texts: Is "stew away" a valid English expression?

texts:
In a biographic interview with a person from the United States (New York resident and native US citizen) I hear the following:

  So, I decided I can either stew away and feel sorry for myself for the rest of my life, or I can...

I am not sure if I hear "stew away" correctly. If not, what could the proper reading be?

Second, if "stew away" is anyway correct, what is the meaning? I do not find it in dictionaries. From context I imagine it should mean something like be angry, be filled with bad feelings, but do not do significant moves to change the situation.

(Note: consider that I simply could have mis-heared this, or be sitting on my ears and not hear the obvious. The interviewee talks very quickly, and the interview was recorded via telephone. On the other hand, record quality is pretty good.)


texts: What does 'straggling' mean in "(...)you found yourself in a wide, low, straggling entry with old-fashioned wainscots,(...)"?

texts:
What does straggling entry mean in the following passage from Moby-Dick?

Entering that gable-ended Spouter-Inn, you found yourself in a wide, low, straggling entry with old-fashioned wainscots, reminding one of the bulwarks of some condemned old craft. On one side hung a very large oilpainting so thoroughly besmoked, and every way defaced, that in the unequal crosslights by which you viewed it, it was only by diligent study and a series of systematic visits to it, and careful inquiry of the neighbors, that you could any way arrive at an understanding of its purpose.

From the research I did, I would think that straggling in this sentence is an adjective that derives its meaning from the verb straggle:
to escape or stretch beyond proper limits, as the branches of a plant; to spread widely apart; to shoot too far or widely in growth. Is it so?


texts: A be the occasion of B used in sentence, order of A and B?

texts:
Is the sentence

  A battle over the production of bread in Paris was the occasion of Marie Antoinette's unfortunate remark about eating cake.

written in the right order? Is it grammatically correct? If so, why?

To me, I feel like it should go like this:

  Marie Antoinette's unfortunate remark about eating cake was the occasion of a battle over the production of bread in Paris.

Does the meaning of the sentence differ if it is to be written in my way?


texts:
I am looking for a word that describes someone who says something to you but when talking to someone else says the complete opposite.

For example: if someone said they loved a color of a vehicle but when talking to others they say they hated it.


texts: When there is a phrase like "the page of the book," is it correct to put both the in the sentence? What are the rules in general? What if we had more OF in the sentence? e.g. "the room of the department of the organization"


texts:
Was the ‑e at the end of bye deliberately added in order to distinguish it from the word by?

Did they do that so that that way, even though the two words sound the same, they look different when written and you’d be able to tell which is which when you read them?

Is that kind of thing something that English has done in the past, changed their spellings so that words that sounds alike are written differently?


texts: some movie, book and game title have a title. And sequels often have the title a number and some more words what are the extra words called?

texts:
The best example would probably be most of the star wars movie titles
phantom menace, attack of the clones, revenge of the sith, return of the jedi, rogue one, empire strikes back, and the last jedi just to name a few.

The termninator movie series comes to mind also. the title have 2 parts instead of 3 like start wars Terminator 2: judgement day, Terminator 3 rise of the machines.

Lastly  have to mention what i seen that made me post this question the Ace combat video game series. Yes I am a fan of the series and i seen a youtube video for ace combat 7 with the proper title in the thumbnail. but the title mentioned the "extra words" from Ace Combat 5 title

Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere
Ace Combat 4: Shattered Skies
Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War
Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation
Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown

what is the term for the second part of the title?


texts: List with a complex item only at the end: semicolons or commas?

texts:
So, semicolons should be used to separate items in complex lists. But what if only one item contains a comma and that item is placed at the end of the list? For example:

  The body incorporated cheese and chocolate into its recommended daily diet, emphasized the importance of sugar, and encouraged people to eat apples, bananas, and celery.

Surely no ambiguity exists here. It seems unnecessary to me to use semicolons in such instances, but a colleague disagrees. Thoughts?


texts: How to spell [kæʃt] in the sense of "expended"

texts:
I have Googled but can't even find this word sense in online dictionaries. I've heard the word [kæʃt] used in the sense of "expended", such as in the following examples:

My drink is [kæʃt]. (implying that it is empty)
The bowl is [kæʃt]. (implying there is no more marijuana)

I assume it would be spelled "cashed" (and may have an etymological relationship to "cashing out" at a casino) or "cached", but I am not sure. How is it spelled? Also, please offer a definition of this term if my usage is incorrect (the above two examples are the only contexts in which I've heard it used—perhaps it is only used in reference to alcohol and drugs).


texts:
I’m looking for a word to describe the language of a writer which has the characteristic of being  rich and at the same time says that the words that this writer uses have many layers of meanings.

The word polysemous (having multiple meanings) and the word multivalent (defined as having many values, meanings, or appeals) seem to fit the description. Yet both words sound quite technical to me. I’ve never encountered the word polysemous outside the field of linguistics and multivalent — according to the dictionary — is used mostly in chemistry.

So which word is better?

The writer’s language is so rich and polysemous.
The writer’s language is so rich and multivalent.

Also, are there other, better synonyms?


texts: Term for confusing similarities with exact matches

texts:
I'm looking for a term that applies to the kind of mindset/thought process where someone sees a couple of similarities between two things, then decides that 'They're the same' or 'They just copied each other!'

I thought it was 'lazy pattern matching' but that seems to be a software term, 'false pattern recognition' might have been what I was thinking of: Seeing patterns that aren't there. I'm just not sure if it still applies when the two things do have similarities, but also enough differences that it seems a little quick to judge them as being the same. 'Thin-slicing' seemed like it might be applicable as well.

A couple of examples:

When the video game Nioh came out some people described it as a rip-off of The Witcher because the main character in both games has white hair and wields a sword.

Jeff Goldblum tells stories in interviews of how he gets a lot of encounters with strangers who think they look like him. Sometimes they just turn out to be men in glasses.

Is there a better term for these comparisons than 'false pattern recognition'?


texts:
Which of the variants is more correct in (American) English, "which usually is the case for ..." or "which is usually the case for ..."? For example

  Some people don't speak perfect English, which (usually is | is usually) the case for me.

The Google search seems to return twice as many results for the first variant, but the second one feels bit more easy to say.


texts: Semantic drift: are the words "can", "could", etc becoming contranyms?

texts:
There have been questions on ELU about the pronunciation of can and can't in American English. This question is about the usage of the word, not simply its pronunciation.

Here are a couple of examples found on google:

"Can help but to revert ...";
"Could care less" (admittedly, this phrase also has other plausible reasons for being);

If contraction 't (apostrophe-t) was simply missed occasionally, it could simply be excused as poor proof-reading. However, the omission seems to be more widespread in popular usage. The root word (e.g. can) still retains its original, positive meaning, so a sentence such as "I can do that" is now at risk of being ambiguous - can is then its own antonym.

My question: is there a semantic drift occurring with words such as can and could, turning them into contranyms?


texts: Is 'Thanks for your trouble' a common phrase?

texts:
Is it a common phrase 'Thanks for your trouble' ?

I read this sentence in some speaking books.

However, I think the phrase 'thanks for your effort' is better to express my

intentions, doesn't it?


texts:
I have come across many sentences which use "with","to","for" with affinity in different ways. I am getting confused as to how to use this noun-preposition collocation.
Some dictionaries have examples like

She has a distinct affinity for music.

McMillan
and also Cambridge

She seems to have a natural affinity for/with water.

But other sources say this should be avoided.

...in formal English, the phrase affinity for should be avoided. The editor Theodore M. Bernstein advised writers to "discard for" and instead "use between, with, or sometimes to."

GrammarBook.com
I would like to know if there is any real rule to this.


texts: Correct translation of "Out of the night that covers me"

texts:
I am trying to translate Invictus by William Ernest Henley into my language. I was done translating it, but I had a discussion with a fried for the first line.

  Out of the night that covers me.

My idea is that the best way to translate it is in the night that covers me, because he is in it, and he is thanking the gods for allowing him to go so far. My friend suggests that out of be taken literally, as in beyond. Which is more correct? Can both be used?


texts: Internationally recognized synonym/term for 'technical passport'?

texts:
What's the common, internationally recognized term for such a document:

A technical passport is a document intended for the customer. It contains the most important technical data of the machine or device and the operating characteristics. The technical passport must be available throughout the life cycle of a device or machine. The technical passport is issued by the manufacturer according to the standards GOST 2.601-2013 and 2.610-2006. In certain cases, the technical passport must be presented when to a notified body. The technical passport shall be issues separately for each plant or machine and each serial number. The technical passport is written in Russian.
ref: https://schmidt-export.com/technical-documentation/technical-passport

The domain
We're developing electrical machines audit system, each machine has its own tech passport. We can stick to just 'technical passport', yet it's an interesting thing to know about.


texts: What is the difference between "vouch" and "guarantee"?

texts:
To me, there is a difference between "vouch" and "guarantee".

To vouch for someone, you are stating that because of your relationship, you have knowledge that their character is good. However, I think if I introduce you to someone and vouch for them, I am leaving open the possibility that you and that person might not get along for whatever reason.

To guarantee someone, to me, means that I am 100% assuring you of their future actions. So if I guarantee that my friend can fix guitars, and you go to him to have your guitar fixed, and he fails, I know you might come to me and be angry about it.

I believe vouching is about character, and guaranteeing is about actions. It's possible to vouch for someone's character without guaranteeing what they'll do, and it's possible to guarantee what a person might do without necessarily knowing their broader personality (for example, I might be able to guarantee the guy at the guitar shop always fixes guitars, but I don't hang out with him, so maybe he's a jerk.)

However, recently when trying to translate the concept of "vouch" into Japanese, it became apparent to me that some people do not make this distinction. The Japanese language itself does not distinguish between vouch and guarantee either. So it became unclear if my definition was a personal one.

Is there a difference, is it wide enough, and is it commonly accepted?


texts: “dedicated to helping people ” or “dedicated to help people”

texts:
I have this sentence:

  I'm a volunteer in an organization that is dedicated to helping people find answers about life in the Bible.

or it should be

  I'm a volunteer in an organization that is dedicated to help people find answers about life in the Bible.

Which is correct?


texts:
I used to use deus ex machina but recently found out that it's an unexpected solution to a problem (used in movie plots when someone swoops in and saves the day when all was supposedly lost).

I'm looking for a phrase which embodies the following concept. "XXX is a theory which has been abused as a YYY", meaning that due to the nature of XXX, it can be used to explain away several hypotheses without real justification.


texts: Is there an adjective for "bear" in a similar sense as how "feline" and "canine" are adjectives for cat and dog?


texts: Is there a word for something that has been slowly intensifying, and has now reached a degree that needs attention

texts: I'm trying to write an article where I am talking about a phenomenon that has been creeping in the background, and has now reached epic proportions that deserves immediate attention. For example, I'd like a positive word (so not "a mounting problem") for saying this concisely: We must start deploying efficient rainwater harvesting solutions now, given the increasing degree of water scarcity. I'm pretty sure there's a word for it, but I couldn't find it using a thesaurus. A concise phrase would be the next best thing.


texts: Avoiding “is that” when adding an explanatory subordinate clause to a sentence in academic writing

texts:
Consider the following sentence as a starter of the final paragraph of an article:

  While previous studies have proven to be valuable, a potential drawback of the type of methods used is that they evaluate . . ..

When I read that sentence out loud, it sounds a bit “clumpy” perhaps even a bit informal. Is there better way to phrase such a sentence? Alternatively, am I worried for no reason here?


texts:
Are we allowed to use (') to express possession  or is it incorrect usage?

For example

  My parents's wealth is precious to me<


texts: Why word "weighten" aren't actually a valid word?

texts: There's bunch of words with -en form of word like height-heighten, bright-brighten and others, but weight-weighten aren't valid pair. Is there any reasons, why is it like that? Is there any rule for that kind of morphology?


texts: What is the the right way to say "for user" or "to user"

texts:
What is the the right way to say(for or to)?

Private message from John `for` Jake

or

Private message from John `to` Jake


texts: What do you call someone that grew up in a poor background but has became very rich?

texts: The question is self-explanatory. A person that rose up from the american poverty line to become rich and famous.


texts: Is there any difference between "admonish" and "warn"?

texts: Is there any difference between admonish and warn?


texts: What is it called when like minded people agree with each other praise in a discussion

texts:
What is it called when like minded people agree with and praise each other in a discussion.

For example, three people are discussing on some topic but they agree on everything anyone says. It's a little offensive word. Not sure how offensive since can't remember but offensive for sure. Not sure if that's just a slang.


texts: Word meaning appearance of a word on a page? (emboldened, italicised etc.)

texts:
I'm sure there's a word referring to the appearance of a written word, such as its font face, whether it's emboldened or not and so on.

I can't remember what it is - can anyone help?

Edit: Some of the responses are only appropriate for printed or typed words. They're close, but not quite what I'm looking for


texts: "There is" or "There are": which is appropriate before "a whole slew of academic articles"?

texts:
There are a whole slew of academic articles.

To me, it seems that this sentence should say "There is a whole slew of academic articles," because the agreement should be with "slew." But I'm having a hard time finding which is correct and why after much Googling.


texts: A word or term for extrapolation fallacy or using results beyond their context? [Solved]

texts:
I am looking for a word or term that means something like:

you are using previous results outside boundaries of the original experiment/observation
earlier experience/results does not apply in all other cases
you are extrapolating findings beyond original context
those specific test results don't apply to every case
there is no evidence that previous observations apply in all other cases
those findings cannot be applied here
it does not follow that...

For example - someone has measured some attribute and concluded it increases efficiency (ignoring correlation and causality) - then extrapolate to claim that all other cases would benefit from increasing this attribute. I want to say that is not true, because the original observation applied to specific situation and it's faulty logic or extrapolating too much to assume the same thing works everywhere.

I Found a list of fallacies on Wikipedia- the ones that I think are most appropriate are: Faulty Generalization, Hasty Generalization, Fallacy of Composition and Inductive Fallacy


texts:
I wanted to ask a question about the adverbs away and apart.

The villages are miles apart.
The exam is only two weeks away.
It is three days apart.
It is five kilometers away/apart.

Away and apart are supposed to be adverbs right? So they must be modifying either adjectives, adverbs, or verbs -- right?

What do they modify in these examples?

FIrst example, miles apart: does apart modify miles (which is a noun)?

Same thing goes for away, like two weeks away.  Two weeks is a noun.


texts:
I am a poor colonial, Canadian, watching the BBC legal series "Silk". Here is the exchange for which I need a definition:

Billy: "... you're gold."
Aisha: "No,...perhaps UK gold."

What is the meaning of 'UK gold' ?


texts: Meaning of: "No man is an island, entire of itself"

texts:
No man is an Island, entire of itself

From an excerpt by Francis Bacon (1561-1626).

What does the line mean?
Does it count as a proverb?


texts:
I am having trouble trying understanding this sentence grammatically.

I'm not sure if it's an abbreviation a future continuous tense where the action of "staying" is implied or if it's even future continuous at all?

From as i understand, the rule of future continuous is:

  The future continuous refers to an unfinished action or event that
  will be in progress at a time later than now.

The action in the sentence is referring to an unfinished action "here until 7pm" but there is no base form verb in the sentence to add "ing" to.

So i am wondering is this really future continuous and the base form verb is implied as below?

  I will be (staying) here until 7pm.

But then i don't feel this sentence feels right in the context of:

  If you need me i will be (staying) here until 7pm.

That doesn't feel right to me.

Is it more correct to say "I am here until 7pm."


texts:
I have 1210.802 units in a mutual fund. How do I write it in words?

"One thousand two hundred and ten..." How do I write the decimal units here?


texts: I have read at some very good forums with impeccable liguistic records - using politics with a plural verb

texts: Office politics are real, and dangerous. Just as there is likely merit to the judgements of those who judge colleagues harshly — so is it true that power politics in organizations can cause organizational drag, dumb down decisions, and damage careers. My point is that it is your response to both perceived and real machinations that either amplifies or moderates these dysfunctions.


texts: How do I omit part of part of a legal definition with an ellipsis?

texts:
I need to contract the below sentence (it was legalese that I have simplified) to just present (b), but need to indicate that (b) is not the only condition:

  Ending on the earlier of (a) [occurrence] and (b) [date]

Should this be:

  Ending on the earlier of ... and (b) [date]

  Ending on the earlier of  ... (b) [date]

  Ending on the earlier of (a) ... and (b) [date]

Or something else.


texts: Right tense for conditional event in nondescript time?

texts:
What is the right tense to describe an event that might have occured, be occuring or occur in the future, if (not) for something that happened in the past?

Unike, in the examples, which anchor the event to:

  If you hadn't killed him, he would have killed countless innocents.
  (past, i.e. his killing spree would have started in the past and possibly ended by now)

  If you hadn't killed him, he would be killing countless innocents now.
  (present i.e. his killing spree started before and would be occurring currently)

I'm interested in a form that does not suggest the time in relation to current moment, but only in relation to the moment of when the condition ocurred.

Edit: Would this simple form be what I need?

  If you hadn't killed him, he would kill countless innocents.

Does this leave the event/period as future relative to the past event, but unanchored to the present moment of time as intended? Or am I understanding it wrongly?


texts: Noun describing when one acquires a large amount of capital in a short period of time

texts: I'm convinced I read the dictionary definition of a word like this before, now I am going insane trying to find it again.  Any ideas what I'm thinking of?


texts: Is there a word for "reorder and/or delete items of a list"

texts: This word must not include describing the action of adding an item to a list, duplicating items, or altering items, but rather exactly a subset of the actions {rearrange, delete}. In the past, I used 'Edit' and now am considering using 'Reorder/Delete' to be explicitly clear which is a bit unconventional.


texts: Is "receival" a valid word for the act of receiving something?

texts:
In the course of reviewing a standard operating procedure, I came across the subheading:
"Receival, Costing and Charging of Work".

I immediately began to doubt whether the word "receival" was a legitimate equivalent to the noun "receipt", as in: receipt of samples...

My gut feeling is that use of "receival" in place of the word "receipt", as above, is either outmoded/archaic, or entirely incorrect.

Several Google searches of the word tend to confirm my suspicion that "receival" is used very rarely these days, and generally only occurs as a noun modifier. (For example: receival bin, receival limits, Grain Receival Standards.)

Am I correct in assuming that "receival" should not be used as a post-qualified* noun, such as in: receival of work?

*(I just made up that compound adjective; feel free to correct me if you are aware of the proper term.)


texts:
1a) The news is all over the newspapers around the world.

1b) The news is all over newspapers* around the world.

Why exactly do we use the even though it is not specifying some newspapers? I have seen the usage of the in some proper names such as The Golden Gate Bridge, what exactly is the conveying?


texts:
In that discomfort, breathing quicklime and tar, no one could see very
  well how from the bowels of the earth there was rising not only the
  largest house in the town, but the most hospitable and cool house that
  had ever existed in the region of the swamp. (One Hundred Years of
  Solitude, tr. by Gregory Rabassa)

The that-clause is a complement providing the criterion for ‘the largest’ and ‘the most’, isn’t it? (It seems like the ‘indirect complement’ that is said in ‘The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language.')


texts: Proper term for people from eastern Asia

texts:
I once posted an article on the web in which I referred collectively to people from China, Japan, and the Koreas as "Oriental". I got an email from someone who informed me that this is an offensive term and that I should call such people by the specific country of origin -- "Chinese" or whatever -- or collectively as "Asians". She claimed that "Oriental" refers to an object, like "an Oriental vase", and is insulting when applied to a person.

I consider "Asian" inappropriate as it would include Siberians, Afghans, Pakistanis, etc. And of course "Chinese" is unacceptable if you want to include Japanese, Koreans, and related cultures.

So my question is: Do people from this part of the world really find the word "Oriental" offensive? If so, what term do they prefer for themselves? I'd be particularly interested in hearing from someone who actually is of Japanese, Chinese, etc., background, rather than an American or European saying what he thinks someone else thinks.

(Frankly I thought the argument about "Oriental" applying to an object was a little curious. I call myself an "American". I don't find it at all offensive that the same word used to describe me as a human being is also used to describe objects, like "American cars", "American food", etc. Both people and objects can be from the same physical place, so I don't see any problem with using the same adjective to describe both. But maybe there are different connotations to the word "Oriental". )


texts: Rephrasing "a field is becoming ripe for" or "maturing" with a more appropriate sentence

texts:
I am writing a scientific article in collaboration with a colleague. We wrote

"studies of this field are becoming ripe for further exploration...".

Something about the word "ripe" in this sentence is not nice but I can not seem to get successful at rephrasing it in a better way. Some of the sentences I tried:

Research in this field is maturing.
Findings in this field are becoming amenable to deeper investigations.

They are still awful. Any suggestions/hints to write this better by the masters of the art in this great forum will be really appreciated.


texts: I asked a physics question about a scale tipping over and asked Which way does the scale tip? I was later corrected that I should have asked whether the scale would tip down or tip up. So it made me wonder, what the correct way of asking such question would have been?


texts:
I am looking for a word that describes when someone is thinking of their beloved so deeply that they almost become addictive to these thoughts, or perhaps is overthinking about them so much so that they cannot get rid of these thoughts no matter what.

I tried googling "addictively" but unfortunately that doesn't seem to be a word according to Oxford dictionary.

The sentence in context goes like this:

  When was the last time you were lost in my thoughts as addictively as I be?


texts: When can I consider "authorities" as a plural noun that has no singular form?

texts:
For example

The authorities are advising drivers to avoid the area if at all possible.


texts: What's the word that describes this ability/quality?

texts:
What is the word that describes someone who displays the ability to think of alternative ways of dealing with a situation, especially a situation that calls for it and then acts upon it? In my native language, it is a relatively common word. As I thought of it, the idiom think on your feet, and the word nimble sprang to mind. It is the closest expressions I could think of, although it is similar, it does not contain the exact meaning of that word.

Basically it's an adjective that describes someone who's able to quickly think of alternatives in a situation, especially in a situation that calls for it. He is able to accommodate to new situations as opposed to someone who, if faced with a similar situation, will become stuck, not knowing what to do and unable to think of any alternatives.

For example, If someone who's shopping for ingredients for the desired dinner he's going to prepare for his party guests discovered that one of the ingredients for a dish he's going to prepare is not sold in any of his local grocery stores, he buys another similar ingredient as a substitute. He is (that word), because he has the ability to think of alternative ways in dealing with the situation where as someone who is not (that word) is rather dull and when faced with such situations, will propably decides not to prepare that dish and may also get frustrated/upset over the matter.


texts: What is the adverbial form of “communicational”?

texts:
I tried communicationally, but the Free Dictionary doesn’t find it to be a word.

What I am trying to express is that someone is communicationally challenged, basically meaning they can’t communicate very well.


texts: Term for someone who has a last name that can also be a first name

texts: There is such a term but I can't remember it. We learned it in Junior High. A co-worker of mine can't remember it either, but she thinks it begins with para-, which helps me none.


texts: What is specific usage of "to be of service"?

texts: Can you let me know specific usage of that expression?


texts: Print vs type. What is the difference exactly?

texts:
I am filling out some employment forms and came across the following sentence that I don't fully understand:

  Print your full legal name, address, date of birth and social security
  number. Please don’t type this information.

I am not sure what is the difference between print and type here. I assume this is related to printing using a printer vs printing by hand? Which is which?


texts: As I understand the meaning of the term "brushstroke", it usually means continuous line painted with brush. Is there any word for especially one single touch brushstroke?


texts: When is "to" a preposition and when the infinitive marker?

texts:
I want to see you.
  I look forward to seeing you.

How can one say "to" in the first sentence is an infinitive marker and in the second sentence a preposition when we are given just the following two sentences and are asked to fill in the blanks?

  I want to ____(see/seeing) you.
  I look forward to __(see/seeing) you.


texts: Difference between "are you done" and "have you done."

texts:
I was just wondering, how can we differentiate "are you done?" and "have you done?", and
what is the appropriate way to use each?


texts: Word describing list of things discussed in a meeting that already happened

texts:
I attended a meeting and now I'd like to refer to the points discussed in it. I initially thought the term to be used in this context is "agenda". However, according to the Cambridge dictionary, "agenda" refers only to the list of matter that will be discussed.

  A list of matters to be discussed at a meeting.

It's not clear to me if one can also use "agenda" to refer to the list of items that were indeed discussed in a previous meeting. Maybe the agenda for the meeting was one, but the attendees actually ended up discussing more (or different) things. Can I use "agenda" to refer to the actual points that were discussed, or is there another word for this purpose?


texts: Word to describe the structure of a paper

texts:
In a paper, I need to mention the commonly-used “introduction, main part, conclusion” structure.

Is there a (single) word for describing this structure? It seems odd to write out “‘introduction, main part, conclusion’ structure” all the time.

Example sentence:

  Sometimes papers with a strong investigative aspect don’t follow the “introduction, main part, conclusion” structure.
  Sometimes papers with a strong investigative aspect don’t follow the __________ structure.


texts: Level of certainty in "intend" versus "hope"

texts:
I am trying to write an essay detailing my short and long term goals and I want to convey to the reader that these are goals that I fully intend on achieving. I was going to say "I intend, not hope" but I am unsure if the level of certainty conveyed by both word is the same or not.
Would that sentence work as desired if used as a title?


texts: "a horse most likely to win a race" x "a horse that doesn't seem to stand a chance"

texts:
Is there a single-word or noun phrase for a horse considered a favorite?  In fact, even more than a favorite: every bookmaker feels sure that horse is winning a forthcoming race.  e.g. "Twice Over" is certainly a ___________.

Also, at the other end of the spectrum, what is the word for that horse nobody gives any credit to, but ends up arriving first? In that case, if you place a bet on a __________ and it wins the race, you're likely to collect very good winnings.


texts: Why is a jug of draft beer called a "growler?"

texts:
Growler is a slang term for a large can, pail, or jug of beer, often sold at breweries so that one can purchase beer in bulk and bring it home.

Searching around for the origin of this term, I've found a few different speculative theories.
The OED offers an attestation from 1888, but provides no etymology.
Wikipedia offers this theory:

It is claimed the sound that the carbon dioxide made when it escaped from the lid as the beer sloshed around sounded like a growl.

Green's Dictionary of Slang offers a few possible explanations, some of which overlap with the others outlined below.

ety. unknown; [perhaps from] the growling, grating noise of the can as it slid, full of beer, across the bar, or the ‘growling’ or grumbling of the children who were sent on the errand, or the drunken arguing that ensued among recipients of the liquor

This article in Thrillist has another possibility.

Although beer was once sold in pints, bartenders would fill a growler with nearly a quart of suds (aka two pints) because there weren't measurement standards in place yet. Often, bartenders and beer drinkers would argue about how much booze should be poured into the pail, and customers would sometimes whine about it like little dogs.

World Wide Words passes along this etymological thoery on the term:

To rush the growler was to take a container to the local bar to buy beer...
Gerald Cohen and Barry Popik argue on the basis of chase the duck that it and rush the growler evoke the image of a hunter sending his dog rushing to fetch downed prey, so that the growler in our expression is the dog. That slang term was then transferred to the can.

BeerNexus.com isn't afraid to offer a speculative theory:

maybe it was the rumble from the workman's hungry stomach at lunch just before the container was opened.

Question
All the theories I can find online seem to be a matter of pure speculation.  Can any of these theories be supported or disputed with evidence or historical context?  Are there any other possible origins of the term "growler?"


texts:
What does "though the latter is by no means given" mean?
Does the "latter" refer to "renewal"?

  Not only do many of these incursions into the cityscape possess a
  ‘temporary aspect’ in their realisation but frequently they seek out
  temporary spaces as their settings: liminal sites in a state of
  transition from physical decline to renewal – though the latter is by
  no means given – or whose complex sociocultural make-up renders them
  subject to continual fluctuations.


texts: Is the usage of idiom, “get hold of the wrong end of the stick” situation specific?

texts:
I came across the idiom, “get hold of the wrong end of the stick” in the following sentence of the scene where Barry Calvert, an FBI agent tells his colleague, Mark Andrews about the statement of an illegal Greek immigrant on suspected assassination scheme in Jeffery Archer’s fiction, “Shall we tell the President” P.37:

  “I don’t believe a word of it,” Barry said immediately. “With his
  English, he could easily have got hold of the wrong end of the stick. It was
  probably quite innocent. People curse the President all the time. My
  father does, but that doesn’t mean he would kill her.”

I checked the meaning of “get hold of the wrong end of the stick” with a couple of dictionaries:

Cambridge Dictionary defines it as “to not understand a situation correctly.”
The FreeDictionary defines it exactly in the same way as Cambridge - “(informal). to not understand a situation correctly”

Kenkyusha Publishing’s Readers English Japanese Dictionary defines it as “make an error of the judgment (of situation).

While the definitions of the above three English and English Japanese dictionaries are all “Situation specific,” Collins English Dictionary defines it as “a complete misunderstanding of a situation, explanation, etc.”

Can I use “get hold of the wrong end of the stick other than a “situation,” e.g. for meaning of word(s), message, statement, somebody’s notion, view, intent, and idea?  Can I say “I get hold of the wrong end of the stick on his remarks (or instructions)”?

Secondarily, what is the origin of this idiom?

Correction:

I was reminded of that I dropped “end of the” from “get hold of the wrong end of the stick by TimLymington's advice.

It’s careless but a great mistake that occurred when I was transcribing the original text of Archer’s fiction. My apology.

I suspected if I should cancel this question. However, the definitions of all dictionaries of the idiom, and my question about whether the idiom is “situation specific,” or not remain the same.
So I ventured to leave it as it is by making necessary corrections.


texts: Why is "fridge" spelt with a 'd' but "refrigeration" spelt without one?

texts: The question is in the title, why does the word, refrigeration not have a 'd' in it when fridge does?


texts: "Attached {is/are} X, Y and Z." If X, Y and Z are all singular, is it correct to use "is" here?

texts:
Which is correct?

Attached are our compensation plan, an independent contract agreement, and a W9.
Attached is our compensation plan, an independent contract agreement, and a W9.

I thought because each of the items segregated by the comma was singular it should be "is".


texts:
Honesty is the best policy

In this sentence, it is clear that Honesty is the noun. But should policy also a noun?
I'm not good at grammar so I'm sorry if the question sounds dumb.


texts: A word for design that is clear and does not need to be explained

texts:
For example, in a videogame where the level teaches you a game mechanic through level design rather than telling you, or a device that doesn't need instructions because the design clearly shows you how it works.

I thought the word was "innovative" but that's not quite right it seems, as that's more to do with coming up with new ideas.

Example:

  Super Mario 3D Land has _____ level design, as it teaches you through playing the level instead of relying on tutorials or trial and error


texts: Hypernym for “sender” and “recipient” (in terms of a shipment)

texts:
What is a hypernym for "sender" and "recipient" in terms of a shipment?

I am searching for a name for a name of member of a class that can be both sender and recipient of a shipment.


texts: Is there a word or phrase for an insult that is presented as "I would never call" which is a meaningless denial in context?

texts:
This question has been closed as a duplicate because it has an answer elsewhere, but anyone who wishes to write a new answer is most welcome to post it under the original question, possibly referencing this question in your new answer to avoid any confusion.

I have heard some people insult others explicitly with the rider "I would never call" which is a meaningless denial in context because the person is effectively calling them that right then and there, as in

I would never call you a dull, idiotic bigot...
I would never call my learned opponent fat, ugly and ignorant...

Alternate form kindly reminded by @Fattie in a comment:

"Many people have said she is XZY [insult] - but of course I'd never say that!"

This is often heard in a political context but also in personal interactions. Is there a word or phrase to describe this?
Phrases I have considered and rejected: It is not a veiled insult or a qualified insult because the insult is not veiled/ qualified but explicit, and it is not a backhanded compliment because it is not a mitigated compliment or an insult with potential to carry a compliment, but is an outright, unmitigated insult.
Update: Thanks to @Edwin Ashworth for marking as duplicate and pointing to the earlier question: of those 4 answers the word apophasis seems very appropriate for this context based on the insulting political examples provided in the article linked: https://thoughtco.com/what-is-apophasis-rhetoric-1689115


texts:
The phrase "on the up-and-up" means "legitimate" or "legal" or "reputable" or, to use another idiom, "above-board".  For instance:

  Although Pete didn't look like a city official, Joe assumed his offer to sell the Brooklyn Bridge was totally on the up-and-up.

Where does this expression come from?

Related: What does “We don’t do anything that’s not completely up and up” mean?


texts: Is it correct to say 'I gave off to students'

texts: If you are a teacher and you cancel today's class, is it correct to say 'I gave off to students'?


texts:
If we consider the two sentences:

  On Mondays, near 10% of the workforce report sick;
  On Mondays, nearly 10% of the workforce report sick;

I am inclined to think that the latter is correct. But '10% of the workforce' is a noun-phrase, so the adverb 'nearly' should not logically be there.
I saw a few sentences similar to the first, but I am not very convinced they are correct.
Couldn't find this in the Wren & Martin.
Please correct me if I am wrong.


texts: The expression 'time without number' seems wrong. But it's been published by two highly regarded sources, so how is this justified?

texts:
How are we to understand the following sentence as being grammatical? If it isn't, why should we excuse it's not being so?

  For thirteen years she had been a schoolmistress, and during those
  years she had gone into town for her salary time without number.

Chekhov, Anton Pavlovich, and Cathy Popkin. “In the Cart.” In Anton Chekhovs Selected Stories: Texts of the Stories, Comparison of Translations, Life and Letters, Criticism. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2014.

According to the Farlex dictionary of idioms, 'without number' means "So numerous as to be uncountable." For example: "The varieties of wordplay available in English are almost without number."

What is without number here is 'varieties', which is plural. This makes sense and is reflected in all other examples I've found of 'without number'.

The problem with Chekhov's translated story is that 'without number' is modifying 'time', which is singular.

If indeed incorrect, how are we to tolerate ungrammaticality in a work of prose?


texts: Word for the sheets replacing room doors in East Asian countries

texts: In many East Asian countries it is common to have a sheet instead of a door separating rooms. Furthermore, the rooms themselves can be divided by hanging sheets from the ceiling. These sheets are just pieces of cloth and they are used instead of doors in many warm places because the don't interrupt the air flow. What is the generic English word for these sheets?


texts: Coordinate adjectives vs. cumulative adjectives in sentence

texts:
Should I put a comma between the two adjectives wasted and countless in the following sentence?
There are wasted, countless opportunities out there.

Or should the sentence be:
There are wasted countless opportunities out there.

? Are these two adjectives coordinate or cumulative?
I guess they are coordinate because their order can be changed or we can use an and conjunction and the sentence would still sound quite right:
There are countless, wasted opportunities out there.

Or:

There are countless and wasted opportunities out there.

Thank you for your attention.


texts:
What does this phrase mean?

  hold on to your hair


texts: "not so useful as" vs "not as useful as"

texts:
I do not understand whether the first or the second sentence is correct, or perhaps both?

No other metal is so useful as iron.
No other metal is as useful as iron.

Although the latter feels correct to me. Any light shed on the above would be much appreciated!


texts:
I was reading this article: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/plants-prescribed-depression-anxiety-manchester-trial-a9078041.html.

It is about a medical practice prescribing planting instead of drugs. A GP commented: 'So much of what keeps people happy and well isn’t medical. That’s why ideas like this one are so wonderfully effective...'.

I am not sure what 'so much of' here means. Does it mean this method is very rare?

I cannot find the exact phrase in dictionaries. A similar phrase I found is 'so much for', but the meaning of it does not seem to fit here.


texts: What's the word for using power in a morally unacceptable way?

texts: As we know, some people from the show business have recently been accused of multiple cases of sexual harassment. What would be the precise term for such abuse of power?


texts: Can the word "majors" used as a verb be followed by "on"?

texts:
Which of the following is correct? Are both acceptable?

"Acme construction majors on quality remodeling and renovation."
"Acme construction majors in quality remodeling and renovation."


texts: I would think it's "a NNN REIT" in this case, despite the vowel sound, because this would typically be read as "a triple-net REIT" by those with domain knowledge. The person I consulted with said NNN might be read as the individual letters rather than as "triple-net". What should I go with here?


texts: What is the difference between these "clause separators"?

texts:
Here is an example sentence:

  At the start of the day you may (if you like) make yourself a slice of toast.

Are the brackets appropriate to separate the clause "if you like" from the main sentence? Is there a fundamental difference between the following alternatives?

  At the start of the day you may, if you like, make yourself a slice of toast. (commas)
  At the start of the day you may — if you like — make yourself a slice of toast. (em-dashes)

Are there rules which state when each should be used?


texts: Is there any scenario where one would use 'in the server' rather than 'on the server'?

texts: My sentence is 'The user should be created on the server.' OR 'The user should be created in the server.' I usually use 'on' in all cases but I am wondering if the act of creation is better described by 'in': 'The user should be created in the server. Their details will be saved 'on' the server.' I did search for answers so I hope this is not a duplicate.


texts: Meaning of "high in reach" regarding a training session

texts:
If an educational company described their session methodology as "high in reach" does it mean:

the size of the audience
the effectiveness of the training
other?

The original sentence in a press release was just "Our trainings are low in cost, high in reach".

I see that this comparison with cost is sometimes being used together for example "Our interventions must be high in reach but low in cost in order to most persuasively demonstrate worth in intervention"


texts: The Expression "Drop it." Stop talking about it

texts:
There are some phrasal verbs with drop, such as:

Drop in
Drop by
Drop off
Drop out
etc...

I saw the expression "Just drop it" used in a movie to express 'stop talking about it'.

I'm just curious if "drop it" is a phrasal verb as well, because I haven't found anything about it on Google, or is it just a simple verb + pronoun.


texts: Is there a name for this type of sentence that put together clauses?

texts:
I often hear this type of sentence that put together some clauses.

Maybe because I was running towards you, waving my arms yelling “Don’t do that”.

DC Police found you naked lying in Lincoln’s crotch covered in nicotine patches with a sign across your chest...

In the first example, there is a subordinating clause that says waving my arms yelling “Don’t do that”.
Is there any name for this linking?
And is there rules for the order of clauses?


texts: Where does the term “old salt” originate

texts: I know an old salt is an old sailor in maritime jargon, but where does the term originate. Does it have to do with the fact that sea water is salty? Why does the old salt have to be old, can’t s/he be just a salt (not assault, that’d be awful)? Or sea salt?


texts: When do you use 'in' vs 'by' when talking about payments and transactions

texts:
When talking about buying things and making payments for them etc... what context would you use "in" vs"by" when referring to the payment.  For example...

She paid by credit card. (ok)
She paid in credit card.  (not)

She paid by mail. (ok)
She paid in mail.    (not)

She paid by check.    (ok)
She paid in check.     (not)

She paid by cash.    (not?)
She paid in cash.    (ok)

She paid by dollars.    (not)
She paid in dollars.  (ok)

She paid by goats.  (not)
She paid in goats.  (ok)

My sense is that 'by' is used when talking about a method of transmitting value ie: credit card, mail, check where as 'in' is used when talking about the thing of value you are giving as payment ie: cash, dollars, coins, stock.

Is there any relevant literature that talks about this?  or is this just idiomatic?


texts: What does the phrase "book that, like its subject, is haunted by her absent presence" here?

texts: "Lisa’s untimely death in the autumn of 2015 robbed us of one of the country’s great public intellectuals, and left me bereft of a dear friend and confidant who made me believe anything was possible. I mourn her and wish she were still with us for many reasons, not least to see the publication of a book [This Orient Isle - Elizabethan England and the Islamic World] that, like its subject, is haunted by her absent presence."


texts:
I am still not 100% sure which career I want to choose. Or: I am still not 100% sure about which career I want to choose?

Which sentence is correct and if there's a better way to form this sentence please help. :)


texts: What is the logic behind uncountable nouns?

texts:
I'd like to understand the logic behind uncountable nouns, such as "water", "meat" and others, specially "bread", for example.

I don't understand why can't we count them, since there are different kinds of water (e.g.: still, tap, sparkling, etc.), meat (e.g: beef, pork, etc.) and bread (baguette, bun, etc.).

Sorry if my question seems silly, but I'm not a native speaker.


texts: What is the name for a fee paid for entrance to a convention or other similar event?


texts: What is an alternative expression to "minority and women ran businesses"?

texts: I'm looking for another way to say minority and women ran businesses


texts: Is it ok to use commas after a number written in digits?

texts:
In Dog-eating an exaggerated myth

  I categorically state that [eating dogs] is not at all a widespread Swiss habit and that the 3 per cent (that would make 130,000 Kiwis) are totally made up.

the "Kiwis" is confusing - it looks as if the author meant there were 130,000 New Zealanders, or 130,000 Kiwi birds, whereas Kiwis are the people he's addressing, and I'd be tempted to put a comma in.

However, I can't recall seeing a number written in digits with a comma after it. Is it ok to use a comma after a number written in digits?


texts: "I'm in on it" Two prepositions in a row

texts:
Is this sentence grammatically correct? What's the precise meaning?
"I'd like to make sure that I'm in on it."


texts: Is this read as and or or? Because it doesn't sound right while speaking aloud. Or is there some other way you can say it?


texts:
What does the phrase "held up" mean in the following transcript?

This campaign season, there's been plenty of name calling and lots of accusations. David Clementson, a PhD candidate at The Ohio State University, has been keeping tabs. "I mean there was one debate whereRubio and Cruz were just all over Trump, accusing him of dodging questions."
Clementson wanted to see if claims of question dodging actually held up, historically—not necessarily in the unique case of Trump. So Clementson analyzed the transcripts of 14 presidential debates, from 1996 to 2012. Overall, he found 51 accusations of question dodging—26 by Dems, 25 by Republicans.


texts:
What is a word for someone who does not like to share their loved ones?
For example if a guy doesn’t like his girlfriend to be around a guy that he know has a crush on her. He’s not jealous because that would mean he does not trust her, but he does trust her, but just does not want the other guy being around her. What is a word that describes someone that does not want to share someone they love with other people?


texts: what does "is chanced but not forced by" something, mean in the below context

texts:
the below text is from : Global Origins of the Modern Self, from Montaigne to Suzuki
By Avram Alpert
I have problem with the underline text:

our mind is chanced, but not forced, by language.

what that means ? is this a correct understanding: our mind is formed accidentally by the language rather than forced to be formed by language.


texts: What's another way of expressing 'we learn that'?

texts: I'm writing an essay and keep repeating 'we learn that' and would like another way of saying this so I don't have to seem so repetitive.


texts: Word/term for persistence in incorrect pronunciation

texts:
Is there a word or idiom for persistence in pronouncing words incorrectly, even after being corrected?

Specifically, this question has arisen from a teenage debate over the correct pronunciation of "Reese's", as in peanut butter cups. Some persist in saying "Reesees", despite having been given proof that it is the possessive of Reese and should be pronounced as such.

Trivial debate, I know, but it brought up an interesting question.


texts:
I am writing an email and wanted to refer to this coming Tuesday. The phrase "Tuesday est" popped into my mind (something Miss Marple might have said) but when I googled it I could find no reference. I have a feeling that 'est' isn't correct, but there is a word or I presume an abreviation that sounds like it that means next. Could you please tell me what it is?

Aha! I have just had a brain wave, it isn't 'est', it's 'inst'. Is that right? What does it stand for?


texts: Do Americans pronounce "transient" as \ˈtran(t)-sh(ē-)ənt\?

texts:
Merriam-Webster pronounces "transient" as \ˈtran(t)-sh(ē-)ənt\.

However, most Americans pronounce it as \ˈtran-zē-ənt\.


texts:
The accepted answer to the authoritative question When should I use an em-dash, an en-dash, and a hyphen? currently has this to say regarding the en-dash:

  An en-dash is use to connect values in a range or that are related. Saying "in years 1939–1945" or "New York beat Los Angeles 98–95" are both examples where an en-dash should be used (as I did explicitly in the examples). A good rule of from here is when you're expressing a "to" relationship.

The portion that I have bolded above is not a usage I had seen before. I was under the impression that the en-dash should only be used in the case of a range. In the above, two distinct scores are being described, not a range that includes the values "96" and "97".

The "rule of from" [sic?] presented above allows its usage in that case ("98 to 95") but is broader than I believe in. Taken to the absurd, this might suggest that I could rewrite "just between us, man-to-man" as "just between us, man–man". :p

What say you: must an en-dash be used only for a range of values, or may it be used more permissively?


texts:
Is it correct to say or write "Its sad to see how fast people become fan and critic"?

Actually I want to express my feelings about the people of current age who will be your fans but soon they will become your opponents and they will say bad things about you!


texts: Is there a simpler or better way of saying "promises that hold no meaning"?

texts: Is there a simpler or better way of saying "promises that hold no meaning" or "promises without meaning"?


texts:
What does the phrase 'but that' mean?
e.g., in On Walden Pond.
'why has man rooted himself thus firmly in the earth, but that he may rise in the same proportion into the heavens above? '


texts: In researching the verb 'hence' I noted the several forms listed in the OED, two of which were: "hennes or henes" from Middle English usage. Similarly with the verb 'hance' I noted that scholars have declared this words origin having come through French and Latin as "haunce or haunse" etc. Since both words first appeared in English, circa 1290-1303 respectively, I am curious to know if 'hance' was ever used as 'hannes or hanes' in English literature. If so, where can this source be found?


texts: Is the usage of 'Due to urgent personal errands' valid?

texts:
I see in my company mails, there is a lot of usage of the statement Due to urgent personal errands (..I may not report to office today) which, by hunch, I guess is not a proper usage.

What is the correct way to use it,if I am right?


texts: That secondary adjectival form for two-nation matters

texts:
In English, we know each country or nation has its own derived adjective. Examples

England - English
Wales - Welsh
Poland - Polish
France - French
China - Chinese
India - Indian
Russia - Russian
etc

However when referring to two nations in a common subject matter, the first nation's adjective can get transformed into a secondary form that I am not sure of their origin and true purpose. (Was not taught anything about this as a school kid)

Anglo-French wars
Franco-German competition
Sino-Japanese war
Russo-Turkish war
Anglo-American forces
Indo-Pakistani tensions
etc

My main probe is what exactly is the benefit of using that form? Is there some disadvantage to just plainly say for example "English-French wars"?

And then the follow-up question as to the origin of these forms - when were they first (individually) introduced into English language? Surely something must have happened that triggered the existence and usage of (and necessitated?) these secondary forms, but I don't know why and when.

Furthermore, as far as I've seen, not every nation on the planet has the "honour" of owning this secondary form, so what rules for consistency when pairing up two nations together for a subject matter is beyond me.


texts: What is the English term for someone who just intend to create a company?

texts:
I'm trying to find the right translation of "Porteur de projet", which means in French someone who wants to create a company/business. So he is not yet an entrepreneur, but just going to be one when the company will have a legal existence.

Those words really mean something in French, but it is hard for me to find something in English with the same "philosophy". I've found "project holder" but I'm not sure it means something for English speaking people.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.


texts: "princess of all things shoes" what does this phrase mean?

texts: I read this in a blog as a profile description for a girl. The phrase is "princess of all things shoes" What does this mean?


texts: Is the phrase "ask out" used only for romantic "asking out"?

texts:
Is it correct to say I'm asking a friend of mine out (we're both heterosexual and male) when the purpose is just to meet him and talk?

Thefreedictionary.com defines "ask out" as:

  to invite (someone) to a social engagement.

Which seems to to mean it's correct to say that.

On the other hand, MacMillan Dictionary defines as:

  to invite someone to go with you to a cinema, restaurant etc because you want to start a romantic or sexual relationship with them

So which is correct?

Edit: And if "ask out" necessarily means romance, then what wording to use that doesn't have that connotation?


texts:
I'm French so there are a few words and expressions that I know, but I
don't know whether they count as curse words or whether I can say them
without giving offence.
Like fricking, for example in He is fricking
good: Is that just familiar, or completely vulgar?
Or the expression
bloody hell, or just hell, like What the hell: Are those vulgar?
What
about damn?


texts: Is this phrase "2- or 4-person" correct?

texts:
When listing a numerical hyphenation...,for example "2- or 4-person", does the first number have a unconnected hyphen?
What is the general rule?


texts: Use of article "the" in below statements

texts:
Sentence 1
Wrong as per grammerly :
It is government's duty to protect these disciplines for future generations.
Correct as per grammerly :
It is the government's duty to protect these disciplines for future generations.
Why the is required here?
Sentence 2
Wrong as per grammerly :
This huge amount of money can be invested into other sectors instead of arts.
Correct as per grammerly :
This huge amount of money can be invested in other sectors instead of arts.
Why the use of "in" is correct here.


texts: Equivalence of "A except that B." and "Except that B, A."

texts:
1: He is nice except that he is a little shy.

  2: Except that he is a little shy, he is nice.

Are these sentences both correct? If so, are these two sentences identical?


texts:
We are specialized in packing, and I have a client Email to me as below:

  . . . do you over shrink-wrap service or is it included in the price?

He uses over here, what does he mean?


texts: What is the numerals style that goes above/below the standard height called, and is there a historic reason behind it?

texts:
It's often found on Wikipedia in the titles of articles, and here on this site:

1916

In the example above (if it doesn't render correctly, say you're on mobile, see image below), the 9's tail goes below, and the 6's head goes above.
What is it called (I wasn't able to find out), and is there a historic reason behind this style?


texts: Looking for an alternative to "I hope that...", "I'm hopeful that..." and all the similar expressions

texts:
Whenever I say "I hope you...", or "I hope that...", or "I'm hopeful you will...", it sounds so hollow. In part, I think, because it sounds cliche (to me anyway), but also because I can't think of a single statement to substitute for it.

I've looked up as many "Hope"-related questions on this site. I'm hoping (Arrrgh) to get a suggestion for an alternative.


texts: Is "claimer" primarily a term for a customer notorious for their frivolous complaints?

texts:
In Japanese this English loanword is being used in this way, and I am curious as to whether the usage is technically correct.

While I realize that in English the definition of "claimer" extends beyond only picky customers or people trying to file petty claims against others, I do wonder how common this usage is.

I did find a couple of example sentences that seem to be using it to mean someone filing a claim that is illegitimate.

The way "claimer" (クレーマー, kure-ma-) is used in Japanese often implies that the person making the claim is demanding something unreasonable. Although I would guess it is also possible to be a claimer making a claim that is reasonable. Or would we not label a reasonable person filing a complaint as a "claimer" and reserve that word for only the unreasonable ones?

I'm hoping for some clarification. Is this usage "Japanese English" or is it just unfamiliar to me?


texts: Is it more correct to say "transcript list" or "transcripts list?"

texts:
When referring to a list of X, such as a list of transcripts, is it more correct to say "transcript list" or "transcripts list"?

That is, when one referring to a list of something, should the name of the thing be pluralized or not?


texts:
I realize this is OK grammatically, and it even makes sense eventually, but what would you call this style/construction, and how could it be fixed to be more digestible? Is it a run-on sentence, or is it just poorly arranged?

  It's to get kind of a little push maybe from being a long sedan with a front engine that makes me have to wait to get the car turned and pointed toward the apex and then roll into the power.

(From Car and Driver online, reporting on a test drive of a new model)


texts: How to choose between "my" and "our" when talking about a group of people I belong to?

texts:
My family - Our family
My company - Our company
My school - Our school
My team - Our team
...

When talking about a group of people including myself to someone who is not part of that group, it seems to me that both my and our can be used interchangeably, as they will always carry the same meaning. Is there any guidance on how to choose?


texts:
I am writing a paper for a squad leader audition for marching band. We have to describe our strengths and weaknesses for each subject. The different subjects

Leadership
Commitment
Attitude
Punctuality
Work Ethic
Performance
Lesson Attendance
Marching Band

When I got to the paragraph about commitment, I was trying to think of how it was different from work ethic, but I couldn't think of how it was. What are the differences between these two words?


texts:
Which of the following is correct?

  "If you, like us, were altered  by the experience..."

or

  "if you, like we, were altered by the experience..."

I would tend to go with "we" since it matches with the verb that follows it.

I would love to find a reference in the Chicago Manual of Style, but have not spotted it yet.


texts: The simplest way to say "Split Videos Into Segments"

texts:
I've finished developing app for iOS that's splits video into multiple continuous segments. Meaning that if i'll take a video of 35 seconds and choose to split it with 10 sec durations. I'll get 4 videos:

from 0  10 seconds
from 10 to 20 seconds
from 20 to 30 seconds
from 30 to 35 seconds

Now I'm working on the creatives of the app, and I'm trying to think what is the shortest and most understandable way to describe it:

Split Videos Into Segments
Split Videos Into Pieces
Split Videos Into Short Clips

What do you think, is there more options? Any help will be highly appreciated, as English is not my native language.

Best Regards,
Roi


texts: An adjective for "able to see the big picture"

texts: Is there a formal word to describe someone who sees not just the particulars, but also the bigger picture?


texts: "....their returns to campus" or "...their return to campus"?

texts:
People resent their returns to campus.
People resent their return to campus.

Should it be "returns," since each person is returning, and so there are multiple peoples returning? Or "return," since we are referring to people at large?


texts: Someone who is a combo of a liar, an exaggerater, and have a tendency to construct stories

texts:
Is there a term for such a person?

Background:

Someone who is a pathological liar, an overt exaggerator. He would want to take center-stage, makes up stories to capture interest, and applies his stated qualities in positive as well as negative interactions.

Such a person, I believe borderlines personality disorder.

But can we summarize him in a word?

Some words that I looked up appear to have different connotations:

Exaggerator
braggart


texts: What is the correct preposition after “rights”?

texts:
This question came up for me within the context of intellectual property rights in a film grant competition.

When “right” is singular, the correct preposition is “to,” such as in the right to free speech.

When “rights” is plural, it’s less clear to me.

Of the following examples, which is correct? If both are technically correct, do they have slightly different meanings?

  Who would retain the intellectual property rights to the work?

or

  Who would retain the intellectual property rights for the work?

As a bonus, I am almost certain the below is not correct under any circumstance, but will place it here for good measure, in case I’m wrong:

  Who would retain the intellectual property rights on the work?


texts: Can we use a bare infinitive after the copula freely?

texts:
But all he'd tried to do (as he shouted at Uncle Vernon through the
  locked door of his cupboard) was jump behind the big trash cans
  outside the kitchen doors. Harry supposed that the wind must have
  caught him in mid- jump. (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)

  A great thing to do is dance the night away. (English Syntax and
  Argumentation, Bas Aarts)

As long as there is a to-infinitive in the subject just like the two examples, can we use a bare infinitive after the copular? (I want to know if there are some regulations in using bare infinitives: for example, the subject has to have ‘all, what, anything, etc’)


texts: does the word "or" use Inclusive or Exclusive logic on my test? and how do I identify the logic that is being used?

texts:
I had taken a multiple choice business test the other day and the question was the following:

  1. In Microsoft Word, the scissors function would be used to:

  A) Cut or select certain information

  B) Bolding a word

  C) None of the above

I believe that the "or" in answer A) signifies that the scissor function is capable of both a cut and a select operation, whereas my teacher believes that it means one or the other and since the scissor function is capable of a cut operation A should be the correct answer.

I chose C) "None of the above" and I am considering escalating my complaint to student services.

Some relevant information may include that the Microsoft office being used by this class is of 2003. It is also a grade 9 class.

*Below is a link to the follow up of what happened at student services incase anyone is interested:
HERE


texts: I understand that you say hesitate in the moral context. But what is the difference between oscillation and fluctuation?  Might be you could contrast these with swinging. Is there any difference when to use which?


texts: What words can I use to indicate how hungry I am?

texts: Besides "I'm hungry" and "I'm starving", where starving is more than hungry, are there other phrases to indicate how hungry you are (including slangs, if any)?


texts: Which is correct? in my folder/on my folder

texts: So I am writing an email to my peers. So I wrote: "I am having troubles creating files in my folder". Or it should be "on my folder"?


texts: What is the proper English for forcefully occupying tenders?

texts:
In some places, when governments and local authorities call for tenders from potential contractors for various projects, incoming tenders are physically delivered into a box where they are stored until the tender process is complete. In some parts of the world, tenders can be the root of rather serious and violent clashes (e.g., in South Africa or Bangladesh).
Suppose in such a place one bidder physically occupies that tender box, preventing anyone else from dropping in any tenders of their own and thus making sure they themselves win the tender.
From a certain point of view it can be considered tender theft; but that’s quite a broad term, and I remember reading a specific term for this kind of ‘hogging’ the tender box itself in a newspaper once.
What is the proper English term for ‘tender box hogging’?


texts: Is there a difference between "to go forth" and "to go further"?

texts:
Last week I studied with some friends at college and after a short break, I decided to proceed with the exercises.
I said "Well, let's go further." and one guy (native american) said "Okay then. Let's go forth."

I did not really think about it then, but yesterday this question spontaneously arose. Is there a difference, maybe just a subtle one?


texts: What is a less controversial name for the clothing item known as a "wife-beater" in the United States?

texts:
In the United States, a white sleeveless shirt is often referred to as a "wife-beater".

Typically I try to avoid using "wife-beater" due to its negative connotation. I've tried using a few different terms in the past, but each felt a bit too broad or generalized.

Tank Top: Can refer to formal outfits, causal clothing, or bathing suits. Comes in a variety different designs, materials, and colors.
Singlets: This term is most commonly used in Australia. In the U.S., I've typically heard it used when referring to one-piece spandex wrestling outfits.
Sleeveless Shirt: Describes literally any shirt without sleeves.
Undershirt: Available as sleeved or sleeveless shirts for both men and women. Typically the most common alternative I've heard.

Is there a more appropriate term I can use in place of wifebeater here in the United States?

Note: This question is asking what alternative terminology can be used when referring to a "wife-beater". This question is not asking why the term is used or where it originated from. For that, see: What's the origin of "wife-beater" when used as a sleeveless shirt and why is it not frowned upon?

For those interested in how region affects the local terminology, I've included a Google Trends comparison for "undershirt, wife beater, singlets, and sleeveless shirt" below.


texts: "It's all downhill from here"—meaning and etymology

texts:
The phrase "it was all downhill from there" seems to have two, contradictory meanings.

The first indicates that things have since gotten a lot worse. For example (from http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2213152-jacksonville-jaguars-awards-at-quarter-mark-of-the-2014-nfl-season):

  After a promising first half against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1 in which they jumped out to a 17-0 lead, it has been all downhill from there. They lost that game 34-17 and lost their next three games by a combined score of 118-41.

While the second means the opposite thing--that the hard part is over and it's all smooth sailing now. For example (from http://www.wesh.com/weather/hurricanes/sept-10-marks-peak-of-atlantic-hurricane-season/27985138):

  September 10. That's the official peak of hurricane season for the Atlantic Basin. It's all downhill from here to the end of the season, November 30.

I pretty much exclusively use the phrase for the latter meaning, since to me that's more intuitive. If everything is "downhill" now, you don't have to pedal any more or work as hard to get to the bottom.

Can anyone elaborate on the origin of the phrase, what "downhill" is specifically referring to, the accepted usage, or if there are subtle differences in the way one is supposed to phrase the two different meanings?


texts: What is a "back counter" in this context?

texts:
I have in front of me instructions for preparing ice skates for individual use. The first four steps are:

1.) Properly measure for correct skate size.
2.) Preheat warming oven to 200 degrees Farenheight.
3.) Place open boots in oven for 8 minutes.
4.) Remove boots from oven and flex back counters open.

I have no idea what the fourth step is asking of me, as I am not familiar with the term "back counter." What do you think it means?


texts: What to call the lump on skin from mosquito bite?

texts: What word can I use to describe the small lump on the skin seen after a mosquito bite?


texts: Does "girlfriend" or "boyfriend" always indicate partnership?

texts:
My usual understanding is that someone's girlfriend is their (female) partner in an exclusive romantic relationship. Same for boyfriend.

Is this correct, or are there instances where girlfriend refers to just a "normal" friend that also happens to be female?


texts: "I can't remember things as I used" — why not "as I used to"?

texts:
There's a line in Alice in Wonderland:

  I can't remember things as I used—and I don't keep the same size for ten minutes together!

I wonder why the 'to' has been omitted from the verb 'used to'. Shouldn't the line read "I can't remember things as I used to—and I don't keep the same size for ten minutes together!"?


texts: What's the difference between "inferencing" and "inferring"?

texts:
I have encountered the words "inferencing" and "inferring" in literature on educational research.

Is there a difference in meaning between the words inferencing and inferring?

Just as an example,

  "The teacher asked the student to infer some detail from the text."

If "inference" is used instead, does that change the meaning?


texts: Can "genocide" be used for the mass murder of disabled people?

texts:
The term "genocide" usually refers to mass murder on the grounds of race or related categories. Can it be used for the mass murder of disabled people, such as Nazi Germany's Aktion T4?

Wikipedia's article on Aktion T4 only mentions genocide in the context of the mass murder on the grounds of ethnicity, and its article on genocide doesn't seem to mention disability.

If not, what words are more appropriate? Democide?


texts: What is the difference between a scenario and situation?

texts: Based on a survey done globally I have been tasked with writing a help guide to cover scenarios and situations - for a cloud app I created.  But I don't understand what the difference is between a scenario and situation.  I feel like they are all scenarios but when on global calls the pair keeps coming up.  Is there any difference in this context?


texts: What is the etymology of the idiom "To stink/smell to high heaven?"

texts:
What is the earliest known source that uses the idiom, "Stink/Smell to high heaven"?

From a preliminary search, I came across the Shakespeare Said It Firstwebsite, which states:

  It smells to heaven.   Spoken by King Claudius. The entire line is “O,
  my offense is rank, it smells to heaven. It hath the primal eldest
  curse upon it. A brother’s murder.” Today, the phrase “stinks to high
  heaven” is more generally used. While the line in Hamlet refers to the
  metaphorical “stench” of an evil deed, today is used mostly as a
  hyperbole in reference to extremely unpleasant scents

Is this indeed the first usage of this idiomatic expression? If not, what is the origin and etymology of the phrase "Stink/Smell to high heaven?" What time period?


texts: Why are only some "u" words pronounced with a glide in American English?

texts:
In most words with a long U that doesn't start a syllable, it is pronounced /uː/. Examples: student, reduce, introduce. However, in some words (such as music, mule, human) it is pronounced /juː/. I've heard that in other countries, even the first examples are pronounced like the second (/ˈstjuːd(ə)nt/, /ɹɪˈdjuːs/, /ɪntrəˈdjuːs/).

What's with the discrepancies in the American pronunciation?


texts: I understand that it shows that there is a contraction. This is helpful for understanding for neologism-like contractions, but the contraction of "it is" is so common you just read it the same as its and don't have any problem. I know this because when it's written as "its" in passages (like my notes) I understand it without a hitch and don't even notice it, until I go back through for editing.


texts: How do you refer to an item that you already mentioned in a previous example?

texts:
This is a bit hard to explain so here's an example:

  Colors are interesting. They stimulate organisms in inexplicable ways.
  Like, why does red infuriate bulls? Or why does blue tranquilize humans?
  And that's not all. To us a single color can represent different emotions, sometimes contrasting ones.
  [I want to announce I'm using blue as an example again] it relates to trust and serenity, but also to coldness, sadness, and lack of emotion.

What word/phrase is the most appropriate?


texts: A good substitute for "developed a disease"?

texts:
The words contracting or catching a disease mainly refers to the communicable ones.

If the disease/condition is a slowly developing one, then what would be a good substitute for "developed?"

  During the fall of last year, he developed ulcers.


texts:
Can I use "To the memory of" for a place in the dedication part of a book? for instance, can I write "to the memory of my childhood gardens, that do not exist anymore"? or is there another expression to use?

Note that my question is different from the question "What's the proper way to dedicate a paper with a “to the memory of”?", which is already answered in this forum. In fact, my question is about the usage of "to the memory of" for a place whereas in that question "to the memory of" is used for a person.


texts: What is meant by the word "triage" in this context?

texts:
I don't understand what triage means at a site I encountered here:

TOOLS FOR DETECTION, TRACEABILITY, TRIAGE AND INDIVIDUAL MONITORING OF
VICTIMS

TOXI-triage project addresses the operational, technological, ethical and societal dimensions of CBRN response and recovery, and importantly the economic base from which sustainable CBRN and multiuse systems are derived.

In the dictionary there are different meaning of this word which confused me.

the process of quickly examining patients who are taken to a hospital in order to decide which ones are the most seriously ill and must be treated first:

Cambridge
Also:

: the assigning of priority order to projects on the basis of where funds and other resources can be best used, are most needed, or are most likely to achieve success

Merriam Webster


texts: Word or phrase for wanting hidden parts of construction to be orderly

texts:
My mother used to do a lot of needlepoint. The front of the needlepoint is what people look at, so how the reverse looks is usually not very important. However, she told me that some needlepointers were so careful that it was hard to tell the front from the back.

I sometimes find myself doing something similar with coding: obsessing over the layout and look of the source code even though no one but myself is ever going to see the source.

Is there a word or phrase that describes this? Something meaning "wanting the the hidden portions of construction to look as good as the visible ones"?

Of course, there are often practical reasons why this state might be desirable: the more orderly computer code is, the easier it is to debug and maintain. Similarly, there might be times when the front and back of something are visible. But I am interested in the case where the back or inside is not visible but you want to make it look nice anyway.


texts: Collective term for those to which something applies

texts:
If I have a certain 'condition', and that condition applies to a given grouping of people, is there a collective term to describe that group?
For example, I would say "These are the people to which 'X' applies..."; is there a way of saying "These people are 'X's <applicants>" (where 'applicants' here is incorrect, as they are not applying for X but are rather being categorised by it)?
EDIT: my use of the word 'condition' has thrown people off, I'm afraid. The context is actually in sorting data. If I set a filter of X, I am looking at one set of records (of people); a filter of Y will return another set. I am looking for a term to describe that set (other than 'set'!) if there is one.


texts: I believe his innocence or I believe him innocent.

texts: Can we either say I believe his innocence or I believe him innocent?


texts:
Someone informed me of a Sandra Day O'Connor quote : "We don't accomplish anything in this world alone... and whatever happens is the result of the whole tapestry of one's life and all the weavings of individual threads form one to another that creates something."

The usage of 'form' doesn't sound right to me - maybe if there wasn't an 'of' it might make sense, but it seems like a typo. If I search for the quote, I see both this version and a version with "From" - but nowhere am I able to locate an original source or citation of what Justice O'Connor actually said. Maybe other people autocorrected it in the way I'm thinking - maybe it was originally said in this other way - maybe it was taken down and circulated incorrectly. How can I tell?


texts: What is the appropriate term for a "non-empty soybean pod" in Agronomy?

texts:
I'm currently helping my cousin translating from Indonesian to English. We're stumped on the correct term for a "non-empty soybean pod".

While I personally think that "non-empty pod" would suffice, I think that there should be a less mathematical term for it.

I mean as "empty pod" has another term, which is "flat pod", wouldn't there also be a special term for the non-empty ones?

Thanks in advance. :)

Edit: I got the term "flat pod" from here. It's a link to a scientific paper in agronomy. "Flat pod" was meant for something along this line "soybean pods with aborted seeds"


texts: Idiomatic AmE term for "B&B"/"bed & breakfast"/"chambre d'hôte" and "table d'hôte"

texts:
Is there an idiomatic term or expression in modern day AmE for what in the UK is designated by the shared "B&B"/"bed & breakfast", and seemingly by the originally FrF expression "chambre d'hote" [an accommodation offered by an inn, hotel, or especially a private home, consisting of a room for the night, and breakfast for the next morning at an inclusive price, but also the hostelry itself]?

Also, what do you Americans call what in FrF is referred to as "table d'hôte"?


texts: “COVID-19 changed / has changed / has been changing the everyday life of people”

texts:
This is for the translation of a bachelor thesis and we have different opinions on the use of the word "change".
Which is correct?

COVID-19 changed / has changed / has been changing the everyday life of people.

1st person says: changed  means life changed in March and is changed since then.
2nd person thinks: has changed is stronger
I personally think: has been changing means that the changes have not come to an end and we are still dealing with it and new changes are communicated on a daily basis.
Thanks for your help!


texts: I wonder why couldn't it be Past Continous in this exercise

texts:
They ............ (get) to the airport as the plane was landing.

I'm doing this exercise of completing with Past Simple, Past Continuous or Past Perfect Simple.

In the answer section I found got as the right answer. I wonder why couldn't it be "Past Continous":

"They were getting to the airport as the plane was landing."

Thanks in advance.


texts: The passive voice sentence without verb to be

texts: I’m trying to figure out how to build passive voice sentence. So i’ve seen video by BBC that called “Lion attacked by pack of hyenas”. Is it wrong? Maybe it should be something like “Lion was attacked by pack of hyenas”?


texts: Is there a single word to describe "just another random thought"?

texts:
I'm looking for a single word to describe: just another random thought

Or a single word to describe : the state of being lost in random thoughts


texts:
Google Translate recognizes it as a noun, but search with it and Google suggests me to use additional instead.

Is it a recognized word? As in

  My order came with a list of additionals that were not considered for this transaction.


texts:
Both normalcy and normality have the definition of "the state of being normal."

From Wiktionary:
Normalcy - "The state of being normal; the fact of being normal; normality."
Normality - "The state of being normal or usual; normalcy."

Is there any functional difference between them?

For example in the sentence:
After a month of extravagant spending, Sam's life returned to ____ .
which is preferable?


texts: Is “am” ever proper English without an “I” somewhere before or after it?

texts:
For a long time, I have been convinced that the use of the word am without the word I either before or after it is incorrect. For instance, saying Am going all by itself.

However, I recently ran a search on it to try and clear up the confusion, but that has left me even more confused than I was to begin with!


texts:
America’s defence secretary ended his short Asian tour today in Tokyo by trying to calm a nervous ally.

Is it like "go to school by bus", using this method? But it is more like after finishing the job, he ended the tour.


texts:
I'm wondering whether to use "on here" or "in here" to refer to the current website.

Be skeptical of what you read on here.

versus

Be skeptical of what you read in here.

Is there any difference? Which is correct? I know that I can avoid this discussion altogether by writing "Be skeptical of what you read here" instead, but I'm curious about "in here" vs "on here" for websites.


texts: How to say "I hope you will have fun/it will be great" in a different way?

texts:
I want to use "I hope it will be great" as this positive, supportive, and showing your excitement for the other sort of statement. Not exactly sure how to describe so I will give a few examples. Like when your friend is going on a trip and you say "I hope the trip will be great". Or they are going to this concert, burning man, and you go "I hope you will have fun".

The problem for me with this "I hope it will be great/you will have fun" statement is that it does not seem appropriate for occasions when it is 100% clear to everyone that the said thing is going to be terrific. To clarify, the statement "I hope it will be great" is appropriate for the case when someone is taking an exam. An exam may go well or may not, it is not at all normal to expect that the only outcome for the exam is a 10. Therefore it is appropriate to wish that the exam would go well. But for the situations, like with the trip or the concert, where the context is that it is clear to everyone that both of these events will only be completely great, wishing further on them to be great seems redundant and more importantly implies that I think that for some reason these events may not go well, hence the wish.

It is a nuanced thing I want to express but I feel a lot of people likely run into a similar problem. Where they want to be supportive and show their excitement for someone with regards to the occasion which is 100% considered to be great/fun/etc., without appearing like they are not completely behind the said notion.


texts: Which is the correct way of writing trying to write Serial Number with a pound sign instead of the word? "Serial#" or "Serial #"

texts: I haven't found any rules/sources that sway the usage one way or the other. If I'm trying to say "Serial Number" but want to replace "Number" with the pound sign ('#'), does there have to be a space between, ("Serial #") or no space, ("Serial#"). Please provide sources. Thank you!


texts:
We can't figure out what is the correct subject for this sentence.  Please help!

Sentence: >1/29 people in the USA is an illegal immigrant

View #1: One, out of 29 people, in the USA is an illegal immigrant.

Argument: One is a pronoun so it is clearly the subject here.  "One is an illegal immigrant"

Response: This is not the original meaning of the sentence.  There are not 29 people in the USA.

View #2: 1 out of 29 people in the USA is an illegal immigrant

Argument: One is used as a number because you can't say Craig out of 29 people in the USA is an illegal immigrant.  The subject is people.

Response: "One" refers to a quantity of an item (the subject) omitted from the sentence.

"There are many eggs in this basket; one is rotten.
The second independent clause is saying: "One [egg] is rotten."
It is not saying: "One (the number) is rotten."

This other guy seems to think people are referring to the number 1 as being rotten.

View #3: One out of 29 people in the USA is an illegal immigrant

Argument: This is an implied statement.  The implication is one person out of 29 people in the USA is an illegal immigrant.  The subject is one.

Response: This only makes sense for a command.  There is no omission of the subject.


texts:
It seems to be a common practice in India to respond to someone's call by saying tell me. It's used even in calls; the conversation goes something like this:

  Me: Hello
  Caller : Hello
  Me: Who's this?
  Caller: Ram (Some old friend)...
  Me : Yeah Ram, Tell me...

Is this correct English??


texts: What difference, if any, is there between "Live concert" and "Concert"? As far as I know, 99% of concerts are "live", as opposed to being virtual. Is "Concert" more commonly associated with classical music, with "Live concert" used for other genres such as rock?


texts: How does one write the possesive form of stock ticker symbols ending in "s"?

texts:
How does one write the possessive form of stock ticker symbols ending in "s"?

These are neither acronyms nor initialisms (/TLAs). For instance, does one write RAS' earnings, or RAS's earnings?


texts: Etymology of "plough back" meaning to reinvest

texts:
What is the etymology of the phrasal verb plough back which Macmillan Dictionary defines as

  plough back: to put any profits made by a business back into it in order to make it more successful
  e.g.,
  All the money we raise is ploughed back into our work.

Collins Dictionary lists the one word spelling, ploughback, and its American equivalent plowback

When and how did this expression first arise in the world of finance?


texts: In training or on training - differences between British and American English?

texts:
I would use "on training" as a short form of "on a training course":

I'm on training next week.

I would use "in training" (or simply "training") for something that is more long term:

I'm in training for the London marathon.
I'm in training to be a nurse.
I'm training for the London marathon.
I'm training to be a nurse.

Would you agree?

Are there any differences between British and American English when it comes to "in training" and "on training"?


texts:
I recently got called incredibly pontificious - Is this a word?

I know pontificate is a word, but searching for 'pontificious' returns no actual definition of the word, not even usage in a sentence. He was adamant the reason for this is its such a rare word it won’t be used, but I’d assume someone, somewhere would have defined it or used it in a sentence if it was.

Hence why I felt it may not have been used correctly.

I have, admittedly, done a basic google search and looked a couple of online dictionaries but online results from google searches return nothing clear. Searching in the Cambridge dictionary sends me to pontificate and a search in Webster’s yields no results.

So, is it a word? If I was being pompous and dogmatic, how should he have described me?

If it is a word, why can't I find a simple definition of it?


texts: What is the origin of "tablet" as in a pill?

texts:
How did we make the leap from 'writing surface' to 'pill'?

The only reference I could find was in Etymonline.

  The meaning "lozenge, pill" is first recorded 1580s.


texts: Why in Britain do we stop for a 'coffee', but a 'cup of tea'?

texts:
In polite company in Britain one asks ones guest if they have time for a coffee - usually if it is morning. But if it is afternoon one would ask them if they would like a cup of tea.

Now this is not about why we drink coffee in the morning and tea in the afternoon, but why it is that we elide cup of when speaking of coffee, but that it is essentially included when speaking of tea.


texts:
Consider the statements:

'There was one girl, XYZ, ..'

'There was one mountain, XYZ, ..'

Are the sentences correct?


texts:
Someone asked me if I am interested in doing a project, I want to answer: "yes!"

Is it ok to say this: (I am going to learn from him in this project more than  really collaborating)

"I like to collaborate in your project"


texts:
I started reading the Neuromancer and I'm facing a difficulty, especially in the following excerpt:

  Ratz was tending bar, his prosthetic arm jerking monotonously as he filled a tray of glasses with draft Kirin. He saw Case and smiled, his teeth a webwork of East European steel and brown decay.

I assume the second sentence compares his teeth to a webwork [...], however I don't understand why the 'like' keyword is omitted in this construction.
I'd have expected something like "his teeth were like a webwork [...]".

I haven't found anything about that on Google, any idea?

Thanks,


texts: Does the comma in my example sentence add clarity, or should I leave it out?

texts:
I quickly realized, homeless people listen to and trust other homeless
people.

I chose to include the comma to ensure readers understand it was the 'listen to' and 'trust' that I realized and not only the homeless people. If I don't use the comma, I'm concerned some readers will misinterpret the sentence to mean, "I quickly realized there are homeless people who listen to and trust other homeless people."
I cannot find any information that will answer my question.


texts: Hi, Hello, Dear in answer to client’s Hi

texts:
We’re are a small atelier on Etsy and usually get questions from clients starting with Hi, Hi Roman (they sometimes see my name before composing a question) or Hey there.

What would be the safest way of starting a reply in these cases? Currently, I use “Hello, John!” but is it ok?

We don’t need very informal relationship in conversation with customer but still want to be natural, polite and helpful.


texts: Using "neither" without "and" in a sentence

texts: Is it grammatically correct to combine two negative ideas into one sentence and then start the second part with “neither”, like, "I don’t usually wake up at 6 a.m., neither do I like to wake up at 5 a.m.”?


texts: Is there a shorter way of saying "Not knowing what else to do?"

texts:
Does the English language provide a shorter form of the phrase?

Example:

  Not knowing what else to do, I kept walking through the corridor.


texts:
On the books means "part of the law".

  These changes would add little to the civil rights laws now on the
  books.

I know the meaning of this idiom, and idioms are used as they are, but idioms often have stories behind. Why is it not "in the books"?
Could it be that in the old days people used slates of rocks to write on?


texts: Which verb (burn/boil/melt) is appropriate to describe that the temperature is high?

texts:
I'm trying to find an appropriate verb to say that the temperature is high. Actually the question can be split into two parts.

Which verb is appropriate to use with a person (e.g. I)?

  It's over 30°C, I'm burning/boiling/melting.

Which verb is appropriate to use with an object (e.g. the room)?

  It's over 30°C, the room is burning/boiling/melting.


texts:
I referenced https://english.stackexchange.com/a/22445/50720 but it doesn't apply for these nouns?

  suasion =
  [mass noun] formal
  Persuasion as opposed to force or compulsion:

I also tried http://thecommonparlance.blogspot.com/2007/10/suasion-v-persuasion.html and http://sprachgefuhl.blogspot.com/2011/06/suasion-persuasion.html but these look tentative.


texts: "What doesn't she know how to cook" vs. "What does not she know how to cook"

texts:
Which of the following is correct? If A is correct why is B incorrect?

I am stumped, This sentence has popped up in my Hong Kong English class, don't know how to sort it out. Why does the one sentence sound awful yet is essentially the same:

  A) What doesn't she know how to cook?
  B) What does not she know how to cook?
  C) What does she not know how to cook?