texts: Is it correct to say "We will provide you with the best consultation and assist you filling out..."

texts:
Would a phrase like the following be correct?

  We will provide you with the best consultation and assist you filling out...

or would I need to include a preposition to be proper:

  We will provide you with the best consultation and assist you in filling out...


texts: In my math textbook, I saw an author use “square and invertible matrix.” Which one is more correct: “invertible square matrix” or “invertibly square matrix”?


texts: "The efforts involved" vs. "the effort involved"

texts:
…this we are doing proactively in order to have a better understanding at coming up with an estimate in case you want to know the effort involved.

Should I go with "efforts" or "effort" in the statement above? I cannot make up my mind; both options look okay to me. Any ideas?


texts: What is the proper term for placeholder messages?

texts:
What is the proper English term for placeholder messages that you find in software, in the following format:

"No Search Results"
"No Message Selected"
"Unable to Connect"
"Nothing to Show"
etc

These messages are replaced by content when the content becomes available to show. These informational messages act like titles that may or may not have additional more explanatory text underneath - hence the title-case.

These aren't sentences, are they phrases, fragments, etc?


texts:
Which one is correct and why?

The method used in this research was terrible.
The method which used in this research was terrible.
The method which is used in this research was terrible.

And about the first one: why 'which' has been left out? To my understanding we cannot omit 'which' where it's a subject of the relative clause.


texts: A word for "a forceful part that temporarily becomes part of a whole without losing its unique identity"

texts:
I am struggling to find the word that best resembles the above situation.
I have been looking through some synonyms and antonyms but cannot quite get the right word.

Context
I am talking about a human individual who temporarily becomes part of a team or organization and through his/her being, injects a powerful change to that whole without actually being assimilated by the whole and thus keeping his/her unique identity through which contribution to the resulting state remains distinguishable.

Origin
The question results from a conceptual exploration into the distinguishable added value of an ideation consultant/advisor, strengths-based teaming and the word impetus.

First ideas
I was looking at words like: fuse, merge, mix, blend but these are all related to chemicals and take the notion that the individual properties of the elements involved either dissolve or become highly diluted and thus hard to distinguish.


texts: I've heard someone who considers himself to be a "gangster" say "Oh my Lanta". I looked up this phrase, and apparently "Mylanta" is stomach medication, and it's a replacement for "Oh my God", so you won't take the Lord's name in vain. However, this definition really doesn't fit. Is there another meaning for "Oh my Lanta"?


texts:
The bride looked radiant, a fairy tale princess.

The bride looked radiant — fairy tale princess.

She'd known him all her life, a great friend.

She'd known him all her life — great friend.

On these types of structures the phrase won't tag on the end of the sentence without a determiner as is the case with most supplemental phrases. Without the determiner (a,the) you need a dash or a colon.

What is the determiner doing to the phrase so that it can take the comma compared to a phrase that hasn't and needs a em-dash or stronger punctuation?


texts: Is there a noun that means "the state of being flustered"?

texts:
I was writing a bit just now and found myself typing the word "flusteredness", which gets the meaning across but is rather awkward and decidedly non-standard.

Is there a more common or natural word that means roughly the same thing?


texts: Dumbledore's note for Harry or question about sequence of tenses

texts:
When I was re-watching the well-known movie about the boy who lived I noticed that the tenses in the note from Dumbledore (spoiler, sorry ><) don't really correspond, or do they?

Here's what I mean:

  It is time it was returned to you.

Shouldn't it be:

  It is time it is returned to you.

Of course, Dumbledore is not dumb (or movie creators, if you will :P), and I'm just wrong, but could you explain why?


texts:
I am translating the Articles of Association of a Russian limited company into English.
The company is owned by three persons. Each of them has a 33-34% stake in the business.
They do not have any shares. The company does not issue any shares.
Each of the company  owners has contributed a nominal amount at the time of the business registration.
These nominal amounts form a certain capital.
What would you call such a capital?
First, I used “share capital” to refer to it but then I read some article in the Internet that a company that does not issue shares cannot have a share capital.
Now I think that maybe I should call it "membership interest capital", but I am not sure.
Also what would be the best term to refer to the percentage of a business owned by each of the holders? Can I call it share in the business or should I rather use “stake”, “equity stake” or “membership interest”?
Thank you very much for your time and answers.


texts: "It's important that he should know" vs. "... shall know"

texts:
Which sentence is right?

  It's important that he should know this.
  It's important that he shall know this.

Is the shall/should auxiliary or modal verb?


texts:
Here is the sentence:

  A person who agrees to serve as mediator between two warring factions
  at the request of both abandons by so agreeing the right to take sides
  later. To take sides at a later point would be to suggest that the
  earlier presumptive impartiality was a sham.

I don't understand the meaning of "by so" in this sentences. Does the sentence mean "by abandoning agreeing the right to take sides later, a person can become a mediator", or "by serving as mediator, a person must abandon taking sides later"? What does the "so" refer to?  And is "by so" a "adverbial modifier" of "abandon agreeing"?


texts:
I'm working on an app that has to have 3 statuses for products.  Here's what we've got so far:

Active
Maybe
Dead

Essentially Active products are always allowed, Maybe products can be allowed, but are essentially "use with caution" - "limited availability" might be one reason for this status, but others include "superseded by another product." Dead products are in the catalog for reference only and cannot be used - most likely because we literally can't make them any more (components not available, for instance).

This is an internal app - not a public web store or anything like that.  The labels above are what the product folks came up with.  My programmer's mind would have used "Active", "Deprecated", and "Obsolete", but those are admittedly a little too technical for most of the users of the app - they would have a hard time remembering which of Deprecated or Obsolete means "you can't use this ever."

I am OK with Active but strongly dislike the other two options, most especially "Maybe," so I am looking for some help coming up with one word alternatives. I was thinking of "disallowed" but had a hard time coming up with something between "allowed" and "disallowed."

Any thoughts from the wise and knowledgeable EngStack crew?

EDIT

Since a few folks have answered along the lines of "Unknown" I should clarify that we know exactly what's up with these products, it's just that they're not exactly Active or Inactive (for instance).


texts:
My students write sentences like this:

  She hasn't gone out with him since two months ago.

so I want to know if this sentence is right or wrong in English grammar.


texts: I saw him going to city. I saw him go to city

texts:
1:I saw him going to city.
2:I saw him go to city.

First one refers to Gerund. Second one refers to infinite.
Do they have the same meanings or changed?
Define it with reasons.


texts: What is the meaning of the word confluent in the context of the phrase the confluent of the river?


texts: Is the following use of however correct?

texts:
There was no way, however; my mind was still wide awake.

I always see however after semicolons but never like the case above.

Is the example grammatically correct?


texts: Why are there no male or female terms for cousins in English?

texts: In general English doesn't seem to cater well for identifying relationships between people, and the classic example seems to be the term 'cousin' because you can't really work out whether it is someone from your father or mother's side, and you can't even work out if they are male or female. Is there a reason why these words don't exist in English whereas in a language like Chinese this is well established? I thought it might be because back then there are larger families in China and it is difficult otherwise to identify people specifically, but then in English we do have words like uncle and aunty (without specifying the side of the family they are from), and we do have words like brother-in-law or mother-in-law to identify other types of relationships.


texts: What's the meaning of "out of being an ass"?

texts:
The actual sentence is:
"Keep in mind that you can't apologize your way out of being an ass."
What does it mean?


texts: Quotes, Italics, or Nothing? Introducing the concept of a type of list

texts:
In the following excerpt, the author is attempting to convey the need for people to create an exhaustive list of their needs and wants. He's calling this a "needs and wants" list.

Based on what I've researched, there are a few ways I could introduce this concept of this type of list to the reader:

The use of italics, such as the case when introducing technical concepts or terms for the first time to the reader:

  Preparing a needs and wants list is a great place to start when analyzing your life.

The use of quotation marks, just as I used above.

  Making a "needs and wants" list helps make everything easier.

Nothing at all, as the concept of a needs and wants list is a familiar concept.

  Prepare your needs and wants list tonight.

I'm strongly leaning towards the use of quotation marks, but, despite fervent googling, I can't quite find any specific or consistent examples in a case such as this.


texts: Word for person who systematically 'bites off more than they can chew'

texts:
What do you call a person who systematically gets involved in (or creates) projects that are too big and too detailed, which means that some of them will become a challenge beyond their abilities?

For example, if such a person decides to create a photo-album of their holiday, they end up taking photos of everything and then, when putting together the album, they take so long there's a chance the album won't be finished before one or two years (or not at all, as a new mega-project may in the meantime have taken up the person's attention).

Or imagine the person decides to create a database of their personal library and automatically goes about creating fields for every detail, including sizes and weight and, why not?, a thumbnail image of the cover, a field for the blurb and for a personal comment, and... (Yeah, I know, Goodreads already has all that, but we're talking about the type of person who'd still say Goodreads is missing fundamental fields so they must go and create it all from scratch).

EDIT: Conversely, some of these projects can be small: say, making a yule log so detailed it does take up the appearance of a log (uneven shape and edible mushrooms, berries and leaves as realistic as possible). Or instead of producing a database from scratch they can buy the software that offers the best chance of being detailed and then they use it to the utmost.

I'd been using the term 'megalomaniac', because the projects are always 'mega' and there's definitely a 'mania' driving these urges for 'mega projects', but once I started reading up on the term, I realised it didn't quite fit the bill, as the person in question doesn't necessarily think themself better than others, nor is there a need for praise over the projects. It's more of a personal need to go to the utmost detail.

'Perfectionism' may be involved in the process, but it refers to the need of doing something perfectly, even if the task is simple. I'm looking for something that focuses on the need to go big or go home.


texts:
There are two possibilities to say that something happens on a particular day:

  The course of psychological support consisted of four 30-minute sessions led by a psychotherapist before and after the surgery, starting from the fourth day.
  The course of psychological support consisted of four 30-minute sessions led by a psychotherapist before and after the surgery, starting from Day 4.

Is this a matter of style? Which pattern to pick when?


texts: Does a submarine cruise underwater or sail underwater?

texts: The submarine had been cruising in the Atlantic for three weeks


texts: How, really, to determine if a trope or joke is still current? Can it be done?

texts:
Consider the trope or joke about making a "Freudian slip".

(Firstly, question A, - what year did that trope or joke originate?)

This trope was recently discussed, and, as an incidental matter, my opinion was:

  'That trope - jokes about 'Freudian slips' - was current in say the 60s, maybe the 70s. But it is little-heard now; young people wouldn't even know what you're talking about.'

(Maybe I'm completely wrong; maybe I'm right.)

So, is there a way to determine the popularity of usage, of "Freudian slip", from year A through to the present?

Can linguists (or .. somebody?) come up with a graph showing the usage of "Freudian slip" (in the specific example at hand) over the decades - how would one actually show whether I'm right or wrong in the proposal at hand?

More generally for a given trope, or perhaps idiom, how really can you show that it is "out of use" and only "ancient people know or use it" ... ?  Is there a way? What's the deal on this?

There seems to be some confusion with folks presenting something about "N-GRAMS".  I truly thank you and it seems like amazing technology, but what is it?  References from TV (sitcoms etc, the main use of the phrase) ... magazine articles .. the internet?  (Surely that would only apply since "the internet" was in existence?)


texts: Why it is not possible to put a noun object after the particle when the object refers to a person with some phrasal verbs ? Is there a specific rule?

texts:
For example:

X pulled off the sweater or X pulled the sweater off

but let someone off the hook not let off the hook someone

to knock over the car or to knock the car over

and to knock the child over but not to knock over the child

X rang someone back but not X rang back someone


texts:
It's hard to explain my question.

I saw(or heard) "not this one." at some place, but "not" is an adverb, and "this one" is a noun.

Is this sentence "not this one." grammatically correct? Because as I learned before, adverbs can't modify nouns.


texts:
If you speak, and another person keeps doing/saying the following at near enough everything you say:

Oh here we go again
Oh bloody hell
Sarcastic laugh
Mumbles something to show disapproval but doesn't want to make it too obvious all the time
Rolls eyes
Tuts

What's that called?  Is there a word which describes what that person is doing?


texts:
Which is correct;

  The document was already posted

or

  The document is already posted


texts:
I work in a school, the school runs a number of clubs. These clubs are booked online during a booking window of around two weeks. I am trying to write a sign to let parents know that the booking window will close at a certain time but am struggling with the exact grammar. To clarify there are multiple clubs, each club will have multiple bookings and each parent may make multiple bookings at multiple clubs.

Should it be (and why):

Club booking closes tonight at 10pm

Clubs booking closes tonight at 10pm

Club bookings close tonight at 10pm

Clubs bookings close tonight at 10pm


texts: Is there a word or couple words for when you meet someone you have always wanted to meet?

texts: I don't necessarily mean in a romantic way more like meeting your favorite musician or comedian or something like that, just really anyone you have always wanted to get connected with. I was thinking of the phrase "special someone" but I am looking for something that might not have to do with anything romantically. Any help or insights would be greatly appreciated. thank you.


texts: Is there a term with the meaning of proverb?

texts: So basically, a word that describes passages that are like proverbs such as "the meaning of life is..." or "look before you leap" I've been wondering about this word and its sort of similar to, in meaning, to motivational and inspirational.


texts: Is there a better word or idiom describing someone who is stuck in the past?

texts:
I know a question with similar phrasing has already been asked and closed but what I'm looking for is not something in the line of "nostalgic" or "old-fashioned" or any other way of referring to individuals who are out of sync with popular ideas, opinions, values, belief-systems and etc.

The condition I wish to find the term to refer to is about individuals who as a result of trauma or a significant loss, are found to be reaching for the same thing over and over and over again, even though the initial motive is long outdated, irrelevant or etc. or individuals who are often daydreaming about how their lives would have looked like if this or that event hadn't happen that way, and not only "daydreaming" but that their real life is within those fantasy realms and in real life they are unable to find suitable alternatives for what was once the real drive for in that past time.

For example, on the dysfunctional end of the spectrum you might call them "helpless", "listless", "disoriented" and etc.

But the term I'm looking for is regarding the ones who seem functional on the surface, because there are people who are living normal lives, but when you get to know them on a more personal level, you realize the reason they rejected that career offer was because the career they wanted to pursue was the choice their parents denied them at youth, or when you asked them why not going on a date with that person, the answer is that "I have already loved someone, I can't ever love anyone else. What would be the point of all the hassle, if you can't love that person."

Off Topic Example

For example, the "nice guy" trope is often exclusively used about individuals who want to have all the ladies but are incapable of understanding that the dating dynamics is more complicated than just being "nice" to someone who is attractive.

In the same style, the individuals I'm trying to find the right label for could be considered full of regret, resentment, rancor over the past, but not directed at a group [rightly or wrongly] rather that these emotions are so strong that there is no place left for having feelings about the things in the present or possibilities in the future.

For example, someone who goes on the same spot he or she met the [perceived] "love of his or her life", after having lost that relationship, either in the hope that he or she would also show up, or otherwise if it is the loss of the individual, then in the conviction that it is only in this place that if ever a new person can fill the gap of the deceased person, otherwise meeting someone elsewhere can't be ...

PS. For the sake of the requirements for "single word requests" here is how it can be used in a conversation:

  A. Oh, I just met XYZ; He seems like a very intelligent person! why didn't you tell me about him before?

  B. Oh dear! He is quite ..........! Two years ago, Lady Catherine was almost preparing herself to be wedded to him, in fact, we all were; But she was no Elizabeth! When death couldn't convince him to look for someone else, you, my young and inexperience girl, would just be wasting your time on him!


texts: Term for words that sound alike but have different meanings and spellings

texts: What is the term for words that sound alike but have different spellings and meanings? For example, there and their.


texts: What does "It's just a slice of your lights" mean?

texts:
I was watching episode one of the animation TV show called Avatar. The following is the background of the sentence I am asking help for. I hope it's not too lengthy and frustrating.

The main character, a little boy who turns out to be the Avatar with superb magic power, is trapped in a big ice block. A girl frees the boy by hitting the block with a staff and the block breaks. A huge light beam goes up into the sky right after that. The prince of the Fire Nation has been searching for the Avatar in ages and he thinks this time he is going to catch him and gets carried away. He says to an old man "the ligth came from an incredibly powerful source. It has to be him!" But the old man relys "It's just a slice of your lights. We've been down this road before, Principle Zuko. I don't want you to get too exited over nothing".

What does a slice of your lights here mean? Thanks a lot for your help in advance.


texts: "Location of the windows to be opened" vs. "location of windows to be opened"

texts:
I have redefined the size and location of the windows to be opened.
  I have redefined the size and location of windows to be opened.

Which one is correct?


texts: What does "less than unity" mean in the following context...?

texts:
It's about wind power. Here is the context :
"Few topics generate more controversy than capacity credits for wind plant. The capacity credit of any power plant may be defined as a measure of the ability of the plant to contribute to the peak demands of a power system. Capacity credit is often defined as the ratio (firm power capability)/(rated output). As thermal plant is not 100 per cent reliable, values for all plant are less than unity. To a first order, 1,000 MW of nuclear plant corresponds to about 850 MW of firm power and hence has a capacity credit of 0.85; coal plant has a capacity credit of about 0.75. These figures are, roughly, the statistical probability of the plant being available at times of peak demand."

What is meant by this sentence : "values for all plant are less than unity"?
What are these "values"?
I guess the "values" are the results of this "ratio (firm power capability)/(rated output)", aren't they?

Many thanks for your help.

INCIDENTALLY, what is meant by "To a first order"?


texts: Origin of terms Passed Away and Deceased

texts:
I really dislike the expression “Passed away” and would like to know where it came from. I am not keen on “deceased”  either. Died seems gentle enough.

This from a Low Episcopalian.....


texts: This is a very odd question, but is it common to write "enugh" instead of "enough" when chatting?

texts: I know there are thought to be no rules when it comes to chatting, but even then there is a matter of what style of writing and chatting is more common. Again, it's a weird question I know. Thanks


texts:
I know you may specify to something like tragic, open end to describe actually what the end is like.

But do English critics/reviewer in movie magazines use a common term for movies with bad/evil endings or simply refer to them as no happy ending (as most movies have to have a happy ending) to classify such films? I mainly ask as I need some proper keywords to find those rare films.


texts: Is there a rule for "wouldn't" used to mean "didn't want"?

texts:
I have seen the sentences in books where wouldn't seems to have been used in the meaning of didn't want, and I wonder if such a rule exists. For instance,

  I wanted to participate, but he wouldn't take me on.

What kind of rule is applied in the sentence above?


texts: Is the "Sir" title appropriate to use in business meetings?

texts: I'm assisting a daily phone meeting with people from Asia, Europe and North America. One of the Americans is using "Sir" sometimes to address the team leader. Is it appropriate to address a colleague in the same job rank, by "Sir"?


texts: Word that encompasses "passion" and "suffering"

texts:
I am looking for a noun that has identical or similar meanings to the following:

  (a) Powerful feeling that overwhelms someone, often clouding their judgement. (b) passion (c) excessive love for something (d) moral suffering

Also, if possible, an adjective form of this noun would be useful.

An example sentence is added below (and for the adjective form):

  1) However, the night unchains the azure’s potentiality, channelling its fury through relentless waves that permeate even the calmest psyche. The ocean’s nocturne nature makes me, inevitably, compare it to the _____ and tumultuous man’s nature which hides its decadence in a facile obscurity.

More example sentences:

  2) He's a ____ man that lost his wealth to gambling.(for the adjective form)

  3) Overindulging in drinking and whoring around is the mark of the _____. (for the noun form)

  4) He is thinking about her all the time. He's ____ about her.

  5) A great _____ blinded him, and thus he texted her back.


texts: Is there an English word whose definition is the ability to tell truth from a lie?

texts:
There doesn't seem to be an English word describing the ability to tell truth from a lie. I've Googled, and posted on my FB account, but can't seem to find a word that precisely describes this ability.

Discernment. M-W defines this as "able to see and understand people things, or situations clearly and intelligently." Best so far, but a bit off the mark. It does not precisely identify the ability to perceive and separate truth from falsehoods.
The antonym of gullible
A discerning ear
(Slang) anti-bs meter; able to discern bullsh!t.

Others have suggested guarded, prudent, realistic, astute, and perceptive... but none of these precisely describe the quality that I've described.
The word should fit 'XXXXXXX' in the following:

John is so gullible; he'll believe anything. Not so Jane, she is XXXXXXX. She has quite the discerning ear; you'll never be able to deceive her with a lie.

Here are some possibles (consulted thesaurus.com; listed antonyms for gullible; definitions from Google.)

discerning. Having or showing good judgment. Discussed above; best so far, but a bit off the mark.
astute. Having or showing an ability to accurately assess situations or people and turn this to one's advantage. Rejected because does not account for lies.
knowledgeable. intelligent and well informed. Does not speak to distinguishing truth from lies.
perceptive. Having or showing sensitive insight. Does not speak to discernment of truth or lies.
suspicious. Having or showing a cautious distrust of someone or something.. Speaks more to distrust than separation of truth from lies.
unbelieving. Not believing someone or something. Does not speak to the ability to distinguish truth from lies.


texts: How to say "I'm calling to touch base" without using the idiom?

texts: Is there a common phrase or a word to convey the same meaning?


texts:
I'm positive this is an acceptable usage of "nor," but I can't find a rule that explains the usage. Please help!

  He was too tired to walk to the next open crossing. Nor to start an argument.


texts: "Not" after a statement that is not a joke

texts:
Is it valid to use Not after a statement to negate it in joke style when we are not trying to joke but making a point?

Eg., Yes, what you said totally makes sense. Not!


texts: The Wikipedia article on Boston states that the first vowel in the name of the city is that of "caught," not "cot," citing Longman Pronunciation Dictionary.  This seems consistent with my own experiences with chatting with Bostonians, who do not merge the two vowels.  Many people around me do merge the two vowels, to whom this question is moot.  How about other Americans who do distinguish "caught" and "cot," in, e.g., the Midwest and the South?  Is the first vowel of "Boston" really the same as "caught" to them as well?


texts: What do you call the linguistic ambiguity in an assertion "Blah is the Best X?

texts:
I don't know the correct name of the following characteristic or phenomena to search for it on Google for further study and exploration:

  Someone says they live in the "Best Democracy" and they says that they
  can back this up with historical and contemporary evidence. They could
  be asserting either:

  Their country is the best implementation of democratic principles and this is what they have evidence for; or
  They live in country considered sufficiently democratic and that country is the proven best in some other way (affluence/power/stability/happiness index/BMI/trombone players/etc).

In more generalised terms:

  An assertion Best X could mean:

  Best at X; or
  A member of X which is Best at Y

What is this form of linguistic ambiguity called?


texts: Is it common to use "between" with the preposition "to"?

texts:
Is it natural to say the following:

  There is going to be no office hours between 12:00 to 13:00.

I got this in an email and the use of to seems a bit awkward to me. I think of two better alternatives: either change between to from or to to and. What do you think?


texts: Is it a valid phrase? Please, accept or reject it. Maybe there is other exact expression.


texts: Looking for a well-known refrain or proverb indicating that some big trouble has just started

texts:
I am translating into English a famous refrain from Spanish, Ahí fue Troya.  That means something like Then a big trouble started.

I am looking for some correspondingly recognizable refrain I can use in English for the translation. Because this is a work of literature, having a polished style and wording is very important.


texts: How to write out numbers in compliance with British usage?

texts:
This question regards the numbers from 1 to 999. We can ignore commas, hyphens, and spaces. What I'm interested in is when and where to use the word "and".

There are a few interesting cases:

1) 20 < n < 100

Is it "twenty and one", or "twenty one"?

2) 100 < n < 120

Is it "one hundred and eleven"? "One hundred and one"? Or is it "one hundred one", "one hundred eleven"?

3) n = 190 (for example)

Is it "one hundred and ninety"? Or "one hundred ninety"?

4) n = 191 (for example)

I'm assuming it's "one hundred and ninety one"... Or is it "one hundred ninety and one"?

Thanks so much... I'd be very grateful if someone could answer these 4 cases :-)


texts: Word for "the moment when you feel happy but deep down you are so scared to express that"?

texts:
Can anyone give one word substitution for the moment when you feel happy but deep down you are so scared to express that?

A lot of times there comes a moment when something so amazing happens with you and you want to laugh at your fullest but your inner self becomes scared so you either just smiles or shows no emotions.
For example this situation - he was there standing with friends and then one of his friends cracked a hilarious joke but he was not able to laugh because of the feeling of.... [word].......

Don't assume that guy to be sad, loner etc. It will be great if someone gives a word for that whole feeling.


texts: Can you actually "stand to the right" on escalator?

texts:
In Copenhagen Metro on every escalator you can see 2 labels:

"Stand to the right"
"Walk to the left"

I had an impression that prepostion "to" is used when you describe a direction of the moving action. In that sense, how can you stand "to" something? Wouldn't it more correct to say "stand on the right side" and "walk on the left side"?


texts: Notes in a business report without a verb?

texts:
There are notes a in business report like 'Contractor to proceed as per the comments'. I really wonder that there is not verb to complete the sentence and apparently it looks to use as 'contractor will or shall proceed ~.'
What does it make as a sentence? Also, can it apply for passive form (e.g. this to be proceeded by contractor.)?


texts: A word for advantages gained by sabotaging competitors

texts:
Is there a word to describe the competitive advantage gained from sabotaging a competitor, or more generally the advantage gained from dishonesty?

An example: Your office receives pamphlets advertising an office cleaning service. Your current office cleaning service steals and hides that pamphlet before an employee at the office can see it. What words can one use to concisely describe the advantage that your current cleaning service has gained?


texts: Question marks and multiple clauses between em dashes? Capitalization?

texts:
Suppose a sentence like this:

  The same museum guard I foiled last month was stomping over. Evidently, something about my disguise didn't pass muster — maybe it was the wig — but I managed to cut a long gash in the painting before he tackled me to the floor.

So far, so good. But:

  Evidently, something about my disguise didn't pass muster — was it the wig? The fake nose? — but I managed to cut a long gash in the painting before he tackled me to the floor.

First, is this an acceptable use of dashes? It wouldn't feel right to move the questions to the end of the sentence, because it has already moved on. But with two in there, it's a little busy, and the capitalization seems inconsistent. And how else might we do it?

  Evidently, something about my disguise didn't pass muster — Was it the wig? The fake nose? — but I managed to cut a long gash in the painting before he tackled me to the floor.

Here the questions are treated as distinct sentences by capitalizing them, but I think it might make coming back to the original sentence more awkward.

  Evidently, something about my disguise didn't pass muster — was it the wig? the fake nose? — but I managed to cut a long gash in the painting before he tackled me to the floor.

Here both questions remain uncapitalized, but it might feel a little sloppy or casual. Tell me what you think.

Edit: I wrote this sentence just for the question, actually hoping to avoid being bogged down by too much context, but since the first commenter felt it was lacking, I've adjusted the text a little bit. True, I could work around this sentence construction entirely, although it would impact the pacing. I also think it would shift the sense of the precise moment this character spends considering the flaws of their disguise.

As for the single em dash suggestion provided: "I didn't fool him — was it the wig? The fake nose? Either way, I managed." That can work, and I appreciate the answer. So would you say that I'm conclusively not allowed to do this with em dashes?


texts: Operator: "Are you through, Sir?" - AmEng vs. BrEng

texts:
In the context of a telephone call via an operator-assisted service, is it fact that in AmEng, if the operator asks the service user (caller) if they are through, what is meant by that is, are you done/finished with your call?

Thing is, considering that AmEng and BrEng share the idiomatic put someone/something through [to someone], which  has the exact same meaning on both sides of the pond (i.e. to connect someone/transfer someone's call [to someone]), I can't seem to figure out why from the perspective of AmEng, the phrase are you through, Sir/Ma'am when used in such context, would mean anything different than are you connected, Sir/Ma'am?

This is what it's all about:

  Are you through? (telephone)

  (UK) = are you connected

  (U.S) = are you finished/completed with your call

  Selected Vocabulary Differences
  Between British and American English

  Another Americanism which is by now quite well known in Britain, though it can still mislead if you are on the telephone and the American operator asks, Are you through? If you say 'Yes' (because you are connected) you are likely to be cut off.

  You Can't Say That! English Usage Today

FYI, these are not the only resources I've found that support a BrEng/AmEng difference in meaning of the phrase are you through in the context of telecommunications.

Fact or baloney?


texts: "was" or "were" when there is number mismatch between subject and predicative complement

texts:
I have a question about this sentence:

  The only thing he feared more than the wolves were the swirling buzzards.

I believe it to be correct, but someone suggested that the "were" should be changed to "was".

Which one is correct?


texts:
Here is another question from me while making efforts to translate a wordy document. Please read the paragraph as follows:

Mr. Justice Holmes stated in dissent: "If [the manufacturer] should make the retail dealers also agents in law as well as in name  and retain the title until the goods left their hands I cannot conceive that even the present enthusiasm for regulating the prices to be charged by other people would deny that the owner was acting within his rights."

(source:https://bulk.resource.org/courts.gov/c/US/433/433.US.36.76-15.html). I'm a foreigner and mainly study Law in my language, Vietnamese, so I'm not very familiar with all sorts of wording in an english legal document. I'm not very sure about which meaning of the word is used in this context, there can be some expressions or meanings that I can't find out or I have overlooked.
So, I would like to be confirmed the meaning of "title" used here. Does it mean "the legal right to own something" ?

Thank you.


texts: Meaning of word "ford" in combination with "hurdle"

texts:
First and foremost I'm not from an English speaking country hence the question.

When reading Wikipedia's article about Dublin it says that the meaning of original Irish name for Dublin is town of the hurdled ford. I know what town is, I also know what hurdle is, but to the best of my ability I really don't know what a ford is. Could this be a spelling mistake and it should say fort instead?
Please help me clear the original meaning out?
Edit
...after getting the ford definition
After checking dictionary meaning of word ford I get the meaning of it that it's a shallow river passage. But then again hurdle and ford somewhat contradict each other. If a shallow section of a river is hurdled it can't be a ford any more, can it?


texts:
Hello  why during June \ December is not possible according to this page ?

Q 3. San Francisco is often foggy and overcast  in June, but not in  December.

Here in this page which its link below the suggested answer should be only in suggesting using ( in ) for specific time and during when there is duration. I agree with idea, but why it is not possible to use ( during May or June ). On the other hand it is possible to use both ( in, during ) the summer \ during the winter etc... The page is starting by this introduction:

left side:

During is rarely used to differentiate when an activity happened. (It occurred X time not Y time.) However, during can be used to differentiate a range of time, for example, a decade or century written as 1920s or 1900s.

Right side:

In can be used to differentiate when an activity happened. (It occurred X time not Y time.) Use with periods of the day or a specific month, year, century, or era. https://www.grammar-quizzes.com/preps_during-in.html


texts: What do you call a person that’s on break / temporarily retired?

texts: I need a single word for that. Please it’s very important.


texts: 1. have 'a different shape' VS have 'different shapes' 2. 'of different sizes' VS 'of (a) different size'

texts:
Say we got three geometries, triangle, square, and circle. If I want to express their shapes and sizes are different. Please help me check which one below may be wrong.

1 The triangle, square, and circle have a different shape.

2 The triangle, square, and circle have different shape s.

3 The triangle, square, and circle are of different size s.

4 The triangle, square, and circle are of a (can I ignore 'a' here?) different size.

5 The triangle, square, and circle have ... VS The triangle, the square, and the circle have ...

Sorry, however, I hope I have described my questions clearly for you.


texts:
I have a really quick and dumb question here. I need to describe a distribution. I have difficulty with explaining an unsmooth hill. If you see the picture, after the peak there is a hill but it doesn't go straight down. There is a flat place, but I don't know how to explain this flat place. I thought this can be explained as bump, but it is not accurate to explain as bump.

Thanks for any help!


texts: Usage of the article 'the' in the phrase Internet of Things

texts:
I am writing a paper on the topic, Internet of Things as a part of my curriculum. I couldn't help but wonder as to why every article, conference paper and journal publication refers to it as  "The Internet of Things ". If my memory serves the is added to a noun (common noun) or a phrase if it weren't specific (or precise) enough. There are cases wherein proper nouns also take the article 'the' like names of geographical locations such as rivers, oceans, mountain ranges etc. However I don't see a need for using 'the' in this context. The name of the topic in itself is precise enough and leads to no confusion of subject after all.

I know there is a question about usage of articles properly, that has been answered. However, it doesn't answer my question accurately. So I implore the readers to not jump the gun and mark this question as duplicate.
References:

Wikipedia
Cisco
Techopedia
Tech-target


texts: What "kinds of things are your father" interested in?

texts:
Which is correct: - "What kinds of things are your father interested in?" or
"What kinds of things is your father interested in?"

And what is the subject for this question...is it "kinds of things" or "your father"?


texts:
I am trying to understand some lyrics:

  I got me a woman, she's so good to me I got me a woman, she's the girl
  of my dreams

and so on

I would have written "I got a woman". I know "got me" only by adding a verb, like "I got me doing something". What difference does that "me" means in relation to "got"? Is it something colloquial?


texts:
Some years ago, swag, or swagger would mean to boast.

Now it has a totally different approach- awesomeness, "coolness", or just slang for greatness.

Same with graze- going from eating grass peacefully to looking around a store.

So how exactly does this work? Does a council agree on it? Is it just gradual, in which nobody really notices?


texts: What is a word for someone who turns to religion for hope?

texts: By this, I mean someone who is not extremely religious, but, in a time of crisis, will turn to religion for hope. An example would be a mother who prays if her daughter is kidnapped, but does not pray on a daily basis. Is there a word for this?


texts: "You have hidden a request sent by ..." versus "You hid a request sent by ..."

texts:
I have come across a couple confusing sentences when hiding (ignoring) requests on Facebook.

The first response message was:

  You hid a FarmVille request sent by John Doe

and the second was

  You have hidden a FarmVille request sent by John Doe.

Which is more correct and why? Are they both correct?


texts: What is the etymology of “yellow”, and why is it so different in other European languages?

texts: It seems like most of our names for colors come from our German roots (blue/blau, green/grün, red/rot, etc.). But yellow is gelb in German, amarillo in Spanish, jaune in French, and giallo in Italian. I suppose the Italian seems closest, but perhaps they all have something in common?


texts:
I am reading a paragraph in English. English is obviously not my first language. I like to confirm my understanding of a sentence.

This is the sentence.

  Copernicus had offered his replacement for the old Ptolemaic
  astronomy, moving the sun to the center of the solar system and
  letting the Earth, now just one of a number of similar planets, circle
  round it.

In the sentence, "moving the sun to the center of the solar system and ....." refers to "replacement" not "the old Ptolemaic astronomy".

Am I right? Could you tell me which one it is referring to?


texts: From the viewpoint of us/we, the people?

texts:
From the viewpoint of us, the people
/ From the viewpoint of we, the people

Hi guys, I'm not sure which one is correct. I'm trying to say that I am also part of the people, and I'm not sure if I should use 'us' or 'we'?


texts: “A/An” deteminer preceding an adjective+noun combination in a question

texts:
I have a problem where I cannot decide on whether to use the a/an determiner or not in the following sentence.

  Do you have [a] healthy contact with your environment?

If I remove the adjective healthy from the sentence, to me it is a no-brainer and I would not use the determiner.

  Do you have contact with your environment?

However adding the adjective, which is important as it separates the question from unhealthy contact and specifically asks about healthy contact, I have this conundrum.

Am I overthinking things here?  If I change the noun contact to the noun mind, I would say

  I have a healthy mind

or

  Do you have a healthy mind?

It seems possible to me to choose to use the determiner or not when constructing the original sentence.

Should it be

  Do you have healthy contact?

or should it be

  Do you have a healthy contact?


texts: Is it redundant to say, "…based on any arbitrary criteria?"

texts: Should "arbitrary" suffice on its own, or does it make sense to include "any?"


texts:
Defining a honorary member as a person which isn't actually a member of an organization but is recognized as such by the organization because of his/her contributions to the organization or society as a whole, I am wondering if there exists a noun or an adjective used specifically to refer to the real members.

I am looking to use it in the following way:

  This mailing list is intended for both real and honorary members of our organization.

Why not just use real? I've thought about using real, standard or actual, but I feel like they all imply that one of the member categories is more important or otherwise superior to the other one, when for the matter at hand they are supposed to be considered equal.


texts: What is the real pronunciation of “postman”?

texts:
I can see that the word postman is pronounced as /pəʊs(t)mən/ commonly, where you can’t hear the vowel in the ‑man syllable.

But sometimes it is pronounced
/pəʊs(t)mæn/  — with a noticeable /æ/ vowel like in the word man — as heard in the 1961 song “Please Mr. Postman” by the Marvelettes from more than fifty years ago.

Why is postman sometimes pronounced differently in different times, places, or situations?

What is the real pronunciation of the word?


texts: what does a native speaker say when he wanted to leave his work?

texts:
If someone, who is a medical doctor says that he's leaving his current company, I mean the hospital that he works for, is that something that a native speaker would say?
I'm leaving my hospital?

What else to say also would be possible?

I quit my hospital?
I will knock off the hospital that I work?

Thanks.


texts:
In our hometown, walk into a supermarket and you are instantly
confronted with a wealth of information and semiotic signals to guide
your decision-making. This will be everything from recognisable brand
names, product aisle descriptions, even simple colours (to signify the
supermarket’s own brand, for example).

I think bolded "this" refers to information and semiotic signal. But then doesn't it have to be "these" to be correct in grammatically?


texts: Meaning of a saying about the difference between L.A. and New York

texts:
What is the meaning of the following?

  The difference between L.A. and New York is that in New York when you
  get robbed, you see the gun...

UPD:

Below is a part of the original discussion:

We all have been victimized to some extent in this business - it is true that although producers hold those they hire up to extremely rigorous professional scrutiny, they reserve judgement upon themselves. In some sense, I would feel better not working at all, than having to work for someone who's respect I did not have, and who looks only at what he can get from me, not what we can create together. I'm sure that whatever the truth behind that producers decision, you are better off for it.

The difference between L.A. and New York is that in New York when you get robbed, you see the gun...


texts:
Is there a word for people in the 80+ age group?  I know octogenarian means 80-to-89-year-olds.  Is there a word for people in their 80s, 90s, 100s, etc., inclusive?

Supraoctogenarian?


texts:
What is the correct auxiliary in a sentence like this:

  In the last years the number of some-things is/has grown.

?


texts:
How can I use phrase "For that matter"?

  Ex: I started going to gym and wake up early for that matter. Is it ok?

Can you shed some light on it with a few examples?

Thank you


texts:
I settled a debt(in process of) for certain amount with the government, but there is a note at the bottom which bothers me.

If I understand correctly, this means that I would have to pay the reduced amount, if the government reverses for any reason, correct? This sounds bizarre considering that there is a compromise made with both parties already.

"This confirms your arrangement to settle in full your account for $x amount. Please send in payment in form of check, cashier's check, or money order.

Please note the following exceptions to this compromise: If your account has been reduced by the offsets of any funds owed by the federal government, and that offset is reversed for any reason in the future, this debt will be restored to the extent of that reversal, and you will be required to pay the amount of any reduction caused by a reversal of that offset."


texts:
When I normally use "perhaps" (or "maybe") and want to emphasize it, I put it the beginning of the sentence.

  Perhaps a better approach is to save the status of the button and restore it.

Now, I want to use a connection ("However") in the same phrase but it seems to me wrong to use "approach" also in the beginning.

So is it correct to put it following the verb? It also sound strange to me.

  However, a better approach is perhaps to save the status of the button and restore it.

Is it better to let it in the beginning?

  However, perhaps a better approach is to save the status of the button and restore it.


texts: The article 'the' is used when talking about monuments, the White House, the Houses of Parliament, so why is it not used when speaking about Big Ben in London?


texts: What is a person who is discriminated against called?

texts: I am writing an essay and I was wondering what would you call a person who is discriminated against.


texts: What does "reeling" mean in "difficulties have left budgets reeling"?

texts:
After reading this sentence:

  A near-decade of two simultaneous foreign wars, topped off by the most
  brutal recession in two generations, has left federal and state
  budgets reeling.

I was left wondering about the meaning that was intended to be given by "reeling" in the sentence. From the definitions in Google, I don't know which one to choose (1 and 2 don't seem to apply):

Lose one's balance and stagger or lurch violently
Feel very giddy, disoriented, or bewildered, typically as a result
of an unexpected setback
Walk in a staggering or lurching manner, esp. while drunk


texts:
Consider the oil market. The two options are:

  The market for oil

or

  The market of oil

The former seems to be the most popular, giving the most hits in google. There is also the very famous paper in Economics titles "market for lemons". However, the second alternative also exists. For instance, an academic article titled "The market of symbolic goods" is here (well, it is a translation of a French article, so you could say it's wrong. But translation was done by R. Swyer, which appears to be also an English surname).

Funnily enough, in Spanish we mostly use the second form, e.g. "mercado de petroleo", and not "mercado para petroleo". This also seems to be the case in Italian and French. I think my native Spanish inclines me to the second form, but I get the feeling the first one is the "canonical" term. Is this the case?


texts:
I found this sentence in a scientific paper I'm editing:

  "...it has been used by applications such the ApplicationA, the ApplicationB, and the ApplicationC."

Is it correct the use of the article "the" directly after "such"?
I searched on the web but I didn't find any mention about the use of "such + the".

Thanks.


texts: I've just finished watching an episode of an american tv series. At the end of the episode, the narrator said, 'there is only two episodes left'. My question is: because two episodes is plural and countable, oughtn't it be 'there are only two episodes left'? I find this a bit of confusing, maybe because english isn't my first language, but until now, I thought that the language rules regarding this case aren't that complicated... Thanks!


texts: The meaning of the dance title "All In a Garden Green"

texts:
There is a 17th century English dance/tune named "All in a Garden Green" (first published in John Playford's The English Dancing Master in 1651).

What is the most probable exact meaning of the title? "Everyone is in a green garden" or "everything in a garden is green"?

I'm Russian and our local English country dance amateurs translate it in both ways.

The page http://tunearch.org/wiki/Annotation:All_in_a_Garden_Green has two lines from a ballad that may be related to the tune (All in a garden green two lovers sat at ease, / As they could scare be seen among, among the leafy trees), but the meaning of the phrase is still unclear to me.


texts: Is there a word or expression to call someone who easily gives credit, especially to insignificant efforts?

texts:
A common example would be a professor who is too mild in his marking of a poor assignments.
Another example could be someone who doesn't add or say much with his words, but still receives a lot of credit (*gets a lot of votes) from voters during an election.
Another example might be a rather poor musical performance which, however, is being (too) highly praised by the audience. A mum, who praises her 10 year old son too easily on tasks (such as, getting dressed, drinking his cup with two hands, ignoring his teat) that a 4 year old would normally be praised on.


texts: Where does "spinning in his grave" come from?

texts:
To quote Demitri Martin (taken from this session at around 0:57):

  When there's someone who's dead and then someone does something that that person would not have liked, they say that that person is spinning in their grave. But I don't understand why they say that; why is spinning the way that a corpse shows disapproval? [...] If we showed disapproval like that when we were alive, that would make more sense.

Where did this expression spinning in his grave come from? Did it originate in English, or did it come in from another language or culture?


texts:
Is it right to say that the percentage decreases by 10% each time, like in this example:

  Around 30% of politicians throughout the world are women. A significant 30% is represented in Scandinavian nations in which it decreases by 10% each time in both Asia and Latin America, respectively.

How do we say each time in a report?


texts: Is there a word respective to Yahoo as googled is to Google?

texts:
The major search engine Google has a word for searching stuff on their site. (google)

Is there a word like this that would fit for Yahoo? At first I thought "Yahooed" but I don't think that would fit grammar rules.


texts:
Is it appropriate to use the phrase "Wisdom of the day" in a sentence in the following context?

"Social distancing is the wisdom of the day"

I've heard the phrase being used before, but it feels somewhat clunky. I couldn't find any other instances of the phrase being used in this context.


texts: Meaning of "completion to panel". Is this good usage of the word "completion"?

texts:
From an autoclave manual (Tuttnauer Electronic Tabletop Autoclaves Models 1730, 2340, 2540, 3140, 3850, 3870 E, EK, EA & EKA)

  15 Completion to panel

What is the meaning of "completion" here? Is this good usage of English? I'm trying to understand how to translate this.

If it's not natural English, what would be the natural English phrase to use in its place?


texts: Pleased and satisfied. What's the difference?

texts:
What is the difference between 'pleased' and 'satisfied'?

The dictionary says:
'She was very pleased with her exam results.'
'The boss should be pleased with you.'

But I think I can say:
'She was very satisfied with her exam results.'
'The boss should be satisfied with you.'

Am I right?

And can we say 'a pleased customer'?
If we can - 'a pleased customer' is more happier than 'a satisfied customer'?


texts: The recent trend of saying the acronym instead of the sentence/phrase is stands for

texts:
With the advent of SMS, many common phrases were shortened to WTF, OMG, BTW, etc. And in recent years, with the increased use of these "acronyms", people have started using them in speech too: Saying "o-em-gee", "double yu-tee-eff", "bee-tee-dub" instead of "Oh my god", etc.

I don't mean acronyms or initialisms for nouns, like ATM, AIDS, FBI. I mean phrases that were shortened only to make writing/typing shorter, but ended up being used as acronyms in speech too.

Is there a name for this trend? (Other than 'being an immature teenager')


texts:
My question is: why "starting" and not "started" I'm not a native speaker.

A. J. Hoge wrote:

"Since starting 10 years ago, Eve has felt bad."

I would write like this:
Since started 10 years ago, Eve has felt bad.


texts: Is "send me it" or "send it to me" correct?

texts: I would like you to correct if 'send me it' is grammatically correct


texts: According to google one of the meanings of the word epitome is:a summary of a written work; an abstract. So can I use this word to say "This theorem is the epitome of this lecture". Is this usage correct?


texts: What is the main difference between "amounts for" and "amounts to"? As much as I know they are phrasal verbs of amount. The meaning of "amounts to" can be easily found by googling it. But no results were displayed for the meaning of "amounts for". Can you provide some examples for both.


texts: Which word(s) can be used instead of "the first day of the week?"

texts:
I have noticed that on Stack Exchange sites, "week reputation" is referring to the reputation gained from Sunday to Saturday (in fact, my today's reputation is different from my week's reputation, and today is Monday).

I remember I asked to my friend, who is American, what she would consider the first day of the week, and she replied saying it is Monday.

Which word (or words) can I use instead of "the first day of the week?"


texts:
I need to translate a line including "taking concrete steps towards sth" with a direct translation. As I took the translation from the dictionary, it doesn't seem to be really used by the native speakers at all. So I paraphrased it as "taking a tangible step" but again the Google results seemed to be belonging to the Turkish sites mostly -as the original language being Turkish.

What do you think about the translation? How does it sound to you? Would you come up with a better one referring to "taking a move with visible effects"?


texts: What does "reverse" mean when referring to a football (soccer) result?

texts:
Context : football (soccer), UK.

Examples:

Westfields' latest defeat was a 3-0 reverse against high-fliers Alvechurch on Tuesday night.

Barcelona handed a huge boost to title rivals Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid as they slipped to a 1-0 reverse to Real Sociedad on Saturday.

Sunderland, who slip into the bottom three after a second straight defeat following last weekend's 2-1 reverse at Manchester City, were booed off at half-time.

'Reverse' seems to refer to a loss here, but is it entirely synonymous with 'loss' or 'defeat'? If so, what is the origin of the term?


texts: Are the acronyms FYI, BTW, LOL, WTF now considered "normal" words?

texts:
Are these "words" moving out of the elitist slang stage and into popular usage? It is hard for me to tell, because in the techie culture I work in they are ubiquitous. However, I've tried them out with my journalistic hat on and did not get yelled at. If the consensus is they are now acceptable usages, I'll say them more often, and "w00t" too.

In response to comments, I'll clarify the preceding paragraph. The class of word I'm talking about is acronyms that become (What do we call it?), normal words with an independent meaning. The most famous examples are OK, for which the origin may be lost, and snafu and fubar, whose origins are known by few that say them. I posit that FYI is also now a "normal" word, just a bit newer than the preceding.

The next ones on my list are BTW, LOL, and WTF, which I think are following the same process as OK and FYI, but are not so far along. How far along are they, though? I'm pretty sure I can't use them in a political speech or a grant proposal, but how about, say, a user manual, or a non-technical blog?


texts: What is a single word for a false assumption of similarity, namely through empathy?

texts:
A very similar question was asked here, but provided phrases and was worded a bit awkwardly.

I am more inquiring as to whether there is a single world for when person A feels empathy for person B which does not align with how person B actually feels. Thus, falsely assuming similarity between their feelings.

e.g. Before speaking to Tim about the death of Tim's father, John was sad because he empathized with Tim. However, Tim was actually relieved and happy about his father's death. Tim's father was an abusive alcoholic, and constantly assaulted and emotionally tortured his entire family for 30 years. John's (word) made for an awkward conversation.

edit:
Misunderstanding is a great word for this, but is incredibly general without enough context. So, I guess I'm also looking for a word that is synonymous with misunderstanding, but in the specific context of empathy.


texts: What are "marquees" (sign above the movies) called in British English?

texts:
In American English, the word marquee may refer to:

  a covered entrance to a theater with a sign that shows the names of the movies or play that you can see

Is there a British English word that refers to the sign above a movie theatre? I have only every heard a marquee to refer to a tent.


texts: What's the antonym of "fifty-thousand foot view"?

texts:
I'm writing about a concept that I would like to explain at three levels: high-level, medium, and very granular.

"Fifty-thousand foot view" is a common business idiom to describe the highest, most general level.  (I've also heard 10K and 30K feet.)

But, what's the comparable phrase for the medium and lowest-levels of explanation?


texts: What's the verb for "to say sarcastically"?

texts:
Sentence example:

  (sarcastically) “If only there was a machine for you to contact me and ask me what to do... Oh, right!" he _____. [“A phone.”]

What's the verb for that? Or maybe there's a phrasal verb?

edit: found some possible options. Please comment on the options:

• to taunt - provoke or challenge someone with insulting remarks

• to gibe - make insulting or mocking remarks

• to needle - provoke or annoy someone

• to bait - deliberately annoy or taunt

and also snark (suggested by KillingTime)


texts: What's the word for being passed through a line of armed men to be beaten?

texts: As in the movie Hunger: http://youtu.be/tprMKFaTRPk (first 30 seconds). Does the punishment that comprises being passed through a line of armed men to be beaten, have a name?


texts: Where did the 1920s slang word "grungy" (meaning "envious") originate, if the modern word "grungy" (meaning "dingy") doesn't appear until 1965?

texts:
I've heard grungy used to mean envious in old motion pictures and books. Here is one reference, and there are several more on the internet.

However, when I researched the etymology of the word grungy online, I only found this:

  grungy (adj.)
  "sloppy, shabby," 1965, American English slang, perhaps a blend of grubby and dingy.
  grunge (n.)
  "sloppiness," also "untidy person," 1965, American English teen slang, probably a back-formation from grungy. The music and fashion style that originated in Seattle is attested from the early 1990s.

The dates given are considerably later than the 1920s. I'm curious to know if anyone has any idea where the word grungy from the 1920s could have originated to mean envious.


texts: A single word to describe "less than" and "greater than"

texts:
It is not about object being less than something and greater than something at the same time, but rather about property of object, the "ability" of object to be lesser or greater.

Context: I'm programmer and I need to give a name for data structure field. Value of this parameter can be either "less than" or "greater than".


texts: Possessive apostrophe-s on three nouns in a row

texts:
I just read Two possessive nouns in a row, but am still trying to wrap my head around possessive apostrophe-s in English, specifically, I am trying to say something along the following lines:
"The American news outlets' CNN's and Fox News' coverage of the election" ('s on all possessive nouns)
or should it be
"The American news outlets CNN and Fox News' coverage of the election" ('s on the last possessive noun)
or
"The American news outlets' CNN and Fox News coverage of the election" ('s only at the first possessive noun)


texts: How to answer "The applicant’s overall rank is ? out of ? "

texts:
I am filling a reference form and I met 2 questions that I am not sure how to answer :

  The applicant’s overall rank is __ out of ___
  Please describe the comparison group: __

If the applicant is my colleague and I am comparing him with other engineers who works in the same area, how should I answer this 2 questions?


texts: The semantic use of "either" in the following phrase:

texts:
I was wondering if any of you would be able to give me some clarification on what you take the intention of the final phrase below to be:

  The term ‘mental decolonization’ has been associated with Frantz Fanon and
  Kwame Nkrumah alike. What does EITHER of these thinkers understand by this
  term and how does EITHER think mental colonization can be overcome?

  Note: please focus on EITHER ONE of these theorists in your answer

Does this mean that the recipient is supposed to focus their answer on both theorists, or only one theorist?

Thank you in advance for your help with this issue. I find it quite embarrassing that as a native speaker I cannot myself figure out what the intention is.

edit: It would seem that the general consensus is that the author of the question intended focus on only one theorist. However, if you feel that there is cause to disagree with this, please feel free to share your views.


texts: Preterit regular form pronounced like in the word "dead"

texts:
Sometimes I hear the termination of the preterit of regular verbs pronounced like in the word "dead".
Example : loaded pronounced "low dead"
Is that a legitimate pronunciation? Which region pronounces like this (other than the French)?


texts: Term for people who cause accidents just to look like a hero

texts: What's the term for people who cause accidents so that they can step in, save the day and look like a hero?


texts: is "the" required before "buyer" and "seller" in a contract?

texts: Part of a contract introduces the seller and then says, "henceforth referred to as seller" and the buyer, and says, "henceforth referred to as buyer". I am noticing saying "the seller", "the buyer" too often rather than "seller", "buyer" makes the text look quite wordy. Is "the" article really required here?


texts:
Can some indefinite pronouns be plural? One commenter on Mr K's Grammar World says they cannot. He also says the following examples contain quantifiers, and not indefinite pronouns.

  Many have expressed their views.
  John likes coffee but not tea. I think both are good.
  I'm glad to say that fewer are smoking these days.
  I'm sure that others have tried before us.
  They say that vegetables are good for you.
  All is forgiven. - All have arrived.
  There is more over there. - More are coming.
  Here is some. - Some have arrived.


texts: What is the word for someone who is willing to do anything for a fee

texts:
My character Laila is a sort of allrounder, jack of all trades and will do anything, from being your lawyer or temporary girlfriend to going undercover in the government, assassinating someone or even dropping a bomb in New York and she does not care even if the person hiring her is the mafia boss or the American government or even just a roadside beggar as long as she gets her pay. What should I call her?

Example sentence:

  Laila makes her living as a ______.


texts:
Looking at the definition of these words it appears they are pretty similar:

Pretentious: Having or showing the unpleasant quality of people who want to be regarded as more impressive, successful, or important than they really are [Merriam-Webster]

Ostentatious: Displaying wealth, knowledge, etc., in a way that is meant to attract attention, admiration, or envy [Merriam-Webster]

The way I usually see pretentious being used infers a kind of naivete (an under-educated/lower class person trying to sound intelligent/aristocratic) were as an ostentatious person is upper class, but is flaunting it in an arrogant/gaudy way. Am I way off base here?


texts:
I'm writing a poem referring to humans as landlords of this planet.

Which is correct:

"they come to test this planet landlord's heart"

or

"they come to test this planet's landlord's heart"

I would use the first one for what I consider better style. Not sure it is correct.


texts: Saying you don't want something you do because you were denied it

texts: Say Person B is holding an exclusive party. Person A really wants to go, but Person B denied to invite them. Person A then starts telling all his/her friends that he/she didn't want to go to Person B's "lame" party. Person A wants to go, but is pretending he/she doesn't to save face. Is there a word to describe this?


texts: Is there any difference between the following two variants: "the novels of Dickens" and "the novels by Dickens". Are both of them equally correct?


texts: BBC: "Man convicted of murdering his girlfriend and their 10-month-old daughter at Winchester Crown Court"

texts:
What do you make of the following BBC News headline:

  Man convicted of murdering his girlfriend and their 10-month-old daughter at Winchester Crown Court

Is it just me, or does this read as if the murders were committed at the court?


texts: Is using the word "Likewise" in a sentence not professional or informal?

texts: Last evening in my communication class, we had some discussion. In that discussion I used the word likewise in a sentence. But they said using likewise in a sentence anywhere is not professional or it is informal if we use likewise in a sentence. But I'm not convinced. Can anyone of you let me know is it correct or not with some details.


texts: What is the word for multiple letters that behave like a single sound?

texts:
I'm trying to find a list of something like this:

ck
ph
kn
ch
sk

etc. Basically, they would be pronounceable and are often used to make up words. I think there is a term for this. Like 'ph' can be made in to 'phone'. 'Ch' can be made in to 'Check'.


texts: How many ways we can say "I didn't spot your ping"?

texts:
One of my colleagues pinged me in chat, but I didn't notice because since I was on a call. Now I want to ping him back that I missed to see his ping and to apologize.

I am not sure I missed to see is the correct sentence.


texts: Deriving nouns and adjectives from place names

texts:
When describing people we often use adjectives based on their place of origin. (I'm asking about people only for simplicity.)

1) She is American.
2) He is English.
3) They are Canadian.

You can also describe people as nouns based on their origins:

4) She is an American.
5) He is an Englishman.
6) They are Canadians.

It doesn't always work this way. You can say "He is a New Yorker", but to the best of my knowledge, there is no adjective for "New York".

It seems to me that in items 4 & 6 the last words are adjectival nouns. Item 5, on the other hand, is just a noun. That seems curious to me.

Why is it that not all place names have adjectival forms? (Or at least that none are used, like for New York?) (Actually, I realize we do use "New York" as a noun adjunct (like in "a New York minute"), but not as an adjective.)
Why are some of the nouns used to describe people in this manner adjectival nouns, and some are not? (Or at least, they appear to be just plain nouns (New Yorker, Englishman).)


texts: Where did "There, there" (in consoling) come from?

texts: I never understood why "There, there" is supposed to cheer someone up.  Does anyone know?


texts:
He called her, emailed her, texted her, tweeted her—all to no use.

Strictly speaking, I would need to write texted her and tweeted her, but I'm omitting and to convey a rhythm and sense of urgency. What do you call this kind of construction, and is it accepted grammar (at least for creative writing, if not in an academic context)?


texts: What is the difference between more, further, and additional?

texts:
Is there a difference between:

"For more information, please contact..."
"For further information, please contact..."
"For additional information, please contact..."

If there is a difference, what is the difference?

Thanks


texts:
Anjou and Maine both given unto the French!
  Cold news for me; for I had hope of France,
  Even as I have of fertile England's soil.
  (2H6 I.i.236)

What does even as mean in this verse?

I think it is a marker for some sort of simultaneity, but am not quite sure that it is so.


texts: Need a word for the inability to feel anger

texts:
I need a term for the inability to feel anger.  Features desired:

Single word
Prefer connotations of incapacity rather than benefit
Prefer reasonably clear specificity to anger
More clinical tone slightly preferred over less clinical

To illustrate what I mean by #2 and #3, I considered serenity, but that word has positive connotations rather than connoting incapacity, and implies the absence of emotions besides anger (fear, for example).


texts: Are you supposed to repeat "the" when two "the" nouns are used in conjunction?

texts:
Is "the red and blue", where each is a separate noun, grammatically correct? Or should it be "the red and the blue"?
(Note: they are separate nouns because the context makes it clear they are specifically the red and (the) blue of a particular object, this is implied) (This is a random example)


texts: Where does the phrase, "Costs an arm and a leg" come from?

texts:
My understanding is that this goes back to George Washington's time when having one's portrait painted was very fashionable.  However, artists did not like painting arms and legs because they often got the proportions wrong.  So, they would give discounts on their fees if the sitter was prepared to hide one arm behind his back or cover a leg behind a piece of drapery. If you look at paintings from that period you will see many examples of the subject with his hand tucked into his waist coat or hidden behind something.
Sounds feasible to me.


texts:
Which of the following 4 possibilities is used when?

in line
in the line
on line
on the line

E.g. how do I correctly say

There is a typo in line 6 of this paragraph.

And I have the same question with "page" instead of "line".

in page
in the page
on page
on the page


texts: What's the difference between respected and respectable?

texts:
He is highly [respected/respectable] owing to his good manners and
  gratefulness.

I know the difference but I can't decide which one to choose, either he is respected (the passive form)or he is respectable as he has got good manners.


texts: "The End of All Things to Come" — what does this mean?

texts:
"The End of All Things to Come" is an album title of heavy metal band Mudvayne.

There are two points that I do not fully understand:

(i) I suppose that "X to do Y" is a general construction that expresses ( in a poetical way ) that "X is going to do Y". Is this correct?

(ii) The predicate "to come" seems to refer to either "end" or "all things". My gut feeling tells me that it the title refers to an "end to come". However, I have read that, e.g., relative clauses are typically intended to refer to the most recent noun. With this principle in mind, the title would like roughly refer to "the end of all things that are coming".

Could you clearify this grammatical construction for me?


texts: Word for small plastic takeaway cups for dressings, salsa, etc

texts:
What is the name for the tiny clear takeaway/to-go cups with snap-on lids they give you at a restaurant for your entree's sauces?  The waitress told me like 10 times but I can't remember the next day.  I believe it would be a French derivation.  They are also used for samples at the grocery store.  One word.

Images from Amazon: Crystalware, Disposable 1oz. Plastic Portion Cups with Lids, Condiment Cup, Jello Shot, Soufflé Portion, Sampling Cup, 100 Sets – Clear.


texts: Conflicting views or emotions in the passage

texts:
What does the following passage from this NY Times article mean?

  He [Theodore Roosevelt] transformed the 20th century; no, he overextended the 19th. He was a progressive trust buster; no, an imperialist demagogue. He was a defender of liberty; no, a power-hungry mountebank — a pioneer environmentalist, a bloodthirsty hunter; a farseeing visionary, an energetic clerk.

Why is the author using positive words in the first half of the statement and then tries to end the statement using completely opposite or negative words? What does the author want to convey using the following passage? Is the author trying to evoke the conflicting viewpoints among the general population?


texts: What word is appropriate for a single-width slice of the third axis of data?

texts:
We have easy go-to terms for the X and Y axis, as row and column, respectively. However, I have never heard a similar term applying in the Z axis. Does such exist?
Cell is not appropriate, as as cell refers to a specific position, where the word in question would refer to some grouping of cells along the same position in the third axis.
Example:

Add another ______ to the input for temperature data
Row is to X axis as ______ is to Z axis.


texts: Whats does d mean in a journal citation?

texts:
I would like to cite a journal and I was hoping to find page numbers, instead it is formatted like this:

  BMJ. 2011; 343: d5094.

Does the 'd' indicate the page or something else?


texts:
I thought this might have already been asked, but apparently not.  Is using the phrase "one another" considered equivalent to the phrase "one and other"?  Is one of the two considered right and the other wrong?  To give an example:

  The two computers were situated relatively close to one and other.
  The two computers were situated relatively close to one another.


texts: Are "misty-eyed" and "misty" interchangeable?

texts:
Today, I came across a pair of sentences using these terms:

  And while people may get misty-eyed about the "open web", or the "neutral net", this kind of utopianism was always naive in the extreme.

[source]

  “It’s like losing your virginity. You’re a little misty for awhile, but then you realize, Wow, there’s a whole new world out there!”

[source]

Are these terms interchangeable?


texts: Term for a person trying to create unnecessary controversy

texts:
What is the term for someone who is trying to create controversy out of nothing?

For example, a politician attempting to cause outrage over a very minor thing done by a member of an opposing party.


texts: How can I express that I have completed task given somebody in polite manner?

texts:
Somebody asked me to rebase my github repository with his repository and I did it as per his/her request. How can I express it in polite manner?

Some sentences running in my mind are:

  I did rebase with your master branch.

or

  I have rebased with your master branch.


texts: use of definite article before "waste" and "costs"

texts:
What is the correct use of the definite article for the following sentences:

The new procedure reduces THE waste.
The new procedure reduces waste.
The new procedure reduces THE costs.
The new procedure reduces costs.

Can you give a reason for the correct sentences?

Later edit:

From your answers (thank you!), the reasons for "the" are two:

waste or costs are mentioned before
waste or costs are NOT mentioned before, but it is expected that the kind of waste or costs is known

On the other hand, the reason for using the zero article is when the above reasons for the definite article can not be applied.
Now, in the sentence "The new procedure reduces waste," is the waste bound to its general meaning, conveying a bad stuff? But in the context of this sentence, the "new procedure" is something specific, and therefore the waste is bound to this specific domain where the procedure activates. This contradicts the fact that the waste has a general meaning in that sentence. How do we solve it?


texts: Is it correct to use the word " learn" in this sentence or better to use " teach"?

texts:
"Animal learn us to never give up " ,
Or better to say "Animal teach us to never give up" ?


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Which is the proper spelling: “disfunction” or “dysfunction”?

What's the rationale behind dysfunctional being spelled dys- and not dis-?


texts:
would you rather use liveable or livable? As in an accessible and liveable/livable city needs appropriate infrastructures - for example.
Thanks a lot!


texts: When reading an English sentence containing a word with foreign origin, should one try to read it with pronunciation from the original language?

texts:
Say I am reading the following sentence:

  Tokyo has served as the Japanese capital since 1869.

For the word Tokyo, if I happen to know how to pronounce it in Japanese (the pronunciation is similar to, but different from, the pronunciation in English), should I pronounce it in the Japanese way or the English way?


texts: What's the difference between "early in the morning", in the morning, "late at night" and at night?

texts:
Why use early in the morning instead of just in the morning? And why use late at night instead of at night?
Is there some kind of difference in the way your message is understood?


texts: Reference material for change in English usage over time

texts:
How words have changed in meaning and usage over time is frequently a hot topic both on here and the wider community, and I find it fascinating.  Are there any good reference works which document this kind of thing?

I'd like to be able to look up a word, and see lists of historical meaning, with periods and explanations.  Graphs of changing frequency over time are also great.  I don't really want a standard dictionary of etymology, because my perception is that the meaning they concentrate on is the current one, which is interesting but not quite the same, but it could be that I'm reading the wrong dictionaries!  I suppose a key difference between this and a very good normal dictionary (my Shorter Oxford does have a summary of previous meanings and examples) is the discussion of the reasons behind the meanings, an idea of the process of change, and some kind of selection by the author (I'm less interested in words that essentially have had one fixed uncontroversial meaning).

I'd prefer a real book, but internet resources would also be of interest.  This is the kind of thing where individual examples are discussed in some detail on e.g. Language Log, but I'd like to see similar information collected together.  If there's nothing in a "dictionary" format, I'd be happy with a book of hand-picked interesting examples (that might even be better!).


texts: How to understand the third sentence in the following context? It's from an architecture technical book.

texts: Check-barriers provide a means of temporarily controlling the movement of the movement of the public, for example for restricting admission when checking tickets. Rigid check-barriers should not be provided across any gangway or escape route. Rope and similar barriers should be fitted with automatic catches or slip connections, arranged to part on body pressure and not to trail on the floor when parted; the fittings should not project into the gangway or escape route.


texts: Interferences coming from/out of the grid/network (electricity)

texts:
I am trying to tell my colleagues that they need to run a device on batteries (not on charger) to rule out intereferences that could be caused by insufficient interference-shielding in their building, i.e. coming from the grid (or network - meaning the electrical grid).
How could I best phrase the sentence:

  rule out interferences coming from/out of the grid/network
  (electricity)


texts:
I saw a sentence in which there were two consonant sounds I couldn't pronounce. The sentence is below:

"I read at length these days".

In this sentence I was unable to pronounce length and these  together. How to pronounce /θ/ of length and /ð/ of these together?

Do we need to skip one? Can you help me, please?


texts: Meaning of a Jane Austen fragment in this letter

texts:
This jwpat7's question inspired to me searching something on Jane Austen. Hence, this question.

In a letter dated Saturday (9 January 1796), Austen mentioned:

  You scold me so much in the nice long letter which I have this moment
  received from you, that I am almost afraid to tell you how my Irish
  friend and I behaved. Imagine to yourself everything most profligate
  and shocking in the way of dancing and sitting down together. I can
  expose myself however, only once more, because he leaves the country
  soon after next Friday, on which day we are to have a dance at Ashe
  after all. He is a very gentlemanlike, good-looking, pleasant young
  man, I assure you. But as to our having ever met, except at the three
  last balls, I cannot say much; for he is so excessively laughed at
  about me at Ashe, that he is ashamed of coming to Steventon, and ran
  away when we called on Mrs. Lefroy a few days ago.

Now, let us read the origin of the word "nice".

Oxford Dictionary of English:

  nice - origin: Middle English (in the sense 'stupid'): from Old
  French, from Latin nescius 'ignorant', from nescire 'not know'. Other
  early senses included 'coy, reserved', giving rise to 'fastidious,
  scrupulous': this led both to the sense 'fine, subtle' ..., and the
  main current sense.

Etymonline:

  nice - late 13c., "foolish, stupid, senseless," from O.Fr. nice "silly,
  foolish," from L. nescius "ignorant," lit. "not-knowing," from ne-
  "not" (see un-) + stem of scire "to know." "The sense development has
  been extraordinary, even for an adj." [Weekley] -- from "timid"
  (pre-1300); to "fussy, fastidious" (late 14c.); to "dainty, delicate"
  (c.1400); to "precise, careful" (1500s, preserved in such terms as a
  nice distinction and nice and early); to "agreeable, delightful"
  (1769); to "kind, thoughtful" (1830). In 16c.-17c. it is often
  difficult to determine exactly what is meant when a writer uses this
  word. By 1926, it was pronounced "too great a favorite with the
  ladies, who have charmed out of it all its individuality and converted
  it into a mere diffuser of vague and mild agreeableness."

Considering that Austen wrote this letter on 1796, can someone clarify what Austen intended with the word "nice"?

(I presume it's all explained in annotated versions of some book, but I don't have an annotated copy.)


texts:
Not sure, where to ask this. I did it here, and it was put in Hold , finally attempting here as a last try!! I am really curious(!) to know what is this?

I got this link randomly about how nerd are you. And nerd is new term to me, being interested clicked that link and it threw me a set of strange questions. Questions on periodic elements(!!).. etc.

Finally, after honestly answering, got this message..

  30% scored higher (more nerdy), 2% scored the same, and 68% scored
  lower (less nerdy).

  What does this mean? Your nerdiness is:

  Low Ranking Nerd. Definitely a nerd but low on the totem pole of
  nerds.

Can someone hint me, what is this all about? I really googled a lot!


texts: What word could I use to describe somebody who is getting on with a difficult life changing situation and making the best of it. Brave is not quite right but nearly there. Stoical is not right either.


texts:
In terms of usage, is it fair to say that an archetype is a broader description of a class than a stereotype?

Here’s a reference to the usage of archetype becoming blurry in my mind.

Mindy Kaling, in a New York Times article called “Flick Chicks”, describes different types of women characters who show up repeatedly in chick flicks. At one point, she refers to the Woman-Who-Runs-An-Art-Gallery type as a film archetype yet her description of this archetypal character is quite one dimensional. Would stereotype be a better term for these chick flick “archetypes”? The piece has a satirical tone, so I do admit that she overstates at times for effect.


texts:
I have heard British people speak about "hard sums," but I can't find a definition anywhere. Is it just a generic way of referring to any arithmetic that the speaker believes is difficult? Or does it have a more specific definition or nuance?

If someone says "I can do hard sums," what does that mean exactly?


texts: What word describes something that occurs every minute or second?

texts: Something that happens every hour can be called hourly. Something that occurs at a frequency of every week is called weekly. What word describes something that happens every minute? What about every second?


texts:
What is the correct phrase for the blank(using "must"):

She walked for two hours. She ____________ tired.

I wrote "must be"; the correct answer was "must have been." I doubt that "must be" should be marked as wrong, though. Can someone tell me what the correct answer is? (And if both, what exactly is the difference in meaning?)


texts: "As a consequence", "in order to", "is seen as" - bad style according to Word?

texts:
Starting with one of the newer versions of MS Word, I receive quite a lot of suggestions on how to improve my text by the spelling and grammar check. Often, they involve adverbs related to structuring the text.
I'm not a native speaker, so I sometimes lack the "feeling" whether a certain word or phrase fits into the context and style of text. In general, this means that I find spellchecking very helpful overall. In those particular cases, however, I am not really sure whether I should really follow them.
Some examples (the left side showing what I wrote and the right side what Word suggests):

"As a consequence, three topic need to be considered" -->
"Therefore, three topics need to considered"
"Oftentimes, we need to ..." --> "Often we need to..."
"Action A needs to be done in order to prepare..." --> "Action A needs to be done to prepare"
"Punctation is taken into account" --> "Punctation is
considered"
"The event is seen as something which..." --> "The event is something which..."
"issues in the area of topic A" --> "issues in topic A"

Are all of those examples really a case of bad style, meaning the suggestions of Word are clearly superior?
Or can they be seen as a case of very "strict" stylistic corrections, meaning the original would still be acceptable in formal writing?
Thank you for your input!


texts:
When is it correct to use "better+verb", for example which one of following sentences are correct?

It better helps [me to prepare than something else].
It better makes sense [than something else].
It better matches the others.
You will better understand it if you pay more attentions.

...where better means "more", not "had better" or "better" as verb.


texts: Expression for someone who has fallen in love a lot

texts:
Some people never fall in love. Others fall in love only once, and remain true to their beloved their entire life.

However, there is another group of people who have fallen in love more than a few times, and each time it is just as profound as the first love.

It is like...

  "Better to have loved and lost, than to never have loved at all."

except a lot more often. They don't exactly fall out of love with anyone, but for some reason the relationship ends, and they end up looking for love again. It is often quite tragic, and although they have never forgotten any of their loves, it does not stop them from falling in love with someone new. In their own mind they have always been true to ALL their lovers.

As in Byron's Extracts from Don Juan: Donna Julia’s Letter

  To love too much has been the only art I used;
  [...]
  To love again, and be again undone.

..seems to capture the heart of what I am looking for, but the term "Don Juan" does not work:

  a captivating man known as a great lover or seducer of women

Merriam-Webster

..neither do "Romeo" or "Lothario". These seem to focus on a man who thinks of himself as captivating, and a great seducer of women.

Is their a non-gendered expression to describe this kind of person?


texts: Use of preposition and prepositional adverb

texts:
I know that prepositions are not supposed to end a sentence; however, I have also read that some prepositions function as adverbs, as seen in "come inside" and "run around."

My question concerns an ambiguous case of both of these types of prepositions in one sentence:

  "The two ideas differ in the language with which they are referred to."

I have tried writing the previous sentence in a variety of ways:

"...in the language with which they are referred." (The preposition with doesn't agree with referred.)
"...in the language to which they are referred." (This implies a different meaning of refer.)
"...in the language they are referred to with." (This ends the sentence with the preposition with.)

But it seems like the sentence above, in bold, is written the best. So my questions are:

Is this, indeed, the correct way to write this sentence?
Is there an effective way to eliminate either or both with and to, while preserving the sentence's meaning?
Are there many other examples where this structure would be the case, or is this a rare occurrence?


texts: Hypernym for "heard", "seen", and "visited"

texts: I'm building a website and I am looking for a generic word describing the visited state of a piece of content. It can be audio or video content among other things. Is checked a correct way of describing this?


texts: When someone says "that explanation was a lot of hand-waving" what does this mean?

texts:
I've been hearing term "hand-waving" thrown around a lot, especially when my peers describe their CS(computer science) classes. Does anyone know what that term means in this context?

(also a little background on where the term came from would help too!)


texts:
At the moment I'm a bit baffled. What sentence part is "visitors" in
"I'm not allowed visitors"?
I would not call it an object or a subject complement as "to be allowed"
is no linking verb.

The only idea I have is to say the sentence is elliptic and the full form would be "I'm not allowed to have visitors". Here "visitors" is object of the to-infinitive.

So is it possible to say "visitors" is object of a to-infinitive (to have) that was deleted?


texts: How do I make the term "werewolf hunter" clearer?

texts:
If I wanted people to understand that a werewolf hunter was a hunter that was a werewolf, but without that wording (hunter that was a werewolf is wordy), and without confusing someone else who might think a werewolf hunter is a hunter that hunts werewolves, how would I go about doing so?

How can I make terms like these less confusing?

Question kinda comes form here: https://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/76125/what-werewolf-hunter-uses-this-equipment-crossbow-and-hat#comment158894_76127


texts: Can "like-this" be considered as an adjective?

texts:
I'm just asking whether "like-this" can be considered as an adjective ?

example : we don’t see like-this opportunities all the time
is this correct, if not, why ? and what to say instead ?

and Thanks !