texts:
It is an excerpt from the book "Steps to Understanding":

  Then Fred married.His wife,Betty was very nice,but she liked better newspapers than Fred.

Which meaning is correct?

  Betty likes newspapers more than her husband (she prefers a newspaper to her husband). or
  Betty likes a better newspaper then Fred's newspaper. or
  Betty's interest in newspapers is more than Fred's interest in newspapers.

I can provide the complete text if needed.

----Edit: Complete text of the story and the image (page 48, lesson 23 of the book)

Fred Williams worked in a factory with a lot of other men. They talked and laughed a lot, and at lunch time they sat together and read newspapers and laughed about the pictures in them.

Then Fred married. His wife, Betty, was very nice, but she liked better newspapers than Fred. Every day a boy brought Fred's newspaper and Betty's newspaper to the house, and Fred took his to the factory and left Betty's in the hall. Once or twice he looked at hers, but he did not like it, and sometimes in the evening he said to Betty, `Why do you read that paper? I hate it.`

But last Monday Fred said to his wife, `There was something very nice in that newspaper yesterday.`

Betty was happy. `Oh!` she said, `that's good, Fred. What was that?`

Fred laughed and said, `My friend Bill's lunch. He brought it to work in the newspaper.`


texts: What is the word for : "A person who, in general, does not agree with the general/popular opinion"?

texts:
I know that I am that person :D
With all seriousness, I am pretty sure there is a word for it, and I have seen it, but i forgot it.


texts: Is 'ounces to a pound' a grammatically correct prepositional phrase?

texts: I'm stuck between 'in a pound' and 'to a pound'. (Also, kindle autocorrect thinks prepositional isn't a word)


texts: All I'm askin' / Is about the interesting preposition placement in the song "Respect"

texts:
The Aretha Franklin song "Respect" has the interesting lyric "All I'm askin' / Is for a little respect" [link] where in everyday English, I would expect "All I'm askin' for / Is a little respect".

I've always assumed that this was done for reasons of meter, but it occurred to me recently that for all I know, there could be a variety of English where this sort of phrasing is normal. Is there?


texts:
Are following two usages both valid and have same meaning?

Use tools as less as possible.
Use as less tools as possible.

Thanks.


texts: Strong verbs, weak verbs, and other categories

texts:
For verb conjugations, I know that in English we have certain verbs which umlaut ablaut in their principle parts:

  sing-sang-sung

We have verbs that add an -ed to the end:

  laugh-laughed

and then there are verbs which just don't change at all:

  cut, put etc.

So which of these verbs are strong, or weak, or have a different category altogether?


texts: Is "re-enqueue" or "reenqueue" a proper word?

texts:
This came up while reviewing a technical document:

  The algorithm could re-enqueue the id associated with the job ...

This has generated some discussion as the word does not appear in the dictionary and we aren't sure if it is proper or not. Is this a proper word for use in a technical document or is there a better word use?


texts:
I found a few similar questions, but none of them gave me the answer to this.

I'm a native Serbian, so I have problems understanding diphtongs, because Serbian has none of them.
Serbian has only five vowels (/a/, /e/, /i/, /o/ and /u/), so it's much simpler than English to pronounce (at least considering vowels).

What bugs me, is that I hear diphthongs /eɪ/ (play), /aɪ/ (time), /ɔɪ/ (choice) as /ej/, /aj/ and /oj/ ; to be more specific, I hear them as monophtongs followed by semivowel /j/. Other diphthongs make make sense, and I both hear and pronounce as they are ( /oʊ/, /aʊ/ ...).

When I try to pronounce those as gliding vowels, it sounds really unnatural to my ears.

My question here is, should I continue to pronounce them as /ej/, /aj/ and /oj/ or should I practice to pronounce them correctly?


texts: A word for when a device is not covering enough

texts: I want to talk about a deficiency in a type of fire alarm that is the subject of my research. The deficiency is that when it alarms there definitely is fire in its environment, but sometimes also when it is silent there is fire in its environment. So while its alarm means fire, its silent doesn't mean not-fire. Thus the alarm only cover some cases of fire and its efficiency is kind of one-sided(?). Is there any word for such a deficiency?


texts: Thrown by 'broncho.' Or is it 'bronco'? Or 'bronc'?

texts:
Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, first edition (1908) has this entry for broncho:

Broncho (brŏn´kō), n. {Sp. bronco rough, wild.} A native or a Mexican horse of small size. {Western U.S.}

Four entries later, the same dictionary has this item:

Bronco n. Same as BRONCHO.

From this treatment it appears that the dictionary in 1908 regarded broncho as the primary English spelling and bronco as a variant. (Indeed, Webster's Academic Dictionary [1895] has the identical entry for broncho, but no mention of bronco at all.)
A century later, Merriam-Webster's Eleventh Collegiate Dictionary (2003) has the following entry for bronco:

bronco also broncho n, pl broncos also bronchos {MexSp, fr. Sp, lit., rough, wild} (1850) : BRONC

and this entry for bronc:

bronc n {short for bronco} (1893) : an unbroken or imperfectly broken range horse of western No. America; broadly : MUSTANG

I have three questions:

Is bronc now the primary term and spelling in English for bronc/bronco/broncho?

When and under what circumstances did each of these three terms enter English?

How did the Spanish word bronco come to acquire the h in the spelling broncho in English (even though the word, according to Merriam-Webster, retained the hard-k sound of bronco)?

The information that I collected on questions 1, 2, and 3 during the course of my own research, though somewhat incomplete in every case, is detailed and interesting enough to encourage me to submit it as a partial answer, which I will do shortly.

Here is what the Ngram chart for bronc (green line), bronco (blue line), and broncho (red line) for the years 1820–2005 looks like:

Unfortunately, the Ngram chart results are badly skewed by many false positives for broncho (and bronc), attributable to the Ngram tool's tendency to treat hyphens as letter spaces, which results in many matches for broncho that turn out to be references to (for example) broncho-pneumonia.


texts: Can "flourish" be used as an active verb?

texts:
I would like to say the following:

"Taking this job would allow for these ideas to flourish".

But I'm wondering whether I can say it in an active manner:

"Taking this job would allow for me to flourish these ideas".

The dictionary definition of flourish is "grow or develop", so using it in this way would logically make sense, but I just have never seen it before!


texts: Is there a noun for something being contained in something?

texts: In a mathematical context: Let's say x is contained in an interval I. How can I express this as a noun equivalent (but correct) to the "containedness"? I found things like "inherence", "immanence", but they don't seem to fit perfectly


texts:
Neil DeGrasse Tyson writes in the book Death By Black Hole on page 314:

  In 1735, the Board of Longitude's challenge was met by a portable, palm-sized clock designed and built by an English mechanic, John Harrison. Declared to be as valuable to the navigator as a live person standing watch at a ship's bow, Harrison's chronometer gave renewed meaning to the word "watch".

The 'challenge' was the longitude prize. This was a sum of £20,000 put up by the Admiralty after 2000 sailors perished at sea due to poor navigation.

My question is: Does our word for [wrist] watch come from the 1735 English Longitude Prize?


texts: If I want the user to revert their operation of selecting an item, should I say: "Unselect the option" or "Deselect the option"?


texts:
I was wondering a lot about it lately. I found various examples of it, specially in more formal/old texts.

The first time I realized it was reading what Oppenheiner said in an intreiew after the test with a nuclear bomb, he quotes the Bhagavad-gita and says:

  "Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds.

What is this am doing there? What is its function? I am not an english native speaker, so I found it very tricky to find out the logic behind it, maybe some older tense I'm not aware of, or maybe "become" is not funcioning like a verb in an older context (but I think it is not as likely, knowing abou germanic languages in general).


texts: Difference between "clever" and "skillful"

texts: What is the difference between clever and skillful?


texts: Does the verb 'prophesy' have a future tense or equivalent?

texts:
I was writing for a paper and was trying to write that a character will say a prophecy later in the story and was going to write "will prophecize" or something (although that is wrong according to every source I have at my disposal). Is there a proper verb change, and if so, is it not commonly used or recognized; if not, is there a reason why?

Also, I wasn't sure if "future tense" was the right phrasing, but I hope my question is still clear.


texts: what type of word would used to define having achieved a state?

texts: ... or more specifically is there a particular name for a verb in the past tense? for example the train has arrived, whereas the process of achieving the state would be to arrive


texts:
I'm writing a short anthology for an English class that requires a reflection. In the reflection, I state, "...let's the poem be interpreted how ever the reader feels fit...", I understand that the word can be used in different ways depending on the meaning one is looking for, as well as the fact that "ever" is usually used to emphasize the sentence it's used in/object or question.

What I'm looking for is how I should use "however" in the sentence; meaning the reader can analyze/understand the poem how they wish, in order to possibly give the poem a deeper meaning or connection to the reader. Examples of how I am trying to use the word are: "How ever you please," like if someone is given $100 and are told they can do on whatever they want with it, whether that be buying something, saving, donating, or something else. Another example is, "It can be whatever you want it to be"

I'm wondering if I should use a different word/phrase, or if I can use "however" in the sentence?


texts: Problem in recognizing conditional sentence

texts:
Could you please tell me if this sentence is in 2nd conditional? Does it indicate the present or future?

  If Rahim thought Karim was too confident that he (Rahim) would always be capable of answering, he (Rahim) would say this "don't count on me being able to answer all your questions."


texts: Word/phrase for 'we're all people' - when we aren't

texts:
I'm writing a novel that has two sentient species: humans and dragons. Both are equally intelligent. The dragons do not think this way, but consider the humans to be beneath them. At one point during the novel, a human cries out to a dragon saying, "we're all people," thus indicating that they're the same, that they have the same intelligence, and that therefore neither is below the other. The obvious problem here, is that dragons are not people - a word which has come to be synonymous with human.

The word 'sentient' would work perfectly, except that it doesn't sound right. "We're all sentient," while conveying the point perfectly, is not something someone would say before being eaten by a dragon.

What word/phrase can I use to convey the meaning of 'equally sentient,' in this situation, and still make it sound natural? (A single word is preferred, but a short phrase will work if necessary.)


texts:
I am looking for an antonym for a "blurred memory" in context of photos. Can't get what it would be:

Sharp photo
Clear photo
Vivid photo
Distinct photo
Smh else?

The context is as follows: "We all have memories, many of them get blurred over time. Photography helps us here so we can keep a sharp picture instead."

Thanks in advance!


texts: As a programmer, I often hear "writing a program" and "writing code" used interchangeably. The way I understand it, a program is a file which contains code written to perform a task or a series of tasks. Those who write computer programs (like myself) are typically referred to as programmers. However, the slogan of the popular website CodeProject is "For those who code," not "For those who program." Is there any difference in meaning between "I code for a living" and "I program for a living"?


texts: In what dialect is "on" used of a programming language?

texts: I have noticed that it is common on StackOverflow for questions to use "on ⟨programming language⟩" where American English would require "in". For example, "Is there a getInt function on Haskell". Is there a particular English dialect where this usage is common, or is this more likely a mistake by a non-native speaker?


texts: I go up to A position, then I go up from A position to B position, then I go up from B position to C position. If I say I go up 3 times, it could be misundersood. Is there any good ways?


texts:
I'm wondering if there is a word that describes how it is essential that something not be true.

For example, where one might say:

"The President knows it is essential that we make it to the moon first."

The opposite would be

"The President knows it is [...] that the Russians make it to the moon first."

Of course, the negation "unessential/inessential" doesn't mean that, it just means that it doesn't matter.

The whole sentence could be simplified to "The President knows that the Russians must not make it to the moon first." but that's not used like the word essential.

You could possibly replace it with something more emotional like "The President knows that it is inconceivable that the Russians make it to the moon first." But that's not a real truth statement.


texts: Are these sentences grammatically correct? (the usage of "everything")

texts:
I've taught students English in Korea and now I'm grading test papers.

The question was to translate Korean into English and the right answer we wanted was
=> The book was so popular that it sold out quickly.

Now I have 2 answers from students that I need to think about. I think both of them are weird and wrong sentences.

answer 1> The books were so popular that everything was sold quickly.
 ㄴ> I wonder if the word "everything" can indicate "the books" in this sentence.

answer 2> The book was so popular that it was quickly all sold.
  ㄴ> I wonder if we can use the expression "all sold" instead of "sold out".
I think if we want to use the word "all", we have to use the word like this. "the book was so popular that all the books were  sold quickly." I also want to know the position of the word "quickly" is right.

Any answer you can give me would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.


texts: What is the nuance of ‘Slipping’ when you say ‘I started slipping my classes short writing assignments?’

texts:
I found an op-ed article titled ‘Teaching to the Text’ in today’s New York Times (www.nytimes.com/2011/03/20/opinion/20selsberg.) interesting as a non-native English learner.
However, I stumbled on a phrase, ‘slip someone an assignment’ as used in the following sentence, as the word, ‘slip’ appears to be used to me in very different way from I usually use - such as ‘slide a short distance accidentally’ or ‘go / put quickly’ as defined by COD.

Can somebody explain me what nuance does the word ‘slip’ have in this particular sentence? Is ‘slip’ used in this way very often?

‘I don’t expect all my graduates to go on to Twitter-based careers, but learning how to write concisely, to express one key detail succinctly and eloquently, is an incredibly useful skill, and more in tune with most students’ daily chatter, as well as the world’s conversation.’
So a few years ago, I started slipping my classes short writing assignments alongside the required papers. Once, I asked them, “Come up with two lines of copy to sell something you’re wearing now on eBay.'


texts: Ukraine on Thursday disbanded an army unit that lost six armoured vehicles - an vs. the

texts:
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ukraine-disbands-army-unit-fiasco-push-east-144943083.html

  Ukraine on Thursday disbanded an army unit that lost six armoured vehicles to pro-Russian militants, as Kiev's military reeled from a disastrous attempt to oust separatists in its eastern regions.

Why is it an instead of the? They are obviously talking about the unit that was captured by the protesters in Slavyansk a day or so ago. Of course, I understand that the authors know this but they still can speak about what happened in general terms - the unit which was captured was a unit that lost six mechanized vehicles. Okay, they are just getting rid of a unit that was ineffective. Again, what makes you use an instead of the? To me If it was the, it would pretty much convey more or less the same meaning.


texts:
I have a document about a problem description where that description is given step by step, like this:

  RED entry
  BLUE entry
  ...

Now, I want to explicitly refer to two entries in that document, but I'm not sure about the most grammatically correct way to express myself:

  In problem's description at RED and BLUE' entries the word X must be replaced by Y.
  In problem's description at RED and BLUE's entries the word X must be replaced by Y.
  In problem's description at entries RED and BLUE the word X must be replaced by Y

Which one of that is the most correct ?


texts:
On a particular piece of dialogue and I wasn't sure if this was correct or just a matter of style.

  "[...] your shield, you don’t deserve..., nor how can I put into the line?”

My question is the use of ellipsis in quotes, here 'you don't deserve' is its own clause, is it ok to use the "..." to denote an additional pause, or should I just stick with the comma?

Edit: There is more preceding your shield, I just kept it short for brevity sake.


texts:
Which one is correct?

  I'd like to schedule a meeting with you [in/for/no preposition] the next week.


texts: "On/at/for/over the weekend" in American English

texts:
Some sources say that "at the weekend" is wrong, while other ones say it's correct. Which form is acceptable in American English?

  On Saturdays her sister Ann usually comes to stay with Mary on/at/for/over the weekend/s.
  What are you going to do at/on/for/over the weekend/s?
  We are going to Paris on/at/for/over the weekend/s.
  Are you going to stay here for/at/on/over the weekend/s?

Which preposition do American English speakers use — at, on, for, over?


texts: Is there a term for 'a three-syllable word with stress on the second syllable'? (Or similar)

texts:
I'm looking for a noun to describe a word by its number of syllables and the location of its stress.

Saying that it's a "trisyllabic word with penultimate stress" feels like too much work.

i.e., "The word 'gazebo' is a blank."

If anyone knows of other terms, such as a two-syllable word with stress on the first syllable or a two-syllable word with stress on the first syllable.

Are words even classified on this level?


texts: What is a adjective to describe a champion who eventually wins after many setbacks?

texts:
friends, I am very glad to be on this forum! Here I am sending you greetings! :)

Would you please share with me what adjective would you suggest describing a winner, a champion, who will win the final battle but will encounter many obstacles, hardships, oppositions, and mockeries?

I was thinking like "battled Champion"? "Scarred Champion"? Something along the lines.


texts:
You have made it up yourself.

This is obviously ok.
But if the pronoun it should be repalced by a long noun-phrase:

  You have made up the illusory world in which you move yourself.

It would sounds very ambiguous and will be misunderstood.

But can this be correct?

  You yourself have made up the illusory world in which you move.

Is it considered "good" English? Can it be used formally?
If not, why?
And what are the alternatives?


texts: What do you think about "Sorry." as a complete sentence? or What are your thoughts on subject omission?

texts:
I've been poring over materials on Japanese (日本語) and found it common of them to contrast the language with English in saying that pronominal subjects can be —and typically are, as with 私は (Watashi ha, basically I)— dropped in Japanese, whereas with English subjects cannot be elided. A cursory evaluation, as an English speaker, of the truth of that proposition didn't raise any objections. However, upon thinking on it further, I was able to imagine many examples of common English usage where that doesn't seem true, wherein the subject is omitted.

P₁: We'd've done well to've left earlier. We'll be in this traffic for hours now.
P₂: Sorry.
vs
P₁: ”
P₂: I'm sorry.

I'm especially interested in this example since it's not a response to a question. With examples that are responses to questions,  I see how a point could be made that the relationship between the question and its subject-less response is somehow anaphoric —the subject expressed by the question is projected forward the the answer so that the answer implies it. Whereas, statements that prompt "Sorry." sometimes lack, I think, an antecedent to imply an "I" in the response.

or

P₁: How've you been?.
P₂: Well.
vs
P₁: ”
P₂: I've been well.

or

P₁: Heading out; need anything?
vs
P₁: I am heading out; do you need anything?

Please share your take on any dimension of this. Thanks.


texts:
What's the word to describe the motion of suddenly and quickly turning one's head from fear and tension?

Eg. "He ______ turned his head to look at where the sound had come from"


texts:
"My father cares more about the environment than the economy"
Vs
"My father cares more about the environment than he does the economy"

Does the first present an illogical comparison? I.e. Comparing the father's caring with the economy.


texts: How do you do at work? How are you doing at school?

texts:
I need to ask someone I know about the current state of that person's affairs at a particular sector of activity.

Mind you, I am not talking about a generic "hello". I've read through the Do you really answer “How do you do?” with “How do you do?” and this is not what I am after.

I really mean to find out if there are any notable news/notifications about the person's doings. Either positive or negative.

Intuitively I would ask my daughter: "How are you doing at school?". But she is a child and is meant to treat all my questions seriously and answer properly i.e. not with "fine, thanks" but give me some details.

What about a situation when the asked person is of an equal social state and is not my subordinate? Does my question like: "How are you doing at work?" mean I need to know if there are actually any important news at person's work/business?


texts:
I came across the word, “Security mom” and “Wal-Mart mom” in the following statement in my newspaper clippings, originally in Time: Can Obama Win Back Wal-Mart Moms?

  "The women that are different in some ways from their "soccer mom"
  and "security mom" sisters of those earlier election cycles. They are
  slightly older than soccer moms (in their 40s and 50s) and are
  juggling another set of problems — how to pay for college for their
  kids, how to take care of their elderly parents. They are also less
  upscale. Lacking college degrees, Democratic pollster Celinda Lake
  calls them "Wal-Mart moms" and "Wal-Mart grandmas" and says they are
  not so much undecided as conflicted in making their choice this year."

The “Wal-Mart mom” is well defined in the above statement. I also know  “soccer mom," "tiger mom," and "helicopter mom.” But what is “Security mom”? Google search shows mosaic album of women under the heading of ”Security woman,” but it doesn’t give definitions of the word.

Is it associated with earlier Obama-care initiative? Is the word still current?


texts: An idiom for a stupid action which is beneficial in the end, or for the person who performed said action

texts: My friend works for an investment firm, and his colleague mistakenly double-submitted a long bid for stock on a very risky day. The entire firm was on edge the whole day, watching the stock price. In the end, the price went sky-high and the firm made a lot of money, so the friend was praised. However, he could easily have been in big trouble with the boss if the price had dropped. What is a term for this? Also, is there a term for the person who made the mistake?


texts: "mammal exhibit" vs. " mammals exhibit" vs. "mammals' exhibit"

texts:
Ok, I'm writing a story where the character visits a museum. Does she visit:

the mammal exhibit
the mammals exhibit
the mammals' exhibit


texts: Which of these two sentences seems more acceptable?

texts:
This worker, to do all of his tasks, is fully able.
  This worker is, to do all of his tasks, fully able.


texts: What's a word for "feel-good financial returns"

texts:
first post here. I'm trying to describe in a casual, off-the-cuff way that by investing in sustainable businesses we can make both "feel-good" and "financial returns."

The sentence structure goes like this - "the transition to a sustainable economy will create incredible feel-good and financial returns."

I like the ring of "feel-good" but realize that it doesn't quite make sense because there's no such thing as a "feel-good return."

Does anyone have suggestions that would be grammatically clearer, but still sound conversational and fun? Or, feedback that the sentence is fine as is? Thanks


texts: When is "between" inclusive and when exclusive?

texts:
It seems that the exact meaning of between is very tied to its specific usage. What should I assume in a general situation about the inclusivity of between? Consider:

"Pick a number between 1 and 10." Most people would consider between inclusive.
"How many numbers are there between 1 and 10?" Most people would consider between exclusive, i.e. 8 to be the correct answer.

Could the meaning of the word between have something to do with the grammatical structure of the sentence in which it is used?


texts:
I was in a text exchange with a friend from Mexico. English is his second language. He deigned to correct something I, whose English is my first language, texted... "When you, me, Tony, and Gabi met here it was March 16, 2016, a Wednesday." He reasonably thought it should be, "When I, you, and Tony..."

I talk good so I desperately searched the Internet for an answer that would put him back in his place. I came across this page where StoneyB explained that the Cambridge Grammar of the English Language defines "when" as a preposition".  Then I found another source that said a preposition should be followed by an objective pronoun (such as me, him, her, and us) rather than a subjective pronoun (such as I, he, she, and we).

"Woohoo!", I'm thinking. That's how I destroy... err, I mean correct my friend. So, do you think, "When you, me, Tony, and Gabi met here..." is correct, or at least not wrong?  Thanks!


texts: So, recently I got corrected by a friend when discussing some work aspect (we are both not English natives). I tried to write Californian overtime rules and my friend said that the correct version should be California overtime rules - notice that n is missing. I like to research these things and would like to know which version is correct. And if my friend is right - can you provide any evidence or rule that supports it as I had a hard time formulating a google search for this.


texts: On the TV show Archer, the saying "get some wax for your cross" is used.  What does it mean?  I'm guessing from context it means that you carry around a cross so often you need wax for it.


texts: Is there a word to express the idea of everything one could need?  I'm trying to figure out if there is a single word that best communicates this idea.


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  “to a degree” vs. “to an extent”

What's the difference between "to what extent" and "to what level"? Please support your answer with examples.


texts: What does "Are you related to the candidate?" mean?

texts:
I'm filling an employment reference form and I'm not sure what this means. Does it mean, are you related in terms of kinship or related professionally. It also asks to state your relationship.

Thanks


texts: Hello I am learning english for work and I read this phrase in an article.


texts: In Dutch we have the expression (translated) "they are two hands on one belly" meaning that they always stick together. It seems that "like two peas in a pod" doesn't cover that. Is there an equivalent expression in English?


texts:
From a web development book:

  Instead of taking a moment to appreciate the calm, developers have taken advantage of the stabilizing front-end platform to pile on a whole new wave of front-end complexity


texts: Should I say "creation of A and B" or "creation of A and of B"? (B being plural)

texts:
As a student, I need to write a report about what I accomplished during an internship. I created two things: some indicators (A) and a dashboard (B).
Should the title of my report be "Creation of indicators and a dashboard" or "Creation of indicators and of a dashboard"?

I find "creation of A and B" better, but I'm not really sure, and the fact than the first item is plural while the second is singular makes me hesitate...

I tried to find some help or examples on the Internet, but could only find results about the creation of something, nothing that could help me with the use of this word...


texts:
Are the following sentences correct?

  John's opinion about the sports car shocked his friend.
  The Board of Director's opinion about the unresolved issue is that it should have already been dealt with long time ago.


texts:
What does "smear out" mean in the following sentence? I didn't find it in any dictionary.

  However, small though the length is,
  it is nevertheless finite, and this finite extent is the bridge
  between quantum theory and general relativity in that it
  smears out the quantum fluctuations


texts: Where did 'love someone to the bones' come from?

texts:
Where did the expression 'love someone to the bones' come from?

And is the meaning 'love someone too much' correct for that?


texts: Dropping the article before government agency abbreviations?

texts:
I live in Washington DC and work for a government contractor. In conversation, people often drop the "the" before the acronym of a federal agency. For example, someone might say "I heard FDA is considering a new rule" instead of "I heard the FDA is considering a new rule." Is this proper English or Beltway slang?
I've found official sources dropping the "the." Here are two examples from the Supreme Court:

"...pursuant to FDA's comprehensive safety and efficacy authority
under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act..." (PDF source)
Despite the obvious implications for many employers of deep religious
conviction, HHS decided to exempt only some nonprofit religious
employers from compliance (PDF source).

But people often include the definitive article. Again from the Supreme Court:

And the FDA ultimately ordered Merck to add a warning about atypical
femoral fractures... (PDF source)

Is there a rule for when the definitive article is necessary? I found two previous SE questions (here and here) but neither addresses my question.


texts: Can you start a question using 'Meanwhile'?

texts:
When writing an email I started off with this sentence but now I am having doubts on using 'Meanwhile' at the beginning of a question.

Meanwhile my absence, did you receive an answer to your mail by one of my colleagues?

I am aware that I could change it but I just wanted to know if the sentence is correct or if it's just a side effect of having to use multiple languages a day?


texts: Grammatical name/function of "what" in the following sentence

texts:
I came across this sentence fragment among the instructions for a writing lab report: "Simply describe what the data that you collected."

I feel like it should have an "are" at the end (minimally completing the sentence), or better, shouldn't have the "what" in the sentence.

How would you diagram that sentence if it read, "Simply describe what the data that you collected are."?

My best guess is the following:

(You) -- implicit subject
describe -- verb
what the data that you collected are -- relative clause

what -- relative pronoun of relative clause
data -- subject of relative clause
are -- verb of relative clause
that you collected -- embedded relative clause

that -- relative pronoun of embedded relative clause
you -- subject of embedded relative clause
collected -- verb of embedded relative clause


texts: What is a formal but less dramatic synonym for "oligopolistic"

texts:
I am providing suggestions for a document which will serve as a business plan. In it, it describes the market the authors are entering as oligopolistic.

This is factually correct but sounds dramatic and out of context for a business plan. However, I can't think of a good, concise synonym.

Basically I need a single or small number of words to describe an industry in which a small number of providers dominate the market without invoking thoughts of anarcho-capitalism or wealthy Russians.

Or maybe I'm just being too sensitive about this? Does it not matter?


texts: Word for when those close to you continue friendships with someone who has done you wrong

texts:
I'm wondering if there's a term for when a person has an enemy, (for lack of better word) someone who has done this person wrong, for example: slept with this person's spouse, robbed this person, spread serious lies, etc.

Obviously something bad enough that it would be hurtful to know that your boyfriend, girlfriend, close sibling, etc. are either still friends with or have befriended said enemy.

Hopefully this question makes sense I just joined and it's my first question. I also don't understand the tag portion. Not sure what word to put in there.


texts:
Currently I am reading a book titled Configurations of culture growth by the American anthropologist Alfred Louis Kroeber. Part of his book consists of tables that list eminent people from all fields of human activity (science, literature, drama, painting, sculpture, ...).

Next to some of the names are abbreviations like "b." (born), "d." (died), "r." (reigned) and "ca." (circa).

But there are two abbreviations whose meanings are unknown to me, namely "fl." and "seq.". Do you know what they mean?

Here is an excerpt from Google Books:


texts: If a serializer serializes a proxy proxilizes,proxifies,proxifieres?

texts:
Trying to find a word for what a proxy does by it's own root.
Some words are easier e.g. serializer serializes etc.
some words are hard e.g. proxy (proxilizes,proxifies,proxifieres?) not sure what is making the two so different, anyone can shed light on the aspect that is at play here please

I am tagging this as a single word request, but I don't know what is the proper tag for finding the aspects I am looking for, any help on that too is apreciated


texts:
I'm analysing this sentence complex in terms of sentence trees and am a bit at a loss here.

  He began to swim again, feeling suddenly the desperate exhaustion of his body.

In the part "He began to swim again," is the "to swim again" a nonfinite clause or just a bare infinitive?
Do I write the tree as S --- Cl1 (He began) and then two subordinate semi-clauses Cl2 (to swim again) Cl3 (feeling suddenly....)

OR

Is it Main clause (He began to swim again) with one subordinate nonfinite clause (feeling suddenly...)?


texts:
I know that "No less than somebody/something" means that this somebody/something is important.

What I don't understand is why this idiom means so!!
What I literally understand is that "No less than" means that nothing is less than that somebody/something. Which means that every thing is more than that somebody/something and nothing is less, making that somebody/something the least of the group.

Could any one correct my understanding with explaining why so?!

Illustrative Example:

"Almost two dozen representatives flew in for meetings with top officials, including no less than the country's president."

No less than here means: A person who was not less [of an important person] than the president himself.


texts: "Angels fall, they are towers": what is "towers" here? Froma poem by G.M.Hopkins

texts:
From a poem of G. M. Hopkins titled "The Shepherd’s brow, fronting forked lightning, owns":

  THE SHEPHERD’S brow, fronting forked lightning, owns

  The horror and the havoc and the glory

  Of it. Angels fall, they are towers, from heaven—a story

  Of just, majestical, and giant groans.

What does "towers" mean here? Angels are supposed to be beings with wings. Doesn't seem to make sense.


texts:
I've seen people often use "recurring again".

Recurring means "occurring again"; then why do we have to add "again" along with "recurring".

Which one the following is correct way to say it ?

Confirm that it is not recurring again
Confirm that it is not recurring.


texts: What is the correct term for unboarding passengers from aircraft?

texts:
I am looking for a correct term meaning that the given plane is in a state of unloading/ "unboarding" arrived passengers, just before it will board departing passengers.

I can't find this on airport sites, and according to spellcheckers "unboarding" is not a correct word.


texts: Meaning of 'within' in "the task has to be submitted within a month"

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  “Within” and “in” when referring to time

if there's a sentence :

  The task has to be submitted within a month

Does it mean that the task has to be submitted before a month or can we submit it exactly a month after the task was announced?

eg. The task was announced on jan 1


texts: Is there a word for the opposite of a gift

texts: In the way that we can think of a gift as given under obligation, like to signify a relationship at Christmas or to show love for a spouse, is there a word for a thing taken. A word for that thing that we want to take back when someone takes something from us?


texts: How do you name the process of collapse/expand in one word, or fold/unfold

texts:
How would you call the process of expanding/collapsing in one word?

I need to name a Method (in programming) which will make a group collapse or expand based on it's current state (collapsed or expanded).


texts: Is "Where is your mother at?" grammatical?

texts:
When querying:

  Where is your mother at?

Is that considered to be proper English language usage?

Alternatively, you could just state more simply:

  Where is your mother?

Is adding the trailing preposition considered slang here, does it have no value and should it just be eliminated?


texts:
I am struggling to understand the following sentence.

  Many Roman emperors were known for their dissolution, indulging in unspeakable desires of the flesh.

Does the phrase "desires of the flesh" mean killing people for fun, or does it mean having sex with women, or does it mean cannibalism, or something else?


texts: Is this that-clause for set comparison or a relative?

texts:
[i] It was lucky that Harry had tea with Hagrid to look forward to,
  because the Potions lesson turned out to be the worst thing that had
  happened to him so far.

  –– Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

  [ii] a. Ed made the most mistakes of them all.
   b. It sold for the highest price ever paid for a Cezanne.

  –– CGEL, p.1101

  [ii] is called set comparison, for “one member is picked out as being
  at the top of the scale. In [ii] the set is identified by the NP them
  all: the comparison is between the members of this set with respect to
  how many mistakes they each made, with Ed ranked at the top of the
  scale. It is possible to omit the PP of them all, in which case the
  set being compared is identified contextually. In [iib] the comparison
  is between the prices paid for painting by Cezanne, and again one is
  picked out as being at the top of the scale - CGEL,1102”.

It seems like [i] is a kind of the set comparison, but I’m not sure for [i] has that-clause that could be understood as a relative one. Is the that-clause a set one or a relative?


texts:
I am not sure what the differences between these two phrases are. Can you explain when I should use one or the other?

English is not my native language so maybe it is a silly question.


texts: "It was the second time it happened in as many days." - is there a description for this phrasing?

texts:
Consider these two sentences:

A bank was robbed for the second time in two days.
A bank was robbed for the second time in as many days.

Is there a term for describing the period of time by relying on the count of actions that has already been established?


texts: The disposal of unnecessary data in a data set, filtering or filtration?

texts:
Which is the most fitting word for the disposal of unnecessary data in a data set; filtering or filtration?

e.g. Log data filtering or Log data filtration?


texts: What does "saw" mean in "operations that saw many revolutionaries executed"?

texts:
Here is the quote from cnn.com:

  Undeterred, Bose moved the start of the rebellion to February 19 -- but the simultaneous plot was suppressed by counter-intelligence operations that saw many revolutionaries executed, imprisoned and exiled.

The definition of see I think fits this context is the following (from here):

  if a place or a period of time sees an event, the event happens in that place or during that time (The region has seen some of the fiercest fighting in the war.)

The place/period being "the plot being suppressed by intelligence operations" and the event being "many revolutionaries executed, imprisoned and exiled".

Have I got this right?

Thanks!


texts:
I’ve heard claims that the word Easter has the same Bronze Age root as east, Ishtar, Astarte, and ultimately  star.

Is this the correct etymology of the word Easter?


texts: I want to know the meaning of a sentence

texts: So I read a novel and found a sentence "Jane waited on her boss's instructions". Does the sententence mean that Jane was waiting for her boss's instructions?


texts:
I'm listening to this podcast (there's also the transcript below the page) and during it the host says:

  Both me and Pat work for software, so that’s why I attended one of his
  trainings, just to keep the lock clear.

I look around a bit but I can't understand the meaning of "keep the lock clear". What does this phrase mean here?


texts: Word to describe sounds from a one-year old child

texts: Which word can I use to describe random nonsense sounds like 'aaaa', 'papa' etc. from a child who still cannot speak.


texts: Is it important to use the word "I' in this sentences

texts:
I've read how the use of the word I isn't always necessary when writing a resume as the employer already knows that the resume belongs to the job applicant. However some of these sentences sound incomplete without the word I, So i would like to know if its really necessary to include the word I in the beginning of these sentences.

1.I have maintained a clean record, both at school and work, by always acting with honesty.

2.I grew up in a respectable household and was brought up to appreciate and uphold moral values.

3.I strictly  adhere to instructions and devote undivided attention to details.

OR

1.Maintained a clean record, both at school and work, by always acting with honesty.

2.Grew up in a respectable household and was brought up to appreciate and uphold moral values.

3.Strictly adhere to instructions and devote undivided attention to details.

Note: I am not asking anyone to proofread my sentences , I just want to know if i can use the sentences with or without I in the beginning.


texts:
I would like to find a way to express the meaning of "at some time". For example:

  I think everyone has his study or working rhythm at a time. This rhythm varies for different person, and may be different at a different time for the same person. Especially it can
  change over time as he becomes more experienced. So pacing them at a pre-fixed pace may not work well.

At a time sounds awkward to me. What do you think?


texts: Does "re-" in "resolve" mean repeating an action?

texts:
It seems to me that "solve a conflict" is not correct, but "resolve a conflict" is.

Does "resolve" mean "solve" again? Does "re-" in "resolve" mean repeating the action of solving?

in the cases where I see "resolve a conflict", I don't see the conflict is solved repeatedly.


texts:
I'm looking for the meaning of this sentence taken from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone:

  A little man in a top hat was talking to the old bartender, who was quite bald and looked like a toothless walnut.


texts:
Your father climbed to some rough rocks near the coast to find out that under the rocks, our friend Lake lies severely wounded.

Is this usage of "to find something by chance (as a result of climbing)" correct?


texts: How do Americans pronounce the word 'progression'?

texts:
In British English, we pronounce the word 'progress' as pro—gress.

Whereas in American English it's pronounced as prog—ress.

So how would Americans pronounce the word 'progression'?

It sounds wrong to me to be pronounced as anything other than pro—gresh—on.


texts: Does it make sense for me to say "plentiful body"?

texts: I want to say "the beast is going to feast on his plentiful body". Does that make sense or what should I say instead?


texts: Would the word "misnomer" be appropriate if used in a sentence regarding a product that doesn't live up to its advertisement?

texts:
The sentence goes: "stating that this device is "unbreakable" is a misnomer since it already broke after I've barely used it". Is that a wrong usage? It seemed to fit but after reading the definition notes from: http://www.dictionary.com/browse/misnomer I felt that it was probably not correct. If it's not correct, what would be a better word for that?

The website states:

  "Confusables note Expand
  Misnomer is not a fancy, more elevated word for mistake. Nor is it a synonym for misstatement, misconception, or misunderstanding. As the word's Latin etymon nōmināre (‘to name’) tells us, a misnomer is a special kind of mistake: a wrong name. The consequences of a mistake can range from trivial to catastrophic—from typos to train wrecks. But a misnomer is often just embarrassing, like trying to impress a friend by referrring to a Burgundy wine as a “Bordeaux.” Sometimes, however, what began as a misnomer has become a standard term: the game of Chinese checkers does not come from China; the funny bone is a nerve, not a bone; hay fever is not caused by hay and is not a fever; and a pregnant woman's morning sickness can occur at any time of day. Other kinds of mistakes or misunderstandings—giving a driver wrong directions, thinking that the earth is flat, drawing an erroneous conclusion—are not misnomers. In fact, the word misnomer when used to describe a behavioral mistake or a misperception of reality is itself a misnomer!"

I don't get to use this word often and have not been able to hear or see it used often so I'm curious how wrong it is and if anyone would notice.

Edit: Perhaps saying "false advertising" would fit the bill? I was looking for a specific phrase or word to match the meaning.


texts: Alternatives to the noun 'dump' (as in "a data dump")

texts:
What are alternatives to the noun 'dump' (as in "a data dump")?

The word dump here refers to the data that gets dumped, in other words, to the mass of what is being dumped. Another not-so-common example might be "She gave me a feelings dump," meaning, "She dumped all her feelings on me" (perhaps in an emotional outburst), or, "The professor gave me a rules dump" referring to when he gave me a stern lecture about the rules after I arrived late to class.

(This is a somewhat non-standard use of the word 'dump' so the thesaurus is letting me down.)


texts: Where can I find a list of common padding words?

texts:
Like a lot of people, I actually have the habit of actually adding a lot of actual padding words when I actually write. A common one I use is actually. These are actually rarely worth keeping, actually, and, when I actually remember, I actually make some actual effort to actually find and actually delete them all.

Is there a list of common padding words and terms that I can download?

This is partly out of curiosity, but partly for checking tools.


texts:
I'm typesetting an English book that contains the Japanese name Akiyama. Is it allowed to hyphenate romaji transcription of names (I truly hope so!)? If so, how do you do it? I would think it would be between two Japanese letters, i.e., with hyphenation points A-ki-ya-ma. Is this a correct assumption?

(Please, I'm looking for answers that rely on a reliable source, if possible.)


texts:
Rolling On the Floor Geeking

A co-worker of mine and I had a meeting where a funny little exchange occurred, which I won't recount here, but when he was returning to the office, he sent me this text about the exchange:

In case the screenshot isn't clear, the text messages read:

  [co-worker]: I'm geeking while walking down the street at the "and he's really good too though" and then you going "well he's 26"

  [me]: Geeking?

  [co-worker]: Laughing

When he sent back "laughing", I assumed he had originally typed "laughing" or something similar to it, and autocorrect had corrupted the word and inserted "geeking".

But then, when he was telling the story to another co-worker in front of me, he said "geeking" again, aloud (i.e. verbally), and it was clear from context he did indeed mean "laughing".

No Geeking Matter

I have never before encountered "geeking" used to mean "laughing". It struck me as unusual and very interesting.  I checked a few dictionaries, and while I found all the senses I expected ("geeking out" == "obsessing over technical details"), nothing came even close to "laughing".

So I did an internet search for geeking + laughing. The search results included a few slang dictionaries and internet compendia, but most leads were red herrings, and I could only find once place with positive confirmation of this sense: Reddit.

Specifically, under r/OutOfTheLoop, we find this question and accompanying response:

  What does "geeking" mean?

  if you mean geeking out, I've always used it to express laughing a lot or uncontrollably.

But that's as far as my research has been able to uncover this sense.

Geeking All the Way to the Bank

I asked my co-worker for his background and where he picked up this word.  In no particular order of importance:

American, native speaker, neutral accent (I'm a native of NYC and his accent sounds neutral/unremarkable to me)
Of Armenian descent, very close to the ex-pat Armenian community (but has never been to Armenia and doesn't speak Armenian)
Born in California, moved around the world during his childhood (his dad's job was very international).
After CA, moved to Japan (in infancy), then Oman, then the UK (London) for primary schooling, then the UAE and Qatar as an adolescent.
University in Washington, DC.
Was an active member of a fraternity, so he does have an inventory of "bro"-y vocabulary, used when applicable.
Working professional (which is the register he maintains at the office).
Millennial.

He says he's heard the word used by a variety of people, but he most closely associates it with a friend of his from Eastchester, NY. He also speculates "maybe it's a millennial thing".

Of all the places he could have picked up the word, the "millennial" and "fraternity speak" theories ring truest to me; I am not persuaded his cosmopolitan upbringing is material. The word feels like young men's speech¹.

Last Geek

Have any of the experts on EL&U encountered geeking to mean laughing before? Is there any evidence of a more widespread use?

If so, in what cultures or lects is the word deployed?
What is its etymology, or,
Failing a clear paper trail, what can we deduce about its likely origins?

¹ I am deliberately avoiding the characterization "locker-room talk".


texts:
A: They going to give you a new partner?
B: How would I know? No one tells
you anything. It’s the N.Y.P.D.
A: I know, right? Never Yielding
perpetual Dickaround.

what does it mean?
They(NYPD) never make a decision that wastes time?


texts:
scheduled (adjective) ::  included in or arranged / planned according to a schedule.

  schedule ::
  1. a plan of procedure, usually written, for a proposed objective, especially with reference to the sequence of and time allotted for each item or operation necessary to its completion: The schedule allows three weeks for this stage.
  2. a series of things to be done or of events to occur at or during a particular time or period.
  3. a timetable.
  4. a written or printed statement of details

Given these definitions, is it really grammatically correct to schedule something to be done immediately / ASAP, and/or in the course of a impromptu spoken conversation?

Or refer to Job/Item X as a scheduled job/item, when it's really just Alice telling Bob 'Do X now'. Or at best 'Do X as soon as you're free' (with the understanding that Bob is going to / needs to be free in a few minutes, half an hour at best)

This is pretty common corporate use, in my experience, and now I'm wondering if this makes sense outside of corporate speak, or just an example of corporate euphemisms/doublespeak?

(Edited: because as Colin Fine pointed out, the usage is certainly grammatical; and grammar is not what really what I'm questioning)


texts: Is there a word for someone who hates computers?

texts:
If a computerphile loves computers then is there a word for someone who hates them? I've been trying to think how the prefix 'miso' might be used, e.g. misogynist vs philogynist, but haven't come up with anything.

"Phobia" means "fear" and implies an irrationality that I would like to avoid. The word I'm looking for would mean a strong but perfectly rational dislike of computers and/or computer culture.

I don't feel like a sample sentence is really helpful here but the tag says it's a requirement, so here you go:

  "How do you feel about computers?"
  "I'm a staunch ______."

NB: The word I'm looking for would be similar to "misogynist" only directed toward computers, the Internet and/or Internet culture rather than women.


texts: Word with a meaning of "personal internal struggle"

texts:
A word for a thing that someone can mentally struggle with, or has a quirk for, kind of like (but not) hubris.

I've seen it around, but only a few times, and I can't for the life of me think what it was! I think it had something to do with neuro? Not neurotic, though.

As in 'Alexis struggled with many (word)'.

Neuroses was the word I was looking for, thank you @stevesliva !


texts:
I was interested in the word “egoscape” used in the following paragraph of the New Yorker magazine’s (March 14) article written by David Remnick under the title “American Demagogue”:

  “For a long time, Trump, with his twenty-four-karat skyscrapers, his
  interesting hair, and his extra-classy airline, was a leading feature
  of the New York egoscape. The editors of the satirical monthly Spy
  covered him with the same obsessive attention that Field & Stream pays
  to the rainbow trout.”

I can’t find the word egoscape in either Oxford or Cambridge English Dictionary. Nor does Google Ngram register this particular word.

While Murukan says "egoscape" means “inward pilgrimage of an individual,” it doesn’t seem to fit the context of the above paragraph to me.

What does “egoscape” mean? Does it pass current?


texts: Why do we "watch" something, but "listen to" something? For example, "watch a movie", but "listen to a broadcast".


texts: Transitive verbs where the object is the object of the effect rather than the verb

texts:
Consider the following examples:

I ate myself sick.
They drank the place dry.

Is there a name for this kind of construction. How would it be analysed? Obviously the sense is:

I ate (something and made) myself sick
They drank (at) the place (until the alcohol supply had run) dry

I am assuming that in this case myself is not the direct object of the verb to eat as the subject did not eat himself. What kind of object then is myself, and how would sick be classified?


texts: Term for the global loss of cultural diversity

texts:
Thousands of years ago, people were separated geographically into tribes and ethnic groups with distinctive languages, dress, food, etc.
Today, the races increasingly intermingle, Western dress is the norm and fast food franchises (commonly based in the U.S. or Europe) are scattered around the world. Nations are further being grouped into political/economic blocs, like the European Union and NAFTA.
Is there a term for this increasing loss of cultural diversity?


texts: What’s the deal with the prefix "re-" with the Latin root "ques", "qui", and "quearere"?

texts:
The Latin root is ques or qui as seen in words like question, quest, inquiry, and quiz.  Very related to this Latin root is the root quearere, which seems to have a fair amount of influence on the word require.  The other word that jumps to my attention is request.

  Require

  verb
  cause to be necessary. (Google)

  Request

  verb (which has been nounified)

  to politely ask for. (Google)

What purpose does the prefix re- serve here?  Seeing as both these words a derived from Latin, I would assume the re- prefix follow along the line of:

  back again, or again and again, or withdraw

However, quearere generally means to seek and quest means to search for something, so shouldn’t require loosely translate to search again, search for a long time, or stop searching?

Why is it a request the first time I ask for something instead of the second time I go search for something?

If I requiz someone, I am most certainly quizing them again.

If I make a reinquiry, I would undoubtedly be asking again the same as if I were to requestion someone.

Can someone bring some insight to the way the prefix re- is being used here?


texts:
The maid of honor dresses different from the bride.
The maid of honor dresses differently from the bride.

Which one is correct? Or both of them are?

It's a fill-in-the-blank questions appeared in my last English exam.

The subject and object were not originally "the maid of honor" and "the bride" but the pattern was  certainly "XX dresses _________ from YY" (that implied we had to write something with the meaning of "different").

The teacher said that the answer was "differently" and "different" was wrong.

I googled "dresses different from" and "acts different from". They both appeared online and in ebooks.

Please explain to me whether it's correct or not.

Many thanks!


texts: Can "semicircle" be used to refer to a part-circle that is not a exact half-circle?

texts:
Going through a specification sheet for an engineering device, I glanced upon this phrase:

  ...the angular scanning range of the device is a semicircle of 300 degrees...

A semicircle is usually defined as a proper half of a circle - in mathematical terms a circle of angle 180 degrees. Clearly 300 degrees is more than a half, it is closer to being 5/6th of a circle. Is it grammatically correct to refer to non-full circles as a "semicircle", even though they are not exactly a half-circle.


texts: Who is lost in thought in "I had no glimmer of what was in his mind, nor did he enlighten me, but sat lost in thought..."?

texts:
I'd like someone to clear up the sentence that seems ambiguous to me. It's from "The problem of the Thor Bridge" by Conan Doyle.

  I had no glimmer of what was in his mind, nor did he enlighten me, but sat lost in thought until we pulled up in the little Hampshire station.

It's when Watson describing Holmes (as always).
What I want to know is to whom the part "but sat lost in thought" refers to? Holmes or Watson himself? Is it one interpretation for native speakers, or is this sentence ambiguous?

You have "not A but B" type of sentence pattern in English, right? In this case both "I had no glimmer of what was in his mind" and "nor did he enlighten me" parts have negative word, so this "but sat lost in thought" fits either of the front, am I right?

My guess is that it's Holmes who sat lost in thought here because you don't describe "I am lost in thought" that much, do you? My impression is that the phrase "lost in thought" tend to be used to someone. But I don't know.
Could someone clear it up for me please?


texts: What's the word for dropping buzzwords frequently?

texts: I'm pretty sure there is a word for this, I remember seeing it on the Internet once and the closest I have is "buzzwording" (not a real word?)


texts: verb of 'remediation' (no such thing as 'remediated')

texts:
As in the sentence:

  The pill, in combination with a lot of water, remediated the [effects of the] alcohol.

I know there's no such word, only remediation, but I wish it was a word, because it sounds right to me. remedied/weakened/reversed/lessened don't seem as fitting; maybe I'm just attached to the idea of this imaginary word.

Your thoughts? Thanks.


texts: What is the difference in meaning between these two sentences?

texts:
He isn't meant to be disrespectful.
  He didn't mean to be disrespectful.


texts:
Does an English country house count as a palace? Looking at dictionary.com they provided the following definition for palace:

  the official residence of a king, queen, bishop, or other sovereign or exalted personage.
  a large and stately mansion or building.
  a large and usually ornate place for entertainment, exhibitions, etc.

An English country house is not necessarily the residence of nobility, so the first definition does not fit. Two and three do fit. Can anyone clear this up for me?


texts: What originated the use of hawkish in a figurative sense?

texts:
Hawkish in a figurative sense is often used to refer to politicians who are in favor of using force rather than diplomacy to achieve something. By extension hawkish is used in financial or economic contexts to refer to an aggressive tone used to indicate possible future threats.

The above figurative usage derives from the “militaristic” sense which developed from the mid-20th century. According to Etymonline:

Hawkish:

  "hawk-like," by 1703, from hawk (n.) + -ish. Sense of "militaristic" is from 1965, from hawk in the transferred sense.

and from hawk

  transferred sense of "militarist" attested from 1956, probably based on its opposite, dove.

As explained  above, the figurative sense is quite intuitive and may have been first used in contrast to the figurative sense of dove, but:

in what context was the term hawkish initially  used with the above meaning?  Was it originally a British or an American expression? Is there a more precise date in which the term was first used?

Edit:

The suggested expression “war hawk” doesn’t explain the reason  of the spike in usage of “hawkish” from the late ‘50s early ‘60s. See Ngram


texts:
We are in an impartial hearing to get special education for our son.  The school social worker testified a tremendous load of lies, distortions and nonsense.  She (having set herself up as an armchair expert on everything in the DSM-5) didn't see any outward signs of OCD or anxiety in the child => therefore the highly qualified experts' diagnoses (made after careful work-ups) must be total B.S., and the child's parents must be delusional.  I need to describe her (or her statements or her attitude) in my written closing argument.  Know-it-all feels too informal for this kind of document.  Unhumble isn't a word.  Dismissive only covers part of it.  I want to get at the arrogance of the ignorant.  Well, not exactly ignorant.  It's a person who thinks that from a two-week unit in one college course she has now mastered everything there is to know about a complex psychiatric condition.  Her knowledge is at the level of a dabbler, but being an anti-snob, she thinks that her down-to-earth intuition and street smarts make her better qualified than the highly trained specialists.  (Whom she laughs at.)

It's okay to pull in a character from popular culture who fits this description, perhaps with some sarcasm.  Sometimes such an approach is very effective.  See this example.  If you come up with something really good that is a different part of speech, e.g. a verb, that's okay, I'll try to work with it.

I was asked to give an example sentence.  I'll try, but really, I would rather put together a sentence around a particularly effective word or phrase that really gets the idea across.  In her conceited ignorance, Ms. X dismisses the child's OCD, on the assumption that if the symptoms are not trotted out in her office, the condition must be a figment of his parents' imagination.  (In a separate sentence I'll give a statistic about how long, on average, it takes OCD to get diagnosed, because it can be so well hidden.)

Note 1: the answers suggested to the OP who was looking for an equivalent to a Polish idiom did not have the formal tone I need.

Note 2: Quack, etc., don't work here. If I take my son to see a doctor or therapist, and I think the person is a quack, that's different from the current situation. I would be paying the quack. Here, the social worker is a gatekeeper who is preventing the child from getting needed services and accommodations. She is the queen who gets to decide who gets what, and she can do so in a completely arbitrary way.

Note 3: Charlatan doesn't work because she isn't pretending to be an expert on OCD, etc. She just assumes she has enough knowledge of the subject to say "I did not see any evidence of OCD" => "therefore the parents are blowing a little bit of normal adolescent anxiety out of proportion". Pretentious is a little different from pretender. Pretender doesn't work, for the same reason as for charlatan.   She hasn't made unjustified or false claims or statements about her personal status, abilities, or intentions.  She just thinks she knows better than the experts (whom she thinks have been manipulated by the horrible, Machiavellian parents).

Note 5: Please don't get too sophisticated on me!  If I use a word the hearing officer doesn't know, I'll have to explain it, and then I'm back at square one!  Anyway, I'm glad the question got reopened, I'm seeing a number of promising ideas here.


texts:
Citation:

  ‘Presently’ should be used with care until the Anglo-American difference of meaning has been resolved.

What difference?


texts: Why is the pronunciation of academy and academic so different?

texts:
I know that the pronunciation of academy can be broken down into:
a-cad-emy with the stress on cad

While that of academic can be broken down into
ac-a-dem-ic with the stress on the dem

Sometime I wonder why academy is not broken down into
ac-a-de-my and pronouncing it with the stress on a

The first page of the google search results didn't yield anything useful, hence posting here to get some ideas :)


texts: Does this technique that deals with syllable meters have a name?

texts:
On the poem extract below I noticed the following technique and it sounded really familiar, reminding me of punk rock songs and some strong man speeches (I know this is super vague, if I remember any examples I'll link them in the comments). This technique consists of a metric progression of long verses to short verses culminating with a one or two syllable verse, this happens from verses 1 to 5 below, then this is followed by same metric length verses with Anaphoras, in this case it's an anaphora with "the". Does anyone know if this has a name?

  1 Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.

  2 I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size

  3 But when I start to tell them,

  4 They think I’m telling lies.

  5 I say,

  6 It’s in the reach of my arms,

  7 The span of my hips,

  8 The stride of my step,
  -Phenomenal Woman, by: Maya Angelou


texts:
Is paraphrasing:

  I expect you to keep this subject secret from people it does not concern.

as

  I'm expecting discreetness concerning this subject.

a correct use of that word? How else would you formally, elegantly, subtly describe the requirement of restricting the reach of certain information (especially in noun form)?

I'd prefer to avoid strict, technical language related to "classified", or "closed circulation" etc. Keep it on subtle, polite side please.


texts:
I am writing an essay and have a question about it.

If I say:

  While some people say that it is a good thing, others deem otherwise.

Is it awkward?

I'm confused about the sentence 'others deem otherwise.' Is it grammatically correct? If so, does it sound natural?


texts: How to distinguish "can" and "can't" pronunciation in American English?

texts:
I am  a student in China learning American English.

I have listened to some videos and found it hard to distinguish can from can’t.  I am looking for some advice that may help me.


texts: Can I drop 'might' in this sentence without changes in meaning?

texts:
I was interested in the following sentence which appeared in an article titled “Rethinking the Afghanistan War’s What-Ifs" by David E. Sanger in The New York Times (July 31, 2010).

  The British spent a century arguing over whether a lighter hand or
  devastating military might could have put down the American
  Revolution.

I'm already confused about differences between might usage and could usage, but the chaos explodes in my mind when I see they together.

According to this Kosmonaut's answer, I should reword "might could have put down" with "might be able to have put down", but I'm not sure on this correction because this fragment does not make sense to my ear.

Indeed, I would drop "might" and I would reword the sentence as follow:

  The British spent a century arguing over whether a lighter hand or
  devastating military could have put down the American
  Revolution.

Can someone clarify if the fragment "might could have put down" could be reworded dropping "might" without changes in meaning? Or, is it right what Kosmonaut said?


texts:
I want to write something along the lines of:

  For the purposes of this study, X was developed from scratch.

But the "scratch" here doesn't sound very formal, does it?

Is "from the ground up" any better than "from scratch" in terms of formality? I guess no?

What would be a good way to express this, without sounding too lame? I do want to make it clear that the X really was built, uh, from the ground up.

For what it's worth, the X here is a completely abstract thing. (Think of software, for example.)


texts:
When writing an instruction about connecting to a computer using ssh, telnet, etc., I'm not sure what spacing to use in this familiar spoken phrase:

"Log in to host.com"
"Log into host.com"
"Login to host.com"

Maybe this is entirely subjective or the realm of industry jargon, but I couldn't think of anywhere else to ask.  Any insight?


texts: How did 'organic' evolve to mean 'characterized by gradual or natural development'?

texts:
[OED:] 6. e. Characterized by continuous or natural development;
  (Business) designating expansion generated by a company's own resources, as opposed to that resulting from the acquisition of other companies.

Neither Etymonline nor OED explain the etymology for this newer definition, whose first example sentence is dated 1923.

Please expose and explain all (hidden and missing) semantic drifts and links. What bridges the jumps with the original meaning?
From which older definition of 'organic' does this newer one derives?
An organ may develop in size, but NOT in function as the definition above presupposes.
 (eg: A bladder doesn't simply develop into a gallbladder).


texts:
I would really need help with the following sentence.

  The significance of culture and identity in development has to do not
  so much with the cultural factor in the process of development as with
  abandoning Eurocentric development thinking, i.e. development as
  catching up and imitation, and instead conceiving and conceptualizing
  development as an inclusive, liberating process, in which different
  worldviews are accommodated and constitute a dialogical process.

The and instead part confuses me. Instead of what? I cannot understand what it relates to. I read that instead can be used without of but still means of that. It does not make any sense in this case.


texts: Word for making your life circumstances seem much worse than it is

texts:
What is a word for when someone feels overly sorry for themselves?

  John writes how his life was ruined by only being potty trained a year later than other kids of his age. Sally responds saying John is self [ ....... ]

I thought of pity party but it doesn't fit into the context. I'm thinking of a more formal word perhaps that tries to convey an over-exaggeration of feeling sorry for oneself or making one's life circumstances seem much worse than it is


texts:
I am very confused with usage of could and could have +p.p.

For example, do these sentences mean the same:

I couldn't come to college last week.
I couldn't have come to college last week.
I couldn't have come to college last week because I was working.

I know that could refers to ability to do something, while could have + p.p refers to some possibility in the past. However, in the examples above there is no difference because they bear the same meaning to me:

I was not able to come to college last week.
I was not able to come to college last week because I was working.

Another confusing examples would be:

This book could not be written without your help. (Here I'm speaking about the past, not about the future.)
This book could not have been written without your help.

And one more:
"If she couldn't have come to my party, I wouldn't have invited her."

Thank you very much!


texts:
I've heard the phrase 'know the X, know the man' where X is some defining characteristic of the person. But now I can't find any external examples.

What's the original phrase?

(Side note, it may be knoweth the X, knoweth the man)

Using "Know the * know the man" in Google provides some examples:

"know the golfer, know the man" - http://www.hourdetroit.com/Hour-Detroit/October-2013/Navigating-Troubled-Waters/
"know the money, know the man" - http://people.com/tv/real-housewives-of-miami-premiere-alex-mccord-blogs
"Know the material, know the man" - http://www.ratemyprofessors.com/ShowRatings.jsp?tid=621999

and mentioned in the comments:

"Know the garbage, know the man" from Brooklyn 99 (although this is clearly stated as 'not a real saying').


texts:
I saw this on a billboard recently

  We have new and pre-owned cars and trucks

Clearly the intention is to modify "cars and trucks" with the two adjectives "used and preowned" and although the construction does make sense intuitively (and colloquially), I was wondering if there are any specific rules about this kind of "dual-and" construction or any other situation where you have multiple adjectives modifying a string of objects simultaneously.


texts: Word meaning the feeling of thinking there are more steps on a flight of stairs than there are

texts: I remember reading about a word describing the weird sensation felt when one reaches the top of a flight of stairs one step sooner than one expected to.


texts: What is the origin of "dox" and "doxing"?

texts:
Wikipedia has a solid description of what "doxing" is:

  Doxing is the Internet-based practice of researching and publishing personally identifiable information about an individual.

They also make a claim that the word is an abbreviation for "document tracing" but none of their sources confirm this. It seems like a completely unsubstantiated claim. Terms that appear in internet culture are notoriously hard to track but I'm finding it hard to believe that "dox" is short for "document tracing" considering the only relevant part of the longer phrase is "doc".

One of their linked sources even disagrees:

  The term "dox" (also spelt "doxx", and short for "[dropping] documents").

Does anyone know how long this term has been used and where it originated? Is it really an abbreviation for "document tracing"?


texts: Is it correct to invert, "If I could fly, I would ..." into, "Could I fly, I would ...?"

texts:
I know that, "If he should ask about me, ..." can be inverted into, "Should he ask about me, ..." But I am not sure if it works to invert, "If I could fly, I would ..." into, "Could I fly, I would ...?"

Thank you.


texts: What do you call the gesture whereby you rest your palms on the side of your hips?

texts:
What do you call the gesture whereby you rest your palms, the front of your fist, or your wrist on the side of your hips?

Kind of like these examples:

Update: Guess I should've made it clear: I did Google "hands on hips gesture". I didn't get a concrete source to back it up, so I went ask here.


texts: Incorrectly transliterated foreign words that have been improved

texts:
Seeking a list of several foreign words (usually names, but any noun) that have been borrowed from other languages, but originally transliterated/pronounced incorrectly and are now being improved into a closer approximation of the original.

I used to be able to rattle off four or five such examples, but have forgotten most.

Examples:

Peking (now corrected to Beijing)
Mao Tse-tung (now corrected to Mao Zedung)
Bombay (now corrected to Mumbai)

Note:
Modified the question to replace "~correction" with "~improvement", as suggested in comments.


texts: Is there a technical term for what creationists call "macroevolution"?

texts:
The term macroevolution is often abused (see the section "Misuse" in the Wikipedia article) by creationists who are referencing the biblical concept of immutable "kinds" of animals.

Is there a word or conveniently short phrase that could be employed to distinguish between evolution (both micro- and macroevolution) and the evolution of one "kind" into another?

Baraminology is a relevant topic that may be helpful.

Edit: I am definitely not asking for a new term.

The mental image conjured up by the term "macroevolution" (amoebas to apes) is much different from its actual scientific definition (anything changing at a taxonomical level).  This seems to be the root of the problem.

I am looking for the way a scientist would describe grasshoppers-to-kittens "evolution" (This is what Creationists incorrectly use the term macroevolution to refer to), without including "speciation" which is what macroevolution really refers to.


texts:
What’s the difference between "rise in" and "rise of"? Specifically, I am looking at the sentence:

  The rise __ juvenile crime is attributed to three factors.

Which preposition should I choose?


texts: What is the correct interpretation of "Crazy Rich Asians"?

texts: There is more than one way to interpret the title of the hit film "Crazy Rich Asians." In the film it is suggested that "crazy rich" means "impossibly rich," but as written it could also mean crazy (rich Asians)? The ambiguity is no doubt intentional, but how would you construct the two interpretations to make them unambiguous?


texts: Can I use “be productive with something” as in “be successful at something”?

texts:
I am trying to phrase the value proposition for my productivity app, which aims to help people get going with activities they easily give up on. At the moment it reads like this:

  Thank you for installing %appname%.
  We hope it helps you to get more productive with the things you want to do.

It felt wrong (I wasn't sure whether to use productive with something or productive at something), so I checked Google and a few dictionaries only to find no evidence of using productive with an object (except phrases like “be productive at home/work”). So I wonder if it's an appropriate use at all.

I would rephrase it with “get [more] successful at the things you want to do”, but this feels like a promise too strong: the fact that the user gets more engaged with the activity doesn't guarantee they find success at it. And I'd avoid the word 'engaged' as being too formal.


texts:
I usually spend a lot of time learning new words. It is very difficult to keep them in my brain. I prefer watching cartoons and CNN news (sometimes with subtitles).

But, anyway, my listening and speaking skills are horrible. How do people memorize words? I'm nervous, because I'm going to visit Europe, and I'm worried teachers won't understand me. :(


texts:
Here are 2 sentences:

"I was surprised that he should say such a thing."

and

"I was surprised that he said such a thing."

Is there are any difference in meaning between them?


texts: I'm aware of the meaning of "scantily clad", the internet gives some good clues on that (Side question: Does it have erotic implications in itself?). However, what do the actual words mean ("clad" from "clothed"?), from which period is it, and why has it become a fixed expression?


texts: Finding Grammatical Error In A Model SAT sentence

texts:
Sacajawea, a Native American woman, whose ability to translate between indigenous languages and English was extremely helpful to the explorers, Louis and Clark, on their expedition to the Pacific Ocean.

In one of these videos http://www.veritasprep.com/free-sat-lessons/videos/on-demand.php#video this sentence is said to be grammatically incorrect, but where is the grammatical error? Can someone explain why the quoted sentence is incorrect ?


texts: Definite article – usage of 'the' dependent on context

texts:
Which of the three articles (a/an/the) would the blanks in the following sentence take?

It is not unusual for ____ editor to tamper with _____ writer's manuscript.

I think it should be 'an' and 'the' in the first and second blank respectively, but my colleagues think otherwise. Please suggest.


texts: How to say "You have this much work to do because you decided to do that much" more elegantly?

texts:
I want to try word this a bit more elegantly, fancy, etc.

Basically that is a reply to a co-worker who said to me in an email saying "Too much work to do!" and I want to reply to that in an intelligent way.

I was thinking about something along the line of "You only have so much as you decided to have." but that doesn't sound right at all.

Any English experts out there can help?


texts:
What is the word that best describes the transformation one goes through after having an epiphany?

My girlfriend swears there is a word for this besides epiphany, transformative, revelation, etc.  Is she possibly misremembering or is there a specific word for that?


texts: Is there a word referring to the process of digesting information and coming up with your own opinion/ideas on a topic?

texts:
It could be used in a sentence like
"With such influences in the media leading people to believe everything they hear without ... "


texts: Disraeli's "Never complain, never explain"

texts:
The famous motto "never complain, never explain", that well represents an aspect of the English character, is said to have been coined by PM Benjamin Disraeli by most online source such as Quora and The Art of Manliness for instance.

(Pinterest)

Curiously I couldn't find evidence of when and on which speech or writing Disraeli gave the above expression.

Can anyone help provide details about when and on which occasion the motto was first coined?


texts: Why is "-ate" in literate and obliterate pronounced differently?

texts: Is there a general logic as to how the syllable "ate" is modified in different circumstances?


texts:
What’s the word to describe that everyone’s good at something? I recently conversed with someone from America and she used a word beginning with ‘S’ it’s bothering me that I can’t remember the word. She said everyone has ***

Many thanks


texts:
It has been said that an adverb cannot modify a noun.

But this article's title is:

  Google, Amazon or Even Apple Could Buy Tivo

Here, 'even' I think is an adverb but it does seem to modify the following noun 'Apple'.

How is this possible? Is this an exception to the rule that an adverb cannot modify a noun?


texts: The feeling of always wanting newer possessions?

texts:
I am looking for a word that describes the emotion or feeling of an intrinsic want of a new and better possession. Covetous or envious seem a bit too focused on the other other person's possession of the desired object whereas I am looking for something that is defined by the internal thoughts we have when seeing an advertisement for the latest iPhone or life-changing new service.

I saw this post but I am wondering if there is a word with less emphasis on the second entity? Otherwise, would I covet new things from Amazon or Apple? Can I be envious of corporations?

For example, I just bought a new car and now, looking at my slightly out of date television, I feel the need to upgrade my T.V. with a newer, shiny one from Amazon. Would I be coveting that T.V. which Amazon sells?

  I saw the ad for the latest iPhone, the iPhone 3000, and feel that my current phone is inadequate. I am a(n) ______ person, since I always desire something better than what I currently possess. If I was a caveman with a sharpened stick, I'd want your sharper, pointier stick.

I feel like there is probably some niche German word for exactly this, but I'm unsure it exists in English. Thanks!


texts: Is there a better term to describe second hand dealers (for electronic devices) and second hand dealers (for collecting newspapers and magazines for recycling)?


texts: Is your cousin's wife or husband also a first cousin?

texts: I know that two people are first cousins if their parents are siblings, but what do you call your cousin's wife or husband, are they still your first cousin?


texts: Is the "B" in Brussels Sprouts capitalized? What about the F(s) in French Fries?

texts:
Is the "B" in Brussels Sprouts capitalized?

What about the "F" or "F's" of French Fries?

I suppose it's not standard to capitalize "F" in french fries... In that case what is the proper way to write it? Please cite sources.


texts: English equivalent of the Hindi phrase "छुपा रुस्तम" (chupa rustam)

texts: I'm looking for English word[s] that come close to छुपा रुस्तम (chupa rustam), literally "hidden warrior". It's attributed to a person who is very clever but does not appear so. If I remember correctly, it's not used for deceitful nature.


texts: Another way to say " Having received no response"

texts: Please suggest other ways to phrase" Having received no response."


texts: Any idiom or phrase for "refusing to admit one's mistake or one's own lack of knowledge, abilities or achievements"?

texts:
Is there any idiom or phrase for "refusing to admit one's mistake or one's own lack of knowledge, abilities or achievements"?

For example, You ask your friend a simple question, but he doesn't have a clue. When you tell him the answer, he says, "Of course I knew. I'd just forgotten!" (He doesn't want to admit that he didn't know the answer at all!)

Or, another example:
You play tennis with your uncle, and he gets creamed! But he says, "Of course I could win if I were younger!" (He doesn't want to admit that his tennis isn't good enough!)


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Are split infinitives grammatically incorrect, or are they valid constructs?

Star Trek's slogan:

  To boldly go where no man has gone before.

"To boldy go" sounds right, but I was told by my friend that this is actually grammatically wrong because it is a split infinitive. I don't agree, because it seems to sound right. Is this a split infinitive, or something else?


texts: What is the word for "other people's thinking"?

texts:
For years I've been using the word dogma to describe other people's thinking. This is an example of how I used it:

  Don't get caught up in other people's dogma...live your own truth...

Basically to not get hung up on expectations of others for you to be thin, smart, sexy, successful under their definition, rich, etc. To find existence outside of the bounds of socially-defined morality (which I call dogma). I am wondering if dogma was the correct word or if there is something better to describe this type of peer pressure or expectation.

Dogma seems to be defined as related to religion, but I am referring more to humanity in general. Thoughts?


texts: Word for a completely new idea in a particular field

texts:
A new way to think of something, which is a gamechanger.

For instance:

  Video on demand is killing the digital establishment. What can we call the VOD market?


texts: Do "empirical" and "imperial" share a common etymology?

texts: Nothing more to my question, really. I just wonder if the words share an etymological root. Thanks.


texts:
Is there a word for the opposite of modal?

Particularly, is there a word for the opposite of modal in the logical sense of relating to the modality between propositions? In other words, is there a word for denoting that of not relating to the modality between propositions?


texts: Where to put the pronoun in a sentence when using the gerund verb form?

texts:
Which sentence is correct?

  it seems we are all living in a weird land

or

  it seems we all are living in a weird land

?


texts: What does ‘ Seven years there and he won’t know himself.’ mean?

texts:
The school is the finest school and seven years’ studying there should be great for students, but I can’t read it that way for some reason.

  “If he wants ter go, a great Muggle like you won’t stop him,” growled Hagrid. “Stop Lily an’ James Potter’s son goin’ ter Hogwarts! Yer mad. His names’s been down ever since he was born. He’s off ter the finest school of witch craft and wizardry in the world. Seven years there and he won’t know himself. He’ll be with youngsters of his own sort, fer a change, an’ he’ll be under the greatest headmaster Hogwarts ever had, Albus Dumbled—“ (Harry Potter 1 [US Version]: p.58) [Bold font is mine]

If seven years there and he still doesn’t understand who he is, the school, I would think, is not so effective. The context is saying, however, the school is very good. Would you guide me to the right meaning?


texts: Is it correct to say "imperturbably take damage"?

texts:
I have the next sentence:

  Stay calm and imperturbably take damage or die if need be.

Is it right? Can you give me any suggestions?


texts: Is there an English equivalent to "Presque vu"

texts:
Is there an English equivalent to "presque vu": the feeling that something is on the tip of your tongue?

Usually, I hear "on the tip of my tongue", however, I am curious to
know if there are other English words meaning the same.


texts: "As usual" versus "As always" versus "As per usual"

texts:
I have a dialogue:

  -What are you both doing now?
  -It's 6 pm, so we do English lessons as always.

But I don't want to use "as always" here as it gives the answer a passive aggressive tone. I want it to look very casual, but I'm not sure what's the difference between "As per usual" and "As usual"?

Please advise.


texts:
Mathematicians do this one way, but I'd like the opinion of the ELU community: how do you turn algebraic geometry into an adjective phrase?

Mathematicians say

  We solved the problem using algebro-geometric methods.

In this particular case, which is not the best example, you could also say

  We solved the problem using algebraic geometry methods.

Something logical but not really very good is

  We solved the problem using algebraically geometric methods.

Is algebro-geometric the best of these? Notice "using algebraic geometry methods" doesn't work for some phrases, but I don't have an example off the top of my head.


texts: What does it mean for bones to be bleaching?

texts:
What does it exactly mean to say bones are bleaching? Specifically, does it mean

their color is getting whiter

or

they are moldering

A context:

  Since then I have lived to see state after state extirpate its wolves. I have watched the face of many a newly wolfless mountain, and seen the south-facing slopes wrinkle with a maze of new deer trails. I have seen every edible bush and seedling browsed, first to anaemic desuetude, and then to death. I have seen every edible tree defoliated to the height of a saddlehorn. Such a mountain looks as if someone had given God a new pruning shears, and forbidden Him all other exercise. In the end the starved bones of the hoped-for deer herd, dead of its own too-much, bleach with the bones of the dead sage, or molder under the high-lined junipers.

Thinking Like a Mountain


texts: Using "you know" when the listener can't be expected to know.

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Garbage/stuff words

Can you end a sentence with "you know," when telling the listener some new information that they couldn't possibly be expected to know?

For example, you could tell someone something like, "I'm actually quite good at this, you know." Now that I think about it, it wouldn't seem normal to say this if they already did know. It seems backwards.

So what's up with this?


texts: Fast forward inside a quotation to remove obsolete information?

texts:
Would it be correct to fast forward inside a quotation to remove obsolete information by using three periods (...) as shown in the following examples?

“ ‘Do you want me to question this boy?’ Justice Asked. … ‘No!’ Harris
said violently, explosively. ‘Damnation! Send him out of here!’ ”
“ ‘Do you want me to question this boy?’ Justice Asked.” … “ ‘No!’ Harris said violently, explosively. ‘Damnation! Send him out of here!’ ”

or would I just have the full quote?

Full Quote

  " 'Do you want me to question this boy?' But he
  could hear, and during those subsequent long seconds while there was absolutely no sound in the crowded little room save that of quiet and intent breathing it was as if he had swung outward at the end of a grape vine, over a ravine, and at the top of the swing had been caught in a prolonged instant of mesmerized gravity, weightless in time.

  'No!' Harris said violently, explosively. 'Damnation! Send him out of here!' "


texts:
It comes across as offensive.  I just recently saw Shadow People for the second time  and what they didn’t go into enough is the origin of the word hag.

There is some particular woman they speak of being Norse in her earlier years.  and Germanic in her latter years. This also ties in with the origin of the word nightmare.

Is there someone who is able to shed some light on this for me?


texts: Using the prepositions "on"/"off" as transitive verbs

texts: Is it correct to say 'on it' or 'off it', where 'it' may refer to something like a light switch?


texts:
I've felt better since I have been there.

Why (perfect tense) is written in this sentence after since?
Shouldn't we use simple past there ?


texts: Does tricky have unavoidably negative connnotations?

texts:
Else-site, I got into a discussion with a member where the thread turned accusatory and defensive because I said a programming language had tricky details that you learned over time.  I did not mean that it was a bad thing, only that there were features less traveled that really enhance the effectiveness of code.

One of the Definitions of 'tricky' given by M-W is "requiring skill or caution" and the other two are even more negative.  Even "difficult to do or deal with" leans negative into the "It shouldn't be that difficult" realm.  Yet difficult is not always bad.  Sometimes it just is, mastery of any topic is difficult, and sometimes just knowing the subtle features is enough, it's a sign of a skilled practitioner to leverage these subtleties, and it's those I call tricky.

Am I off on my usage, and what resources exist to try to divine these usage subtleties?

I'm a native speaker, yet I can't always explain why I shade word meaning a certain direction that is not supported by a dictionary.


texts:
I've been told that the German einmalig refers to the property of being special, but with an emphasis on uniqueness in time, something like "one-timely".

Do we have a word or phrase that means both singular and non-recurring, perhaps with an emphasis on being timely in relation to other events?


texts: "Are" vs. "is" for proper nouns which sound plural (such as band names)

texts:
I was trying to explain to a friend that someone is no longer available on Spotify earlier today so I said the sentence:

  The Avalanches are no longer available on Spotify.

Immediately after saying that I realized it might be incorrect (English isn't my first language so this is a common occurrence) because if you take the name of the band out of the equation the sentence becomes of the form:

  [Band name] are no longer available on Spotify.

which shouldn't be using are but instead be using is.

I asked around and some people responded saying it should always be is which confused me even further.

Is there any rule for referring to a proper noun as a plural or not in the case where the entity sounds plural?


texts:
For the sake of grammar, is this phrasing correct:

Python is something that not all adults know, let alone do the children.

or

Python is something that not all adults know, let alone the children.

Can you indicate or provide the correct version?


texts: what's the meaning of "live-code approach"?

texts:
At the heart of the book is the Deitel signature “live-code approach.”
  Concepts are presented in the context of complete working programs,
  rather than in code snippets

What's the meaning of "live-code approach" in the context?


texts: I have listen a lot of time that Pakistan are cornered tigers in cricket commentary. What does that really mean ?