texts: skip the soggy elbow and damp power window electronics

texts:
My problem is with the last of part of the last sentence (in the italicized paragraph) . I can't tell if "damp" is a verb here or a noun and what could it have to do with power windows ( if that's what the author means by "power window electronics" and also with soggy elbow )

I've look up the word damp and according to Webster it means "dampen" which means: to check or diminish the activity or vigor of ( of course Webster had several definitions for it, but the one that fits here I guess was that one. )

I know all the other words pretty much.

elbow: some kind of macaroni
sloggy: wet

I'm so confused. could someone paraphrase or rewrite that part ( if it can be done so, in fact) or provide an explanation which could make it easier for me to understand?

What if you are on Taco Bell’s executive team? Although your
company’s roots are So-Cal, if you’re thinking like a customer, you’d fit
watertight overhangs over your drive-through windows in most other
locales. Customers in Sacramento might not care, but in Seattle don’t
you think they would prefer to skip the side order of soggy elbow and
damp power window electronics?


texts:
I recently attended a grammar class, where the trainer explained:

A singular noun and a singular noun take a plural verb.

However, I feel it should have been

A singular noun and a singular noun takes a plural verb.

because the two singular nouns together take the verb, and they cannot be considered two different elements. Is my understanding correct?


texts: How to differentiate between "a clause" and "a question"?

texts:
I have been taught that when a wh-word is a subject of the question there is no need to use auxiliary before the main verb unlike the practice of subject-auxiliary inversion generally followed in making interrogatives.

So my question is how would you differentiate and tell whether it is a clause or a question. For instance, We were asked:

  "Which one of us wanted coffee"?

And if I were to narrate it to someone else, I would say-

  My friend asked which one of us wanted coffee.

Now the same set of words is working both as question in former and subordinate clause in the latter sentence. Since there is no alteration because of no subject auxiliary inversion how would I know whether it is a question or a clause?


texts: Is “cab company” or taxi company” more common in the UK?  Or do they mean different things?


texts:
We have a ticketing system for doing software development.

We would like to put tickets into a state where it is "Ready to Test".

But those words do not fit into the space allocated on the button.

What is one word that means the same thing?


texts: Is pronouncing "The" as in "Thee" still correct in titles?

texts:
When saying the title of JRR Tolkien's masterpiece, which is the correct pronunciation (Yes, I know that they're spelled wrong, but I'm trying to emphasize the pronunciation):

Thuh Lord of thuh Rings
Thee Lord of thee Rings
Thuh Lord of thee Rings
Thee Lord of thuh Rings

I'm partial to the first pronunciation, but another family member is adamant that the last one is the correct one. Can anybody resolve this argument?


texts: What's the (derogatory) word for a person who doesn't leave you alone

texts:
The kind of person who sticks to you all the time, like a chewing gum. You want to get rid of him, but at every party he comes and joins your group. And he just doesn't get the message that people don't want him around.

In hindi we call him a "chep" (sticky)


texts:
In the phrase "the powers that be," as in the sentence:

It would never have occurred to the powers that be to run and supervise the National Lottery from anywhere but London.

(Oxford Dictionaries)
Why do we use "be", the infinitive form of the verb? Wouldn't "the powers that are" or "the powers that rule" make a lot more sense?


texts: "His songs fly away in quotations" (Russian expression, looking for an English alternative)

texts:
Он является одним из главных исполнителей российской сцены и настоящим народным артистом, песни которого разлетаются на цитаты.
He is one of the most well-known Russian entertainers and a true people's artist, whose songs fly away in quotations.

The meaning is clear: people adopt phrases and excerpts from his songs as "household phrases". It's as if phrases from his songs are turning into birds and flying away on their own, they are so strong.
The only English alternative to Russian "fly away in quotations" that I was able to recall is "his songs give rise to household phrases".
I wonder if there are more English expressions to carry across the same meaning.


texts: Is it a big mistake if I say "The thing I love are flowers"?

texts:
So I was wondering if both forms are correct

  The thing I love is flowers
  and
  The thing I love are flowers


texts:
I see this paragraph in "The life of Samuel Johnson"

  "Pope, who then filled the poetical throne without a rival, it may reasonably be presumed, must have been particularly struck by the sudden appearance of such a poet; and, to his credit, let it be remembered, that his feelings and conduct on the occasion were candid and liberal. He requested Mr. Richardson, son of the painter, to endeavour to find out who this new authour was. Mr. Richardson, after some inquiry, having informed him that he had discovered only that his name was Johnson, and that he was some obscure man, Pope said; 'he will soon be deterre.' We shall presently see, from a note written by Pope, that he was himself afterwards more successful in his inquiries than his friend."

What mean of "deterre"? I think it is french word

And What mean of "We shall presently see, from a note written by Pope, that he was himself afterwards more successful in his inquiries than his friend".

I think it means Pope understand Johnson better than Richardson. Right or wrong?


texts: Should the number "0" be pronounced "zero" or "oh"?

texts: I have often heard people say 101, as one-zero-one, and also as one-oh-one. Which is correct, and why? Does the difference between British English and American English have to do something with it?


texts: Do you use a subject pronoun or object pronoun before or in a gerundial modifier?

texts:
For example:

  The Pope became the anointed leader of kings and emperors, they
  becoming his subjects.

-or-

  The Pope became the anointed leader of kings and emperors, them
  becoming his subjects.

On one hand, I can see it being the subject pronoun "they" because it appears that "they" is the subject of a form of the verb "becoming" in a phrase.  On the other hand, I can see it being the object pronoun "them" with "them" referring appositively back to the object "kings and emperors" as the antecedent and the phrase "becoming his subjects" being an adjectival modifier of "them."


texts: Synonym for "isn't truly happy with who he is"?

texts:
What would be an appropriate, more condensed way to say "isn't truly happy with who he is" without having the negative in the sentence? This sentence is part of an essay where I discuss how a character tries to escape from reality and makes himself seem better than he really is.

Thank you


texts: What does ")))" mean at the end of a sentence?

texts:
Someone I know keeps ending their chat messages with ))):

A: Except if you're not good at jokes
B: Then you can still copy jokes from others.)))

I assume that this isn't some newfangled emoticon gone wrong. What is its purpose?


texts: Could anyone give me a line by line interpretation of Sonnet 55? I am having a hard time understanding it.


texts:
I do not understand the difference between conversation (n) and talk (n). I am only interested in the difference in the following definitions:

conversation (n):

  1: an informal talk involving two people or a small group of people :
  the act of talking in an informal way

talk (n):

  1: an occurrence in which one person talks about something with another person : a conversation or discussion

   2: the act of talking about a subject with another person or group :
  discussion or conversation

Source: Merriam-Webster’s Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

Some examples to put it into concrete:

They had a talk/conversation while waiting at the dentist's.
The conversation/talk got unpleasant.


texts: Is there a word for "weaponized political correctness"?

texts:
The term Political correctness is innocent enough.  According to Wikipedia:

  Political correctness is a term used to describe language, policies, or measures that are intended to avoid offense or disadvantage to members of particular groups in society.

There's nothing wrong with being cognizant of peoples' sensitivities and understanding how your words may be interpreted by others.

But political correctness also has a darker and much more sinister meaning.  In fact, the term itself is a euphemism for the kind of speech that could get you imprisoned or killed in certain countries and at certain times in history.  In this context, political correctness describes a strict adherence to an ideological orthodoxy, and is used as a cudgel to castigate others whose opinions are merely different from your own (or what I like to refer to as the crime of "Heresy against Doctrine").

Rather than being a tool for civil discourse, it becomes a weapon of war (metaphorically speaking).  This definition of "politically (in)correct" seems to be a watered-down phrase that does a disservice to what is actually going on.

Is there a specific term that is more appropriate for this usage?

Sample sentence:

  "In our current state of radical polarization, [weaponized political correctness] has made rational, adult conversations about important sensitive topics nearly impossible to have."

The only words I can think of are Rhetoric (too generic), and newspeak (which is a pop culture reference not really in the common lexicon.)


texts: Is it valid to use future continuous for intention/coming event?

texts:
In my native language, we can use future continous to say a thing we are going to do in a short time or right at that time. For example, my boss assigns me a task and I would answer (literally translate) "I will be working on it right now".

For more context, it is used when I am about 90% sure that I start right at that time. But I may also finish whatever I am doing at that time, then start the assigned work later (but still in short time). That sentence is used to ensure my boss that: ok, I can do that, and I am going to do that and finish quickly.

Is it valid in English or is it weird (in either writing/speaking and formal/informal context)? What is the best and most common sentence/tense to say at that time?


texts: A word for something between a "Job" and "Hobby"

texts:
Is there a word for something that's between a "job" and a "hobby"? It's a phenomenon you'll sometimes see among people who don't need to work, but for whatever reason choose to be employed.  Their job's characteristics include several of these characteristics:

Very flexible work hours
Low stress
Little or no metrics for determining success
Little or no involvement of a supervisor/boss
Undemanding
Modest pay

The people I see who have these types of "jobs" generally have wealth from some other source (nearing retirement, rich parents, rich spouse, etc). Their financial picture probably wouldn't change significantly if they suddenly quit. So they've got reasons for working that are non-financial. Whatever you'd call their gig, it'd be inaccurate to call it a "hobby", because it's not enjoyable enough, and it generates a non-trivial (albeit modest) amount of income. Yet because of its very undemanding and flexible nature, I think it's unfair to call it a full-fledged job. And there's nothing wrong with these types of "jobs", but it's really frustrating when people start comparing them with real jobs that people have to work because they need an income.  It'd be like an 18th century "gentleman farmer" comparing himself to a "normal" farmer.

Yesterday, I heard a mother who works part time in her dad's prosperous business compare her job to a single parent working 50+ hours in a diner and as a maid.  She said,

"We both have jobs, so we both know the challenges of balancing work and kids".

I thought,

"No, the waitress has a job;  You have a ______".

But what's the word to use?  I feel the vocabulary is limited here, because she's technically right -- both of them have "jobs".


texts:
I encountered a question which is phrased:

  A book store stocks 1/5 of its books as fiction works, and 1/3 less
  than the fiction books as self-help books. What fraction of books are
  fiction and self-help books?

I have a problem with the highlighted part. The (1/3) just seems to hang there, without explicitly applying to the number of fiction books.

The solution manual interprets this as:

number of self-help books = number of fiction - (1/3 x number of fiction)

Is this question phrased correctly?


texts: Equivalent of "to be clothed" for plumage

texts:
Context: I'm writing a book half from the perspective of a non-human character, who has grown up in a non-human culture and civilization. So, the language she uses to describe the events and setting should reflect her non-human background.
Problem: Since these non-human characters (harpies: half human half bird) do not wear clothes, she would not use words such as "clothed" to describe something, even metaphorically. For example, she would not say that "the low hills are clothed in evergreen" because that metaphor would mean nothing to her. In short, I'm looking for an equivalent of "clothed" for plumage.
My reject box:
The hatchling is feathered with soft down. / The low hills are feathered with evergreen. (Closest, but implies a very light cover or a fringe.)
The hatchling is bedecked with soft down. / The low hills are bedecked with evergreen. (Implies extravagance.)
The hatchling is garbed with soft down. / The low hills are garbed in evergreen. (Same problem as with "clothed.")
The hatchling is covered with soft down. / The low hills are covered with evergreen. (Not specific or vivid).
The hatchling is plumed with soft down. / The low hills are plumed with evergreen. (A twisted usage, but it could work in a fictional story.)
I feel like there must be a word for this. Thanks in advance for any ideas!


texts: Describe someone who is not using what he/she own to its full potential

texts:
Picture yourself, the best driver within your group of friends and with a passion for cars, driving in a small Toyota along a narrow windy road at 60km/h. Suddenly after a bend you find yourself behind a Ferrari that is cruising at 35km/h.
You shake your head while waiting for an opportunity to take over and tell your friend in the passenger seat "chi ha il pane non ha i denti".
This, in Italian, means that who owns a certain (usually valuable) commodity because he/she could simply afford it, might not have the skills to make the appropriate use of it, whereas who has the skills can't afford it. It directly translates to "who has the bread, doesn't have teeth", implying that who has the teeth, doesn't have the bread (this would usually be the person who is making use of the sentence).
Is there any idiomatic way to express this in English?


texts: When a patient goes to the doctor and does not have a health insurance plan, how is this appointment classified?

texts:
When a patient goes to the doctor without a health insurance plan, is there a term for this kind of appointment?

Just to give a context:

Me: I want to schedule an appointment
Secretary: What is your insurance plan?
Me: I don't have any. This appointment is going to be ______ .


texts:
Is there any difference between these two sentences? I saw both of them in the literature. which one is more formal?

The thickness of each layer is known.
The thickness of each layers is known.

Thanks


texts: Why there's usage of similar words in a sentence in typical novels?

texts:
For example in a novel I'm currently reading, one character is being described as being"cunning" and"sly" in one sentence as ,"She was beautiful, she was cunning and sly, she had a charm no woman could match."  Is it to put emphasis on this specific trait of the character or something else?

The excerpt is from a novel "The feast of roses" by Indu Sundaresan.


texts:
Which is the correct word in the following?

Two of the children borne by her were sent to the orphanage
Two of the children born by her were sent to the orphanage


texts: for three times / on my way stumbling towards the bus

texts:
In the following sentence:

I paused three times on my way stumbling towards the bus.

Is it okay if I omit the “for” in “for three times” like I did? Which one is more common, “three times” or “for three times”?

Also, did I use “stumbling” correctly in this sentence? I want to express that I was stumbling as I walked to the bus...

Any help appreciated! Thank you! (:


texts:
I know the subject can be omitted in untensed clauses. But I've encountered with the following:

  You spent more money than was intended to be spent.

Here, 'than' seems to be functioning like a relative pronoun. Compare : You spent the money that was intended.
Could you please explain it with any authentic reference?


texts: What's the proper pluralization of this linking verb? Did I violate the subject-verb agreement law?

texts:
This is the quote I'm having trouble with.

Help me prioritize my tasks. By "tasks," what I really mean is
programming languages.

I'm particularly confused in the line where I say, "what I really mean is programming languages." It just feels stilted to say "what I really mean are programming languages,"  since the initial declaration of what is being referred to here was singular. Did I do it right, or am I just being paranoid?


texts: I'm looking for an alternative for the well established term of "virgin plastic pellets", meaning pellets that have been freshly produced and not used to make a plastic product yet. I'm using it in an academic context where it is well understood, but would like to avoid the term "virgin" (not because I think it is too offensive but to use a more wholesome neutral language).


texts: "He is no different than you and I" or "He is no different than you and me"

texts:
I have no difficulty in normal cases knowing whether to say "you and I"or "You and me." But this situation confuses me. On one hand, I can justify I by saying there is an implied "are" at the end:

  He is no different than you and I are

On the other hand, this is a comparative, and if I were to change the sentence up just a bit, it feels like it would be correct to say "me":

  He is the same as me


texts: Is it normal to use the present perfect to confirm a statement in the simple past?

texts:
Is it normal to use the present perfect to confirm a statement in the simple past ?

  Q : I visited Paris last year.
    A : Oh, you have visited Paris ?

  Q : She travelled through Eastern Europe.
   A : Oh, she has travelled through Eastern Europe ?


texts:
What's the word to describe someone who acts like they are very honorable and have very noble intentions, when it's really not the case?

E.g. "Yeah I happened to see his wallet on the floor and wanted to return it to him as soon as I got it

Note(his intention was to steal it but he was unable to as he was caught and tries to cover it up)


texts: Word for spelling words as pronounced using the alphabet not IPA

texts:
Phonetic spelling is when you spell words using IPA. Is it also called the same when you use alphabet? Just like this:

pronunciation [pruh-nuhn-see-ey-shuh n]


texts: Why does "mash me a fin" mean loan me/give me five dollars?

texts:
I've heard mash me a fin used before and understood it to mean "loan me five dollars"; however, I don't understand why mash me a fin means loan me five dollars. The only example I could find of it was here in the Jive Dictionary: http://www.cabcalloway.cc/jive_dictionary.htm.

Does anyone know why mash me a fin means loan me five dollars?


texts: Word for the colored edges of book pages, opposite the spine

texts:
What is a word for the colored edges of book pages, opposite the spine. Is there a term for this?

I'm not looking for gilded or gold leaf, as those are both specific to golden edges, nor am I seeking a term used for especially ornamental usages. The question came to mind after looking at a math textbook that used blue color to highlight a supplemental chapter, so the usage was mostly functional.

Anyway, in case my description is lacking, here's a cool picture (a book's cover actually) showing some antique books that demonstrate rather elaborate edge designs.


texts:
While doing my TOEFL prep I encountered the following statement where I am asked to find which of the bold words is being used wrongly in the sentence:

  If one has a special medical condition such as diabetes, epilepsy, or allergy, it is advisable that they carry some kind of identification in order to avoid being given improper medication in an emergency.

The bold they and carry should be treated as two words (meaning, only one of them can be wrong, but not both).

I would say being is used wrongly just because when I reread the statement it doesn't sound right, even though most of the time a gerund is used after the erb avoid.


texts:
I, and of course you, know the public meaning of "cross section" but I could not understand its meaning in the following sentence:
"GPUs  offer high computational power but require high scheduling strain to manage parallel processes, which increases the GPU cross section."
Could you explain what does "cross section" mean here?
Thank you.


texts:
Let's say a person's reality sucks and he starts living in a fantasy but time to time again he realizes the reality,  his status,  his real image in front of other people.  What would this realization be called?

The closest word I can think of is  becoming self-conscious.

Any other word you would like to suggest


texts: What part of speech is the word "very" in this sentence?

texts:
Questlove is a very good drummer.

This question came from the first question on this show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKUhS81fBtI

Isn't it an adjective? How is it an adverb?


texts: I feel relieved vs I am feeling relieved

texts:
Today in a newspaper I read this sentence,

  For the first time in three  months I have eaten something. I feel relieved.

So my question is that why can't I use present continuous?  Using present indefinite seems odd to me because it means that the person mentioned always feels relieved.


texts: Subordinate clause with "would" + present perfect

texts:
Is the following sentence correct, in particular, is the subordinate clause correct?

You will visit places you would otherwise have never visited?

If it is wrong, how would you say it then?
If it is correct, what is the explanation, i.e., what grammar rules are involved here?

To specify my question: What grammar rule/s explain using future tense (in the main clause) with present perfect tense (in the subordinate clause)?  For instance, is the following sentence also grammatically correct?

You will visit places you would otherwise never visit

And if so, what is the difference between these two sentences?


texts:
THE SITUATION:

In an online form I need to know how many people book a service.

EXAMPLE:

Type of service - ...

Date - ...

Number of people - ...

THE QUESTION:

What is the proper way to ask it?

Is number of people correct?

Or should be perhaps amount of people?

Is people number used?

Or in a different way?

Thank you!


texts: Is it correct the correspondence between probably/surely and should?

texts:
Is it correct the correspondence between probably/for sure and should?
I mean, if the use of should is correct, besides to have the same meaning in phrases like:
He should be ok ←→ probably he is ok ←→ he is ok, for sure
Context added
When, for instance, I have no news from him for a long time and I wonder, or somebody ask me for him, then I answer with the previous phrases.


texts: Responding to a question correctly with yes or no

texts:
This question has been irking me for a while and I cannot seem to find any answer.
Take something simple such as:

Question:"Did you not enjoy eating at the restaurant?"
Response: "No."

Does this mean:
"No, I did enjoy eating at the restaurant."
or
"No, I did not enjoy eating at the restaurant."
I've heard both used in the above context and I honestly could see how both could be used as a response depending on the previous context and other variables like the speaker's tone.


texts: What word describes a person who never went to college, but is very successful, and well learned?

texts:
I'm looking for a word that would describe the class of people who either went to college and dropped out, and did something more timely with their skills (starting a business, programming, etc) and never achieved a degree.

This word should be used for established professionals, but I suppose I can also use a word for a driven intellectual who doesn't have the typical earmarkings of success as popular society defines it.


texts: Diacritics or meaning difference for deja vu

texts:
Could be trivial but would like to know, what is the difference between
déjà vu and deja vu

Is it primarily the pronunciation difference or something else?


texts: What do you call a child for whom you act as a guardian / custodian?

texts:
What is the term for this, if there is such a term?

For example, if you're a parent, you refer to your offspring as a 'child' and the child refers to you as their 'parent'.

I am asking because I need to have a term for the relationship of a guardian to the child. For a child, they can refer to this person as their 'guardian' but the other way around (guardian to child) doesn't seem to have a term.

What should I call it?


texts: What is a co-pay card? It's out only used with respect to pharmaceutical matters? The Wikipedia says so, but I need your comments to find the answer.


texts: I want to write something that means the same thing as "had changed destiny." I was going to use those words, but something didn't seem right. I googled that phrase, and came up with only one thing. So I don't think it's grammatically correct. Is it? What could I say that means the same thing?


texts: Specific vocabulary request for a family of words

texts:
This is my first question on this website, so I hope I don't embarrass myself.
While I was helping my friend study for the GRE exam, I noticed that a lot of the vocabulary lists contained two word expressions, which I had never seen before. They were used to describe such situations as confusion, a mixture and even certain adjectives.
I remember only a few right now, these being:

helter-skelter
hodge podge
hoi polloi
nitty-gritty
pell-mell

The way these were used in sentences simply excited me, due to the sheer beauty and the lack of their usage in common written expositions, these seem like a mystery to me, as they have evolved from many, many languages, with some having ambiguous origins, the contexts they are used in seem clear, and they seem to work so remarkably well whenever employed, and they just seem to add beauty to an otherwise ordinary sentence.
I was therefore wondering if someone here could please provide a reference for a list of these expressions and their meanings and context. Specifically, a list where the above mentioned expressions, with more of similar appearance abound.
I am sorry I don't even know the name of this type of expression, but again I was mesmerized by their beauty, elegance and mysterious origins.


texts: "By the time ...", does this need a comma afterwards?

texts:
I came across this sentence in a book:

"By the time he died Faraday had helped to create..."

Don't you think you should put a comma after "died"?


texts: Is the word "Modificator" valid - I've never see it before and it's not one I'm familiar with.


texts: A phrase of providing a non-committal answer

texts:
I'm looking for a phrase or saying, used in politics or business, where people respond to questions using non-committal answers.  These answers would be provided to avoid responsibility or ownership of their response and are often "double sided."

As an example:

"I need to do A or B, which should I do?"

"A is very important and should be done, but B is also very valuable and should be taken into consideration"


texts: What is the reasoning for the idiom "in and of itself" having the meaning it has?

texts: "In and of itself" is a phrase I find myself using all the time. But in and of itself, the phrase "in and of itself" has no meaning. That is, the individual words don't seem to contribute to the whole meaning of the phrase.


texts: Active to Passive voice: "Go to School Now"

texts:
How would you convert the imperative sentence: "Go to school now."
to the passive voice?

While discussing it in class, our teacher gave the following solution:
"You are ordered to go to school now."

However, I felt that this must be wrong, since the sentence is still in the active voice. It seems to be in the passive voice with reference to the verb 'order', but we need to convert the sentence with respect to the verb 'go'.

I thought of a solution:
"Let you be gone to school now."
or
"Be gone to school now."

Are any of them correct? And if not, how would you convert the sentence into passive voice?

Edit:

Just realised that 'go' is an intratransitive verb. Does that mean that there won't be a passive version of it? As mentioned here:

  You CAN'T. You can only turn into passive verbs those verbs who can have the "direct object".
  For example:
  I eat (what do you eat?) an apple
  I see (what do you see?) a bird
  I read (what do you read?) a poem

  But if you say : I go, you can't ask "what do you go", because it doesn't make any sense! And that's why you can't write that in passive voice.

Edit II:

How about "Let the school be gone to by you."?


texts:
There are other et al. questions so I'll cut to the chase. Is it correct to have et al. with an apostrophe to indicate ownership?

  Bloggs et al.'s paper was good. I am going to interpret Bloggs et
  al.'s work. Bloggs et al.'s analysis of Morsov et al.'s study was
  mediocre.


texts: Can one meet criteria, or satisfy requirements?

texts: I usually see 'satisfy the criteria' and 'meet the requirements', but is it acceptable to use 'meet the criteria', or 'satisfy the requirements'?


texts:
From a BBC article:

  The rise comes as Russia said it would will resume shipments of natural gas to Ukraine after Kiev makes its first payment for previous supplies next week.

Would and will both together? Is this a typo, or some kind of a verb form?


texts: Why: a relative adverb, a conjunction ... or both?

texts:
I am not familiar with the idea that an adverb can function as a conjunction at the same time. Here are a couple of sentences that are confusing me.

  This is the reason why she left him.

...and

  He was transferred to New York, where he was promoted to a higher level.

The relative adverbs why, where, when, and how seem to introduce a clause. Therefore, can they also be called conjunctions? If yes, would I be right in assuming that relative adverbs can function as conjunctions at the same time?


texts: Is it a correct sentence? ('How' sentence)

texts:
'Your back won't hurt if you sit how I sit.'
'You shouldn't treat him how you treat your friends.'

Both are correct grammatically?


texts: the noun form of 'we are under the department of XXX'

texts:
The meaning I want to deliver is:

We need to tell the school that we are from the department of education when we approach them.

But since I want to present it in a proper way, I plan to write something like below:

Staff members are reminded to clearly state their affiliation with the department of education while having phone conversation.

I think affiliation with the department of education is not the right phrase, any better suggestion?


texts: What word do we use for a person who acts on behalf of a computer?

texts: For example, a chess player is playing against a computer program, but on a real-life chess board. Every time the computer makes a move, a human makes that move on the chess board on behalf of the computer. What title can we give to this person?


texts: What does "When a thing is funny, search it carefully for a hidden truth" mean?

texts:
I found this quote by George Bernard Shaw:

  When a thing is funny, search it carefully for a hidden truth.

Can anyone please explain the meaning of this sentence?


texts:
What could be meant by game in the following?

  "He could tell of a wicked widow ... who smiled so sweetly upon the smugglers when they sold her silks and laces, cheap as tape and gingham. She called them gallant fellows, hearts of game, and bade them bring her more."

From Herman Melville's White Jacket CHAPTER LXXV (1850)
also previous
Source: Herman Melville - Mardi, and A Voyage Thither (1849)


texts: How did the differences between the meanings of priceless and worthless come to be?

texts: The two have opposite meanings yet the prefixes are almost synonyms.


texts: Would the rejection of an argument because of a grammatical error be a type of logical fallacy?

texts:
Many people may have experienced situations (often online) where someone dismisses another's argument not on the merits of the argument, but because of a grammatical (or, more generally, mechanical) error. Instead of errors that could actually confuse the meaning of a statement, I'm thinking of errors like using "that" to refer to a person rather than "who," where the ability to process meaning is not disrupted.

Generically, I guess it might be considered an ad hominem ("What do you know? You can't even use a comma correctly!"), but I'm just curious if there's a more specific term for such a thing.


texts: Common ground between Deck and Graveyard in trading card games

texts:
I am developing a Trading Card Game and I am in need to extract functionality from two of my classes as they are both doing almost the same.

it is about the Deck and Graveyard constructs which are visible on the field. The Deck is where the cards are which you can still draw, the Graveyard is where your used cards are.

What word could I use to describe both a Deck and a Graveyard, Stack is already taken unfortunately (by the Java language) and I'd personally describe it as a Pile, but not sure if that is the best wording.


texts:
Does it sound better if I say:

  ... hope you have marked your calendars

instead of :

  ... hope you have blocked the date

for a certain event in the future for which they have already been notified ?


texts: Can the phrase "there's no such thing as..." be used in context of time?

texts:
I was wondering if the idiomatic phrase can be altered as follows...

...There's no such time as one [when/where] child rearing is easy...

I'm also uncertain which word bracketed above is more appropriate, assuming this usage even makes any sense.


texts: Meaning of "I am buying a third-hand book."

texts:
"I am buying a third-hand book."

Does this mean I am the third or fourth owner of this book after I buy it?


texts: Who speaks South African English (out of the many languages/ethnicities spoken in SA)?

texts:
From the limited experience I have of hearing English spoken by South Africans or even knowing someone is South African (from real life or movies), I find it impossible to really tell when someone is speaking with the accent called South African English (SAE).

I've done some looking up at wikipedia: South African English, a summary of languages there and more in depth, but it's hard to get a real perspective. The latter says:

  "Despite the fact that English is recognised as the language of commerce and science, it was spoken by only 8.2% of South Africans at home in 2001"

I expected (as is borne out by that page), that the great majority speak a native African language (Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho, Tswana, etc.) but I expected a bit more parity (not knowing history well otherwise) between the two colonial languages. But Afrikaans has only 13% speakers, and English only 8% (percentages are for first at-home language not including 2nd languages).

  English, the country's lingua franca, is the language of business, politics, and modern communication media, but ranks sixth in home usage.

With that context in mind, what is the SAE accent? Who speaks with that accent? Presumably the descendents of English colonists speak that.

Rather the question I have is, do Afrikaners speak SAE accentless, or is there an Afrikaner accent in SAE, different from a Brit speaking SAE?

That is, did Pieter Botha or F. W. de Klerk the guy in the District 9 movie or Matt Damon in Invictus, did all these people speak SAE with the recognized average SAE accent, or did they speak it with an Afrikaner accent (since they are all Afrikaners at least by name)? My expectation is that Afrikaners and native Africans speak with English with something slightly different than an Anglo SAE accent.


texts: Is there are term for when you believe that because something hasn't happened, it won't or can't happen?

texts:
I was having a conversation with someone about whether or not robotics and AI will cause problems by eliminating jobs. They said:

"People worried about joblessness when we started to mechanize farms, their worries never panned out, therefore your worries now are misplaced."

Or to use another example:

"The last big asteroid that came close to earth didn't crash into us, therefore we'll never be hit by one ever."

Without any justification as to why the two situations are similar this line of thinking seems like it is a fallacy. If so, what is the name for it? If not is there any other word or term that describes the line of thinking?


texts: Simple Present. They build a house next to mine. Why is it wrong?

texts:
Why is it wrong to say they build a house next to mine?
The explanation i got was nobody is building a house every year or every month next to yours.

The correct answer was they are building a house next to mine.

SO, my question is why cant I use simple present to state it as a fact?

I can use simple present to state a fact, right?
Ex: I am 6 feet tall(fact).
Ex: I like apples(fact).
Ex: They build a house next to mine(not a fact anymore)?? Why is it wrong??


texts: Are "white" and "black" ever capitalized when referring to people?

texts: What is the accepted custom regarding capitalization when it comes to "White" and "Black" when referring to race, whether they are being used as nouns or adjectives?


texts: He just had a car accident, but the best of the worst is that no one got injured in that accident. Can I use 'best of the worst' like previous sentence?


texts:
The definition for "parent" includes:

an ancestor, precursor, or progenitor.
a source, origin, or cause.

Is there a term that describes changing the parent of a child object to a different source, origin or cause? My first thought was "re-parent" or "reparent" but neither seem to be well accepted terms.


texts: One who wants to save his money but can't, is called what?

texts:
For instance, if a person wants to save $200 but when he reaches at the saving of $50, spend it again and repent for that and could not save $200, which he wanted.

The term 'extravagant' is circulating in my mind but this is not the term that I want because this is an adjective.

I need noun for the one who wants his money be saved but is unable to do so.


texts: Where were "should", "shall", and "must" in the 18th Century?

texts:
According to the following Google Ngram, in the U.K. the modals should, shall, and must were virtually missing from English writing during the 18th Century (I've added will for a comparison modal which was unaffected).

I have never seen this mentioned anywhere, and I couldn't find it in a brief web search. What happened? Was this a real phenomenon, or could this somehow be an artifact of Google Ngrams? Were these modals absent from speech, or just formal writing? More interestingly, how did they get reintroduced? A brief search shows that Shakespeare definitely used these words quite frequently.


texts:
Plagiarism is using other peoples work as yours.

If someone does your work instead of you, but you claim it's yours, i.e., someone writes part of your thesis for you, they didn't publish it elswere or write it as a part of their work that you copied, just did it for you, would there be another word to describe that?


texts:
In defining bull-dance, wordnik.com states it is a dance performed by men only. But I couldn’t find it in any dictionary, and I cannot find a supporting reference for this definition.

Nor could I find any evidence for this definition. I also asked one of my American friends about the meaning of the word, and he told me, “I have never heard it.”

Encyclopedia Britannica says it is a Native American dance.

This term is likely American and was in common use in 19th century American English.

If the term is indeed of Native American provenance then what is the significance of the bull-dance? If not then where does this word come from?


texts: Is there a phrase that would describe a person that is lazy beyond anything reasonable?


texts:
A friend and I had a disagreement about something, in which he called one of my statements "dumb". As we were talking through the disagreement, it got a little heated and I tried repeating what he had said, and instead of using "dumb", I used "stupid".
Per Google (seaching 'define: dumb' and 'define: stupid')

dumb: stupid
stupid: lacking intelligence or common sense

Without even knowing I was doing so, I used these words as though they're interchangeable... but are they? Do these words have any difference at all? My friend's argument is now that "stupid usually implies a lack of knowledge"... but I'm not sure how "dumb" doesn't.


texts:
British TV Shows are a good way to learn language. At the moment I'm watching Situation Comedy classic series Black Adder, Season one on DVD format. I learnt a new phrase "under the weather" which is in script in Season 1, episode 5, "Witchsmeller Pursuivant".
My own funny moment down at the real life.
It was snowing during pre-season Christmas here in Finland. Some local immigrant said "Hello" to me and then continued his small talk "Bad weather, I've moved to Finland last summer and it's snowing, very horrible weather." I answered him: "Well, I'm under the weather too like you here in winter-time Finland".
I was referring to bad weather but I don't know if he caught the joke. Is there an opposite phrase for "Under the weather". "Ylaepuolella" in Finnish synonym in English translation is something like above, on top, over, upstairs, aloft, overhead.
Is it idiomatic to say "I'm feeling overhead" when my mood is good? Looking for a legit way to express myself feeling good as opposed to "under the weather".
In another joke for feeling overheaded, if it's a legit way to cite like this.
Tall and the Giant man met each others on the street. Tall man began the small-talk daily conversation as strangers:

"Howdy Hootchie-Cootchie, How do you do?" The Giant answered "How Do You Do? I'm feelin' overheaded".

Overhead, or another legit way to express yourself feeling good in a positive way or in a joke when I'm trying to create funny situation comedy? Or in polite manner in daily use in GB England, not in US English.


texts: What's a word for someone who does what they say?

texts: I'm looking for a single word that means something like 'being a man/woman of your word', or 'follow through' as a noun. I tried using 'integrity' at first, but that has other implications, like honesty and other moral principles.


texts: Apostrophe for indicating possessive. How do I convince my professor?

texts:
I've read this and this. I know that the underlying question has been answered, my problem is of a different nature: I'm currently writing my master's thesis in CS and my professor thinks that the apostrophe possessive is only applicable to people. He claims to have spoken to a linguist from Cambridge who confirmed his opinion. Neither my professor nor I am a native speaker and the thesis is being written in Germany. Now, I know that he won't care if I just send him a couple of links to the answers here.

So my question is: How do I convince my professor? Are there any "more scientific™" sources that I can point to?

Examples of phrases:

If each plant's humidity is displayed publicly [...]
[...] shows an overview of the node's structure.
Due to an issue in the network stack's IPv6 subsystem [...]


texts: "Employee" is to "employer" as "dependent" is to what?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  A depends on B, is A dependant, or is B dependant?

I'm trying to find a word that is the counterpart to "dependent", i.e. refers to the one who the dependent relies upon. A word that meets a definition along the lines of the following:

  One who has dependents, but is not necessarily a dependent himself.

Or perhaps:

  One upon whom others depend.

It came about in a discussion with some coworkers and none of us could find an answer and now it's really bothering me.

I tried searching for it on Google, but I could only find results relating to income tax filing status and similar topics.


texts: What words would best describe the following terms?

texts: I was recently writing and found out that i couldn't use just one word to describe 4 people. For Example there is "Duo" for two people and "Trio" for three people. What terms can be used to describe more numbers?


texts: Is there a word to describe the feeling of being transfixed out of horror?

texts:
Could not find an existing duplicate question, but this may be due to not know how to describe the word/feeling!

For example, given the following sentence:

  Francis could not look away from the blood-drenched vampire. The blood-soaked clothes and shimmering fangs were X

And X is specifically drawing upon the fact that the appearance is horrifying, horrible, scary, etc.

Similar words that come to mind but are generic in their motivation: hypnotic, transfixing

First question on this Stack so apologies if poor formatting!


texts:
It's from "The Mars Mystery" by Graham Hancock. Does the phrase "evidence in" have a special meaning?

  "The evidence in from Mars so far takes four principal forms:"

I'm afraid I don't see what additional meaning it gives by adding "in" after "evidence". It is understood that the evidence is from Mars (planet) and what kind of evidence exactly should be evident from the text around the quote.


texts: Do I write "as large as one of" or "as large as the one of"

texts:
If I describe an animal and want to write about the leg of this animal compared to another, what is right/better:

This animal has got a leg which is as large as one of a tiger.

This animal has got a leg which is as large as the one of a tiger.

My son wrote the first sentence in an article and his teacher corrected it.

Thanks a lot in advance


texts:
As you know "upstairs" and "home" are both adverb of place. So while it would be correct to say:

  The kids are playing upstairs. (Here the adverb upstairs provides
  information about the place of the activity)

Is the following sentence correct too?

  The kids are playing home.

I expect the second example to mean that children are playing at home; unless "home" is a different kind of adverb of place.


texts: What is the generic term for potential evidence whose bearings upon truth or falsehood is not decided yet?

texts: Strictly speaking, evidence already implies bearings for or against a proposition. But often times, people collect candidates for evidence before they know whether they can count as evidence or not. "Data" will do most of the time, but there are occasions where "data" would not do, e.g. on an archaeology site. Nobody calls dinosaur bones data.


texts: Odd possessive form of a proper name: Why does Dryden write “Lord Nonsuch his” instead of “Lord Nonsuch’s” but “Bibber’s” instead of “Bibber his”?

texts:
While researching a question posed on EL&U, I came across this list of the characters in John Dryden’s The Wild Gallant (1663), from a 1735 collection of Dryden’s works:

DRAMATIS PERSONAE.
MEN.
Lord NONSUCH, an old rich humorous Lord.
...
BIBBER, a Taylor.
SETSTONE, a Jeweller.
WOMEN.
Lady CONSTANCE, Lord Nonsuch his Daughter.
Madam ISABELLA, her Cousin.
Mrs. BIBBER, the Taylor’s Wife.

I was struck by the fact that Mrs. Bibber is identified as “the Taylor’s Wife” while Lady Constance is described as “Lord Nonsuch his Daughter.” The chief difference that I see between the two is that “a Taylor” is a common noun (for the occupation of tailor), whereas “Lord Nonsuch” is a proper name.
In Act 1 Scene 1 of the play, a character named Failer repeats the formulation in a conversation with his fellow hanger-on Burr:

Failer. I gad we two have a constant Revenue out of him [Sir Timorous] : He would now be admitted Suitor to my Lady Constance Nonsuch, my Lord Nonsuch his Daughter ; our Neighbour here in Fleetstreet.

But less than a page later, this stage direction appears:

Enter Loveby and Boy ; followed by Frances, Bibber’s Wife.

Since Bibber is the tailor’s last name, it appears that Dryden is handling the two proper names by entirely different rules. Elsewhere in the play, Dryden has the character Loveby say “Call me at my Lord Nonsuch his house, and I’ll go with you,” and somewhat later he has some bailiffs say “We arrest you, Sir, at my Lord Nonsuch his Suit.” In contrast, Dryden has various characters refer to "Will Bibber's humour," "Madam Bibber's name," and "Mr. Bibber's name."
My question is, why does Dryden use these different forms to express a possessive: “Lord Nonsuch his” versus “Bibber’s”? Is “Lord Nonsuch his” a survival of an antiquated form that had died out by Dryden’s time except with regard to persons of eminence, or was it never common except in certain particular circumstances, or does some other circumstance explain the difference in treatment?

I am aware of a book from 1576 by George Pettie titled A Petite Pallace of Pettie his Pleasure, contayning many pretie Hystories by him, set foorth in comely Colours, and most delightfully discoursed, where "Pettie his Pleasure" seems equivalent to "Pettie's Pleasure."
And Robert Dodsley, Theatrical Records: or, An Account of English Dramatic Authors and Their Works (1756) has this item among the entries for Shakespeare:

The whole Contentione betweene the two famouse Houses of Lancastre and Yorke, wythe the Tragical End of the good Duke Humphrey, Richarde Duke of Yorke and Henrie the 6th. In two Partes.
These two Plays are printed without a Date, but we are assured they must be acted about this Time ; for at the End of Romeo and Juliet, printed for Andrew Wise in 1597, is the following Advertisement. At the Shoppe of Andrew Wyse, Mr. William Shakespeare his Henrie the 6th. in two Parts, may be boughte. The 3d Part is printed in 1600, but we make no Doubt that it was printed before that Date, tho' the Edition is not in our Possession.

But here again the wording “Shakespeare his Henrie the 6th" is old (from 1597). I also note that editions of Dryden’s works from as early as 1808 change “Lord Nonsuch his” to “Lord Nonsuch’s”).
And likewise from The Private Diary of Mr. John Dee (1842), an entry dated December 12, 1587, lists several books burned on a table, including these:

the copy of the man of Badwise Conclusions for the Transmution of metalls ; and 40 leaves in 4°, intitled, Extractiones Dunstani, which he himself extracted and noted out of Dunstan his boke, and the very boke of Dunstan was but cast on the bed hard by from the table.

So "Pettie his Pleasure," “Shakespeare his Henrie the 6th," and "Dunstan his boke" were all used in the sixteenth century. But I can't explain from these instances the differential treatment in 1663 of "Lord Nonsuch his daughter" and "Bibber's wife."


texts:
There is a game when two players call words in turn. A prompt in the game (written as a computer program) can look like

Plyer1, what is your word?

Can it be shortened the following way

Player1, your word?


texts:
What does "taking mock offence" mean? It is said in brackets in a play as a kind of comment how the character behaves or says the following words.

I can't find it anywhere.


texts: This sentence sounds uncomfortable but I believe it to be correct. For background I posted a simple picture with the caption "This is my wife and me" and the grammar nazi's pounced. I am having trouble figuring out if it should me "this is my wife and I" as they have proclaimed. Would we be the object or subject of this sentence to help identify if I should use "I" or "me"


texts: What is it called when you change the nouns in an idiom. As an example if I were an artic explorer I might say "Tent Sweet Tent," after comming in from a long day in the cold. The idiom is "Home Sweet Home" but has been changed. Is there a word that would be used to explain that a standard idiom has been changed to mean the same thing but in a different instance. Are there just too few idioms that can be modified in this way to merit a discriptive general reference.


texts: What's the meaning of "Bueller" as a joke?

texts:
Somewhere on the internet I've read about a guy ordering a coffee in the name of "Bueller".

Apparently, the cashier called out that name repeatedly.

I've looked up the term but it gave me no clue as to why it's so hilarious. Is that a cultural reference or a linguistic one?!


texts: In computer graphics, wireframe means literally just a frame of lines(wires), meant to represent some other 3D shape(such as a cube). What is the opposite of wireframe, as in colored in normally like a solid object?


texts: The difference between "focus on" and "concentrate on?"

texts:
This is one question in my book:

Our company don’t ____ on profits only.

A. Concentrate
B. Focus

The key gives B but I don't think there is a difference between them in this context.

What do you think? Thanks.


texts: What is the correct title for someone who gives podcasts?

texts: I'm looking for a word analogous to "blogger," but for someone who gives podcasts. "Podcaster" doesn't seem correct - the only thing I can think of is "host of a podcast." Is there a single word that better describes this profession?


texts: Why is "afford" always accompanied with "can"?

texts:
afford means

  "to have enough money or time to be able to buy or to do
  something".

Why is it used with "can"? Why don't people simply say "I don't afford it" instead of "I can't afford it"?

As you can see, "being able to" is hidden in the meaning of "afford". So it seems redundant to me to use it with "can".

To me, "I cannot afford this car" means "I am not able to have enough money to be able to buy this car". But "I don't afford this car" makes more sense to me since it means "I do not have enough money to be able to buy this car".


texts: Is it OK to use "empty-handed" on an animal?

texts:
Can I write the following?

  One of the seagulls spotted a fish and dove after it, but came up empty-handed

If not, what other word I can use to replace empty-handed?


texts:
Almost every type of killing can be described in a single word such as suicide, parricide, genocide, etc.

Is there such a term for killing a cousin specifically?


texts: Meaning and usage of the word meme in a technical context?

texts:
I have been dabbling in meaning of words and I was wondering about the possible usage of the word meme in English which started in Greek mimeme.

Google gives me the definition:

  An element of a culture or system of behaviour passed from one individual to another by imitation or other non-genetic means

and somewhere else I get:

  Something imitated

I would like to use the word in the context of programming because of our nature of imitating older languages when we create new ones.

My current elaboration of the word is: "That which is imitated from language to language. e.g.: loops and control statements"

Currently used in: "What are the most iconic programming memes and do they have an idiomatic representation?"


texts:
I use an online app that defines tree trunk as US English and tree boot as British English. However, I can't find any reference anywhere else to tree boot. It the term still used?

Thanks in advance for you help.


texts: Why do people use present tense when they are quoting someone?

texts:
I've heard and used this a lot but was wondering why and is it even correct.

When you are in a conversation with your mates and you are telling a story and when you try to quote someone, you say

  "and he goes 'Oh, I run marathons, too'. "

Why do we use present tense there? Can it be

  "and he went 'Oh, I run marathons, too'. "

Is it a grammatically correct English?


texts: "Put together" or "assembled" for a book?

texts:
I'm collecting information about Structure from the net and textbooks. Since I paid too much effort on this, I'm going to make it a book(ish), for studying purposes. But I couldn't decide on whether I should use

  Put together by X

or

  Assembled by X

on the book. I feel like put together fits more, but again, I'm not sure. Which one should I use? Also is there a better alternative?


texts: Contractions: Are “I would’ve” and “I’d have” both equally permissible?

texts:
Instead of “I would have done something”, are both of these versions ok?

I would’ve done something.
I’d have done something.


texts:
What alternatives are there for relinquish or abdicate in a business setting?

For example:

  Business X is willing to [relinquish] their preexisting partnership for this opportunity.


texts: What kind of adjective is "hot" in "He is hot"?

texts:
In the sentence "He is hot", is the adjective "hot" a postpositive adjective, a qualifying adjective or another type of adjective? When reading about postpositive adjectives the examples given were things like "attorney general", "God almighty", "words unspoken" etc. In short, adjectives that directly follow the noun.

When reading about qualifying adjectives, examples were "The car is very old" which follows a verb just like "hot" does. However, I'm not totally sure.

What kind of adjective is "hot" in this sentence?


texts: Can I use 'could not' to talk about negative possibilities?

texts:
In this video (at 3:43) some guy told me that I can't use 'could' to talk about negative possibilities. Is it true? If so, why?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMGxeChtYLc

They might not be ready.
He may not be able to help you.

The guy said that there is no way to use 'could' in these sentences.


texts: English Syntax Rules Based on Word Choice

texts:
I was reading the Wikipedia article on Animacy and came across something I found to be very interesting:

The higher animacy a referent has, the less preferable it is to use the preposition of for possession, as follows (this can also be interpreted in terms of alienable versus inalienable possession):
My face is correct, while the face of me is not.
The man's face and the face of the man are both correct, and the former is preferred.
The clock's face and the face of the clock are both correct, and the latter is preferred.

It is really interesting to me that there are two different ways of writing the same thing, and the ideal way is based almost entirely on animacy.
Are there any other similar types of characteristics in the English language (where there are multiple ways of writing the same thing, and one becomes more "correct" based on a property of one of the words in the phrase)?
Also, is there a name for this field of study, or available resources for someone interested in learning more about this? I'm interested in this to help teach ESL students different things like this which native speakers innately know (having to do with the structure of a sentence), but don't realize they know.


texts: Usage of passive forms without "be" verb

texts:
I will very grateful if you can help me understand the following issue:

As I understand, the next two sentences are interchangeable and have the same meaning:

1) Acts that are done by humans are not necessarily moral.
 2) Acts done by humans are not necessarily moral.

The first option is a standard way of using the passive form of the verb. However, I don't understand why the second option is correct, If "done" this case as passive form of the verb or even if it can be treated as an adjective, I am expecting to see some tense of the "be" verb before.

There are many other similar examples, especially when using verbs like: "shown, suggested, presented, defined and etc." with a reference to a previous sentence of our article/text.

Thank you in advance.


texts:
I heard this in a breezy conversation between an American and a non-native speaker carried on in a third country. The latter said:

"You are American! I have been in America, in Texas, I have been working in an IT company".

Is the Present Perfect Continuous pertinent here and correct altogether?


texts: Why "the collaboratively working class was somebody else's idea"?

texts:
The class working collaboratively was somebody else's idea.

In this sentence, why is it possible to say "the class working collaboratively"? I have seen so many sentences with words ending in -ly form taking this type of form below.

  The poorly lit room was very grimy.

It is not acceptable to say "room poorly lit", which led me to thinking that "the collaboratively working class" should be the correct one.

  The collaboratively working class was somebody else's idea.

Any explanations please?


texts: Do I use a comma when there are two items/people listed?

texts:
I am often confused when writing a sentence with an "and" or an "or." If I want to then follow the two items/people with what they are doing, do I have to use commas to break off the second item/person so that the reader doesn't think that the action only applies to the second item/person? Which example found below looks correct? It is tricky because the sentence is long.

"The school does not allow the president, or the vice president, to vote in the election."
"The school does not allow the president or the vice president to vote in the election."


texts: Can a negative ever mean the opposite outside of double negatives? "ex: I was not a little disturbed by the news"

texts:
I saw this sentence while reading:"The mansion was lovely-she particularly liked the topiary-but not a little intimidating."
I don't understand the function of the not? from context she is intimidated, why is she saying she's not? Is little considered a negative and this is one of those stylistic double negatives?

Is the sentence just wrong? I remember seeing/hearing similar sentences in other older books and poetry but can't remember exact sources... thanks!


texts:
Let's pretend that you recently started working for a company. This company has a yearly Christmas party, and you are wondering whether you're expected to go.

You:

  Are we expected to attend these Christmas parties every year?

Coworker:

  I have not gone before, and my boss still loves me.

As a native English speaker, there seems to be a frustrating ambiguity. Your coworker could mean:

  I have never gone, and my boss still loves me.

Or:

  There have been one or more years in which I didn't go, and my boss still loves me.

In English, it seems that "I have gone" doesn't imply having always gone, but "I have not gone" does imply having never gone.

Is there a concise way of indicating the opposite of "I have gone"?

Edit:

By opposite of "I have gone", I meant the opposite of what it conveys.

"I have gone" conveys:

  One or more times, I have gone.

The opposite would convey:

  One or more times, I have not gone.


texts: Can “ liquid music” refer to “downloadable music”?

texts:
The recent Italian expression “musica liquida” (liquid music) has been used  for about a decade now referring to the music which is no longer  recorded on traditional devices such as records, CDs  or tapes, but which is easily and freely available on the net.

The expression was originally used in very specialized magazines which focus on  devises for recording or reproducing sounds and music.

Given the tendency of  Italians to adopt English terms, especially in the field of new technologies, I feel that the expression may have been derived from American or English expressions, but I couldn’t find any evidence to support my impression. And actually liquid, referring to music,  appears to have a different connotation in English:

  (of a sound) clear, pure, and flowing; harmonious.
  "the liquid song of the birds"

So, is liquid music used also in the sense of “downloadable music” in English? If not what expression is used in that context?


texts: Grammar Rules regarding the pronoun 'it'

texts:
"I want to be a doctor. I like helping people that's why I want to be it."
"Where's your new iphone? Can you show me it?"
What grammar rules govern the use of the pronoun 'it' in these sentences. They don't sound natural but I'm not sure if they are incorrect.


texts: Word meaning "not preferred" - not antonym

texts: I wish to distinguish between items that are preferred and items that are good, but not necessarily preferred. Is there a word to describe the latter?


texts:
The expression comes from the following meme of Stevie Wonder

  How I feel while backing up with 5% window tint

I think it's some kind of insulting the blinds. I don't enjoy those things, but the expression quite bugs me so bad. Can you substitute the expression 'while backing up with'? I cannot figure out what it means


texts:
I don't understand two points in the following sentence:

  I have quite a lot of family and when I was growing up it was in a
  real, good, ordinary family – you couldn’t really get away with
  anything.

1) A lot of family means a big family?
2) What does "get away with anything" means?

Source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/paul-mccartneys-tips-staying-fit-5788063


texts:
I have a question about the sentence "The evolution of a process
 admits the following description". I checked then the phrase "admits the following description" in Ngram Viewer and found no occurrence. Neither did I found for "allows the following description". Is there something wrong with them?
In case it is, what are appropriate substitutions?


texts:
[ Etymonline : ] >1560s, "to move and act unconsciously;" 1580s, "to be listless and apathetic," the sound of the word perhaps somehow suggestive of low feelings (compare Low German mopen "to sulk," Dutch moppen "to grumble, to grouse," Danish maabe, dialectal Swedish mopa "to mope"). [...]

How may 'mope' be an Ideophone, as the bold alleges?


texts: He stayed a week vs he stayed for a week

texts:
He stayed a week vs He stayed for a week
  I consider her my friend vs I consider her as my friend.
  I don't know whether he can be there vs I don't know if he can be there

I often hear the above sentences and their variants.

What is the basis for choice...
Which would not sound odd ?


texts:
An old fashioned word or phrase that describes a meditative walk. It's not a constitutional
but it's something that Ben Franklin, or Thomas Edison would do to clear their mind, rejuvenate, reconnect, invigorate, rebalance etc. I think there is a noun for this activity. They might say "I am going to take my ...."


texts: Free word list of English words of interest to children?

texts:
I'm developing a software application for children and it would be useful to have an English dictionary with terms/words sorted by their "interestingness" to children aged 4-8.

Terms like "unicorn", "bunny", "cat", "dog" would be on top and terms like "differential equations" and "econometrics" would be at the bottom (or not present).

Any ideas on where to find such a list?

Are there any open source / free children's encyclopedia's or books available from which such a list could be generated?


texts: Looking for a noun meaning something you are given to work with

texts:
As part of a task in a psychological experiment I have a "transformation table" that contains two rows of letters:

A    B    C    D    ...
Z    R    K    Q    ...

The participants are given a selection of letters (e.g. "B") and must transform them with the help of this table (e.g. "B" into "R").

To explain this procedure there is an example that gives a sample letter and a sample transformation, e.g.:

...    result
B      R

The text above the two letters should explain that the "B" is the letter that is given to the participants as "source material" or "input", and that the "R" is the result after the transformation.

What is the noun that describes the stimulus given in an experiment?

The verb used in this situation is "given", but there appears to be no noun with the corresponding meaning, since the noun "given" means something quite different, namely "a basic condition or assumption" (Merriam-Webster). And it is not a "prompt", because a prompt is not material to be processed.

The original German word I am translating this from is "Vorgabe". In this context it means "something that is given".


texts:
I see it spelled both ways, what is the right way ?
So far I lived by the rule that apostrophe s means possession and without the apostrophe it is a simple abbreviation. Or is it more complicated ? (Sorry, non-native speaker.)


texts:
When you change from one thing to another, you say like you change trains, shirts, etc.

How about when you make a career change? Do you say you change your career or you change careers?


texts: Word for ascribing computer-like mentality to humans/animals? (opposite of anthropomorphize)

texts:
I've been learning about the work of Buckminster Fuller and those he influenced, and at some points it seems like they simplify what causes people and animals to act the way they do to that of robots/computers. It feels almost like different (kind of opposite) version of anthropomorphism.

I'd be greatful for any ideas!

Sample Sentence:

"When he simplified individuals into the mechanical parts of a universal system, Bucky seemed to [blank] them."


texts:
Now I know someone's already asked "Which is correct? “Did you know?” or “Do you know?”", but the question was unclear. Mine could be more specific.

Should I use "did you know" or "do you know" to introduce a fact?

I've only seen "did you know" in action. My logical deduction is that before the "question" (which is not much of a question because you're not asking for an answer), you wouldn't have been sure whether the listener'd known about what you're about to say or not. But by the time you say the "question" and introduce the fact(oid), you would know for sure they do. Why? Because you've just told them! It's like when saying "Did you know strawberries aren't berries, but bananas are?", I didn't know if you'd already known about that factoid prior to my "question", but at the time I say it onward, I know you know it because I've just told you. Therefore, it'd be reasonable to use the past tense with "did". It'd be pretty much the same with "What if I told you..."

(And I just realized I made it pretty confusing by using a lot of "know's")

However, a public speaker (who I'm supposing doesn't have a very good grasp of English because she thought a "kickass person" meant someone who encourages people to do things by kicking in their asses) told me that when you said "did you know", you implied that the listener'd already known what you were about to say, which is completely opposite to my reasoning. If I'd imply such a thing, I'd use "do you know", with a "duh" face or an annoyed tone: "Do you know/have any idea how many sleepless night I had to endure to make this and now you've just ruined it all?"

So which one should I choose to introduce a fact?


texts: How common is the expression "with the come of ..."? Is there a better equivalent?

texts:
I was reading a text on the internet and I came across something like this written by a non-native guy:

  With the come of the new methods/procedures, we can perform [whatever]
  faster.

Is it natural to say "with the come of ..."?
What other ways are there to imply the same meaning?

Thanks in advance


texts:
I know that Word up! is a versatile expression and its meaning depends on different regions. But in a movie I came across this expression as in:

  A: Hey, there's this big banquet for my university nomination, wanna come?
    B: No, I have something to do.
    A: There's an open bar there.
    B: Word up!

I guess it's an enthusiastic exclamation but I'm not sure.
Isn't it like saying Sweet! or Hot dog! when we express enthusiasm?


texts: Comma or semicolon when omitting a conjunction

texts:
Perhaps someone could clarify the accepted punctuation for a sentence where a conjunction has been omitted. I'm quite clear about when a coordinating conjunction has been omitted but not as clear for other conjunctions such as because. Check out the following:

I think I should (,) (;) (.) It's important for all of us.

This is a statement in dialogue and answers the question "Are you going to go?", so its full meaning "I think I should go because it's important for all of us" is understood by the listener and then would this only require a comma? But what about the alternative ways of writing this sentence:

I think I should go, for it's important for all of us. (Yes, I know we wouldn't say that, but my first statement is also an abridged version of this grammatically correct structure, that uses the coordinating conjunction for rather than because and would then need to be punctuated with a semicolon.)

Or how about if I consider the spoken version is an abridged version of:

It's important for all of us, so I think I should go. I don't think this has much relevance to my question, but again it's another way of looking at it using a coordinating conjunction within an unabridged sentence, albeit transposed.


texts: How do I say 'people insist on' in the passive voice?

texts:
If I have 'read guides where people insist that...' then how do I use that in the passive voice?

'In guides I have read, it is insisted that...'?
'In guides I have read, it is insisted upon that..'?

Or is it something different?


texts: Position of always/continuously in these sentences

texts:
I have two sentences:

1.- On and beneath the earth's surface, new rock is made and old rock is destroyed ______________.

2.- The rock cycle occurs ______________________, over millions of years.

They need to be completed with always / continuously.

But both of them seem really odd to me with any of the options.

Are they correctly formed? or should the adverb come before the verb?


texts: Do the German 'von' and English 'from' share the same root?

texts:
I was wondering whether von and from shared the same common root.

They do have a quite close meaning, and the pronunciation sounds similiar too.

EDIT
I had already looked at the relative Wiktionary entries (1,2), and they didn't seem to be that connected after all; that's why I was curious.


texts: Why do they call a murder a "red ball" case?

texts: Not being a native speaker, I wonder why they call a murder a "red ball" case ("redball" or "red-ball") in certain TV-shows and films. Specifically this expression is often heard in TV-shows like The Wire and not least in the film Minority Report (2002). Where does the expression come from?


texts: If I have a game level that needs precision and fast decision making, what skills are being challenged?

texts:
What should I put in the empty space? "Challenge your ___ skills..."? "precision skills"? Just "precision"? Maybe something else? Thank you!

I am talking about a scenarion in a 3D game where your character is on platforms high up in the sky that are quite narrow and require precision to move around and not fall, where you have to turn often and make fast decisions.


texts: Why does -istic turn some words negative?

texts:
The definition of -istic is:

  Used to form adjectives from nouns, especially nouns in -ist and -ism, with the meaning "of or pertaining to" said nouns.

I don't see anything in there that could make words negative, but I can think of a few adjectives that are more negative with the suffix -istic. A few examples: negativistic, simplistic, moralistic, and legalistic.


texts:
What is it called when you use many words to describe the word you want to use?

I know there is a technical word that's used in foreign language acquisition that means using many words to describe a word you don't know.  I'm doing it now, just talking and beating around the bush until someone can tell me the word I'm looking for.


texts: T-shirt says "Get out of my …" (help me read the last word)

texts: I do not understand the last word. Can someone write it in plain text?


texts: Comma needed before a sentence-ending "then"?

texts:
Do I use a comma before "then" in this example?

  Joe said, "If she plans on going, I won't be there, then."


texts: what is meant by "from some other part of which it is divided horizontally”

texts:
Concerning the following sentence:

  “flat” means a separate and self-contained set of premises constructed or adapted for use for the purpose of a dwelling and forming part of a building from some other part of which it is divided horizontally

What does the bolded section mean?


texts: The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allen Poe

texts:
What is the meaning of the following phrase from "The Cask of Amontillado" By Edgar Allan Poe?

  A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong.


texts: What's the meaning of "Ma" when a husband addresses his wife?

texts:
I know "Ma" is the shortened form of Mother.
Yesterday I saw a classic movie named "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Ford in 1940.
In the movie the father of the family calls his wife "Ma" and she calls him "Pa".
I'm wondering what's behind this calling?Is this generational, or regional?
Supposedly, Ford was following the script from Steinbeck.


texts: Past tense verb form vs. linking verb + past tense form

texts:
I had the sentence "I haven't read the flashcards I have made these past few days."

Someone corrected it with "I haven't read the flashcards I made these past few days"

Then someone corrected that with "I haven't read the flashcards that I had made over these past few days."

Who is correct and why?


texts: Screen or view when referring to content on the screen?

texts:
Having content on the screen (e.g. a computer screen or the screen of a mobile device), how do I refer to that content? Is it "view" or "screen"? I am looking for an everyday term, not a formal one.

Update:
The context is the description of the various screens/views that a user can experience when using a finance app for iPhone (e.g. in/on the add expense-view/screen).


texts: What is the difference between exception and exemption?

texts:
This has been asked before but apparently the thread is shut down.  I did review this question at:

What is the difference between "exemption" and "exception"?

However, what about when someone says, "I will make an exception for ....".  They don't say they will make an exemption which this thread implies would the correct use.  Example:

"I normally charge $20 to get in, but I will make an exception for you since you are so nice."


texts:
Which is correct way to say:

We request the account to be closed.
we request the account is closed.


texts: For the phrase, "... more than those that have come before." what is most correct? Is it who, whom or, that?


texts: Proper pronunciation of plural possessives

texts:
I'm compiling a word list with accurate pronunciations and am hitting a brick wall. What are the proper American pronunciations of the following plural possessives, and by extension, similar words?

boys'
caterpillars'
classes'
companies'

I have done extensive research on the online dictionaries (Cambridge, Oxford, Merriam Webster) and none provide the pronunciations for the plurals of the words I am including in our educational software. The four hardcover dictionaries I possess, also do not provide the pronunciations for the plurals.

This is not a good fit for ELL, because I am not learning the English language (See my bio). I am trying to determine the non-colloquial pronunciation for a group of words that are not well documented in dictionaries. According to the FAQ this is fit for this site, not ELL.


texts: The largest, greatest, highest or biggest number of . .

texts:
I'm not a native speaker, and my teacher taught me to use "the biggest number of . . ." when comparing amounts of some things, but I've checked it in google which seems like "the largest, the greatest, the highest, and even the most number of. . ." are actually used more often.
1. Which do we usually use for comparing numbers or amounts of some things?

Let's say, if there were 3 cities.

1,000 people live in city A.
2,000 people live in city B.
3,000 people live in city C.

2. How do you compare those numbers of people?


texts: What do you call the "owner" of an idea?

texts:
I recently found myself in a situation where I wanted to use a line that went something like this:

  "...we must examine the effects these ideas had on their respective creators..."

and I just couldn't find the right word in place of "creators". Something feels off about "creators". We don't create thoughts we have thoughts or we think thoughts. "Owners" doesn't really work as no one can "own" a thought, and "thinkers" sounds too childish.

What other words are there that describe "the person who came up with an idea"?


texts:
What is the most common American way of pronouncing "with"?
I'm asking specifically about "th" combinations - dictionaries give both the unvoiced (wɪθ)
and the voiced (wɪð) ones?

Personally, I've heard it pronounced most of the times as wɪð (note: I'm not American) and this is why
I'm constantly surprised when online pronunciation tutorials    encourage students to pronounce it unvoiced.

So, I guess my questions are:

When a native American speaker pronounce "with", does he usually just "absorb" one pronunciation form
and stick with it for the rest of his life or the pronunciation can vary depending on the context?
If the answer to the last question is "yes" (speakers stick to one pronunciation form) - which regions in the states pronounce it voiced/unvoiced?
Again - if speakers don't change pronunciation depending on the context, what is the most common way
of pronouncing "with"?
What is the "correct" pronunciation according to the notorious "General American" pronunciation?


texts: Using article 'The' in Noun + Prep + Noun pattern

texts:
I have a doubt of using the article (the) in the following context. Please tell me which version of the following two sentences is correct?.

    1. A child pulled out **the** grass in the park near my home. [the grass]
    2. A child pulled out grass in the park near my home. [grass]


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Capitalising the definite article in names

I'm a bit confused on the proper capitalization rules when "the" is part of someone's title. For example, if I have a character referred to as "The Blacksmith", which of these sentences would be correct?

  In an era long gone by, there existed an entity known as The Blacksmith.

or

  In an era long gone by, there existed an entity known as the Blacksmith.


texts: English translation for the different parts of a course as found in French schools/universities

texts:
What would be the transposition to the US school/university system of the French expressions:

“cours” (that is lecture, listening to the teacher)
“travaux dirigés” (lit. directed works, students usually do exercises on a sheet of paper, and they might sometimes be asked to show their solution on the blackboard)
“travaux pratiques” (lit. practical works, exercises in the lab, doing experiments or working in front of a computer)

I am aware of the terms “lectures“, “tutorials“, and “laboratory”, but are they used in the same way? I also heard that the US system often doesn't have “travaux dirigés”, but I don't know to what extent that's true.


texts: Is there any verb where the third person singular present indicative form does not end with "s"?

texts: We have many discussions (example) on how -(e)s came to be but are there any exceptions, I wonder?


texts:
I read this phrase in Alan Bennett’s Diary years ago and found it so unusual I’ve never forgotten it. Italics mine:

  8 December. Trying to find someone a Meccano set for Christmas, I’m
  reminded of a couple, friends of Russell H., who had a son of twelve
  or so who they were worried might be growing up gay. However, they
  were greatly heartened when the boy said that what he wanted for
  Christmas was a Meccano set. Delighted by what they saw as an access
  of butchness, they bought him the biggest set they could find …

The Free Dictionary provides this fifth and final definition for the noun access:

  An outburst or onset: an access of rage.

And Dictionary.com this:

  an attack or onset, as of a disease.

My Shorter OED lists ten definitions of access, of which:

  A (sudden) coming on of illness b. spec an Ague fit (LME-L19)

and

  An outburst of anger or other emotion.

In four decades of extensive reading in English, I have never come across “access of” until this reading. Given the definitions, whether outburst or onset, I think Bennett’s use of it in context is brilliant.

I’m curious to find other examples of this usage. Is it archaic? Precious? Fully contemporary? Is it more British, more American? Doing an internet search for “access of” does not lead to obvious examples. Typically you’ll find “access of (subject) to (object).” This has me thinking it must be used more in literary contexts. And if so, does anyone have any contemporary examples of its use?


texts: Single word meaning a statement which is proving itself wrong

texts:
Eg.

  Saline water does not contain salt.

So it is a __ statement. What is the word that should fill in the blank?

This statement is clearly making itself wrong in its later part. What should it be called?


texts:
Many words are spelled with -ise in British English and -ize in American English:

realise/realize
sanitise/sanitize
scrutinise/scrutinize

But exercise can only be spelled with -ise, never with -ize.

Is there a good reason for this?


texts: What verb should be used with "puzzles"? We "raise" them, "cast" them, ... or we simply "say" them?

texts:
What is the right verb for when puzzles are shared with another person? Do we "raise" puzzles? Do we "give" puzzles? Do we "cast" puzzles? ... or do we simply "say" puzzles?

What, for example, can be put in the following blank space?

  In this reality show, they ____ puzzles and participants try to solve them.

I want the puzzle to be in the sentence.

The interesting thing is that the main dictionaries on the web Cambridge Marriam Webster Oxford do not give proper examples to solve this puzzle!


texts: What does this Gil Scott-Heron line mean: "God's hole card has been thoroughly piqued."

texts:
The line is from "Comment #1."
I know that a "hole card" is a card in poker (and apparently also blackjack) that is dealt face-down.  But I'm unclear on what it means for that card to be piqued.
Does this mean that everyone is wondering what the card is, i.e. their curiosity has been piqued?  Or does it imply that people are beginning to know what the card is, whether by card-counting or some other means?
My questions are:

Is this a term in card playing that I was unaware of, to say the "hole card has been piqued?"

If not, what is Gil Scott-Heron expressing with this line?

Here is the whole verse:

The time is in the street you know
Us living, as we do, upside down
And the new word to have is "revolution"
People don't even want to hear the preacher spill or spiel
Because God's hole card has been thoroughly piqued
And America is now blood and tears instead of milk and honey

Note
This is a spoken-word poem from 1970.  Some young people know the verse better because it was sampled by Kanye West in the song "Who will survive in America," but that sample omits many of the stanzas.  The complete original poem can be heard here on Youtube.
Additional context
With help from the comments section, it seems that there are a few card-playing references to the word "pique."  In the game Piquet (pronounced /ˈpiːkeɪ/), a player who scores 30 points against an opponent scores a "pique."  It could also be related to the French "pique" meaning the spades suit. It's also been suggested that "piqued" in this case is a homophonic play on "peeked," suggesting that "God's hole card" has been "peeked at." There are a few other cases of homophony in the poem:

Whole / hole
Spiel / spill
Freedom / Free doom.

I'm still seeking any precedent for "piqued" having a clear meaning in this context. It's possible that Scott-Heron was simply saying "peeked," but that would mean that every transcription of the poem I've been able to find is incorrect.


texts: What does "subject" means in "subject (a place, text, etc.) to a thorough search in order to locate something."

texts:
I read the sentence "subject (a place, text, etc.) to a thorough search in order to locate something." from the definition of "scour". I want to know the meaning of "subject" here. Is it a verb in this case? If so, according to the Oxford dictionaries, "subject" means "cause or force someone or something to undergo (a particular experience or form of treatment, typically an unwelcome or unpleasant one)". How does it make sense? Can someone force a text to undergo a thorough search in order to locate something?
One example sentence is "David scoured each newspaper for an article on the murder."
Meaning: David subjected ??? to a thorough search in order to locate an article on the murder in all newspapers.


texts: What is the origin of "wake up and smell the roses"

texts: Where did this saying come from, and what is its true meaning?


texts: What is the etymology of 'cash'? According to the OED when it is used in 'cash-box' it descends from the French 'casse', and presumably Italian 'cassa'. However the word meaning 'loose change' is from the Tamil word 'kasu'. The question arises as to whether English used 'cash' before they began to have dealings with southern India?


texts: "Than" and "as" as subject - singular or plural?

texts:
"Than" and "as" as subjects, objects and complements.

Under this topic title(581), in Michael Swan's Practical English Usage (3rd edition, page 575), he says that "than and as can replace subject in clauses (rather like relative pronouns)", and there the following sentences are given as examples:

  He worries more than is necessary. (NOT...more than it/what is necessary.)
  There were a lot of people at the exhibition - more than came last year. (NOT...more than they came last year.)
  The train might be late as happened yesterday. (NOT...as it happened yesterday.)
  We have got food for as many people as want it. (NOT...as they want it.)

Also, PEU explains:

  Common expressions with as in place of a subject: as follows; as
  was expected; as was agreed; as is well known.

  I have prepared a new plan, as follows. (NOT...as it follows.)
  I am sending you the bill, as was agreed. (NOT...as it was agreed.)

When I examine the sentence 4, I understand that the verb want is used in the plural form in accordance with the noun people, and therefore, I assume that the pronoun as here is also a plural subject. In the same way, in the sentence 6 was is used in the singular form in accordance with the singular noun bill.

It seems to me the PEU contradicts with the definition of as follows by the dictionary.com: "This term is always put in the singular (“follows”) even though it applies to numerous items and is frequently followed by a colon."

Now my questions are: Can I assume in the sentence 5,  follows is used in the singular form in accordance with the number of the singular noun plan, and as, as a subject, is singular?

If I rewrite the sentence as: I have prepared some new plans, as follow,
is it acceptable?

Thanks in advance!


texts:
Recently I had a deep discussion with an American person born and raised in the USA who said that when I say "take care with something" it makes absolutely no sense. That was said because she had never heard "take care with" (meaning "be careful") , but only "take care of" (which means something completely different from what I want to convey).

May I use "Take care with the cars" instead of "Be careful with the cars", for instance?
May I use "Take care!" instead of "Watch out!" ?

Or will it make no sense to USA North Americans? What about to British people?


texts: Idioms for "looking for something" and "trying to find something in a room full of mess"

texts:
I am trying to find idioms that could express "looking for something" and "trying to find something in a room full of mess". One that I could find was "hunt high and low," but for some reason I don't really feel satisfied using it. Can someone please suggest some other phrase?

I would like to use in a context like this:

  "I tried to look for the pen in my dorm room (which was messy) but couldn't find it".

For e.g. I would want to tell someone that every time I want something, I have to search the place thoroughly to locate it.


texts: Is there a better phrase that means "non-zero–sum game?"

texts: A "zero-sum game" is a reasonably well understood phrase, though often incorrectly used as "zero sum gain." The opposite of this is a "non-zero–sum game," which I find rather unwieldy. Is there a better phase than "non-zero–sum game?"


texts: "In the cards", "on the cards" origin(s)

texts:
In another question in EL&U  "Positives changes on the cards" — meaning? ,
it came up that at least one of us AmE speakers had always heard this idiom as "in the cards" and never as "on the cards", whereas at least one BrE speaker had always heard it as "on the cards", never as "in the cards".

However, Ngram searches show both forms in literature from both sides of the pond, with "in the cards" clearly in the lead (since before "on the cards" occurs, up to the present); it is now about 20x more common in BrE corpus, and about 100x more common in AmE corpus.

However, "on the cards" does not seem to appear in AmE corpus before c. 1850, and not before c. 1825 in BrE corpus.

Answers to a related question  favor the Tarot explanation for both. One quotes a source claiming Charles Dickens as first documented use.  However, looking at quotations of Charles Dickens I have found, so far, only literal meanings, referring to playing cards used in gambling, not Tarot, and not using the idiom in the sense we know it now.

I suspect the origin of the two varying phrases might differ. Could someone please explain how, and from where, these two similar idioms arose? Can anyone prove that one form is indeed just a variation on the other?


texts: Origin of "Knocked" in "Have (Got) It Knocked"

texts:
I read the 11 Nov. 1978 panel of Garfield, in which the phrase "have got it knocked" is used. Transcript:

Panel 1
[Garfield is in bed but mobile]
Garfield: Oh-oh. I feel a nap attack coming on
Panel 2
[Garfield suddenly assumes an immobile, sleeping position]
Panel 3
[Garfield peeks from under covers]
"Turtles have got it knocked"

On my own, I thought this was another phrase for "have (got) it (all) figured out," by which I mean something like "one has established an appealing but possibly theoretical model for achieving some end." Citing AHD 4th ed., TFD provides this definition for have it knocked:

have it knocked Slang
To be certain of success: "He knew he had it knocked after he saw a rough cut of Chinatown" (Time).

Strikingly similar definitions can be found for the related phrases have it made (Dictionary.com based on Random House Dictionary: to be assured or confident of success) and have it made in the shade (TFD citing McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs 2002: to have succeeded; to be set for life).
For each but have it knocked I can find reasons to satisfy my curiosity about why its ending might be chosen:

Figured out is an idiom by itself meaning to begin to comprehend someone or something
Made can be used figuratively to mean assured of success or fortune: a made man.
Made in the shade rhymes with the above, retaining its meaning while emphasizing the subject's present comfort

I suspect knocked may come from sports, where knock has a sense of finality and success: In boxing, a knock-out means a win; likewise in baseball, knocking a ball out of the park is used to indicate a good hit. But it seems odd to me that out would be omitted, because in the mentioned phrases it emphasizes the action's success and finality.
To measure the likelihood of these guesses, I am interested in the origin of the phrase have it knocked. I could not find a date like the 1955 Etymology.com provides for have it made. Derivations, if found, are also welcome.


texts:
Good day all,

Currently I have an assignment on my sociolinguistics class. I have to make a research paper on the difference word choice preference between Malaysian English and Indonesian English.

However, it is quite hard for me to find any related research even in other languages for my literature review part. Can someone name the term for me?

The case is like this, Malaysian tend to use the word “spectacle” while Indonesian use “glasses” while there are referring to the same thing.

It is also will be helpful if you can help me name a term for the same word in the same language but have different meaning. Like drug that can be medicine in uk but narcotics in us (if i am not mistaken)

Thank you


texts:
What is the meaning of "if the latter, thick or thin" in the following sentence?

  Identify whether the course is full-time, part-time or sandwich, and if the latter, thick or thin.


texts: Can you be literal about non-literal things?

texts:
I know many hackles have been raised over the misuse of the word literal.

Let's say there are a couple of mobsters talking about a third guy who has made a minor mistake, and jokingly one says, "I'm going to fit him for some cement shoes."  Meaning he's angry, but not homicidal. Perhaps he makes this joke often.  He does not intend to kill him.

If he actually wanted to kill him he might say, "I'm literally going to fit him for some cement shoes", meaning take my non-literal euphemism for killing literally.

Beyond this there is a third level of literality where the very nature of the euphemism is taken into question, not a euphemism for murder, but an actual pair of shoes fashioned from cement.

My question is if someone says, "I'm literally going to fit him for some cement shoes", are both interpretations potentially correct? That he's not joking about killing him, and that he's going to make him some heavy footwear?