure the formatting of the text

Ensure the format of the text


texts: Is there a word or phrase for helping someone when you are better equipped than them?

texts:
Is there a word or phrase for doing a favour or helping someone because you are in a better position than they are to get it done?

For example, it would take me a lot longer to herd some cattle than it would for a cowboy to, so this word/phrase would apply if I asked the cowboy to help me (but not if I asked someone equally or less capable than myself). Or, for instance, I might walk to the shop for my grandmother because she's elderly, but not for my brother because I'm in no better position to that than he is.

Is there a phrase to summarise this kind of situation?


texts: word request: antonym of try-hard, who does not try to impress

texts:
What is a good word to use as an antonym of 'try-hard'? Somebody who does not try to appear highly in another's eyes.

A word close to indifferent,aloof, detached...


texts: What does "wear shoes" mean in this idiom?

texts:
I was reading an article today that used "wear shoes" metaphorically and I have no idea what they're trying to say. The context is an Indian outsourcing company diversifying by using its existing development resources to produce software suites and server-based platforms. In the quote they are contrasting their existing development services with these new assets:

  On the positive side, unlike their developers and consultants, the assets [explanatory note: these were newly-created Products, Platforms, and Solutions] did not always wear shoes. As such, they offered margins that were far higher than could be obtained for services contracted on a per-hour or per-job basis.

One of the authors is Indian, so this may be a translation of an Indian idiom, but I couldn't find anything on Google or SE.


texts:
The Lost Symbol, page 537, the author writes: "..., mankind will at last unearth the Word and herald in a wondrous new age of enlightenment."

I checked the Cambridge dictionary and "herald" is a transitive verb. So, why is there a preposition after the verb? Is "herald in" a phrasal verb?

Isn't it more correct to say "herald a wondrous new age of enlightenment."?

Could anyone please elaborate?


texts: What does "a planter and a stick" mean in this context?

texts:
"He says however that the cases of ruptured spleen —of which we so frequently hear— are genuine, as frequent fevers often cause immense enlargement of the spleen, which then bursts for a comparatively slight cause, e.g. a planter and a stick."

  — From Adam's Peak to Elephanta  (1892)

How does the example used here relate to the situation? Is it a randomly picked up topic to show the slightness?


texts:
Recently I completed an English creative writing exam in which I used the phrase

  files and papers manifest, as if by some unholy magic at the tray on his desk.

My teacher stated that my use of manifest was incorrect. She said that it should be used as "manifest themselves". Howeverm I still believe that manifest can be used here as an active verb. Can anyone help explain this to me?


texts: Is it wrong to use "we" as fans for something our team accomplished (or failed)?

texts:
I and fellow fans: "We won! Yeah!!!!"

Devil's advocate: "No, you didn't! The [TeamName] won!"

What can be said about this?


texts: What's the meaning of "all too often", for example, in this sentence?

texts:
What does "all too often" mean in this sentence?

  A poorly designed distribution system can ruin the performance of any water-based system. All too often, people, including heating professionals, focus their attention on water-based heat source selection and simply assume that heat source ...


texts: What is a noun or adjective to describe somebody who juggles work, study, hobbies, family and more?

texts:
I'm trying to describe someone who burns the candle at both ends. They work full-time, they study full-time, they have creative projects on the go, they raise their family and manage their property - etc... all at the same time.

I want to use a word to sum this up but will also hang a small definition on (similar to what is above) after the word to clear up what it means.

Words like multi-tasker spring to mind but this does not convey the meaning I want to give. I also considered words like dexterous and agile - but again, these don't seem quite right.

Given that people often use the term 'juggling' to describe people that 'juggle' their work, study and private lives, I thought there might be a nice adjective to describe the skill that a good juggler has but I can't find something suitable for this either.

Any help or ideas greatly appreciated. The context is that of a reference for employment or a CV.


texts: Is there a word that means deliberately ignorant, choosing to ignore?

texts:
I know what this word really means but I cannot help to think that ignorant also means he ignores his surrounding or the consequences of his actions. "He was ignorant, unwilling to warn the police about what has been happening next door for years” for example.
Can anyone tell me the word I am looking for? Or is it too broad to find a suitable adjective?


texts: What is a more formal alternative for saying where do you slack at and where do you excell at


texts: How does one handle a word-ending contraction followed by a comma and a closing single quote?

texts:
Here's the line; it looks horrible:

“Who’s your ‘frien’,’ Jake?”

It seems grammatically correct. Does anyone have a better way to do it (other than rewriting/reorganizing the sentence)?

Notes:
 - The speaker has been established as one who speaks similarly to Jim from Huckleberry Finn, using terms like "frien'" for "friend", "tol'" for "told", "drivin'" for "driving," etc. when he is being directly quoted.
 - The "friend" mentioned is not really a friend of Jake; the quotes indicate sarcasm.
 - I considered and rejected the use of italics: “Who’s your frien', Jake?” Should I reconsider?


texts: I saw a creepy man coming towards me I start running straight to my home. After "i reached home" I locked all the doors and windows. In this para what alternative word can I use instead of "I reached home".


texts:
I'd like to know if area and space can be considered as perfect synonyms when they are used to refer to regions surrounding a physical object, as in this sentence:

  This zone is applied to the area/space within the pumping station, the area/space around the storage tank 5m in diameter, and 1m above the opening for filling.

I'm aware that there are contexts when these two words can't be used interchangeably but in contexts as in this sentence I can't see that use of one or the other word changes the meaning in any way.


texts:
Does the subject value in the following example need to be "us" or "we". Does it follow the same principle in pluralising the subject where removing one component isolates the correct noun?

  Dad and I have been discussing the possibility of we three getting away for a weekend together.


texts: For a history paper, my argument is that the American Frontier acted as a sort of pressure relief valve for Colonial dissidents who did not agree with Puritan theology. What is a more appropriate word or term for pressure relief valve?


texts: Magazine's readership base diagram: "Distribution by job title" - would this be a good diagram title?

texts:
Below is a diagram (translated from Russian) that describes the distribution of a magazine in terms of who its subscribers are. I'm thinking of changing the title of the diagram to "distrubution by job title", because to my taste functional status is not very suitable for this context. Maybe I'm wrong, however. The original Russian title of the diagram is Кадровый состав (Cadre composition).

What could be other phrases suitable for this situation? By job capacity?


texts: Is there a word for when a song leaves out a word or phrase despite it perfectly fitting?

texts:
I'm gonna be honest, I've been hearing my fair share of Steven Universe music from devices I'm not in control of from across the room. In a few songs I've noticed they will leave out a word but I could tell you exactly what word was implied and I had to see if anyone knew a term for it.

For example, in the song "Strong in the real way", comes this excerpt: "... can't you see she's out of control and overzealous? I'm telling you for your own good, and not because I'm- " and it cuts out there despite it very clearly implying the word "jealous".

I hope this is detailed enough that someone will be able to know what I'm talking about. I've looked for this on Google but haven't been able to find anything.


texts: How does an animal sit on their haunches?

texts:
This should be a relatively simple question—one that I cannot seem to find anywhere.

Does, for example, a dog sit down on its haunches, or sit up on its haunches?

  "Charlie sat up on his haunches and tilted his head in confusion at the strange command."

  "Charlie sat down on his haunches and tilted his head in confusion at the strange command."

Which one makes more sense? Or is it a universal term?


texts: Word describing combination of disgust and pride

texts:
As a software engineer, I need a word for this. I find myself writing code which is at once fugly (not to be shown to anyone) but also somewhat clever and surprising (at least I think so).

Sample sentence: Damn, this code makes me feel _____!


texts: What 2 words can be used as an alternative to Stack Exchange and have roughly the same meaning?


texts:
Each person has each car

If There are people A, B, C and car A, B, C:
It means people have car A or B or C car or people have car A and B and C?

Everyone works every day

It means people works Mon., Thu., etc or a person works on the first day, and then the other person works on the other day?


texts: One word for repeated acts of sick behavior?

texts:
I am writing an essay on the gentle treatment of pedophiles by the criminal justice system. What is one word for their 'acts' or their 'misdeeds' that is harsh and not so light and easy? For example:

'...provides an environment for them to commit their ----'

I tried https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/dirty%20deed

I would really prefer a single word.

Thanks for your time and help.

sixie6e


texts: Is “No offense meant (taken)” well-accepted English expression?

texts:
I’ve seen the phrase “No offense taken” in the answers to the comments in EL&U site.
None of online Cambridge, Oxford and Merriam-Webster dictionary registers this usage, nor does Google Ngram.

However, I was able to find the definitions of both “No offense taken / meant” as “I am not offended [by what you said] / I did not mean to offend you,” in idioms.thefreedictionary.com and www.urbandictionary.com

Since what time around did these expressions come into currency? Are they a polite way of excusing? Can I use “No offense meant (taken)” in both colloquial conversation and formal meeting, for instance with the client advertiser in opposing their idea?


texts: Name for Variable satisfying an inequality with equality

texts:
In mathematics we often have statements like a x <= b, where a and b are constants and x is a variable.

Now there may be variables satisfying the inequality (that is the statement is true) as well as variables violating it (in which case it's false).

However I don't have any words in my vocabulary to express stricter statements:
Is there a word to describe that the variable x satisfies the equality a x = b? What about the case that a x < b?
I remember having read "x is a root of the inequality" meaning a x = b somewhere, but I can't remember where.


texts: What's the difference between "lad" and "mate" in British English?

texts: Can "lad" only be used to address a male, while "mate" both male and female?


texts:
The following paragraph is an excerpt from an article in the New York Times entitled “Is North Korea a Nuclear Threat or Not? The President Now Says It Is” published on 22 June 2018:

  “They [Trump’s supporters] said that by talking with Kim Jong-un, Donald Trump was going to start World War III,’” Ms. [Lara] Trump said. “And yet here we are on the cusp of a denuclearized Korean Peninsula,” she said, adding, “They won’t try and stop a loser, but they will try and stop a winner.”

What does the construction “They won’t try and stop a loser, but they will try and stop a winner” mean?


texts: What is "plurisecular"? Can't find this word's meaning, only translations

texts:
Here's a quote from Robert Hurley's translation of Michel Foucault's History of Sexuality arguing for the historical importance of the anonymous author of My Secret Life:

  ...he was the most direct and in a way the most naïve representative of a plurisecular injunction to talk about sex.

I've been searching for this word on Google, but it's giving me only translations, not an explanation, and I don't know the languages it provides me translations for.

Does anybody know what this word means?


texts: No dictionary seems to give me the same answer. Is this one word (schoolwide)? Is it two words (school wide)? Or is it "school-wide"?


texts: "first" -> inaugural like "second" -> ________

texts:
First, introductory, inaugural...is there another term referring to the item coming afterward?

Context: I attended the second graduating class of a school that started a year before I joined. I can't say I was in the inaugural class of that school, because I was in the second class. If I was in the last class, I could say "ultimate" (or "last") class...if I was in the second-to-last class, I could say "penultimate" class.

Is there another word for "second" in this case?


texts: What is the etymology of the phrase "Holy Trinity"?

texts:
I recently typed up an answer here on the network, and made use of the phrase "Holy Trinity".  I did so in an ironic, non-religious (and hopefully non-offensive!) context, knowing vaguely what the phrase means and where the phrase comes from.

However, I've never really figured out where that phrase comes from.

I very well now understand that this particular phrase never specifically occurs in the Bible; instead, it is used as shorthand to refer to "The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit" when discussing this[ese] [three] entity[ies] in scripture.

But, if this phrase was never in the Bible to begin with, how did it come about?

Note that I'm not particularly interested in a specific religious answer on this one, but simply the etymology of this phrase.  If it did so happen to come out of a religious institution, I'd like to know which one.


texts:
As far as I know, "quarter" means half of half of something.

Why "no quarter" means "no mercy"?


texts: Is there a word for people who revel in freebies?

texts: By which I mean, people who strategically position themselves so as to acquire money/service/free stuff at the expense of another? I don't mean extortion (that's too strong a word for what I need). Basically, someone who is a sucker for free/paid for things and capitalises on the opportunity. Is there a word for it?


texts: Conditional in the past: using present or preterit?

texts:
A person is talking using past tense, because he is talking about events that happened in the past. Which one is correct?

They might come after me if they found out that Kudo Shinichi was still alive and that will put the people who I know in danger.

or

They might come after me if they found out that Kudo Shinichi is still alive and that will put the people who I know in danger.

it is found so it must be was. Is that right? If it was find and not found then I could say is.


texts: "Monkey up" to mean bungle or mess something up

texts:
On Fox News I saw a segment where gubernatorial candidate for Florida was talking about mayor of Tallahassee, Andrew Gillum, running for governor. In it he says:

  "Let's build off the success we've had on Governor Scott. The last
  thing we need to do is to monkey this up by trying to embrace a
  socialist agenda."

My interest is in the term "monkey up". I understood the meaning he meant to convey probably from the association that monkeys are said to have with mischief.

  noun
  2. One who behaves in a way suggestive of a monkey, as a mischievous child or a mimic. American Heritage Dictionary

This mischief association is found in other dictionaries too.

I tried to look up variations of "monkey up something" or "monkey something up", or "monkey it up" and all I found were results of this particular statement made by this politician. Generally the results are on this particular event and that it was used intentionally for racial motives.

I've looked up "monkey" as a verb itself and found meanings along these lines:

  (intr; usually foll by around, with, etc) to meddle, fool, or tinker Collins English Dictionary

But this seems somewhat different from the meaning of to "ruin", "mess up", "bungle", "regress" etc, although I admit they may be related. The problem is that in my search I have not seen an instance of this phrase, "to monkey up" to mean this outside of this particular instance.

Also possibly related, "throw a (monkey) wrench in(to) the works", which does indeed mean to "set back" or "halt progress" or break something, or along those lines.

I want to purely keep this on an English usage level and not go anywhere near politics or race. Is there an instance or two of "monkey up" someone can provide with this meaning that I may have missed? I'd be grateful. Maybe my searching skills are bad, but all the results returned were about this particular incident.


texts: Not to be immature or anything (interpret the question as you will...), but I was just thinking about how "V" is essentially a feminine symbol. The masculine symbol is usually the reverse, probably playing off the whole yin/yang thing. The structural similarities between the letters and sexual organs of both or undeniably similar, while somewhat simplistic (though its distant origin would suggest simplicity). Where did the word come from and did the fact that it starts with the letter 'v' influence its creation or propagation as a word? Then again, thinking on it....unless it came from English, then the word probably didn't start with a 'v'. Nevertheless, it would still be interesting to know how the word came to be.


texts: Instead of "I thought I would" or "I thought I'd", I sometimes write "I thought'd". I don't know if this is correct English, however. I mean, you can say "We'd", right? So, why not "thought'd"?


texts: What would be a more literary and/or formal way of saying "hanging out with friends"?

texts:
I am writing an essay which includes my hobbies in high school; I know this is pretty common but I would like a more literary and/or formal way of saying this.

  My hobbies include {hanging out with friends}

Thesaurus.com gives phrases related to locations rather than people, or about being friends with people rather than spending time with them.


texts: Should I use the verb "class" or "classify"?

texts:
Which should I use, and what is the difference?

  The stages of sleep are classed as non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.

  The stages of sleep are classified as non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.


texts: If you have run an Android device... - Is this correct?

texts:
I am writing an article for my blog where I started the article with the following sentence:

"If you have run an Android device for at least a few months, I’m quite sure that you have seen ..."

Is the above sentence correct? or should I use "If you have been running an Android device..."?


texts:
Which English words place the tip of the tongue between teeth?
For example: other and that


texts:
How flexible is the measurement "a dozen"?

If there are nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand people at a rally it is acceptable to say one million people attended, but if eleven people are arrested is it acceptable to round up to a dozen?


texts: Validity vs. Veracity in non-scientific non-instrumentation speech

texts:
I was asked to referee a discussion recently; specifically, whether veracity and validity were perfectly synonymous -- and if not, "why?", and further to provide clear demonstrative examples in simple sentences.

While I asserted veracity refers to "truth", and validity was more aligned with "accuracy" independent of human distortion, I could not find the proper words to define the subtle distinction, outside of technical applications (I is an engineer...)

However, I later stumbled across a line from Great Grandpa: "They don't make cars like they used to."

Which ironically, is totally true.  (technology, efficiency, materials, safety).  So I might say the statement has veracity (It's ultimately true, and Geepaw believes it with no deceptive intent.)  BUT, the statement lacks validity.  It's clear from the context an implied "cars [not as good] as they used to be"

It's easier on the scientific/engineering side.  Many articles simply strike "veracity" from the acceptable vocabulary.  Which I would agree with, because an inanimate object cannot lack veractiy.  An instrument cannot lie.  It might be terribly inaccurate, uncalibrated, broken, or inapplicable, and therefore lack validity, but it doesn't lack veracity.

So, okay, help?  Specifically I'd like to see simple sentences that lack veracity but not validity, and anything that lacks validity but has veracity.

Or are these sufficiently synonymous in "everyday speech" that I need to let it go?

On edit

Pretty sure this equine is necrodestined, and the answer to my last question is obvious.

While validity seems pretty well defined, I'm still having trouble with veracity, as some [good] answers seem to imply the "truth" is at least somewhat dependent on the speaker's state of mind.  In other words, if I believe my untrue statement, it still has veracity.  Sorry, I can't get there.

I phrased the original question as "non-technical" "everyday" speech, but as @Peter Point commented, veracity probably isn't an "everyday" word.

Ultimately, I submit that "true" and "valid" are binary terms, but at least veracity (possibly validity) has some sort of spectrum.


texts: "I have a few pants bought from Mark and Spencer that need to be altered."

texts: "I have a few trousers bought from Mark and Spencer that need to be altered." In this context "need" or "needs to be altered"?


texts: Singular form of the verb when there are other verbs with ing

texts: When you are writing a sentence like "embracing the variety of human beings brings you happiness", why do you have to write the verb in a singular form?


texts: Unchallengingly accept - easily or without dispute?

texts:
[...] Unchallengingly, we accept that the rose is beautiful, though it must be said that roses in the wild can make some garden varieties look almost vulgar.(Cambridge English, Objective Proficiency)

What does 'unchallengingly' mean in this case? Do we easily accept that the rose is beautiful (since the adjective 'unchallenging' means easy), or rather do we not challenge this fact?

Thank you!


texts: Why should sentences not start with "there is" or "there are"?

texts:
I had written a paper with the sentence "There is also social proof in how the man with the pizza ends up with an attractive women". I had lost marks due to the fact it is poor English to start sentences with "There is" or "There are". I want to double check this is true because the prof actually is not fluent in English herself. If it true, how can such sentences be reworded? I know many things in English (and in life) aren't necessarily wrong but should be avoided. Is it that starting a sentence with "There is" is proper grammar but does not usually appear in academic writing?

I found notes with the explanation as to why she thinks this is bad:

  (Almost) never begin a sentence with “It is...” or “There is/are...”
  These are examples of unnecessary verbiage. The exception is when the
  “it” actually refers to something, as in “This paper is an A+. It
  follows all the suggestions on this page.”

What is meant by when "it refers to something"?

EDIT: I personally don't see the need to quote the exact sentence as it is just an example, but I see some are getting quite worked up over the entire sentence in general.


texts: What are the difference between "prominent" and "VIP"?

texts:
The definition of prominent and VIP are same: an important person

So if I say: Mai is a prominent guy of Australia

OR

Mai is a V.I.P. of Australia.

Isn't the meaning is the same?

Research:

Definition of VIP by Dictionary.com:

  very important person.

Definition of prominent by Dictionary.com:

  leading, important, or well-known:


texts:
I am looking for a word for a person you meet specifically by chance.  Ideally, a single word for someone you have never met before, but words for acquaintances would also be great.

An example sentence might be

  They waved goodbye to their amusing [person-word-here] and continued on their walk through the park.


texts: Why doesn't the singular verb “pass” take an “-es” suffix in this sentence?

texts:
As I was studying Peterson’s Master TOEFL Writing Skill, I saw the sentence:

  Teamwork requires that a player pass the ball whoever is in the best position to make the goal.

I wonder why pass does not take an -es suffix in the sentence cited above. Is it a mistake? If not, could you please explain under which particular circumstances we don’t add -es suffix to a present tense verb that’s in the third-person singular?


texts: How to say "In order to keep a smooth reading" in a good academic way?

texts:
I'm currently writing my (math) thesis. Some properties of the objects I'm studying are used often and are relatively elementary. So, I would like to state them once and then avoiding referring to them each time I need as I believe it would disrupt the reading. So, I have the following sentences at some point:

  We recall useful properties of A and B. In order to keep a smooth reading, we use these properties in most of the proofs below without explicitly referring to them.

The bold part feels like bad english to me, so I'm wondering what would be a better formulation for it.


texts: Comparative or superlative use of the word "far"

texts:
Which sentence is correct?

The quarterback threw the ball farthest than anyone else on the team.

The quarterback threw the ball farther than anyone else on the team.

The quarterback threw the ball further than anyone else on the team.


texts:
Non-native speaker here, can’t understand the nuance of this sentence:
“Fully aware as he is of the social unimportance of his creative activity, he looks upon it as a way of working out his own development”
Here is what I think, probably wrong, need guidance:
He’s full aware that his creative activity does not have any social importance, (doesn’t affect society in any important way), he simply uses it for self development
I’m so confused what is “as he is of” mean?
Similar post: Alternatives to "He is of the opinion"?


texts: What did Lord Blackburn mean by "long-continued action" in 1884?

texts:
O'Sullivan & Hilliard's The Law of Contract (2018 8 ed). p. 109.

  5.60. Lord Blackburn was even more troubled by the result [in Pinnel's Case (1602)],
  tantalisingly hinting that he had prepared a dissenting speech but decided against
  delivering it [in Foakes v Beer (1884)]:

    What principally weighs with me in thinking that Lord Coke made a mistake of fact
    is my conviction that all men of business, whether merchants or tradesmen, do every
    day recognise and act on the ground that prompt payment of a part of their demand
    may be more beneficial to them than it would be to insist on their rights and enforce
    payment of the whole. Even where the debtor is perfectly solvent, and sure to pay at
    last, this often is so. Where the credit of the debtor is doubtful it must be more so. I had
    persuaded myself that there was no such long-continued action on this dictum as to
    render it improper in this House to reconsider the question. I had written my reasons
    for so thinking; but as they were not satisfactory to the other noble and learned Lords
    who heard the case, I do not now repeat them nor persist in them.

I cite the two germane definitions of action from ODO afore-linked.

  1. [mass noun] The fact or process of doing something, typically to achieve an aim:
  5. Legal proceedings; a lawsuit:

Does Lord Blackburn mean that:

as per 1, no processes in general (not just legal, but  legislative or socio-political) tried to counter and rebuff 'this dictum'?
as per 5, no lawsuits were filed to try to overturn 'this dictum'?


texts: Does there exist a one word alternative to 'Hopefully' in the sense of 'I am hopeful that' or 'I hope that' which can be used in a formal document? I believe 'hopefully' is rather informal or common in spoken usage rather than written text, although some source like merriam-webster tend to disagree.


texts: How has "Boadicea" been pronounced at different points in history?

texts:
In English, the name of the famous Queen of the Iceni has been written many ways (there is some discussion in Boudica and Her Stories: Narrative Transformations of a Warrior Queen, by Carolyn D. Williams, 2009, pp. 44-47). One of them is "Boadicea", which the Google Ngram Viewer indicates has been used in English texts since at least 1700 or so (as opposed to "Boudicca", which gradually rises in prominence from around 1880, or "Boudica", which only began to rise around 1970 or so).

Some people apparently have suggested that "Boadicea" originated as some kind of spelling mistake where "cc" was confused for "ce". I'm not entirely convinced, but in any case, the etymology of the form doesn't seem to change the fact that it was in fairly widespread use for a fairly long period of time. (For comparison, the word "syllabus" is thought to have originated as a misspelling of "syttabas", but "syllabus" has nonetheless become an established English word with a standard spelling and pronunciation that isn't based on its etymology.)

I'm wondering about the usual pronunciation in English of the form "Boadicea"—in particular, the placement of the stress—and whether it has changed over time. As far as I know, everyone puts a secondary stress on the first syllable. But the placement of the primary stress seems to be more uncertain. Present-day sources like the Oxford Learner's Dictionaries seem to favor stress on the penult "e", but that seems odd to me, and it seems to make it harder to connect "Boadicea" with the early variant "Boadicia".

I was able to find a few sources from the 19th century that indicate the antepenult stress that I would expect:

A New Critical Pronouncing Dictionary of the English Language, by John Walker and "An American Gentleman" (Richard Smith Coxe), 1813:

  "BOUDIC´EA"

The Classical English Vocabulary, by Ingram Cobbin, 1832:

  bo-a-dish´-e-ah

An Explanatory and Phonographic Pronouncing Dictionary of the English Language, by William Bolles, 1853:

  bo-a-dis´-e-a

(there are numbers above the vowels that I can't make out, but I think just the syllabification and the stress mark make the pronunciation pretty clear)

Are these outliers, or was primary stress on the antepenultimate syllable (the one containing "i") of Boadicea typical at some point in history? If the antepenult-stressed version used to be typical, when did the penult-stressed version replace it? I'm hoping people will be able to find more evidence from pronunciation guides or sources like poetry and post some informative answers about the history of this name's pronunciation.

Edit: With a bit more research, I have found that Tennyson wrote a poem "Boadicea" where the name appears twice. Supposedly, it is in "Galliambic meter", but so far I haven't really been able to figure out the metrical structure of each line—according to John Frederick Nims
in The Powers of Heaven and Earth: New and Selected Poems, "With lines that speed up at the end, it does have the feeling of the galliambic movement, but Tennyson does not try to consistently follow its pattern" (p. 246). If anyone can post an answer that presents a metrical analysis of this poem demonstrating how Tennyson is likely to have pronounced the name, I'd upvote it!


texts:
An experiment is normally intended to test a hypothesis. Is there a noun or phrase to describe an experiment with no hypothesis -- i.e. doing something just to 'see what happens'?

(A convincing neologism would be acceptable: e.g. exploriment)

EDIT:
It's been pointed out that one can think of some generalised hypothesis ('something interesting will happen') for any experiment. So to refine the question a bit: what's an experiment without a specific hypothesis?

EDIT2:
Thanks for the helpful suggestions so far, which have clarified things, although sadly none have nailed it for me yet: perhaps English doesn't have a word with the connotation I'm looking for.

However I'm surprised that some of the answers have implied that there's something trivial, invalid or unscientific about experimenting without a testable hypothesis: i.e. it's "just playing about" or "just demonstration". This made me think about three types of experiment:

(A) I do something (heat water) to test a specific hypothesis (does water boil at 100°C?);
(B) I do it to measure a property (what temperature does water boil at?);
(C) I do it to observe what occurs (let's see what happens if I heat this water...).

These all seem to me to be very valid and scientific, but English doesn't seem to specifically distinguish between them. This post has turned out to be a very interesting experiment!


texts:
The sentence is:

  Where there is beer, there are good times.

Shouldn't it be this?

  Where there is beer, there is good times.


texts: What is the meaning of the phrase 'word of hand'?

texts:
I've heard somewhere the phrase "word of hand". What does "word of hand" mean?
Can it mean something like "word of advice/help/aid", similarly to the phrase "to give hand to somebody"?

UPDATE: Here is an example of the phrase, from Algernon Charles Swinburne, Bothwell (1874):

Queen. My lords, ye hear by his own word of hand
How fair and loyally our father writes,
To purge his name that had indeed no soil
Of any blame to us-ward; though he have
No power upon our wedded lord, his son
To heal his heart's disease of discontent :


texts: Can I put a comma after a conjunction and before a prepositional phrase?

texts:
I'm pretty sure the rule is not to put a comma after a conjunction, but sometimes it just seems like that prepositional phrase needs to be comma'd off. Is it just plain wrong to put the comma right after the conjunction?

Ex: I went to the store to buy eggs and milk and, though I shouldn't, I bought a candy bar too.


texts: How do I know if I have the Northern Cities Vowel Shift?

texts:
I grew up in Kalamazoo, MI, where (according to Wikipedia and other sources), many speakers have something called the Northern Cities Vowel Shift (NCS). So I'm trying to figure out if I'm one of them.

I'm running into two difficulties with this:

The written descriptions of it all seem to be from the standpoint of, and written for, people who unambiguously don't have it; they'll say things like "they pronounce job like jab", meaning "NCS speakers' job is somewhere between non-NCS speakers' job and jab".
According to everything I've read, one interesting difference between NCS and most other regional accents is that people from regions with NCS speakers don't notice the difference; NCS and non-NCS both sound the same to them. (And that's true of me; when I tried watching a Youtube video of examples of NCS speech, I found that several of the examples sounded completely normal to me, but I certainly don't notice anything strange about non-NCS speech, either!)

So, how would I go about figuring this out?


texts: "It is not enough that I should succeed - others should fail": comma?

texts:
Is the sentence "It is not enough that I should succeed – others should fail" correct? I mainly wonder about the dash. Should it be a comma instead?

Does anything else need to be changed?


texts:
Is this sentence grammatically correct?

  Not a single crease could be seen on Laxmibai's forehead, who sat erect and bright-eyed.

I was told that the subject of the relative clause is Laxmibai and not her forehead and thus this sentence is ungrammatical. But it seems perfectly fine to me ... what am I missing?


texts:
I was always considered different ?
I have always been labeled as different ?
I have always been categorized as different ?

Is there a good word I can replace "considered" with ?


texts: How does long vowels being written as  cause Modern English to spell tense vowels this way?

texts:
Please see the sentences at the bottom, beside my red line?

How was "a long vowel being written as < VCe > so common"?

How does this appertain to the English convention "that this is a normal way to spell tense vowels"?

The letters <i> and <j> were in free variation: tiim tijm 'time', iuge juge 'judge' as were <u> and <v>: up vp 'up', euen even 'even'. The letter <i> was considered allograph of <y>. One phonological change involving vowels also affected the relationship of vowels were neutralized to /ə/, language and writing. In Middle English unstressed and sometimes lost; the writing, however, retained the etymological vowel. Thus in writing today, one needs to know the etymological spelling of a word. For example, the first and third syllables of the words serene and divine were both unstressed and the vowel in these syllables became  /ə/: Mid. Eng. /sə're:nə/ and /də'vi:nə/. The final syllable is spelled <e> in both cases, but the first syllableis spelled differently in the two words, <se-, di->, reflecting the history of the words. Today, English speakers often stumble over pairs such as affect and effect; both words are normally pronounced /a'fekt/,but distinguished in spelling by the etymological vowel. In Late Middle English, unstressed <e> /ə/ was lost in word-final syllables: /də'vi:nə/ > /də'vi:n/, and /sə're:nə/ > /sə're:n/, but again the spelling did not change to reflect this change in pronunciation. The situation of a long vowel being written as <VCe> was so common that in Modern English the convention has arisen that this is a normal way to spell tense vowels: e.g., bite, made, rose, cute.

Henry Rogers, Writing Systems (2004), p 190.


texts:
In the process of writing to two people I typed: "Are either of you free?" and was immediately called out by my grammar checker which suggested I should write: "Is either of you free?"

The second of these options feels intuitively wrong to me, as I am addressing two people so should be using the plural. However I feel this is tied up in the whole issue of whether a group should be referred to in the plural or singular sense, e.g.

  Red Hot Chili Peppers is a band

Uses "is" to indicate that the band is a singular entity, whereas

  Red Hot Chili Peppers are a band

Uses "are" to indicate that the band is made up of multiple people.

So, which is correct? "Is either of you free?" or "Are either of you free?"


texts: Term for the neglect of a child or animal

texts:
I am looking for a term describing the neglect of a living being under one's responsibility, such as a child or animal.

Spontaneously I thought of court procedures, with the sad cases of children being neglected, which I believe is categorised as child abuse. The same applies for pets and livestock.

Abuse may imply things such as physical harm though, which I would like to exclude.

I would like to be able to put it in the phrase

  Did you hear, so-and-so were caught with _____!

Are there any terms, legal or otherwise, that may be of use?

I searched Merriam-Webster, but primarily came across words neglecting property/infrastructure or official duties, such as abandonment or misprision.

Oxford Dictionaries also didn't offer many alternatives, as far as I could tell.


texts: "Would that of this journey I had heard..."?

texts:
This is a translation of a Heian period poem:

  Would that of this journey I had heard. So had my heart been with you when you sought the cuckoo's song.

What does 'Would that of this journey I had heard.' mean? I know 'would that it were' (I wish that it were) but I still can't figure this out.


texts: Is "functionality" a mass noun in certain contexts? When and why?

texts:
Inspired by: "Functionality" rather than "function"?
I want to know if "functionality" is the correct word, in the context of:

Fast forward and other functionality may not be available...

Notes:
However according to dictionary.com the plural is "functionalities", but as a native English speaker the "correct" sentence sounds more awkward to my ears:

Fast forward and other functionalities may not be available...

I would assume that it's referencing definition #2 which is "a function or a range of functions in a computer" which in that case, would make it a mass noun, right?

functionality - From (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/functionality?s=t) *You have to scroll down a bit.

/ˌfʌŋkʃənˈælɪtɪ/
noun (pl) -ities

the quality of being functional
(computing) a function or range of functions in a computer, program, package, etc

The Cambridge dictionary (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/business-english/functionality) offers more hints, indicating that "functionality" is either countable OR uncountable (mass noun). It then proceeds to use an example where the form is uncountable.
So when would you use "functionalities"? In common usage I hear "functionality" as a mass noun all the time, but never the pluralization.


texts: What's a good word for a "line of ink spread sideways"?

texts: I want to know correct word for a "line of ink spread sideways."


texts: What's the origin of the idiom "miss the boat"?

texts:
What is the origin of the idiom miss the boat?

This is the definition of the idiom from Dictionary.com:

  a. to fail to take advantage of an opportunity: He missed the boat when he applied too late to get into college.

  b. to miss the point of; fail to understand: I missed the boat on that explanation.


texts: That which is vulgar, obscene, or profane (title reflects contents)

texts:
When I look up the word "fuck" in the dictionary, I see that it is listed as a vulgar term. However, if I use it in church, I might be scolded for speaking profanity in the Lord's house. If I use it at work, I might be reminded that professionals shouldn't use obscenities.

But which is it really, vulgar, obscene, or profane? How do we tell the difference when classifying other words in this fashion?


texts: Which is the meaning of "living in chop"?

texts:
I am reading a science-fiction short story and I met this sentence that I can't understand.

  "living in chop”

You can read the the whole sentence in the attached file.

What does it means?


texts:
I know that 'which' and 'that' open non-restrictive and restrictive clauses, respectively.
However, intuitively, it seems to me that they don't have the same functions in the phrases 'for which reason' and 'for that reason'.

Does 'for which reason' mean 'for one reason of an undefined number of reasons'.
and  'for that reason' mean 'for only this reason'.

What is the difference of 'for which' and 'for that' as used in the above examples?

Thank you


texts:
I was writing a story about gladiators and wanted a word to describe what gladiators do (besides fighting), as in the phrase "X isn't just...". Arena fighting sounds too long and gladiation, which was the other option I came up with, doesn't sound like a word, even for a neologism. Preferably it should capture the fact that it took place in Ancient Rome.

Proof this isn't a duplicate


texts:
English is my second language. I would like to believe that I have a good knowledge of english words (My GRE verbal percentile is 90%). I learn words in very systematic ways i.e. by reading their origin, etymology and history. Hence, I can understand new words very easily by applying similar analysis and some hints from the context.

However, when it comes to using those word in real life conversation, they don't come very easily at the moment. Is there something I can do about it?


texts: Can "It wasn't until ... that" be used as a contradictory sentence?

texts:
Here is an example from the ACT June 2010 (68C):

Birkeland's work was ridiculed by many of the era's top scientists, who scoffed at the notion that electrons from the sun could reach Earth's magnetic field from such a great distance. However, it wasn't until the 1960s, when satellites first proved the existence of a "solar wind" of particles sweeping past Earth, that Birkeland's central tenet was substantiated.

The question is asking whether to use "However," or omit it, adjusting the proper punctuation. I first made it to leave however as it is because it indicates that despite the ridiculous behavior of the era's top scientists, Birkeland's idea turned to be right at the end. It turns out that omitting however is the correct answer. Can someone explain please?


texts: I am editing a translation of a book on Colossians. Should the sub-heading be 'A discussion of Colossians 1:1-23, or on Colossians 1:1-23?


texts:
You can’t buy your kids clever. What’s more, if they’re merely above average, by sending them to some hideous Holland Park hothouse, you’re probably buying them miserable.  — Alex Proud,
  "Your child is not a genius. Get over it"

As far as I know, clever and miserable are both adjectives, not nouns. So why were they used with to buy? Is this an idiomatic way of saying You can't buy your kids intelligence and you're probably buying them (moral) misery? If so, what is the idiom used here? I'm not familiar with it.


texts: The difference between “We’ll ever be back to normal,” and “We’ll never be back to normal.”

texts:
Time magazine (Aug.2) reported that Toledo Mayor instructed city residents not to drink tap water polluted with toxin caused by algae bloom under the headline: Toledo, Ohio without drinking water for second day.

  “In a Saturday press conference, Toledo Mayor D. Michael Collins
  called upon residents to stay calm.  'I don’t believe we’ll ever be
  back to normal,' he said, the Toledo Blade reports. “But this is not
  going to be our new normal. We’re going to fix this. Our city is not
  going to be abandoned.”
  http://time.com/3074318/toledo-water/?xid=newsletter-brief

I’m drawn to the line - “I don’t believe we’ll ever be back to normal,” which sounds like to me as if the Mayor doesn’t believe the water will get back to normal.

What is the difference between “I don’t believe we’ll ever be back to normal,” which is simple negation and “I don’t believe we’ll never be back to normal,” which is double negation leading to affirmation?

Actually, this morning AP news reported that Ohio Governor, John Kasich declaired yesterday that toxin level in the water supply has gone down significantly .


texts: Word for distanced person with air of superiority

texts:
Is there a good adjective to describe someone who knows they're above others, and while not boastful, they are not forthcoming or approachable? I'm not trying to describe someone who is antisocial or outright unkind.

For example, think of a popular girl in high-school who knows she gets a lot of attention. She holds this fact above everyone else and thus only stays to her social group of similar girls, mostly ignoring everyone else.

  I could never muster the courage to approach the ___ girl who sat in
  front of me in Biology class.

This word probably has a negative connotation, but not synonymous with malicious or reclusive.


texts:
Is it okay to refer to a certain period of time in the past when we speak about a fact that is still true today?

For example:

"This idea has for a long time been one of the central topics of debate in philosophy, especially from the early 19th to the mid-20th centuries."

How can I rewrite my sentence to say that although the idea is still a central topic of debate in philosophy, it was "more central" (and more discussed) from the early 19th to the mid-20th centuries?


texts: "pp. v. phrase" — Is this sentence pattern correct?

texts:
I get these kind of sentence structure too often from Czech people:

a past participle, followed by a to be verb, followed by the rest of the sentence.

For example, instead of saying

  The information is written here

I hear

  Written here is the information

It feels like there is a what is removed from the beginning of the sentence

  [What is] written here is the information

Another example:

  [Secondary keys are useful for fast access by other fields than primary key.] Declared are as SecondaryKey.

Instead of

  [...] They are declared as SecondaryKey

Or another example:

  Enumerated are always all items

instead of

  All items are always enumerated

Are these correct or incorrect in English?


texts: I have an event database that links two people - the person causing the event and the person the event targets. The latter column I call "target", but I can't think of a word to describe the person causing the event. So it could be a word meaning the opposite of target (which I cannot think of), or it could be something related like "instigator". However, I don't like "instigator" because it comes from a verb that is made a noun with the -or suffix. It's not that "instigator" and "target" are different parts of speech, but the word "style" is different. Is there a word for the opposite of (and in the same "style" as) target?


texts:
I came across a title with a "from A over B to C" structure, namely

  "Facts and events from the USA over the UK to Australia"

Now, I personally think this is incorrect (potentially a carbon copy of a German expression, if a Google search is to be trusted - but I'm no German expert myself), and would personally use either "from A to B to C" or "from A through B to C".

Am I wrong in thinking that "from A over B to C" is not proper English? Perhaps it's just an expression I've never come across?

EDIT: Also, the contest this title refers to supposedly also covers stuff about Ireland, Canada and New Zealand, so I would assume the three countries provided in the title are not supposed to be an exhaustive list. Not sure if that helps, really.


texts: The verb for carrying out a bitwise OR/AND operation

texts:
I'm writing a scientific/technical text which involves describing some low level code.

I need to complete the following sentence:

  When two values are combined, their tags are _ _ _ _ _ _ together

Where the dashed line should be filled with a word specifying the tags have been combined using a bitwise OR operation (or AND operation).

I also need the word for the present tense.


texts: Is there a simple synonym for the word "paradoxically"?

texts: I'm looking for a simpler way to say paradoxically in a parenthesis. Would "oddly enough" or "funnily enough" work as substitutes? Is there a shorter and more accurate alternative?


texts: Meant as comic, but unintentionally serious and apropos

texts:
I'm looking for a word/phrase which means "spoken comically at the time, but in retrospect, is appropriate/fitting to the true nature of the speaker."

If the word also has the added connotation of making the speaker unintentionally funny/buffoonish for these hidden/hypocritical that make his comic statement apropos, that'd be great.

The closest example I can think of would be a public figure who makes a joke about a topic that (s)he doesn't really believe in, and then it's later found out that they seriously believe it. IE, if a liberal politician said a joke about how a woman's place should be in the kitchen and it was taken lightheartedly (as if that's possible), but said politician was later found to be deeply misogynist, shedding light on the joke as indicative of his true belief.

Another example, self-deprecating humor that turns out to be true and a serious issue.


texts: Is the "beauty of design" a good phrase?

texts:
I was writing some words in my portfolio website. But I felt confused about this.

  In the time when I was coding my website, I've made several UI things. However, only after I entering this field, did I notice the beauty of design.

I was trying to express that when the time I built my website,  I've done some UI(user interface) techniques even though I didn't notice that. And after I really entered this field, I gradually knew how deep and beautiful of it.

Is there a better way to say it?


texts:
For example, I send A,B,C,D,E to let computer program deal with it.

A,B,C are in program job scope; the program will do it
D,E are not in the job scope

I want to express this to let the client know. How can it be said better? Please guide me.
Here are my thoughts:

This objects in not in my dealing scope: D..E
This objects had been passed: D,E


texts: What is the origin of the phrase "when push comes to shove"?

texts: "When push comes to shove" means "as a last resort" or "if absolutely necessary". Does anyone know why the phrase came to be used in this way?


texts: Name for a conversation where two people are talking about two things, without their knowledge

texts:
The show Arrested Development uses a writing technique I haven't seen very often, but I find very interesting. The idea is that two people will have a conversation where they are both talking from two completely different contexts, the conversation works in either context, and they both end without ever realizing they didn't understand each other.
Example: in this clip George Michael is shy about the fact that he has a crush on his teacher. His aunt thinks he doesn't want to admit that he sees his teacher as a mother-figure and confidant. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6Ap3xNLg4w


texts: in fact, in point of fact, as a matter of fact

texts:
Today I was tempted to write "in point of fact" and immediately wondered if this expression differed at all from "in fact" or "as a matter of fact." Dictionaries define one with the others. Ultimately, I chose "in fact" simply because it is more concise, and I doubt that I would ever use "in point of fact" or "as a matter of fact" if they are equivalent.

I understand that "in fact" is much more commonly used (perhaps in part because it can be comfortably used mid-sentence, whereas "in point of fact" and "as a matter of fact" are too clunky or interruptive mid-sentence).

However, does anyone know of a salient difference between these three expressions? Semantic or otherwise? In what circumstances would one sacrifice conciseness and choose "in point of fact" or "as a matter of fact" over "in fact"?


texts: Is it accurate/correct/proper to call an abusive dictator a megalomaniac?

texts:
The definition of megalomania indicates that it is the delusion of power, wealth, greatness, importance, etc.

So when talking about malicious dictators, especially those known for mass murder of their citizens, is it correct to refer to them as megalomaniacs?  They clearly have some mental issue going on where they don't relate to their fellow man like the majority of the species, but since they do in fact have the power to do what they're doing, would megalomania not apply?

It seems to me this is very context sensitive.  If a regular person felt they had the power to call an emergency session of congress, that would be a delusion.  If the president felt that, regardless of their ego, they do in fact have that power so it would not be megalomania.  If a bloodthirsty dictator were to kill thousands/millions of their people, but had a very clear understanding of what they were and weren't capable of, that wouldn't be megalomania right?  However if the same dictator thought they were a god and had the power to create or give life, that would.

Am I interpreting this right?


texts: I'm wondering why [sic] is used in this sentence

texts:
I found the sentence "newapaperman's [sic] newspaper."
But I don't know the reason [sic] is used in here.
please help. Thanks.


texts: Is the repitition of 'can' in this sentence a use of poor grammar?

texts:
Is the repetition of 'can' a use of bad grammar?

  "[...] certain files can be reduced in size and can still retain all crucial information [...]"

Should it simply be ""[...] certain files can be reduced in size and still retain all crucial information [...]"?

Thank you for your help.


texts: Phrase Request: "electronics for military use"

texts:
I am translating a CV into English. One of the mentioned companies is (directly translated):

  An international company operating in the industry of electronics for military use

I could write this and leave it at that, but I wondered whether there are better ways to express it.  Defense Contractor comes to mind:

  An international defense contractor for the electronics industry

Is there a better way to translate this sentence?


texts: The history of number in percent locutions

texts:
It seems that

  Ten percent of the pie is eaten

is now universally? considered correct.  Was there a time in the history
of modern English when this was not so?  That is, when are would have
been preferred?

For the record, I think a reasonable sentence analysis is the
following.

is/are : verb
ten percent : subject (plural)
of the pie : modifier of percent, which is subordinate to it

The current practice, I take it, is a contructio ad sensum (synesis),
like when one says mathematics is fun, that's good news, or a means
to an end. The verb form is determined by the ''logical'' subject (the
pie-piece) rather then the grammatical subject (ten percent).


texts:
Listening to Imagine Dragons song, I've found that one fragment is a bit strange (at least for me), and I don't really think it is grammatically correct. Here we go:

  The last thing that I do is bring you down...

Here, I believe, the main part is "The last thing is...". So, won't that be better if we use -ing form of the verb in this case? Like this:

  The last thing that I do is bringing you down...

There's a chance both are acceptable, but the question is, which one is more preferable?

I appreciate your help!


texts:
I've been working in the software industry for quite some time and I have adapted to some of the jargon used by programmers pertaining to how the computer reads, understands, and executes code.

I am trying however to write documentation for the common person and I'm not sure if what I have in my head will be clear.

So I have a process where the system takes data from any of three sources, but there is a hierarchy so that something written in the first source is preferred over the second and third. Or, only if specific data is missing from the first source, then it is taken from the second or third.

How can I state this? I want to list them as 1,2,3 and say:

  The following sources are listed in order of priority.

Is that clear? Or is there a better word or phrase?


texts: Is there a term for nicknames which are inserted between first and last names?

texts:
Examples:

Mike "no-stop" Granger
Jimmy "the wrench" Parsons

Is there a specific term that describes either of the following?

the nickname that comes between the first and last name
the format itself


texts:
I believe "obverse" has several meanings, with one being "the flip side of something (coin)."

I'm trying to cleverly contrast opposite approaches of a person's management duties.

"From a wide angle view, she oversees the organization's operations and business developments, while obversely attending to the concurrent needs of individual clients."

Is this the right usage of the word "obversely" to contrast "wide" with "individual?"  Is there one word that means both obverse and concurrent?  What I'm trying to say is "while on the flip side at the same time."

Is there more eloquent way to make the statement.  I really want to juxtapose the manager's effectiveness in her broad (wide) management duties against the individual  (narrow) needs of clients.

Thanks to all who respond!


texts: As "postscript" is one word, why do some abbreviate it as "p.s."?

texts:
'Postscript' is a single word in modern English, and Dictionary.com states that it's even based on a single Latin word, postscrīptum.  So, why do some abbreviate it to p.s. (or P.S.), as on this Wikipedia page? Is it OK to abbreviate it as ps.?

Update: It seems Dictionary.com may have been wrong with its etymological explanation of the modern English word.  Nevertheless, given that the modern English 'postscript' is one single word, shouldn't the abbreviation be able to be updated?


texts:
I recently came across the definition for length - Merriam-Webster defines it as

  the longer or longest dimension of an object

(other dictionaries have similar definitions).

This is not how I think I use it, and I'm wondering if I'm in the minority.  To me, 'length' refers to the more natural dimension and 'width' to the less natural dimension.  If the object has a natural up orientation, that dimension is usually 'height' and the others are 'length' and 'width'.

For example, a squat cylinder, if not placed flat on the ground, would be short (its length would be small) and wide (its width would be great).  Also, a chair with enormous armrests but only seating space for one person might not be long but it could be very wide.

Is this definition of length wrong or incomplete or am I using 'length' in an unusual manner? Obviously, I don't expect Merriam-Webster to change the definition - it should be both correct and simple, and my definition might be complex.


texts: Do vocal pitch and timbre differ by accent?

texts:
Guys from the UK and India seem to have higher-pitched voices than Americans. Similarly, I have heard comments from Japanese-American women that they make an effort to lower their voices when speaking English in the US in order to be taken more seriously.

Are there some accents within English for which the typical vocal pitch and timbre is high or low, or is this a personal, idiosyncratic dynamic of language?


texts: 'It is no secret': neutral style or not?

texts:
My recent assignment was to write an essay using a template my teacher had given me. The essay was supposed to begin with a phrase like 'It is common knowledge that' or 'there is no denying that', but I wanted to be more original and wrote the phrase 'It is no secret that', which I had heard used many times, instead. Later, my teacher told me the phrase was kind of obscure and most likely informal and that I shouldn't use it. So I want to find out if it is actually applicable and acceptable in an essay.

P.S. I'm not a native speaker, so please don't judge me if I'm being stupid.


texts: Is "accumulatory" a word? If not, what is?

texts:
Is "accumulatory" a word?  I'm intending it to be a word that means the opposite of "fragmentary".  I thought maybe "accumulatory" would be the adjective form of "accumulate", but I can't seem to find it in any dictionaries.

What is the adjective version of "accumulate"?  Or, what is a word that is the opposite of "fragmentary"?  I am using this word specifically to describe collisions that lead to the merging and growth of the colliding bodies, as opposed to collision that lead to the colliding bodies to fragment and shrink in size.


texts: Is it natural to say "My promises are absolute"?

texts: I just want to make a powerful statement about the powerful commitment towards my promises.


texts:
Thus much can be said that apart from geographical remoteness and the early formation of a highly centralized government, the commandments functioning as the moral core of the social and political order and believed universally by the people, must also plays a crucial role in development of Chinese civilization. (self-made)

Can "thus much" be used this way together with "that"? I know we normally say "it can be said that". But I want to emphasize that I want to say much, but it is the most I can say now, since "it is.." is too weak, I use this structure now, what do you think of it?


texts: Short for "common wishes that everybody says she has?"

texts: A friend is looking for a translation of his album title to English. The title in Persian roughly means "slogan wishes" if split apart and translated word by word. The actual meaning is "wishes that everybody chants like a slogan but most neither work towards nor achieve." What would you call it in English?


texts: How do you pronounce the acronym AKA (also known as)?


texts: if it didn't have / if it hadn't (conditional negation)

texts:
I heard that the first one is correct, but the second one is wrong from non-native english teacher. Could you explain why the second one is wrong? I do not understand what the difference is.
if the second one is correct, please let me know with detailed source:)

if we didn't have a space elevator, we couldn't go up to the space station.
if we hadn't a space elevator, we couldn't go up to the space station.


texts:
In the game Rise of The Tomb Raider, there's a mission where Lara (main protagonist) explores her parents' mansion. Her parents died when she was a child.

As she explores the possession, she recalls memories from her childhood. At some point she says (about her mom) "I wonder how my life would have been different had she lived".

Here come my questions:

Why does she say it like that? Is there any difference between what she said and "...how my life would have been different if she had lived". Why is there no IF ?
She clearly uses here third conditional which refers to past, though she's still alive. Her life is an ongoing process! I would have understood if she used "childhood" instead of "life".


texts:
I'm watching a stand up of Janeane Garofalo. She is saying she hates high fashion and models and then she says:

  You know, and when there are statistics, you know. Five-ten,
  one-twenty, fuck you. And stop making me feel bad about the way I look
  at myself. Stop it, TV. And stop it, movies...

Can anyone help me and tell me what "five-ten" and "one-twenty" refer to?


texts: What is the difference in meaning between "wouldn't be spending" and "wouldn't spend"?

texts:
The sentence in the text goes:

  You wouldn't be spending it for fun.

The "it" refers to some money the husband wants to spend on expanding his business and his wife is saying she agrees with that investment.

Does the nuance change at all if she were to say:

  You wouldn't spend it for fun.

Is there some general rule that explains the difference?


texts:
I don’t like you going there.
  I don’t like you to go there.

Like can take both -ing and a to-infinitive as complement. But can the expression that the matrix subject and the subject of to-infinitive are different, as (2), be used? OALD says “We'd like you to come and visit us” is possible. But I’m not sure if (2) is possible.

added samples after consulting Angela Downing's English Grammar, BNC, and COCA:

  And her mother did not like her to be out for too long. (Angela Downing, English Grammar, from BNC)
  He did not like her to leave his side for more than a day. (T S Eliot. Ackroyd, Peter. London, from BNC)
  Christina did not like them to receive such a bad impression of Crystal Springs. (BNC)
  she did not like you to call them geraniums! (BNC)
  However, schools did not like students to feel at home in arts and science. (BNC)
  Mrs Mantini did not like Rachaela to sit and read in the shop. (BNC)
  Dear mamma did not like me to use them. (COCA)
  David McCutcheon talked with therapists about the one thing he did not like women to do. (COCA)
  We did not like them to run free, leaving us at the mercy of their floods. (COCA)
  Dad did not like kids to touch his desk. (COCA)
  The woman did not like him to speak of dying, death, burial. (COCA)


texts: One word for call for a quick unplanned meeting

texts:
I am trying to finding one word that describes as "asking to meet for a quick & short meeting in a short notice"( where meeting is unplanned)"

The word should be polite as I want to use among people which include high designated people like CEO, Investor & so on.

Just FYI - Meeting would be online
Thanks.


texts:
I saw this message on an advert:

  Get a high speed connection without
  roaming charges instantly.

I am pretty sure that a better way to say it is:

  Instantly get a high speed connection
  without roaming charges.

If I am right about the first construction being wrong/poor, is there a name for the abusage? I run across such constructions fairly regularly.


texts: Suffix corresponding to an idea described with two nouns

texts:
Please pardon my lack of understanding for major English Language concepts, I'll be using layman's terms.

Now, I've encountered this issue in the past while writing. Consider this text:

  That was about the best he could do, information density wise.

You can replace information density with loads of other ideas which must be described using two nouns, i.e., refresh rate, focal length, cooking time, etc.

The problem is, "wise" in that sentence was supposed to be used in its suffix form, and it too could be replaced with loads of other descriptive suffixes.

How do I add a descriptive suffix to an idea described with two inseparable words?

Information density-wise?
Information-density-wise?
Information density -wise?


texts: Why does the last part of sentence be led by "given ..."?

texts:
Anyone can help to know why the last part of sentence below could be led by "given ...":

Japan's government wants nuclear power to comprise 20% to 22% of the overall energy mix by 2030, drawing criticism from campaigners who say nuclear plants will always pose a danger given the country's vulnerability to large earthquakes and tsunamis.

Thanks


texts: Was 'help' pronounced starting with a vowel sound?

texts:
In The King James Bible, Genesis:

2:20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

I have also found a book from 1729 by Edward Wells called An help for the right understanding of the several divine laws and covenants, whereby man has been oblig'd thro' the several ages of the world to guide himself in order to eternal salvation.
Does this mean that 'help' was pronounced starting with a vowel sound? Or was the rule for using the article an different back then?
I understand that hour, honor or heir have a silent 'h', coming from Latin and Greek. However, according to the American Heritage Dictionary:

help (hĕlp)
[...]
[Middle English helpen, from Old English helpan.]

Maybe there were several pronunciations? How did Shakespeare pronounce it in his works?


texts: What is the correct technical term for this "pool house" on my villa?

texts:
I have built a small "pool type" house on my estate villa. The house has a separate entrance, so where I enter the villa via my secure gates, the villa sits on the side. It has separate rooms and is completely closed off from my garden; you can only enter it from the street. I plan to rent it out to tenants.

The tenants have asked if there is a technical term for this type of property?

Below is a picture of it. You can see the building on the left. (The door and two lights)


texts: What does the following sentence mean [ From The Invisible Man , Ch 1 ]

texts:
I'm a little confused by the following sentence. I know all the nouns here, but I don't understand the phrase "a turn them bandages"

  What a turn them bandages did give me, to be sure!


texts: Does "reclaim" make sense in this context?

texts:
I reclaimed serenity and readjusted myself to this new life.

We can reclaim a property from someone else, but can we reclaim serenity from the angry self which was already the past existence of me?


texts: Can the present participle be used as adverbials of purpose?

texts:
Usually, infinitives with 'to' are used to indicate adverbials of purpose.
e.g.

I go downstairs to collect my parcel.
In order to keep warm, my dog curls up on the rug beside my bed every evening.

Can we use present participles as adverbials of purpose, as shown in the following sentence:
She telephoned saying that she was not coming this evening.
Is 'saying' an adverb of purpose, or an accompanying circumstance(attendant circumstance)? In other words, the action described with 'saying' is happening at the same time or to be on the safe side, roughly at the same time as the action 'telephone' .
Same confusion with the following example sentences regarding whether the present participles indicate purpose or just accompanying circumstances:
Tom has gone meeting his girlfriend.
He wrote a letter inviting me to his party.
I'm grateful for your help!


texts:
In sentences such as:

They talked to one another

Is the string one another a constituent, or are the two words part of a mandatorily gapped coordination of preposition phrases (or even verb phrases)?

If they are a constituent, are they an asyndetic coordination?

If they are not a coordination, is this a headed phrase? In which case which word is the head here, and which the complement?


texts: Has "thanks" always been as common of a courtesy as it now is?

texts:
I'm watching the series Boardwalk Empire, a period drama set in the early 1920s, and an odd thing I notice is that people often do not say "thanks" or "thank you" when I'd expect them to–for example, when one character hands another a cigarette or pours them a drink, "thanks" is almost never offered in return.

Is this just a quirk of the characters, many of whom are gangsters, perhaps a quirk of the writing style, or might it be historically accurate? I'm wondering if such everyday expressions of gratitude might not always have been as common as they are in modern English.


texts: A better way to say "to engage in double standard"

texts:
As is, it sounds a bit awkward to me.

Let me try to incorporate what I am after into a sentence. Just as Bush once said
"If this were a dictatorship, it'd be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator.", I would like to write something along these lines:
"Double standard does not bother me for as long as I am the one engaging in/doing it".

It does not quite roll off the tongue. Hopefully there is a better way.


texts: Can English have words that are both alliterations and also rhyme?

texts:
I’m wondering whether it’s possible for words to not only alliterate with each other but also rhyme with each other at the same time. Is it?

It seems like it should be possible, especially if you allow for a different number of syllables, but I can’t find any good examples.

Is this actually possible in English?


texts: Can an “s”-form plural follow an “s”-form possessive?

texts:
This is best described via an example. I believe this might be technically correct, but sounds clumsy:

  You need to look through all the chemicals shelves

There are multiple shelves, of type chemical. There is a chemicals shelf times many/plural. On the other hand you could have:

  You need to look through all the chemical shelves

This sounds better, but to me implies that the shelves themselves are chemicals. Obviously context factors in, in that most people would know that the shelves are not chemicals.


texts: What mistake is made when words are incorrectly split into two different words, changing the meaning?

texts:
Is there a terminology for when correct English words that are made up of other English words are incorrectly split to use the shorter words out of context?

Examples of the error I am trying to categorise:

Today I'll wear my everyday shoes. vs. Today I'll wear my every day shoes.
The weathermen have forecast rain. vs. The weather men have forecast rain.
An ideal setup would be full waterproofs. vs. An ideal set up would be full water proofs.
That would give me a headache. vs. That would give me a head ache.
We won thanks to great teamwork. vs. We won thanks to great team work.
Always make sure you backup your computer. vs. Always make sure you back up your computer.