texts: Does "unsurprisingly disappointing" make sense?

texts:
If you're disappointed, it means that you expected it (or the thing it did/does) to be better than it really is. In other words, you're surprised that it's not as good as you thought it would be.

So what does "unsurprisingly disappointing" mean? You're not surprised by the fact that it's as bad as expected? Of course you're not surprised, because it's what you expected!

Should have been "unsurprisingly bad", right?

Source: last paragraph of https://www.techspot.com/news/80616-apple-new-mac-pro-isnt-good-cheese-grater.html and many other reviews on the web.


texts: Meaning of "work ethics" in Australian English

texts:
Inspired by this question, I'm left wondering if the phrase “work ethics” has a slightly different meaning in Australian English than in other dialects.

  I came across this term some time back: Flexible work ethics in an ad for an IT job. Anyone know what it could mean? Im sure its not as dodgy as it sounds

To my (US) ear, it sounds like the ad is looking for people willing to engage in ethically questionable business practices.  I'd hope that's not the case, and that it's just a nuance in the meaning of “work ethics.”  My best guess is that “flexibe work ethics” actually means “willing to work flexible hours.”

A quick search reveals several job listings that use the phrase, mostly in Australia.

Is this a case of differing meaning in a dialect, or is it just really, really poorly worded corporate-speak?


texts: What to call someone who falsely accuses you?

texts: One Word. A person that falsely, without valid proof, accuses you of something, such as a statement or act you said or did. Either because of his lack of knowledge about the proof or because of intent.


texts: What would be a valid replacement of "as"?

texts:
Say I want to write something to say:

  John looked over his shoulder as he opened the door slowly.

However, for stylistic reasons I don't really want to use as in that sentence. There must be other ways of expressing simultaneity. What words or phrasing could replace the as in that sentence?

The Help Center here says

  To prevent your question from being flagged and possibly removed, avoid asking subjective questions where every answer is equally valid: “What’s your favorite ______?”

... so please explain your choice and why your suggestion works [e.g. its grammar] as that introduces some objective measure of validity.


texts: As verb, "care of something" or "care something"?

texts:
I wonder when "care" is used as a verb, what differences are between "care of something/somebody" and "care something/somebody", besides that "care" is used as a v.i. in the first one and v.t. in the second one.

For example:

  Money is the least thing I should care (of).

Which one is better here?


texts: Mixed saying / witty remark about remarks

texts:
I need to mix

  To err is human, to persist [...] is diabolical

with a joke about too much remarking.

The result should be

  To err is human, to persist in remarking is diabolical.

Should I change it in "persist in remarks"? Would it give a more...as-the-saying-goes allure?


texts: I often hear that phrase at the end of sentences. Sometimes at the beginning. What does it mean?


texts:
Should the 's' be capitalized in Scholar I.D.

The sentence reads as: The Professor needs to see your scholar I.D. before you proceed.


texts: What's the origin of the phrase "what have you"?

texts:
I've never really understood the meaning and origin of the phrase "what have you".
Examples:

You can use a pencil, a sharpie, a ballpoint, what have you.
The display room is full of stereos, TV's, and what have you.

This site says …

[…] this expression uses an archaic form of putting a question (using have you instead of do you have) as a noun clause, and what in the sense of “anything that.”

But still, this phrase does not even sound like correct English to me. Shouldn't it be "what you have" instead?
Also, since when is this phrase common, and where is it used? Is it a regional thing or generally used in all English speaking countries? Also, "Your Dictionary" says it's been first recorded in 1920, but it doesn't even say where.


texts: Is there a word for someone who has others do all their work for them?

texts:
In a way like a slave master. More though like say someone who had robots do all their work and they were never themselves productive and had no drive. If you've read R.U.R. you'll understand the question better. I'm looking for a word with more definition than just lazy.

Update 1: It think I may actually go with drone if anything. I think that definition fits what I'm looking for the best. I also liked the definition of the British term layabout that one person mentioned, but I will probably use drone. Thanks for all the help and sorry if I was confusing or unclear.

Update 2: I needed this word for use in an essay I was writing which I have now handed in. Thanks for the help guys. No more suggestions needed.


texts:
"I did went to the movie"
Describe the grammatical error in the sentence.
I know that it is wrong but I am not able to explain it to my younger brother.


texts: Meaning of the first "ye" in Robert Herrick's poem, To the virgins, to make much of time

texts: I would like to think that the line, "Gather ye rosebuds, while ye may," can be read "Gather the rosebuds, while ye may. Is this reading refutable? I doubt the reading, is affirmable, but I'm hoping that the"y" could have been a substitute for thorn or the modern "th."


texts: I don't understand the usage of "out of"

texts:
The burg was surrounded by two belts of walls: the first ran around the castle (the northern side of this belt is still well preserved today), while, out of the second belt, which extends around the citadel, only the main access gate has left.

What do you think about "out of" in that position?


texts: Is it correct to combine multiple clauses into one sentence?

texts:
Is it correct to combine multiple clauses (sub sentences) into one?

For example, let us consider this sentence:

  On managerial side, I am experienced in accounting software, have been working throughout the life cycle of product, and have
  considerable experience for enhancing and improving existing
  products.

Here I am combining 3 clauses to make they one sentence, so I am wondering if it is grammatical?


texts: Where should I put stress in these sentences?

texts:
I am studying intonation and stress in English, and would like advice on where to put stress on these sentences.

"How do you do?"
Does it sound like this? HOW do you DO?
Where should I put stress on this sentence:
"Did you say you were holding a party?" to get an answer like this one:
"No, I definitely did not."
Should I put it on "Did" or "say"? Or somewhere else?
"Is he going to take that job?"
Should I emphasize "IS" to get an answer: "No, he changed his mind."


texts:
It seems to me that "You are correct" means that the person in question is supposedly "correct" in their quiddity. "That is correct" or "You are right" seems a lot better.

I also would like to know if someone is using correct(ly) correctly, as to correct someone who is potentially using correctly incorrectly.


texts:
Should I use "their traditional lifestyles" or "their traditional lifestyle" in this sentence?

The leaders in many Arabic countries are trying to preserve their traditional lifestyles from Western influence.

or

The leaders in many Arabic countries are trying to preserve their traditional lifestyle from Western influence.

Are two sentences any different from each other?


texts: Is "good for you" a sarcastic usage most of time？

texts:
I would like to know what "good for you" mean at most of time.
After my own research, I knwe that it could mean "congratulations" and alternatively "would like an award" when speaking sacracsticlly. I was told the exact meaning is largely depend on the context using this language.

However, I am still wondering in what cases for native speakers use "Good for you" most? In positive meaning or negative meaning?

Thank you very much!


texts: Can one use 'prepare' instead of 'be prepared' or 'be ready'?

texts:
a) - The document you requested will take four days to be ready.

b) - The document you requested will take four days to prepare.

Does (b) give the same meaning as (a)? Is this a correct way to use 'prepare' as an intransitive verb?

Thank you.


texts: What is the standard tag question after a statement containing "I should have ..."?

texts:
Whenever I use "I should've done _____", I like to add an extra part to the sentence looking for confirmation as in "I know, right?", where "right?" is the part asking for confirmation.

My question here is: What is the most natural way to ask for confirmation after "I should have ..."?

  I should've gone to the store sooner, shouldn't've I?

I've been using "shouldn't've I?" but my girlfriend argues that that sounds weird, which it probably does. She argues that it should be "shouldn't I have?"

What tag question should I use?


texts: "On one of such days" Vs "On one such day"?

texts:
Which of the two is correct? Or are they both.

In which cases would one be preferred over the other?

Edit 1: Context
I made other adjustments. Adjustments which included leaving my car at home parked. On one of such days, I see it from . . .


texts:
Example: He came up with a catalogue of things his father said or did which upset him.

Is the use of "catalogue" correct in this example? I personally think so, as the word derives from the Greek καταλέγω, which means to "recount, to tell at length, or make a list" (1).

I wanted to use a word that is slightly stronger than list, as catalogue conveys a carefully constructed list in which we place importance. Obviously, this list is important to the son.

What are your thoughts? They would be much appreciated.

Update:

I simply feel that the etymology of "catalogue" helps us understand its nuances. That's why I reproduced it. This does not hold true for every word. But I never said it held true for every word. In the cases where it does, I think it's interesting to learn the etymology.


texts: I've seen several examples of words starting with mid, such as midstream, midmorning etc. Microsoft word always flags midstep as incorrect while greenlighting the other examples. The context I plan to use it in is for a science fiction novel. Something like this: His foot caught midstep.


texts: Is there a difference between "elfish" and "elvish"?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  When to use “Elven”, “Elvish” and “Elfic”?

The dictionary seems to think that they are the same. Here are their definitions:

  Elfish: elflike; elfin;
  Elvish: Just provides a link to "elfish"

I know that "elvish" can also refer to the language of the elves, but what I'm asking, is there a difference between "elfish" and "elvish" in this way:

"Elfish" is like an elf, as in "elfish looking girl". But "elvish" means that something is of an elf, that is, it comes from an elf, or is an elf, i.e. "Elvish man" meaning a man whose race is that of an elf. Is there such a difference in meaning?

If that's not clear enough, something like this.

  a: That's an elfish man. Yes the one in the jacket. Small and sprightly and everything.
  b: He's actually elvish. His father was an elf.


texts:
Etymonline does not hesitate to assume that "a pride of lions" is the same word as pride, noun of adjective proud.

There would be other possibilities, e.g. a connection with Latin praeda (prey). A group of lions might be a group of animals that go hunting together to get their prey.

Another possibility is Latin parata, past participle of parare (to prepare). A group of lions might be a group a dominant male animal has prepared for itself as its group.

Do we have here some specialists for etymology who might give their view as to

pride of lions connected with proud/pride (convincing or not) -
other possibilities.


texts: "One of the children who was" vs. "one of the children who were"

texts:
In the construction "one of the [plural noun] who ...", should the verb agree with "one" or "[plural noun]"?

For example, which of the two following sentences is grammatically correct? Or are both acceptable?

  She was one of the several children who was sold at the auction
  She was one of the several children who were sold at the auction.


texts: What is the exact meaning of "I wouldn't have it any other way"?

texts:
I've seen this sentence used massively by people on social media posts. Hence I searched about this on google but couldn't understand the exact meaning.
What I have found on my research has given below -
I wouldn't want to change a thing, because I am happy with it. That is the way that I like it./I would not allow that to be different./I wouldn't change anything, even if I could.
But people on social media use it like it means "there is no other way that I can have this".


texts: Why we capitalize all race names but our own

texts:
This question about alien species and planets brought up something I've been thinking about on and off for years.

We capitalize names of alien races like Vulcan, Timelord, Cylon (well, maybe not alien), Krell, Nox, Minbari, and so on, but we never capitalize human.

So how did we end up capitalizing names for sentient species when we don't do that for our own race?


texts: What is the difference between "information", "data", "knowledge", "science"?

texts:
I know it may be dumb but what is the difference between the following words?

information
data
knowledge
science

Especially the difference between data and information?
I know it but cannot explain it well to my teacher.


texts:
How can I put forward a formal notification which implies the following
"We have incorporated all the suggestions written down in the Tracker by our onsite coordinator" ?

Here to me "written down" seems too trivial to express the actual tone of the sentence ?

How could it be written instead which will sound more formal in a corporate tone ? Please help


texts: (UK-US English) If "mom = mother" then why "mum" isn't "muther"?

texts:
So, I've noticed something weird.
People who speak US English say Mom. Mom represents the word "mother".

People who speak UK English say Mum. Mum also represents the word "mother". Why isn't it "muther"?

Is it just the way "mum" is spelled correctly in UK English or I'm really onto something here?

I know it wouldn't make any sense, I'm just wondering why is that so.


texts: What is a subtle way to imply that a ship is sinking?

texts: I require a phrase that implies that a ship is sinking without explicitly stating so.


texts: English word for a contest where participants collect items

texts: Well, I'm hoping that the title is self-explanatory. I'm looking for a word (or a Wikipedia article) that describes the type of competition where participants are encouraged to buy more products, and accidentally collect tokens. These tokens are understood to be worth something in tandem.


texts: How many hyphens in University of Oxford-based?

texts:
If I attach "-based" to a compound noun, should I put a hyphen between every word? As in:

  I worked for a University of Oxford-based company

Or:

  I worked for a University-of-Oxford-based company

Granted, there are probably better ways of phrasing this. I'm just curious what the prescriptive usage on hyphens would be in this situation.


texts: meaning of the word "dressing" in this paragraph?

texts:
Can you please tell me what exactly does "dressing" mean in this paragraph?

(it's from a book about management and leadership):

  "the second way to see yourself as a leader is to stake indirectly
  claims of leadership, such as sitting at the head of the table for a
  meeting, mentioning your relationship with recognized leaders, or
  dressing the part."

is it something like acting out the part or am I mistaken?


texts:
What's the difference?

He is patronizing me.
He is condescending to me.

Almost the same meaning? Or a little bit different.
A friend of mine helped me get out of a difficult situation. Since then, he often says to me, "Don't forget my help", and "You should be grateful for my help." In this case, can I use the above two sentences interchangeably?


texts: What is this construction? (Sentence Structure) - 4

texts:
The most handsome boy in the class, Sam.
I remember seeing a sentence of this type in a book. I don't remember which. Can such a sentence be called a Sentence?
It contains only a Noun and an Appositive phrase.


texts: Is "Should be *ing" a valid English phrasing?

texts:
I'm Portuguese and my girlfriend German. Because she is a Germanic-language native-speaker, she is constantly correcting my English. Though, often it is annoying that she corrects me in grammar constructions that I take as valid in English and Portuguese, but not in German.

Are "we should be going" or "we should be eating" valid English phrasings?


texts:
"All that is gold does not glitter" is the first line of a poem from the Lord of the Rings and it's supposed to mean "not all gold glitters" but I'm struggling to see how this can be deduced.

If all that is gold does not glitter then it follows that "gold never glitters". If all gold doesn't glitter then there's no such thing as gold that glitters. This is quite different from the actual meaning. "Some that is gold does not glitter" would make more sense. Am I missing something? Does "all" actually mean "not all" in this context? It's really confusing.

It looks like "Not all that is gold does glitter" would mean the same thing, but in logic it has a different meaning.


texts: What is the words for the relationship between pounds and pence, or dollars and cents?

texts: A pound is a higher denomination than pence. I'm looking for the word that describes the relationship between a small denomination and a large one, or potentially between denominations in any direction.


texts:
When you say "got it", what is it short for?

Is it for:

I have it?
I have got it?
I have gotten it?
I got it? (Is this even valid?)
Something else?

Also: What is the tense of the verb?


texts:
A programmer started to cuss,

Because getting to sleep was a fuss.

As he lay there in bed,

Looping ’round in his head,

Was: while(!asleep()) sheep++;

I don't know where to put this query so I put it here


texts: First-person narrative of a story occurring at the moment

texts:
When narrating a story from the first-person perspective in the present tense, would the following be correct?

  I wake up at 7 am and see no sunlight entering my room. Thinking I'm up too early, I decide to rest for a few more minutes.

I'm specifically asking whether the I wake up part is correct, or whether it should be I woke up instead.


texts:
Should you use a comma before the "Inc." in a company name?

Xona Games, Inc.

vs.

Xona Games Inc. (in this example, this is the official registration format)

?


texts: Is there an informal way to describe a woman that can not have a baby?

texts: "Infertile"; "fruitless"? How would you describe such a woman in an informal talk to your friend?


texts: Do you need to use article when using acronym

texts: Do you need an article in a phrase "He moved to US five years ago"? Should it be "He moved to the US five years ago", since "US" is an acronym for something that should be always used with an article, like: "he moved to the United States five years ago".


texts: Term for the type of audible reaction typically written as "heh" or "hmph"

texts: Is there a term for a person's audible reaction, the quoted written form of which we typically find spelled as heh or hmph?


texts: Interpretation of the adjective "outstanding"

texts:
In my holidays I met a woman who is originally from Australia. She told me she lived in many places due to her husband's work and also traveled much around the world. Although she's already seen many places, she added that there are still a lot of places she'd really love to go to. I asked her:

  Which places are outstanding?

What I actually intended to ask is which places she want to visit but she answered that question regarding which places she considers as most amazing.

I was aware of the other meaning of outstanding but I didn't expected she to perceive the question that way since the previous sentence of her was about "she hasn't seen everything yet".

Probably the sentence had been more clear if I'd say "still outstanding" but I now wonder if the usage of outstanding regarding "not yet done" is less common that people tend to interpret it as "excellent" if reasonable in context (which indeed is in this context).

Furthermore, is it perhaps an unusual collocation of outstanding and places regarding "not yet done". Considering examples of OALD and M-W Learner's Dictionary, they are limited to "unpaid" and "still existing problems". "Not yet visited places" are neither problems nor money issues.

I don't use australian-english as I don't want to restrict this question to one particular area. I don't believe there's a specific interpretation of this word peculiar to Australian English. For that reason, opinions from British and American people are also appreciated.


texts: Is there any other word to express A-cum-B instead of using "cum"? I don't want to use "cum" as it may cause unwanted laughingstock.


texts: Hear about your father passing away or hear about your father'passing

texts:
Would you explain for me the different between
  " hear about your father passing away" and " ...your father's passing.
In my opinion, it is reasonable tho use " ... your father's passing because after preposition "about" we should use a noun or noun phrase.
I am wondering if it is right.
Thank in advance.


texts:
what is the meaning of "bragging rights" in the following?
"They get a banner to hang in the gym and bragging rights over the surrounding towns."
thanks in advance


texts: Idiom for a situation/system works internally or in isolation but falls apart in the outer/real world

texts:
I'm looking for idioms/expressions similar to these but different (see below):

"rearranging chairs on the Titanic" is paying too much mind to the details on something that's doomed to fail anyway
"dead end" is a path/option that you might pursue only to find out it doesn't lead anywhere promising - a let down
"bikeshedding" comes from software development to mean working on an inconsequential side project rather than the main thing
"You guys clearly backed the wrong conceptual horse" from Rick & Morty

I'm thinking of situations when people create an intricate system of reasoning which might be convincing and make sense internally, but falls apart when forced to reconcile with more objective realities. Taking false premises and running with them. Over-thinking in a vacuum without enough data.

Or another way of looking at it: a system which seems to operate happily within its own territory despite unknowingly being surrounded by a larger and more advanced system.

Examples:

Movies: The Village (2004), The Matrix (1999).
An animal species which continues to survive in an isolated pocket of land but would be out-competed if they came in contact with the more deadly world at large.
Indigenous native tribes living unaware of imperial civilization.
When relatively ineffective Tai Chi style martial artists are pitted against highly evolved MMA fighters. In essence a development gap due to isolation.


texts: What meaning does the word "remaining" add to a sentence?

texts:
From a paragraph that I was reading about the inoculation theory had this sentence:

  Those receiving a one-sided message showed almost no remaining
  attitude change after they were exposed to counterpropaganda.

What confuses me in this sentence is the word remaining. By reading the sentence without the word remaining, it reads as "showed almost no attitude change", which means the attitude of the people stays the same.

Now, with the word "remaining" added, I don't quite understand what extra meaning is added to the sentence.

Does the sentence mean there is "almost no attitude change" or "a great change in attitude"?

Similarly, in the paragraph's following sentence, probably talking about its converse, using the word "remaining" again:

  In contrast, those receiving a two-sided message showed almost as much
  attitude change remaining after counter propaganda as they did when
  they were not exposed to counterpropaganda.

Again, the word "remaining" confuses me about the logical of the sentence. Does it mean that there is a change or not change?


texts:
What is the origin of the English phrase "Boards are made of wood; they are long and narrow.", and what is its general connotation?

I just ran across this quotation in Edward Everett Hale's The Brick Moon (c. 1870),

  This consideration helps me through many bored meetings which would be else so dismal. What did my old copy say?— "Boards are made of wood; they are long and narrow." But we do not get on!

The quotation also appears in what looks like a collection of aphorisms and funny tidbits, Good Health (January 1893), where it also forms a pun on "bored meetings."

It also appears in an 1896 sermon by the same Edward Everett Hale, also punning on "the board which directs the Bible Society."

Okay, so this is apparently a quotation from some schoolbook familiar to Edward Everett Hale circa 1890. Is this something that his readers circa 1890 would have recognized instantly? Is it just his own private joke? If it is recognizable, where is it from?

And then is there anything to the allusion or the pun that I'm missing? I suppose board meetings are long, or board members are narrow(-minded), and both are "wooden" in terms of inflexibility and/or stupidity. But on the whole, the second clause ("they are long and narrow") doesn't seem to add to the joke.


texts: What is a term describing offensive word replacement with made-up slang?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  What term describes a non-offensive substitute for a swear word?

Is there a term for replacing one slang word with another made-up slang word?

For example f*cking => fricking, fracking, smurfing, frelling, or freaking

At what point do the made up words turn into recognized/official words? For example I'm pretty sure I can use most of the above replacements and people will know what I mean, fricking and fracking being most used.

Even if a replacement becomes commonly used, at what point would it end up in say the OED?


texts: Word/name for rhetorical technique to give appearance of expertise where none exists?

texts:
For example, the speaker states "Anyone that has taken probability and statistics in college knows... blah blah blah", implying the speaker has such a background, with the intent to assert some authority in the subject / lend more weight to the rest of the statement, when in fact the speaker has no such expertise.

Is there a word or name for such a device?


texts: Is there a term for authorial name expurgation?

texts:
In 19th century English texts, but also seen elsewhere (e.g. Heller's Catch-22) there is a practice of omitting part of a name such as:

  I was going to visit Mrs. P___, but decided to remain at home.

which is intended to shroud the name of the person. You may also find bowdlerization of a similar form in the same texts:

  I'd have been successful if not for the d____d rain.

where the author (or publisher) would prefer not to use "damned". Is there a term for this practice?

Is there a modern (e.g. TeX, Unicode, HTML etc.) way to represent this typographic convention? The best I can find is the Unicode/ASCII codepoint 0x5f which has the unfortunate habit of being rendered as a continuous line "d____d" where older practice would allow for a small inter-glyph space so you could see that four letters had been omitted in "d····d".


texts: the first case ... is the court's decision

texts:
As I have said many times, I'm translating some wordy document, and here is another sentence that need shedding some light on:

Thus the first case cited by the Court in Schwinn for the proposition that "restraints upon alienation . . . are beyond the power of the manufacturer to impose upon its vendees and . . . are violations of 1 of the Sherman Act," was this Court's seminal decision holding a series of resale-price-maintenance agreements per se illegal (Source:https://bulk.resource.org/courts.gov/c/US/433/433.US.36.76-15.html, at the paragraph 48, line 4-5, please check it out for the context)

Is it just me or this sentence is really saying that "the first case" is a "seminal decision"? if so, what does "case" mean here? (I mean, how can a "case" be a "decision"). And if not, please tell me the main structure of the whole sentence, and which are the subordinate clauses.

Thank you.


texts:
My question was retitled:

  What is this function called?

Originally my title was:

  How is this function called?

I still think that my version was correct; I always state such questions this way. Which one is really correct?


texts: synonym for someone who is a "fraud" or "liar"

texts:
He portrayed himself to be a really straightforward, hardworking person that always keeps their word,  always shows up and is on time when they make plans, but turned out to be completely the opposite of these things. I need a synonym for these things.

The sentence I want to use is:

  "He turned out to be a douche"

(but I need another word/words or a phrase to put there that means exactly what I'm trying to say and not one that has such a wide array of contexts or meanings.)


texts:
The first printed page in the scanned online version of Analytical Solid Geometry by Shanti Narayan says, "the book was drenched". I'm positive it doesn't have anything to do with wetness. So what does it mean here?
(There's nothing else written on the page. There are a couple of blank pages before and after this printed page.)

All the examples I've found are from Osmania University Library in Hyderabad. Could this be a term specific to Indian-English or a mistranslation from Hindi or another Indian language?


texts: As a non-native English speaker, I have a little doubt about using, or not, the auxiliary verb "to do" with the verb "to have". Are there differences in meaning between "I have not" and "I do not have"? Is a British vs. American thing?


texts:
Which one sounds more dominant by definition?

Juggernaut - something (such as a force, campaign, or movement) that is extremely large and powerful and cannot be stopped.

Dreadnought - "fear nought". Mostly the largest British warships after the "age of sail".


texts: "She is the girl who is with the long hair"

texts:
"She is the girl who is with the long hair."
This appeared in a primary school textbook but I question if this phrasing is indeed grammatically correct. As a native English speaker, it simply "feels off" to me and I cannot find even one example of this structure being used online or otherwise.
I'm no grammarian, so I can't quite express why it feels off other than several items come off as unnecessary or superfluous.
Thanks in advance.


texts: What's the difference between "tagging", "labelling", and "annotation"?

texts:
For machine learning purpose, we need to use labelled data to train a model. But what's the best verb to describe the action to "labelling" the data?

I have seen people using these terms, what's the difference between "tagging", "labelling", and "annotation"?


texts:
What is meant by Welsh ? I searched it but still it is confusing for me in the below case. I didn't understand the exact meaning of this.

"What happened to you guys helping us out by winning the Welsh?"

Can you please explain what does it mean


texts: Is this phrasing right grammatically for use in resume? "International Finalist, International Math Olympiads"

texts:
Is this phrasing right grammatically for use in Resume? "International Finalist, International Math Olympiads"
Is the comma use here right?


texts:
"A team’s **** **** dictates which dice will be used when performing a **** ****.  The higher a team’s **** **** the greater chance of rolling a successful ****. "

In this sentence "dice" is a variable that has the ability to be a single die D10 or two dice D6+D12 or D8+D8.

Am I correct in thinking it's dice then?

Thanks!


texts: Why is a person with psychological problems called unbalanced?

texts:
A person with psychological problems can be called unbalanced.

Unbalanced

1.1 (of a person) emotionally or mentally disturbed. (The Online Oxford English Dictionary)
If you describe someone as unbalanced, you mean that they appear disturbed and upset or they seem to be slightly mad. (The Online
Collins Dictionary)

Balance is a motionless state when opposing forces are equal and mutually annihilate each other.
But what is the connection between balance and mental state? What is the analogy?
Why do people come to mind to compare a state of mind with a motionless state when opposing forces are equal?
Interestingly, such comparison exists not only in English but also in Russian (неуравновешенный) and French (déséquilibré).
What is the etymology or the origin of this word in this particular meaning?


texts: How to express "I got to know about this from someone" in a better way?

texts: In verbal communication, I can say "I got to know that our analysis is complete from David". But, in written communication, how will I express the same ? I found that "learnt" is used most commonly i.e., "I learnt that our analysis is complete from David". Is there a better way of expressing the same ? What are other ways of expressing this ?


texts: Word that describes a collection of goals

texts: I have a list of goals, and I need a word that would best describe it. A person would need to complete work on these goals to achieve their overall goal. E.g., "weight loss" would be a main goal, with "work out", "eating right", etc. being the goals that are part of "weight loss".


texts: What are the idiomatic meaning(s) of "roll/rolling" as used in sea shanties?

texts:
Having been caught up in the recent resurgence of interest in sea shanties, I've noticed frequent--and apparently idiomatic--usage of the verb "roll/rolling" in their lyrics.
It appears in such shanties as:

Roll the Old Chariot (title)
Rolling Down to Old Maui (title)
Bound for South Australia ("heave away, you rolling king")
Sally Brown ("roll and go"; "And we rolled all night, And we rolled all day")
Where Am I To Go M'Johnnies ("high roll and go")
Randy-Dandy-O ("roll and go")

Often, it appears to be synonymous with "sailing" or "travelling by ship". However, it seems possible that it also has some other idiomatic meaning, especially in the frequent phrase "roll and go".
What are the meaning(s) of "roll/rolling" as used in sea shanties?


texts: Ambiguous prepositional phrase in a legal document

texts:
In common speech or writing, disambiguation of objects of prepositional phrases can be inferred from context. However, there is no room for error in filling out legal documents! I came across this question:

Have you enrolled or will soon enroll in health insurance but your health coverage has not started yet?

The answer choices are: "Yes, I am enrolled", "I will soon enroll" and "No". I am currently enrolled in health insurance and it has already begun, but I have no idea how to answer this question (or whether I should skip it).
There is an ambiguity in the interpretation of this question. Logically, given propositions A, B, and C, the question " “A or B and C?” can be taken to mean either " A or (B and C) ? " or " ( A or B ) and C ? ", which are not equivalent questions.
Is there a correct interpretation?


texts: What do you call the practice of using generic terms in favour of genericized trademarks?

texts:
I occasionally find myself searching for the generic version of a proprietary term; for example flying disc for toys like a Frisbee, or search rather than Google. Is there a name for the practice of using generic terms in preference to single-vendor, trademarked or otherwise proprietary terms?

(I just discovered that these terms are known as proprietary eponyms or genericized trademarks. A close-enough answer would be the name of their opposite. For a given value of opposite.)


texts: Future negation with two statements using "won’t"

texts:
I have a question about future negation using won’t. So, when I have a question that contains two parts connected by and and I want to make it known that those things both will not happen.

So for example:

  It won’t be counted as a typo and cause problems for your registration.

Would writing it that way negate the two parts of the sentence, making it read  like this:

  It will not “be counted as a typo”.
  It will not “cause problems
  for your registration”.

Or I should instead use won’t twice? For example, like this:

  It won’t be counted as a typo and won’t cause problems for your registration.


texts:
I need this flag because I need to show to others, which country I am
  from.

Do I need a comma before "which" in this sentence?


texts: Is "educate not exclude" grammatically correct?

texts:
The following is part of a Huffington Post article. There seems to be something missing between "to educate" and "not exclude" — or is this sentence correct?

  I believe the purpose of public schools is to educate not exclude children and to help identify and meet child needs, not make children serve adult convenience, self interest, and systems.（HP, 2014.9.26.）


texts: Pronunciation of “comedian” and “chameleon”

texts:
I can't figure out the difference in pronouncing "comedian" vs. "chameleon." I looked up their pronunciations in many dictionaries and audio sources, and practiced a lot, but my pronunciation still confuses Merriam-Webster Dictionary app's voice input function, which relies on Google's voice recognition technology. 80% of my attempts at "chameleon" are recognized as "comedian," while 100% of my "comedian" are registered correctly. Even for those "chameleon" cases, the Dictionary app was confused and listed "comedian" as candidate words.

I understand that the app is probably not the best tool to judge my pronunciation, but it is objective and reproducible. For comparison, my wife's pronunciation of "chameleon" are always correctly registered. And her "chameleon" pronunciations have never had "comedian" listed in candidate words, which means that the software thought that there was no confusion at all in her pronunciation. So this somehow proves that her pronunciation is much better than mine, at least according to Google's voice recognition software.

What is the trick for pronouncing "chameleon" correctly, so people (or Google) can understand what I mean when I say "I saw a chameleon the other day"?


texts: Singular or plural: "The figure(s) in the center and on the right show that..."

texts:
In a paper I'm writing, there are three figures: one on the left, one in the center and one on the right. I want to say something about the one in the center and the one on the right. Should I use the singular or the plural form of the word figure in this sentence?

  The figure(s) in the center and on the right show that...

I had assumed I should use the plural form. A native speaker said I should use the singular. If both usages sound awkward, I would also appreciate suggestions for alternatives.


texts:
You can say "to intersect A with B" for "to form the intersection of A and B".

But is there also a verb for "to form the union of A and B"? "to unite A with B" doesn't seem right, at least in the context of set theory.


texts: How do I pronounce "can't" with a British accent without it rhyming with "punt" or "paint"?


texts: What does "being in hell" mean in this title?

texts:
I read an article titled "Working with Bill Gates Was Like 'Being in Hell,' Allen Says" and I don't understand what "being in hell" means. There are two meanings in my opinion.

When he worked with Gates, it was like working in Hell.
When he worked with Gates, he worked very hard.

What's the real meaning of "being in hell" here?


texts:
I am refereeing an academic paper where the authors constantly use the construct "it is shown that (blah)" immediately followed by a demonstration of (blah). I don't recall seeing this construct used in this way; the demonstration is usually anywhere other than immediately after (another paper, another book, a previous paragraph, whatnot). Is this usage correct? If not, why?

I can't quote the paper, but here is a more concrete made-up example of their construct:

First, it is shown that there is at most one foo in this list. Consider any bar from the first sequence, they all fall into one of the three cases above. Since these three cases lead to the same foo, there is at most one foo in this list.
Next, it is shown that there is at least one foo in this list. Note that odd bars are guaranteed to lead to a foo. Since there is an odd bar in the first sequence, there must be a foo in this list.


texts: Is it idiomatic to begin a sentence with "In address to"?

texts:
I would like to start a sentence with In address to.

Example 1

  In address to this problem, several examples have been presented.

Example 2

  In address to the trade-off between work and rest, as we work more we have a more stressful life.

Is this sentence grammatically correct?
Is it idiomatic to start a sentence with such a phrase?
Is there a better form of expressing the same meaning?

Update:

Here, I mean the examples are provided to imply problems. I do not mean that the examples are provided because of the problem.

I feel "with regard to" does not give the same sense. However, I am not sure about it.


texts: If a picture of a screen is a screenshot, what is a video of a screen?

texts:
I'm looking for a catchy and nice-sounding word. A really nice sounding phrase would although be better than nothing.

I record my computer screen a lot and never really found a nice word to describe it like a screenshot. I also searched the web a lot and found nothing about it.

Example:

  My mom: How do I get to the settings on my phone?

  Me: I'll send you a _____(recording of my screen) so you can see how I get there.

"screen recording" is my favorite, but I am still not really satisfied. (UPDATE: I found a video of someone famous saying screen recording, I would appreciate if you comment with links to more videos like this with your favorite choices)...   I also found about 100 videos on YouTube of people using this term, which I have not found for any of the alternatives mentioned in the question.

That said I did not find it on Lexico.com.

Here is a "screen recording" showing that "screenshot" is on Lexico.com, but "screen recording" is not.

Options I found unsatisfying:

screencast, screencap, videoshot, screenshots, screenmotionpicture, screenselfie, Screengif.

screencap is not common and confusing on top of that - here are some videos showing how this is used wrongly.

screencast is commonly used in certain fields (tech, design, photography, media and probably more). Here are a lot of videos showing this. My issue with this word is that it is very misleading and it will definitely confuse many people. @jmbpiano put this very nicely in a comment on the answer screencast :

  This usage seems rather niche and if I were to first encounter it in
  another context, the suffix "-cast" would immediately evoke mental
  comparisons to "broadcast" and "webcast" (forms that are decidedly not
  static, playable on-demand video, but rather something that is being
  presented once at a specific time, possibly live and/or interactive).


texts: In describing my company's services, which of the following phrases is more respectful: "these services are for individuals who can..." or, "these services are for persons who can..."?


texts: What's the word or name for a person who can naturally & accurately estimate measurements such as size, capacity, ballance & angles?

texts:
I'm sure I met someone like this a few years back & they provided me with a single word/name for the "condition".
I say condition as the person who this affects automatically, & sometimes to the point of frustrated distraction, will be able to see (can't ignore) the smallest discrepancy in any of these measurements within their environment & will also accurately estimate correction.
I'm not just talking about noticing a skewed wall mirror but rather an acute & often minute sense of balance in their surroundings.


texts: Which should I use with "neither/nor": "has" or "have"?

texts:
Possible Duplicates:
  Which is correct, “neither is” or “neither are”?
  “Neither Michael nor Albert is correct” or “Neither Michael nor Albert are correct”?

In my sentence I mean to say that (both) original versions did not survive.

I am not sure whether to use the has or have in the following sentence:

  Neither the first nor the second
  version of the original, written in
  Latin - the language of science at the
  time - have/has survived until our time

Or should I use plural for versions?

  Neither the first nor the second
  versions of the original, written in
  Latin - the language of science at the
  time - have/has survived until our time


texts:
They are the global leaders in the synthetic drug(s) industry.

Should the word 'drug(s)' be singular or plural in this sentence?


texts: Difference between "by draw" and "by lot"

texts:
Suppose that a group of people wants to choose someone to do some task. So they write everyone's names in pieces of paper (one name per piece), put all the pieces in a bag and someone picks up a name from the bag.

In this case, I'd say the person was chosen "by lot" or "by draw"?

Do you know which one is correct (or both, or none and there's a better word/expression for that) and if there are any difference between them?


texts: What is the correct verb for "driving" a boat?

texts:
How do you describe driving a boat? Is is correct to say

drive a boat
steer a boat
sail a boat?


texts: "Partially correct" vs. "partial correct"

texts:
It's partially correct.
  It's partial correct.

Which of the following is grammatical?


texts: What word or phrase describes this musical instrument?

texts:
The last time I saw one in the streets was back in the early 1960s, and it drew the attention of all passers-by as most people had never seen one before. Let me describe it:

It consists of a box with a drawer and a hand crank.
Turning the crank in a circular motion produces music.
The drawer contains a lot of tiny cards telling one's fortune.
A lovebird, or a monkey, often has a role in the show.

This instrument is his owner's bread and butter. He walks around parks and squares, turning the crank to produce music.  When he spots a couple, he offers the man a fortune-card for his girlfriend or wife. If the guy accepts it, the lovebird picks up a card for the couple, and the instrument owner gets a tip.


texts:
I'm looking for a word to describe being glad that you were able to catch up with something promptly.
As in:

I am happy for the Covid lockdown, because I was able to just catch up with this other thing I wanted to do.

Another example for a single word synonym:

I was given some extra time, and therefore was able to ___ get that done.

I want to explain that gladly I was able to make it/catch up with it right at the last minute.
It doesn't have to be one word, but I would prefer it...


texts:
Should has or have be used in a [verb] while/during [verb] question? Example:

  "studying while working HAVE/HAS made me a tough person"

What should I use?


texts: Opposite of disciplined with positive or neutral connotations

texts: Is there a word or phrase that means the opposite of disciplined, but which doesn't have negative connotations?


texts:
Can someone tell me if the use of two consecutive "whether" clauses (like the sentence below) is correct? It sounds odd to my ears.

  "Whether you're big or small, whether you're rich or poor, I offer a
  comprehensive solution that helps you succeed."

I also tried the sentence below, but it sounds too "or"-y.

  "Whether you're big or small, or rich or poor, I offer a comprehensive
  solution that helps you succeed."

I also tried the sentence below, but it sounds odd too.

  "Whether you're big or small, rich or poor, I offer a comprehensive
  solution that helps you succeed."

Ideally, I'd like a single sentence, but I'm not sure how to go about it.


texts: Phenomenon of overused and popular words

texts:
Certain words or phrases become really popular. These words are picked up by many people, are overused, and sometimes misused to such an extent that the whole meaning of the word changes, or is even lost. I would describe these words as fads, because they become popular, but then (usually) disappear again.

Two examples:

Like: This morning I was, like totally, late for work.
Literally: If I do not get my phone back, I will literally die of boredom.

What is that phenomenon called? Is there a definition of what I just described?

Edit: After reading all the comments and responses I realized that my question was confusing. I was looking for a word that describes the phenomenon of (initially odd usages of) words being picked up and used by other people.

I gave the examples and stated what happens to these words to clarify what I meant.


texts:
I have a hard time understanding the use of the colon in the following sentence:

  Marriage is like a supermarket: easy to get into but hard to get out of.

Is the part after the colon a list of two elements or is it an independent clause where the part "It is" is omitted. For example:

  Marriage is like a supermarket: [it is] easy to get into but hard to get out of.


texts: Can I omit "to be" in passive infinitive?

texts:
For example,

It's fine for the streets to be winding and the street network varied.
(in this case, to be is repeated in both clauses so it's okay to omit to be in second clause)
It's fine for the streets to wind and the street network varied.
(But, when first infinitive is active and second is passive, can I still omit to be?
I feel I should put be before varied )

Waiting for your professional advice. Thank you.


texts: What word describes both survivors and decedents together?

texts: In statistics, specifically survival analysis, one often talks about the number of survivors and decedents in a cohort. What would be an appropriate word to describe the two groups?


texts:
There is the exclamation "hot damn", which one might use, in certain contexts, similar to " All right!", or "Excellent!" (American English, as far as I know.)

Google ngrams says it doesn't see it anywhere but it does see "hot dam", which is as often as it is used as an interjection; it also seems to refer naturally to an engineering situation  involving dams.

Where does it come from? Is there any initial provenance for it, or other languages it was possibly borrowed from?
Is hot diggity an euphemism for it?
Why hot?


texts:
Is there a rule, which states that one must or must not use comma before "then" in a sentence like this:
 If you can read this, then you might want to answer this question.


texts:
What is difference between these two sentences:

  They left at 6 a.m. and would reach London after four hours.
  They left at 6 a.m. and reached London after four hours.

The book, Oxford Guide to English Grammar by John Eastwood, says 'would' can be used as the past form of 'will'. Is it always the case?


texts: Is the phrase "swatting flies with a sledge hammer" a proper way to say that something is a litle bit too complicated?


texts: What is the meaning of "till" in this context?

texts:
what does" the till" mean in text below? it is from a part of play, setting is in a burgur bar. does it mean " A cash register" or something?

  (Ben is about to dial when Danny raises the bat and brings it down on
  the phone. A few frenzied blows and it's on the floor in pieces.) Danny:  I'll
  fuckin' show you what it's about... fuckin' playing with me... fuckin'
  call the cops... ( He brings the bat down on the till. it rings
  madly.) Call them!


texts: Single word that defines a feeling of confidence that almost oozes out a person's pores

texts: The impression / feeling a celebrity might leave behind just walking by a group of fans or in a room after an appearance.


texts: Can I use two possessive nouns in a sentence?

texts:
I'm writing a very brief description for a job duty. Is it grammatically correct to use two possessive nouns in a sentence (e.g., Administration's and company's)?

Full sentence is...
They support, strategize, and promote  the Administration's and company's programs, initiatives, and campaigns.


texts: Idiom meaning "If it should be (x), it would be (x)"?

texts:
Is there some kind of saying or idiom in English with the meaning

  if it were supposed to be like that, it would be (like that)

Something like

  if it should be, it would be


texts: Synonyms for "being not at all the case", "being not anywhere near"

texts:
I would like to say the following:

"One might be tempted to assume that A. However, this is not the case."

I would like to stress that it is not only not the case, but it is not at all the case, the assumption is way too strong, it doesn't hold at all. It is in the context of mathematics.

Thanks for any suggestion.


texts:
In the Law 43 of the novel 48 Laws of Power, Robert Greene writes:

  In the game of power, you are surrounded by people who have absolutely no
  reason to help you unless it is in their interest to do so. And if you have
  nothing to offer their self-interest, you are likely to make them hostile, for
  they will see in you just one more competitor, one more waster of their time.
  Those that overcome this prevailing coldness are the ones who find the key
  that unlocks the stranger’s heart and mind, seducing him into their comer, if
  necessary softening him up for a punch. But most people never learn this side
  of the game. When they meet someone new, rather than stepping back and
  probing to see what makes this person unique, they talk about themselves,
  eager to impose their own willpower and prejudices. They argue, boast, and
  make a show of their power. They may not know it but they are secretly
  creating an enemy, a resister, because there is no more infuriating feeling
  than having your individuality ignored, your own psychology
  unacknowledged. It makes you feel lifeless and resentful.

I do not understand the meaning of comer in this sentence (the one in italic, I have quoted the full paragraph to aid comprehension).
According to dictionaries, comer has two meanings:

1) someone who arrives (or has arrived)

2) someone with a promising future

What does "seduce someone into one's comer" then mean? To lure someone into thinking they will have a promising feature? Could someone rephrase the sentence in order for me to grasp the meaning behind it?

Thank you in advance.


texts: How to refer to United States of America?

texts:
My sentence is:

  ATC experienced rapid growth between 1880 to 1911. In 1890, their five main competitors joined their consortium and by 1910, the American Tobacco Company had absorbed 250 companies, producing 80% of the tobacco products in the United States of America and had grown its equity from $25 million to $316 million.

I am conflicted on how to refer to USA (Bold part)

Is it:

in the United States of America

or

in United States of America

Also, sneaky second question if you guys don't mind :)

Do you think my sentence is too long?


texts: What does “sheafs” mean in “The rays cut straight sheafs”?

texts:
This sentence is from Atlas Shrugged, depicting rays of light running through coils of steam enveloping a building:

  The rays of a few strong lights cut straight sheafs through the
  coils.

Could anyone please explain to me how sheafs is to be understood here?

Does it denote the verb sheaf, as in bundle? That was the first thing to come to mind, but that seems wrong to me.


texts: Is this the correct way to use semicolon and commas?

texts: Her appearance looked effortless; a shift dress with a classic sweater, dainty jewelry, and mid-heel pumps.


texts: I remember hearing "be more chill" meaning, "calm down" in the nineties but it was not in common use ten years later - although "chill" as a verb with the same meaning lingers on. The expression "I'll school you" is long out of date, but when did it go out? Some expressions go out of style and then return, for example  "fly" meaning "good looking" has been going in and out for centuries. Is there a site that tracks this kind of thing? How about a book?


texts: 'Not feeling clever' - how far does this extend?

texts:
The other day, when my wife was unwell, I happened to mention to a relative in Norfolk that she wasn't 'feeling too clever'. He instantly knew what I meant.

But it made me wonder how far this idiom extends. I'm sure I have heard it used in other parts of Britain, but is it universal throughout the Anglosphere?


texts: Why did common contractions become common?

texts:
Examples:

  Real life isn't like that, y'know.

  Y'all are awesome.

  I dunno why.

  Where'd you go?

This is my theory: these phrases/sentences have been said so many times that people felt it would save a lot of time if they were contracted. But I don't know, I'm not a native English speaker, so maybe I'm wrong.

What do you think?


texts: Another way of saying "easily deceived"?

texts:
What's another way of saying easily deceived?

I want to have a better vocabulary. Easily deceived sounds a bit basic to me. Is there a better word for that phrase?


texts:
Setup

I'm asking this question because of a song lyric that I'm trying to make sense of:

  Lean my direction and mercy your ears

Obviously, lyrics often do not follow the rules of grammar, and are open to interpretation. I'm not looking for literary analysis or attempts to parse the metaphorical meaning of the song, I'm just trying to decide how the word 'mercy' should be interpreted in that sentence.

I did a little research by looking at definition of the word mercy, and seeing if any included a verb version, but was unable to find such a thing. I did however find a blog post about a bible translation saying that 'mercy' was used to translate a greek phrase that contained a verb for mercy, rather than a noun.

Question

So, can 'mercy' be used as a verb? Looks like not, so how would you interpret it being used as such? Perhaps insights from other languages might be useful?

In other words, what does the imperative "mercy your ears" mean?

Full lyrics of The Ayes Have It by Big Business, without repeats:

  while you were sleeping
  been doing some thinking
  everyone's taken a side
  the ayes all and any
  the nays half as many
  there's plans to put a break in your stride

  became crystal clear
  when we cracked the veneer
  that nobody wanted us here
  we're out of the habit
  instead chasing rabbits
  goddamn it it's not how we planned it
  sound the alarm

  we don't want to find out

  lean my direction and mercy your ears
  not sure I could make it more perfectly clear


texts: "Irreparable damage" vs. "irrecoverable damage"

texts:
Which word is a better fit in the following sentence?

  Some of the environmental changes may produce irreparable/irrecoverable damage to the earth's capacity to sustain life.


texts:
I was doing this online quiz and came across a compound sentence. The first sentence is this:

The soccer team celebrated its victory *by going to Disneyland*.

My question is what kind of phrases is 'by going to Disneyland'. Is that a prepositional phrase? Shouldn't we need a comma before that phrase since it's just adding extra information. Any reference to grammar standards on the comma usage in relation to this type of sentence will be appreciated.


texts: Where in the US are these vowels mispronounced? "got" -> "gat"

texts:
It is rather rare to hear a speaker pronounce vowels like this, so I would like to know where it comes from.  I live in North America, so my only experience is with American English.

Most notably, I have heard /ɑ/ in "got" pronounced as /æ/.  As well, "no" as "nɛ".  And come to think of it, "actually" which should use /æ/ is being pronounced as /ɛ/.

A more common occurrence may be the /e/ in "okay" substituted for /ə/, /ɪ/, or /i/.

I have found a couple of examples from this video, such as "end" as [ɪ]nd.  It's not necessary to watch but may help.  It's not the prominent accent that I've heard, as in the first example.

But my question is where did this begin, and where in the US does it occur most?


texts: Does the word "depression" refer to an emotion, or a condition?

texts: Particularly when used in a narrative piece, I often notice liberal use of the word "depression", which often seems to be used as a synonym for "sad." Can one be depressed for a few moments in time? Or is depression a long-term state of mind?


texts: "If you be my love” vs. ”If you were my {love}"

texts:
I was wondering how somebody in the 19th century would have said or written

  If you are/were my girl/boyfriend, you must never cheat on me

I thought it might be something like this

  If you be my love, you shall never be untrue

Halt! Before anyone objects and says that "shall" is reserved for the first person singular and plural, I did check and discovered this Wikipedia entry for Shall and will

  Whether or not the above-mentioned prescriptive rule (shall for the unmarked future in the first person) is adhered to, there are certain meanings in which either will or shall tends to be used rather than the other.[…]. However, there are also cases in which the meaning being expressed combines plain futurity with some additional implication; these can be referred to as "coloured" uses of the future markers.

  Thus shall may be used (particularly in the second and third persons) to imply a command, promise or threat made by the speaker (i.e. that the future event denoted represents the will of the speaker rather than that of the subject). For example:

  You shall regret it before long. (speaker's threat)
  You shall not pass! (speaker's command)
  You shall go to the ball. (speaker's promise)

Questions

Is my 19th-century version realistic? Did I miss out on something?
What type of conditional is sentence number 2 called?


texts: What is the specific nuance of "ask against"?

texts:
English is not my native tongue. I am helping another non-native to translate as precisely as possible a sentence that comes from an astrological reading:

  indicating that the question is asked against an awareness that the
  mother has recently been afflicted by illness

I'd interpret against in this case to mean in presence of; that is, the person asking is aware of the illness and is probably influenced by this knowledge in posing his/her questions to the astrologer.

Is this correct? When would you use ask against, and what precisely is it used to communicate?


texts:
Is the following sentence correct?

After entering 2020, the disease wreaked havoc around the world.

I think that "after entering 2020" could be a dangling modifier here as the disease itself cannot perform the action described by the verb "enter", and it might be better to just write:

The disease has wreaked havoc around the world since the beginning of 2020.


texts:
What's the correct form?
Examples:

What's the translation of "whatever" in Portuguese?

Or

What's the translation for "whatever" in Portuguese?

Are both correct? I've seen both in many texts (including this site), but I never know which one is correct.


texts:
That chair was very sturdy, or so I thought.

"Or so I thought" means the previous phrase is wrong after a while of consideration. (or something similar)

Is there  any term/words that can replace "or so I thought" in the same/similar context? (Rephrasing is fine, but not just purely replacing the words, ie. "or so I presumed")


texts: What type of conditional is this? "If Julie went to the party last night, she definitely saw what happened."

texts:
I really cannot understand why the sentence is correct and what type of conditional it is.

If Julie went to the party last night, she definitely saw what happened.

Other examples that confuse me:
If you don't know the answer, you didn't do your homework.
If the results didn't come out yesterday, they will come out today.


texts:
What is the meaning of "thou thee" from the quotation below referenced in this Quora answer? (Attributed to the attorney-general at Sir Walter Raleigh’s trial.)

All that he did was at thy instigation, thou  viper; for I thou thee, thou traitor.


texts:
I have the following caption title:

Fig. 5. Measured small-signal gain, input return loss, and output return loss vs. frequency of C-band HPA.

This is equivalent to (a), (b), and (c) vs. (d)

Question

Ambiguity lies in the above as to whether (a), (b), and (c) are all versus (d) or whether it is simply a list of three things. Pleas help with the correct use of punctuation to illustrate the former case.


texts:
In a clause like this one:

the success of the book resides in the clear explanations of complex subjects

is "in" the right preposition? Or is it better to use "on", like in:

the success of the book resides on the clear explanations of complex subjects

Thanks!


texts: If I have a horizontal (x) and a vertical (Y) element (axis, perhaps more in the geometrical sense) what would be a proper name for the other axis (Z)? Is there already something like horizontal, vertical adjectives in English for that third dimension?


texts: "We strongly advise you to enjoy this book before turning to the Introduction"

texts:
This was part of General Introduction (it's right before the Introduction) of some Wordsworth Classics series,

  We strongly advise you to enjoy this book before turning to the
  Introduction.

What does that mean? I'm little confused.

Since the Introduction is before the actual text, how should I "enjoy" the book? Maybe I didn't get it.
Enjoyment is a rather personal feeling: how could I be advised to enjoy the book?


texts: Is it necessary to add "a" before the noun in this sentence?

texts:
Consider the sentence fragment:

  ...as Business Development Representative, I would...

If Business Development Representative describes a role occupied by a single person (for example, "as President" instead of "as a President" or "as CEO" instead of "as a CEO"), is an "a" required to precede the noun so it reads:

  ...as a Business Development Representative, I would...

There is just one Business Development Representative.


texts:
In the United States I think it's considered politically incorrect or culuturally insensitive to refer to China and other Asian countries as the "Far East".  That's because calling it East of anything suggests that Europe is somehow the center of everything.

But did you know in Chinese, the name for China is literally translated as "Central Country" (http://www.shanghaiexpat.com/phpbbforum/why-is-china-called-zhongguo-t81787.html).

Pretty ironic, eh?


texts: Past perfect or Simple Past: "I had [had] a hard day"

texts:
Question :  I was really tired last night. I ______________ (have) a hard day.

Which one of the two is correct sentence and why?  (by the way I wrote the second one.)

I was really tired last night. I had had a hard day.
I was really tired last night. I had  a hard day.

When do we use had had or have have together?


texts:
English is not my native language, so I'm wondering, should I say:

  I'd better go away now.

or:

  I better go away now.

or even (I think I've heard this one):

  I better go now.

Thanks in advance!


texts: The attachment has "already been sent" or has "been already sent"?

texts:
The  attachment has already been sent
The  attachment has been already sent

While writing an email to my fiancé, I tried to convey that I had sent the referred attachment in a previous email. Which sentence is correct?

Is there an expression or phrase that means "a previous file attachment"?


texts: Is "Even so, we’ll keep walking" a valid sentence as a book title?

texts:
I was struggling to find a good title for a fiction I write, and a found this sentence in the english subtitles of a song. I'd like to know if it's a valid sentence as a standalone, or if it needs to be a part of a full-lenght sentence.

Thanks for considering my request.


texts: What is the meaning of "... is [noun] is [same noun]" in repetition?

texts:
A while back, Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote in his poem about the Pulse shooting:

  "Love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love..."

Initially, I thought that the lack of grammar was just the flexibility of poetic form, but recently Joe Biden tweeted something of a similar structure:

  "Enough is enough is enough."

Is there any guideline to using this type of structure? What does it mean?


texts: proverbial idiom that fits the point that "Main contractor asking (polite forcing) subcontractor to spoon feed his own duty in its entirety"

texts:
In business, a main contractor is the one who takes up the responsibility of the whole project which he understands he can undertake in its entirety, some without and part with help of a subcontractor. And thus while understanding the scope, he has full idea of the project execution and knows which all instances to subcontract.
Now in a given situation, it is such a the contractor (due to some forces) is appointed as the main contractor. He is clueless of the project but for 10% (and that is exaggerated %) of the jobs , appoints a subcontractor. In doing so he starts to question (even complete reliance) on the subcontract for his own scope too.
Imagine the contractor is a hotel management company and the subcontractor is a experienced ironing company in hotel business engaged for ironing the clothes which is one part of the scope of the hotel management company. How would you expect hotel management company to be spoon-fed by the ironing company in hotel management business scope (which is 90% and a underestimated %).   In this context I am looking preferably for a proverbial idiom that fits this narrative.
Point that needs to get across is the irony that "a main contractor asking subcontractor to spoon feed in entirety for his own scope".


texts: Can you have a conjugal relationship with someone without being married?

texts:
I looked up the word "cohabit" and saw these definitions:

  cohabit
  1.to live together as husband and wife, esp. when not legally married
  Webster's New World College Dictionary

  cohabit
  (Sociology) (intr) to live together in a conjugal relationship, esp without being married
  Collins Dictionary

The first one I think should raise eyebrows, if only momentarily. You could argue "as husband and wife" means "like husband and wife", but I feel that's not the initial meaning one gets when reading that.

The second one contains the word "conjugal", and I'm wondering about this specifically.

The word "conjugal" strictly speaking means having to do with marriage, however I'm aware that there are associations specifically with sexual intercourse. For example the idea of the conjugal visit was, it seems to me, specifically conceived with the intention of allowing a prisoner to have private "intimate" time with their spouse (specifically have sex). So I think this definition more clearly needs to say "sexual relationship" rather than "conjugal" ("sexual" being the word of choice in most other dictionaries for defining "cohabit").

Despite this association with sex, it's very interesting that VERY few of the "official" dictionaries mention anything of this for "conjugal". It's not mentioned by Collins in the same dictionary where it uses "conjugal" to basically mean "sexual". I understand the term "conjugal" may be euphemistic somewhat, however dictionaries don't have a habit of shying away from a word's real meaning.

I guess the important point is that the overwhelming majority of definitions simply define conjugal as "related to marriage or spouses". And so we're basically left to read between the lines about its real meaning.

Is it inadvisable to say something like "a conjugal relationship, especially without being married"? Or is its meaning extremely clear. I guess this kind of goes to the question in the title, "Can you have a conjugal relationship with someone without being married to them?"


texts: Is there a name for this kind of phrases?

texts: I often times heard phrases like itty-bitty, nitty-gritty etc, the latter word followed part of the previous word's syllable(mostly ends with -y), I want to know the names for this kinds of phrases.


texts: What's the difference between 'have an influence on something' and 'influence something'

texts: How is 'have an influence on something' different from influence something?


texts:
If a prize is worth thousands of dollars, is it called

  a thousands-dollar prize

or

  a thousand-dollar prize


texts: Is it correct to say "What bird's singing brought tears to the king's eyes?"

texts:
Is it correct to say:

  What bird's singing brought tears to the king's eyes?


texts: Descriptive word for explosive blowing through mouth

texts:
I am looking for a word or words to describe the following two actions, both of which are relatively common.

The first is often seen as a sign of derision or dismissal. For example, one person may offer an opinion and the other responds by a very short burst of air coming from the mouth. This is similar to a snort, but a snort is usually seen as coming from the nose.

The second is similar, but slower. It is often seen when someone is exhausted or frustrated. The mouth starts of closed at the start and the person blows for a couple of seconds.

I've been wracking my brain, and haven't been able to find the Google terms that would help.


texts: What is the meaning of "a correspondence of principles"?

texts:
Which are the uses and meanings of this expression?

From my own research, it seems to have:

In politics, a formal meaning close of agreement or treaty: "a correspondence of principles was sign secretly in Oslo."
In a more informal or figurative context, I felt it sound like guideline or motto.

However, I am pretty sure this is quite incomplete.


texts: Is there a single word for a mistaken intention due to a situation

texts:
This has bugged me for a number of years and the English language is full of less often or rarely used words so I thought I'd finally ask this question.

Take the a situation where an artist mistakenly smears paint across a canvas while hanging it and leaves.  He means to come back and completely paint over the mistake, but someone walks by and notices it and attributes it to genius.  The artist is surprised at this, but doesn't correct the guest and accepts the praise.

Is there a word for accepting credit for an unintended action?

Another example would be a person who says something and it's considered hilarious by everyone around them.  They didn't mean it that way, but they accept the credit for the wit without correcting the audience.

This has happened often enough in my life that it really bugs me that I haven't found a single descriptive word meant for this type of situation.  As you can tell from the number of words I'm using to describe this, there's an obvious need for a single word in these cases.


texts: What is the difference in meaning between "a risk of failing" and "a risk to fail"?

texts:
What different meanings do the following sentences convey? Do they sound natural in conveying those meanings?

1) There is a risk of failing the test.

2) There is a risk to fail the test.

While Britons seem to oppose the use of the infinitive after the noun "risk", in the American English such a construction seems to be acceptable and comprehensible. Below are some of the examples that I have found in the "Corpus of Contemporary American English" ( https://corpus.byu.edu/coca ):

"are you going to choose to take the risk to vaccinate and get this long-term chronic illness"
"He is taking a great risk to give me information about the work they are doing"
"it could really be a risk to put themselves out there"
"Kassimu and Lemmy maintain that it is not a risk to keep the local stations on air"
"So did you feel like you were taking a risk to speak to this guy who's tattooed from head to foot"
"But it's always a risk to have a jury trial."
"Stewart found Bundy, 69, remains a danger to the community and a risk to flee"
"A challenge to create and a risk to consume"
"He thought it was a risk to ask for her number"
"and she knew then that it was a risk to attend Bonnaroo"

I expect that Britons would understand the meanings of the above sentences too.
Now, if we take a sentence "It was a risk to attend that meeting", and change it to "It was a risk of attending that meeting", the meaning of the sentence would also completely change.

If we consider the below examples, do they make sense?

It was a risk to attend that meeting.
To attend that meeting was a risk.
There was a risk to attend that meeting.
It was a risk to fail the test.
To fail the test was a risk.
There was a risk to fail the test.

And if they do not, then why?


texts:
"But I was patient. I wrote back. I was sympathetic, I was kind. Ginny simply loved me. No one’s ever understood me like you, Tom …. I’m so glad I’ve got this diary to confide in …. It’s like having a friend I can carry around in my pocket …."
  (p309, Harry Potter 2, US edition)

NB --
The speaker, Tom Riddle, is a villain in this story. He is boasting how well he could win Ginny’s heart by becoming a kind of pen pal with her.

The author describes his character as an impatient, unsympathetic, and unkind one. Therefore, I would think his saying expresses temporal action, not permanent character. He treated her kindly at that time and his attitudes got Ginny to fall in love.

But I feel something strange when ‘I was kind’ and ‘She loved me’ express action, for I’ve run into much more ‘be kind’ and ‘love’ which describe someone’s character or continuing state since I started studying English.

So, here is my question.
Is there any nuance in ‘I was kind’ when it means ‘I treated her kindly”?
In other words, why does the speaker use such expressions, instead of other expressions like ‘treat kindly’?


texts: What is the meaning of the phrase "duly require"?

texts:
Is it the same as "need"? What meaning does "duly" add to "require"?

EDIT: Adding example I found online from the 1957 Penal Code of the Empire of Ethiopia:

  Art. 326. Capitulation.

  A commanding
  officer who:

  (a) in battle or in the face of the
  enemy lays down his arms, despatch a
  bearer with a flag of truce, hauls
  down his flag, or surrenders with his
  men without having done everything
  that the exigencies of military duly
  require of him; or [...]


texts:
For example, I want to say that I found a ball today. But "today" means action in present, am I right?

I've already searched the Internet and it seems the right way is this:

  I found a ball today

But it seems wrong when I say "today" and "found" (I'm not using words like "earlier"). Maybe it's right to say:

  I have found a ball today

And why can't I say

  I find a ball today

Which way is right and why?


texts: How does the "be-" prefix change the words to which it is applied? How did it come about?

texts:
What does the be- prefix change when applied to adjectives and verbs?  There are many such words that seemed to be coined of this process, for example:

  behold, beget, befallen, beridden, bedazzled, bedevil, between, befluxed

That's just off the top of my head; I am positive that I've missed plenty more.  How does (or did) be- change the "root" of each word? (Scare quotes, because many of these "roots" don't seem to be actual words in modern English).

And also, I'm aware that words typically often gain different meanings, sometimes vastly away from their original sense, in the process of word evolution; in addition to asking what be- prefixation means in the present day, I'm also wondering about what the first coiners of these words, many from Old English, would have been thinking as they coined them, and if the be- prefix evolved from a "natural" preposition.


texts:
"Range of operation" vs "operation range"

"The range of operation for the compressor (...)" or "The operating range of the compressor"?

Do they have the same interpretation?
Can they substitute one another?


texts: As in "metaphor-use" versus "metaphor use".


texts: What is the idiom used when you don't do something right away but do it eventually?

texts: What idiom can I use to describe a situation where I didn't do something I should have done at a certain point of time but did it eventually ?


texts:
I thought names of archipelagos are always used with article the. Like in the example:

  Germans love to take beach holidays in countries like the Maldives,
  the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic.

However I encountered the example where the rule seems to be ignored:

  When I went to Hawaii, my favorite island was Kauai.

Apparently I don't know how to use the article with names of chain of islands. So I would like you to teach me.

P.S. At first I thought maybe Hawaii is not considered an archipelago because it might be a part of some bigger island chain but wikipedia actually states that it is an archipelago in its own right: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archipelago


texts: "Iran diplomats return to heroes' welcome"

texts:
That's an example of the type of headline increasingly seen in the media - I first noticed the trend on Sky News but it seems to have become endemic.

To my mind the example above should read "Iranian Diplomats Return To Heroes' Welcome".

Is the original example grammatically valid at all, or just journalists copying other journalists ?


texts: The word for "not well described by statistics"

texts:
I used to know this 25-cent word, and I have forgotten it. It describes a phenomenon where common descriptive statistics like mean and variance misrepresent the individuals or maybe the phenomenon itself. (I don't know because I can't look it up!) I believe it begins with an e, probably an en- or eu-. Does it sound familiar to anyone?

"Children's classroom learning should not be reduced to test scores, because  learning is  -------- "


texts: Which adverb implies supreme confidence, falling just shy of arrogance?

texts:
When he participated in debates and round table discussions, Christopher Hitchens spoke with supreme confidence.

I'd like to replace with supreme confidence with an adverb that implies supreme confidence, falling just shy of arrogance.

Does anyone have any suggestions?


texts: Difference between legacy and traditional?

texts:
I saw this usage of the word legacy:

  I have an NHibernate implementation working with a legacy database (DB2).

Can legacy be replaced with traditional?

What is the difference?


texts: Word That describes a Story that Undermines Tropes

texts:
I am looking for a single word used to describe the process in Storytelling where a story undermines the concept of a genre/trope/or previous work by doing things backwards from this. Not a parody, exactly, but the same sort of thing in a non-humorous manner.

I am 99% sure I know this word exists.


texts: what is the noun and verb which mean "to hold yourself back"

texts:
I'll give an example:

I can't stand him anymore = There's a limit to my _____(noun)____

And if there is a verb which equal to "can't stand (sth) anymore", I'd also like to learn.


texts: How to punctuate one word quotes in a sentence

texts:
Please tell me which one is correct...

They said "no" because the children needed an adult with them.

OR

They said, "No," because the children needed an adult with them.

OR

They said no because the children needed an adult with them.

OR

Some other way?

Please advise - thank you so much!


texts: Appropriate dash to use when attributing a quotation?

texts:
If I’m citing a poem or quotation, what kind of dash precedes the author’s name?
For example:

This Business of Printing; which I am heartily tired of, and repent I e’er attempted....
—John Baskerville

Should this be an em dash, an en dash,  or something else?
And should there be a space between the dash and the author’s name?


texts: Capitalization of the words Fourth Quarter

texts:
In the sentence

  Our profits are down for Fourth Quarter 2011.

is Fourth Quarter capitalized?


texts:
A friend of mine was telling me a story about one of their colleagues and they said the following sentence: "Mike called himself cleaning up the lunch table, but he left spaghetti sauce streaked all over the place."  I didn't understand at the time though that this is just a way of referring to a third party doing some act that resulted in the opposite of their original intentions.

The question I have is regarding the use of "called himself" and where that comes from, the etymology, etc. etc. and if there is a place I can look to learn about this type of... strange... sentence pattern?


texts:
What is the meaning and the accurate use of the word "Aura"?
Does it mean literally " Atmosphere"?
consider this example: " Heavy snow,, thunders... strong wind. What a lovely aura! "

P.S: I meant by aura not the weather itself but the general atmosphere around me that i feel at that moment.. My feeling.

Thanks in advance!


texts: Subjunctive Mood in Second Conditional - Inversion

texts:
The sentence

  If I were you, I wouldn't do this

One can add emphasis to the sentence, by saying

  Were I you, I wouldn't do this

However, I noticed that in everyday English people tend not to use the subjunctive mood, but standard Simple Past tense.

  If I was you, I wouldn't do this.

So, is it possible to say

  Was I you, I wouldn't do this?

It looks a little bit strange for me.


texts: Does esotericism make sense in this context or is there a better word?

texts:
So I'm trying to find a word/phrase that fits the context of like "a knowledge that can only be truly understood by lived experience", it seems like 'esoteric' kind of fits, but from what I've seen esotericism has more to do with educational specialization instead of just like lived experience.
Some examples of the context I'm talking about would be like: the perspective of someone who suffers from mental health, things like being poor/impoverished, being in an abusive relationship, etc.
I've played around with words like 'wisdom' and 'empathy', but they don't really seem to fit.


texts: What does "at south of $100 million" mean?

texts:
From this article:

  Judge Alsup did take the unusual step of appointing his own damages expert. That independent expert valued the patent case at south of $5 million, and valued the copyright case at south of $100 million.

It sounds like it means either:

  the minimum value is $100 million

or:

  the maximum value is $100 million


texts:
I am currently working on a fictitious legal system and am looking for a single word for property damage. I could not find a legal term that fits, though you may know of better resources than I.
It would be ideal if it were a noun so it could be placed in the following context: "The accused committed an act of ..."

Any and all suggestions would be welcome and I hope you enjoy the challenge.


texts: Where does the idiom to have an axe to grind come from? To have personal, selfish reasons to do or say something.


texts: Is there an expression describing some thing precious because it's rare?

texts:
This is a question similar to A word to describe something that is desired only because it is rare, but I am looking for an expression, a saying, or an idiom use in daily life, not a term or jargon.

I'm also err on the side of natural (not artificial) rareness, and the thing is truly valuable. Something like "diamond is precious because it's rare".


texts: Why does google prefer not to use hyphen? [Hyphen vs No Hyphen]

texts:
One of the things that keeps bothering me while using Google's products such as Google Docs, Google Slides, or search engine is the red line under words that include hyphen (e.g. co-operate, broken-hearted...etc).

I do know the usage of hyphen and I do prefer to use it for the purpose of clarification but I can't figure out why google always keeps suggesting to remove it (i.e. cooperate, brokenhearted...etc).

Does it have anything to do with rhetoric?
Did the hyphen become non-standard?
Did it become old-fashioned?


texts: Difference between "greater" and "larger"

texts: What is the difference between greater and larger? For example, should we say for time, the waiting time is greater than or the waiting time is larger than?


texts:
Which tense is it:

  I've got a cat.

I'm confused, is it Present Perfect or Present Simple?


texts: Word that means 'saying something as though it's obvious'?

texts:
I'm new here. Nice to meet everyone.

I'm a writer and my quest to find the appropriate word led me here. Specifically, I'm trying to find a word to describe the way someone utters a phrase.

Saying "She says it like it's obvious.", "She says it like it's evident." or any variation seems to be far too clunky versus just using an adjective that means that.
Is there such an adjective? Thank you.


texts: When "of course" is at the end of a sentence, should a comma precede it?


texts:
I am puzzled by a sentence:
A is a function of B, which depends on C.
My question is:
Which depends on C, A or B?


texts: Is it correct to use "squad with me" if i want to ask my friends to be part of my squad?

texts:
English is not my native language so sorry for any possible funny mistakes

I am trying to choose a domain for my website. The domain ends with .me.

My website is about building squads for games.

Any suggestions ?


texts:
I have an easy question about the correct usage of the prepositions after the verb "go" when we want to refer to a website.

Which of these is the more correct expression?

A) If you want to download that file, you have to go AT ThisIsATest.com

B) If you want to download that file, you have to go TO ThisIsATest.com

Is it true that the former sentence is used in American English and the latter is used in British English?

I've just found out on the Internet that some people use "go ON". Is this other alternative correct?


texts: Is there a word that describes a reading deficiency where information may be understood but is not absorbed?

texts: As far as I understand it, reading comprehension relates only to the ability to understand what is read. I'm asking because my Craigslist ads contain enough pertinent information about an item being sold but for some reason potential buyers still ask me questions that are clearly answered in the ad (I've resorted to just copying and pasting the ad to answer their emails). When I talk about this phenomenon to others I have no way to describe this reading deficiency in one word. Thanks for any help.


texts: What is the agent noun of the verb mirror?

texts:
A google search made me realize that the the agent noun of mirror doesn't exist. What would such a word be if it did?

My best guess would be mirroror following the word mirroring and using the agent noun suffix for laten verbs.

edit: The word I'm looking for would be used to refer to a person who mirrors others in speech and action.


texts: A word to describe a person who doesn't use their own products or policies

texts:
I am looking for a word or phrase to describe someone that didn't use their own tool, follow their own policy or use their own product, due to some ironic twist of fate. Almost the antithesis of the phrase "Eats their own dogfood."

For example, a UPS employee that chose to ship something via Fed-Ex because UPS didn't offer overnight shipping at the time. The employee made a logical and justifiable decision, so it is more of an ironic twist than anything intentional or malicious.

I considered hypocrite, but that seems to conflict with the justifiable aspect of the choice. Traitor is way too harsh and implies a malicious intent that isn't in the situation, either.


texts: What does "Now you see me, now you don't," mean, and where did it originate?

texts:
In several works, I saw a character use the phrase "Now you see me, (beat) now you don't". I think I also remember a character using just "Now you see me" and then disappearing.

The Wikipedia disambiguation page, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Now_You_See_Me, says that many works have adopted the phrase but doesn't say what it means or at least originally meant.

So,

is there a known source that first use the phrase?
what did it mean in the first sources that used it? it feels like it's become so common that some of the current uses are variations or subversions


texts:
For example

  You should likely do something.

Does it mean "you should do something" or "you can do something"?


texts:
I looked up Webster, Oxford and some other sources and fund nothing for the meaning of "count off" in the followig sentence.

  Each track on the CDs that accompanies the book is presented with an intro, count off, occasional instructions and piano part. The track is immediately followed by a version without count offs, instructions, or piano.


texts: Is there an error in 'Your English is terrible regardless of where you derive'?

texts:
I don't think the following sentence is correct:

  "Your English is terrible regardless of where you derive."

but my elementary school English lessons have worn thin over the years.  The closest I can get to an explanation is that in this case derive is a transitive verb, requiring a direct object.  Am I correct or crazy?

Also, would it matter if the sentence in question originated from a speaker of British English vs. American English?

Any help would be appreciated.


texts: the meaning of 'relevant' used in linguistic explanations

texts:
Maybe someone who is well-versed in semantics could help me.
The word relevant turns up at places in the following paragraph. While I know the fundamental meaning of it — pertinent, germane, there seems to be more to it when used in linguistic explanations. Could anyone please help me with its nuance, connotation, subtlety etc.? (I'm not a native speaker of English, by the way. If you would put your help in plain English as much as possible, it would be really appreciated)

(14) # While in Santiago, Bill broke his foot and was rushed to the big hospital.

Here, the hearer is licensed to assume that the modifier is relevant (in accordance with the maxim of Relation (Grice 1975)). However, the modifier in (14) could only be relevant if it distinguishes this hospital from others, in which case the hospital in question is no longer undifferentiable and, in the absence of unique identifiability, the conditions for the felicitous use of the definite have not been met. Hence, infelicity results. To put it another way, since the modifier is presumed to be relevant, it must be the case that it matters which hospital, or at least what type of hospital, is under discussion -- i.e., that it is big. Thus, the condition of not being relevantly differentiable is not met, and the hearer must assume that the other condition for the felicitous use of the definite applies -- i.e., that the hospital be uniquely identifiable. In the absence of a uniquely identifiable hospital, the utterance in (14) is simply infelicitous.
Uniqueness, Familiarity, and the Definite Article in English by Betty Birner and Gregory Ward, Berkeley Linguistics Society, 1994, via eLanguage


texts: It is necessary to use "who" a second time in this sentence?

texts:
Here’s an example of a sentence I’ve come across — actually, part of a sentence. Is it necessary to use "who" a second time in the sentence, before "may" (see example below)? If not necessary, is it preferred to use "who" for each relative clause?

… for those who need access to these reports and papers, and may need more advanced resources.
… for those who need access to these reports and papers, and who may need more advanced resources.”


texts: How to punctuate dialogue/ direct quotations?

texts:
I am a little confused on how to punctuate dialogue. Does the speaker always need to be set off by punctuation? For example, which of the following is correct.
Albert said "I like to eat cake."
Albert said, "I like to eat cake."
For the second sentence, I'm confused because I thought that commas had to fall inside quotations?
Continuing, is there a difference between punctuating a divided quotation with the speaker in the middle versus an undivided quotation?
John said, "I have to go to the store and buy some milk."
"I have to go to the store," John said, "and buy some milk."
In the sentence with the divided quotation, why is the comma inside the quotations in the first half, but outside in the second half? I thought that commas and periods always had to be inside quotations.
I'm just super confused on how to think/ go about writing dialogue and quoting.


texts: I can't find one anywhere and can't think of one either, but this is a clever group and maybe someone has a synonym for force-feed, in the sense not of forcible indoctrination, but physically forcing someone to eat something.


texts: The use of the word "void" in Romans 3:31?

texts:
This seems to be a question that only lawyers could answer but why would footnotes pertaining to the words "make void" in this passage of Romans be understood as nullify?

  Romans 3:31, King James Bible "Authorized Version", Cambridge Edition
   Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.


texts:
I was writing something up when this issue came up.

Everybody is wedded to a clique of some kind
Everybody is wedded to a clique of some kind or other

Can somebody tell me what the difference is between these two? The first sentence is, I believe correct. The rational part of me and my intuition both say it is correct. My intuition also says the second is grammatically sound, but I can't for the life of me figure out how or why. Do both of these communicate the same thing albeit in a different way?


texts: "after/since the outbreak" or "during the [current] outbreak"?

texts:
The definition of outbreak given by OLD is

the sudden start of something unpleasant, especially violence or a disease

While that given for a pandemic is

a disease that spreads over a whole country or the whole world

Those definitions suggest that an outbreak is a relatively momentary event whereas a pandemic is a prolonged one, and that an outbreak can occur without necessarily leading to a pandemic – that is, the disease gets nipped in the bud – just as a pandemic can occur without the disease having necessarily "broken out" – that is, without the disease having had a "sudden start".

Yet, it seems, from the similar number of Google Search results for the phrases "after the outbreak", "since the outbreak" and "during the outbreak", that "outbreak" is being used as a synonym of "pandemic". Isn't that usage incorrect?