texts: What does "three by" and "five by" mean?

texts:
I am studying a foreign language, but few good textbooks are available. I was able to find a public domain language training manual for air force pilots published on-line. It teaches the target language using English. On a page of vocabulary and phrases, it lists the English terms "three by" and "five by". I can't understand the foreign translation, and there is no context from which to guess the meaning.

Are these voice procedures for use on a radio? What is the meaning? And is there also "one by", "two by", etc.?


texts:
I was curious what the meaning of "highway shops" is.
It's related to the software industry, but I could not find much information about it. Also, I only found it being used in 2 places.

From this SO question:

  Great library for Microsoft or the highway shops.

And also on this site:

  Some places are MS-or-the-highway shops...

Any information on the meaning or etymology would be appreciated.


texts: How to emphasize the word I in a sentence?

texts: So usually if I want to emphasize a word in a sentence (casual conversation not professional writing style) I'll capitalize it. Or maybe bold if that formatting option is available. But the word "I" is already capitalized, and bold formatting often isn't visually distinct enough. I've seen some people use "EYE" as a cheeky way to use a word that has the same pronunciation and also use the typical all-caps format. But I think this is not used enough for its intent to always be immediately recognizable, and might be more likely to cause confusion.


texts: What's an eloquent way to say " Please rush my request"?

texts:
I would like to ask the person from whom I am requesting service, to do so quickly. I would not like to come across as rude, nor brash.
Thank you


texts: What's the word or phrase to describe this behaviour?

texts:
I watched an online video. Unexpectedly, I've same experience that my friend said exactly with this last bolded sentence in the video's conversation.

  Stranger: Which train do I have to take to get back to Hakone?
  Woman 1: Take the X line!
  Woman 2: No, that's wrong! Take the Y line!
  Woman 1: No, the X line!
  Stranger: ... Which one?
  Woman 2: I'm right!
  Woman 1 (to Stranger): This one (Woman 2) has no sense of direction!
  Woman 2: No, that's not right ...
  Stranger: I checked on my mobile phone and it looks like the fastest is to take the Z line.
  Woman 1 (to Stranger): I TOLD you so! I said Z line all along! Sorry this child is a little silly ...

Is there an adjective, a phrase, or a word for such kind of the behavior (the bolded sentence)?


texts: What do you call a person who is pulling water from a well right now?

texts: The text is old scripture, at one point it talks of a person who is pulling water from a well. It doesn't necessarily have to be their job. How do you refer to the person who is pulling water out of a well right now?


texts: Word that means "Simultaneously relaxed and focused"?

texts: I saw George Will on TV and he used a word (and immediately defined it) but all I was heard was the definition, not the actual word.  "Emmetropic" is the closest I can come to finding a word that meets the definition "simultaneously relaxed and focused" but it seems to have such a specific, physical, meaning and the context seemed to me to indicate a mental state rather than a physical one.


texts: How to explain additional words in the QASV formula for questions?

texts:
I am a new ESL teacher, and will be teaching students about question forms.
I have looked at the QASV (Question, Auxiliary, Subject, Verb) formula but am not sure how to explain all examples my textbook provides.

For example:

Where does Jamie live? - this fits perfectly to the formula
What are you doing tomorrow afternoon? - tomorrow afternoon is additional and comes at the end.
Which instrument does Jamie play? - Why is "instrument" placed after the question word here?

I'm not sure how to explain its place in the sentence. I think some students could say: "Which does Jamie play instrument?" I don't know how to explain why that is wrong.


texts:
When I need to deliver someone an unfortunate news, what would be the opposite phrase to:

  I'm happy to inform you...

or

  I'm delighted to give you this news...


texts: Religious names in index. How do you order and present?

texts:
I have a book that discusses Catholicism. I would like to know if there are any established resources that advise on listing religious names in indexes, where the norm is reversal of surnames and forenames. For example Christ, should it be:

Christ
Jesus
Jesus Christ
Christ, Jesus (THINKING DEFINITELY NOT THIS)

Also Popes:

Pope John Paul II
John Paul II
John Paul II, Pope (THIS ALSO SEEMS WRONG)
Paul II, Pope John (GETTING SILLY NOW)

Any advice would be welcome.


texts: Shift in tense and starting a historical account with the present tense

texts:
I was just writing a historical overview of a battle and decided I'd write the introduction in the present tense--the present tense being a narration of a specific event during the war. I just realized though that in the last sentence, I shifted the to how the events are perceived today.

So instead of the present tense consistently being about how the event occurred, it shifts to how those events are perceived today at the end of the paragraph.

I've fiddled around with the passage a bit, but I'm still not sure how to write it.

Is it better to stick to one tense from one perspective? How do I go about that? Do I write it as:

This incident would go on to ____
OR
This incident has since __

Does the option 1. fix the issue (since the perspective remains unchanged)? To me it seems that it looks to the future from the perspective of the event whereas option 2. shifts to things as they are now and looks back from there.


texts: What is a synonym for "profile picture?"

texts: I can't think of anything that's one word that's distinctive over any other kind of picture. It needs to be something that's specific to an online profile or account.


texts:
"The problem, of course, is that no one can agree on how to measure quality. This might be an intriguing question to untangle, if it weren’t for the fact that the quality measurement field has long since left the starting gate. Despite a lack of agreement on how best to measure quality, metrics are being applied broadly, with concrete consequences for doctors, nurses, hospitals and patients."

Could someone explain to me what the author means when he says, "left the starting gate"?


texts:
I am currently writing an essay, I have to state there is a $1 million prize for something. What is the correct way of stating this amount?

I have gone with "one million USD", do you think this is acceptable or is there a preferred format?


texts:
I was wondering how we use the noun "quote" in a sentence. Specifically, what verbs should we use after it? Can we use the verb say as in:

  A quote says, "Gender equality is more than a goal in itself."


texts: word for a person who learns a lot by heart when studying

texts: Do you happen to know a noun to describe someone, usually a student, who does a lot of learning by heart, as opposed to understanding? Is 'grind', 'swot'/'swotter' a good word for that, or does it just mean an over-the-top hard-working, diligent student? I also came acrosss 'muzz', can that be used as a noun? In Russian, we have a word 'zubrila', which means someone who stupidly learns things by heart. Looking forward to your answers!


texts: Parts of speech or participial construction (insertion of "palm face up")

texts:
People don’t usually think of touch as a temporal
phenomenon, but it is every bit as time-based as it is spatial.
You can carry out an experiment to see for yourself. Ask a
friend to cup his hand, palm face up, and close his eyes. Place
a small ordinary object in his palm ― a ring, an eraser,
anything will do ― and ask him to identify it without moving
any part of his hand.
One idea: palm face(two word noun) + being(present participle) + up => palm face (being) up
Another idea: palm(noun) + face up(adverb) => palm face up = with his palm faced up
Research
Adverb
face-up (not comparable)
In a position with the face upwards.
The cards must be dealt faceup(sic)
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/face-up


texts:
I cannot find an appropriate paraphrase for the next sentence, from Cambridge Grammar of the English Language, pag. 133.

The match now starts next Monday, not Tuesday, as I said in my last letter.

I'd foreground the adverb to the beginning of the sentence, on the lines of

Now (it so happens that) the match starts next Monday

Furthermore, the last comma only adds ambiguity.


texts: Adjectives that describe vs. distinguish their referents

texts:
Sometimes an adjective describes its referent: “My wonderful brother” means I think my brother is wonderful.

Sometimes an adjective distinguishes its referent from others like it: “My younger brother” picks out which of my brothers I’m talking about.

Sometimes people (jokingly or seriously) confuse these uses; I might say “My wonderful brother” to talk about one of them, and the other might joke “What, as opposed to your awful one?”

Does this make sense? Is there formal linguistics vocabulary for talking about this distinction?


texts:
Lung cancer correlates with smoking.
Smoking correlates with lung cancer.

Are both correct or does one have to worry about which one is the dependent variable (lung cancer) and which one is the independent variable (smoking)?


texts:
"I'll read that book in 2 hours."
I'm pretty sure this phrase means that after 2 hours from now I will start reading the book, but I can't stop thinking that it could also means that it will take me 2 hours to read (and finish) that book.
My friend says that for the second meaning the following phrase would be more appropriate:
"I'll read that book for 2 hours." Which also makes senso to me, but I get the idea that maybe I won't be able to finish it in just 2 hours.
Could some native speaker elighten me on this problem? Can the first phrase be interpreted in both ways?
Thank you in advance.


texts:
What i wan't to say is "we can't fit in X in the modern world"
but it doesn't portrays the correct meaning what i mean is that its wrong to mould X according to the parameters of the modern world, is there a better word than "Fit in"


texts: Can either "is gone" or "has gone" be used to refer to someone who has died? I know "is gone" is common, but I wonder if "has gone" carries the same meaning.


texts: What is the difference between "is" and "are"?

texts:
When I'am writing a paper, I did not know what is the difference between "is" and "are"?

Should I write:

  "DNA is a part of....."

instead of:

  "DNA are a part of....."?

I think that plurals can use with "is" or "are", but when I googled and googled, it can only use "is" with singles, and can only use "are" with plurals.


texts: Why do some spell checker mark "copiable" as an error?

texts:
Some of my spell checkers (including the one in vim, and the build-in one in gmail) mark the form "copiable" as an error, and insist on "copyable". This doesn't seem to make sense; the rule I always learned was that "y become i if preceded by a consonant when adding a suffix, unless the suffix starts with an i: eg "copied" or "copier", but "copying". According to this rule, the correct spelling would be "copiable", which is what I always use. But I often see "copyable", which doesn't seem right to me. (For what it's worth: Merriam Webster says that the word doesn't exist, in either form, the American Heritage Dictionary gives both forms, and the Oxford English Dictionary only gives "copiable".)
What is the correct usage, and why?


texts:
"Even the smallest surmise of her husband dying scared her to death"

Is the word surmise used correctly in this sentence? Maybe "assumption" would fit better?


texts: What is a term for using a large word that the speaker/writer clearly thinks means something other than what it does?

texts: A lot of times I'll hear a politician or see a commenter in a public forum where they clearly think the meaning of one or more words they use is something other than the real meaning. Is there a term for this type of "near miss?"


texts: For whom does "upwards of" mean "less than, but approaching" ? Is it a regionalism?

texts:
The phrase upwards of X appears to be defined very explicitly to
mean simply and only “more than X”. (In other words, it is an exact
substitute for “north of”.)

I have a pernicious and deeply held understanding of the phrase as meaning
“as much as X, but not more” or “trending upwards towards X” (in both of
these cases, the quantity in question is understood to be
slightly less than or maybe equal to X).

This is not merely a one-off personal error. I have informally polled family and friends, and have also polled 100+ people on Twitter, and it's clear that the understanding I have is common, if not the dominant understanding of the phrase.

I'm an American New Englander by upbringing, but I'm not sure what other context is useful. I have immediate family that swears by the dictionary definition, and others who are with me on this.

I'd be less interested if these were shades of meaning, but these are clear opposites of definition. Does anyone know what the distinction is in regions/dialects, or otherwise where this phrase comes from?


texts: Why do Americans pronounce "Noo York" the way they do?

texts:
I'm wondering if there is a historical explanation as to why the New in "New York" is pronounced /nu/ (as in "Noodles") rather than /nju/ (as in RP "New Year").

Has this always been the case? Or did the pronunciation change over time?


texts:
Hypothesis: "Perhaps It will not snow tomorrow

My friend reasoned that a hypothesis has to be a declarative statement, and by using "perhaps" I am calling into question the truth of the hypothesis, and thus it cannot be a hypothesis.

So can "perhaps" be used in a declarative sentence? And can it be used in a hypothesis?


texts:
What is the difference between

  "as a side note" and "on a side note"?

Are they interchangeable?
Which one is preferred over the other?


texts: Is it correct to say "compiled an album"?

texts:
Is it correct to say “compiled an album”?

I basically want to convey the idea that I originally had a set of photographs out of which I have selected a few of them and made an album. It would also be great if anyone can suggest some other phrase to convey the same idea.


texts: Is there a term for the inability to find a word which is then substituted with a "funnier" word?

texts:
Take this sentence:

  "If people are lost when they start out, they usually just keep getting...loster."
  — from "Don't Make Me Think"

Obviously "loster" isn't a word, but I see this turn of phrase quite often. How would I describe this formula?


texts:
"A truly beautiful shade! A cloth of smoked grey, shot with flame colour!"

—Gogol, trans. by D. J. Hogarth

'Shot' is what is confusing me. In my mind I imagine it refers to a repeated pattern. My best guess as to what it would look like is this, on the right:


texts: Adjective for a topic which gives rise to debate or heated discussion

texts: I'm writing a speech on sexism, as it is a topic which quite often gives rise to disputes and heated discussions; is there an adjective to describe such a topic which does so?


texts: Rebus Ad in London tube: "your closet dreams"?

texts:
Hello,

I’m wondering if anyone can help me to get the meaning of the last sentence in this tube advertisement (attached).

I’ve deciphered the first part:

  Let's face it, ironing just isn’t in your genes! So bag yourself some much needed free ti(e)me and fresh shirts. We'll make your laundry as bright as a button, so you can dress to impress. Your _____ dreams about [name of ap], just throw in the _____ today!

But for the life of me, I can’t figure out what’s coded in the last sentence. Closet dreams? Wardrobe dreams, wide dreams? I don’t think any of these exist. Does anyone have an idea?

P.S. English is not my native language.


texts: Usage of the abbreviations "w/" and "w/o" in presentations

texts:
I like to use the abbreviations "w/" for "with" and "w/o" for "without" on my powerpoint slides and also in emails. According to this discussion Are "w/o", "w/", "b/c" common abbreviations in the US? the meaning of these abbreviations is well known in English speaking countries.

Recently, a colleague pointed out that these abbreviations do not look very professional on slides presented at some conferences. Since we are both non-native speaker, I'd like to know your opinion on using them on slides, does that look awkward or non-professional to native-speakers?

(I am working in natural sciences, if this matters)


texts: Adjective to replace "small" in "small part"

texts:
I am looking for the replacement for the adjective "small" as in "small part", e.g:

  I am dedicating the small part of my article to....

which would not over-emphasize the fact of being small, but at the same time keeping it clear that it is not the major and most significant part.


texts: Can I say "fixed costs-intensive program"?

texts:
Is the term "fixed costs-intensive program" correct? For example, can I write the following sentence?

  The lack of financial resources discouraged the firm to start a fixed costs-intensive marketing program.


texts: What does "spun off" in “Presuppose that the little body of dissenters suddenly spun off no less than a majority" mean?

texts:
"William F. Buckley—the movement’s Max Eastman, its most brilliant pamphleteer—predicted Goldwater’s landslide defeat. His candidacy, like the revolution of 1905, had come too soon, but it foretold the victory to come. At a Young Americans for Freedom convention, Buckley exhorted an audience of true-believing cadres to think beyond November: 'Presuppose that the fiery little body of dissenters, of which you are a shining meteor, suddenly spun off no less than a majority of all the American people, who suddenly overcome a generation’s entrenched lassitude, suddenly penetrated to the true meaning of freedom in society where the truth is occluded by the verbose mystification of thousands of scholars, tens of thousands of books, a million miles of newsprint.' Then Goldwater’s inevitable defeat would turn into 'the well planted seeds of hope, which will flower on a great November day in the future, if there is a future.'"
--the Atlantic


texts: What is the role of "would " in the following sentences and what do they mean?

texts:
I read these sentences in an English learning guide. Please let me know what is the role of  "would" in the following sentences and what they mean:

Son, I want someone would tell you that you are lazy.

Is there any body here who would help me about the hospital?

It would be better if he would know regarding his mistakes.

It is  better if he would know regarding his mistakes.


texts:
Is there a single word to describe the occurrence of a pattern more than once?

  This word exists in a file more than once.

According to an online Czech–* dictionary, these would be the equivalents in other languages:

mehrmals in German
многократно in Russian
aliquotiens in Latin
kilkakrotnie in Polish
několikrát or víckrát in Czech


texts:
"Ye" is an archaic pronoun that is a plural form of "you".

The possessive form of "you" is "your". The possessive form of "thou" is "thy" (or "thine" before an adjective).

What is the possessive form of "ye"? Is it just "your"?


texts: Which one should I use? "OF IT" or "OF WHICH"

texts:
I bought a watermelon from the market, half ---- was rotten, so I threw it away and bought a new one.

It seems to me both of them are correct.


texts: Idiom or one word for people who ignore attempts to get in touch?

texts:
I just read this question

I need one-word expression for "Ignoring someone intentionally"

and am looking for something similar, an idiom or one word I think I have heard many times in sitcoms and shows aimed at adolescents.

Situation: two people, A and B, have been on a date. Afterwards A wants to, and B doesn't want to, meet again. A calls/texts/IMs B and B just ignores (or blocks) these contact attempts rather than telling A that (s)he has no interest in further contact.


texts: 'craving for more than we have' or 'craving for more than what we have'?

texts:
What is the difference between these two sentences?

"We’re never satisfied, never stop craving for more than we have".

and

"We’re never satisfied, never stop craving for more than what we have".

Thank you


texts:
I have looked on the internet regarding this issue and could not find a definitive answer so I posted the question here.

Which one do I use if I want to change something to something else?

Example imperative sentence:

Change that code with/to? this code.

In this instance - change to or change with?


texts:
In a legal document I am having to edit certain specific phrases, though I have managed to do most I am stuck on a way to change the wording of the phrase        "[Company Name] hereby appoints" and still making sound official as it is a legal document. It is a part of a statement that allows a reseller to sell our products.

Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated. Again the phrase I need to change is "[Company Name] hereby appoints"

Thank you


texts: When can a subjective relative pronoun and the verb "be" not be omitted in a sentence?

texts:
There have always been recommendations which are made to athletes.

I know "which are" can be omitted in the above sentence. Also, I learned that a subjective relative pronoun and the verb "be" cannot be omitted in some cases. Can you explain when they cannot be omitted?

Can a subjective relative pronoun and the verb “be” be omitted in the sentence below?

  I have two sons who are doctors.


texts: What's the origin of the "surprise!" interjection?

texts:
This interjection is perhaps most commonly associated with surprise parties, where the person in whose honour the party is held is made unaware, until an opportune moment where the participants leap out and shout "surprise!"

When did such usage first appear?


texts: Is 'town' or 'Barrie' a proper noun in this sentence?

texts:
I live in a small town called Barrie.

Which noun is proper – town or Barrie?

I answered Barrie and the examiner marked it as wrong.

And another one:

  Last night, I watched the movie My Cousin Vinny on television.

In this sentence, is Cousin a proper noun or a common noun?


texts: Is there a name to describe a video game player who plays for aesthetics?

texts:
Word to describe a video game player who plays for aesthetics or other useless-in-game achievements? I'd go with overachiever but it doesn't sound like internet slang, nor is it very concise.

Related on Arcade: Collector gamer, or player gamer?


texts: Should I pause before or after the "that" of an object clause?

texts:
For example, if I want to pause in speech, which way is better:

  I {a very long adverb phrase} realized | that English is so
  useful but not easy to master.

or

  I {a very long adverb phrase} realized that | English is so
  useful but not easy to master.


texts: Help with understanding Apostrophe for worker's or workers'

texts:
I am currently writing an essay on Political Economy.

Can I ask what the correct use is for the Apostrophe in this sentence:

1) You could be asking yourself why a worker's democracy is needed?

2) You could be asking yourself why a workers' democracy is needed?


texts: Is it correct to say "There are two sides to the argument"? I know "two sides of the argument" is definitely grammatically correct, but the former also feels right and has a different emphasis. And if it is correct, what makes it so?


texts: What does the word "no" mean before a noun-adjective word?

texts:
I see some examples :

- No cheese

- No errors

- No good

I understand how to use "any", but "no" before a noun is weird (especially "no" before an adjective). Can anyone explain them?


texts: Missing data: not registered vs not available

texts: I have a scientific paper table that has a few missing values. Values are missing as they were not recorded (written by a doctor) on patients' medical records. Should I address these values as "not registered" or "not available" or something else?


texts: What's the difference between "rind", "peel", and "skin"?

texts:
I usually see rind, peel, and skin used interchangeably, But is there any meaning behind them? For example:

  banana peel vs banana skin vs banana rind

Which one should we use for each thing?
And also which verb should we use for each thing?


texts: I'm trying to decode the mysterious word Ananyzapata. Unfortunately I don't have the original source, just its appearance on a slide from a presentation. From the context (words on good luck charms/amulets in Medieval England) it may be a word like Abracadabra, or the name of a god, or angel, or even demon? It might even be a phrase mistakenly rendered as one word. Any ideas?


texts: Are there names for the measurements of an arrow?

texts:
I need to describe some measurements of an arrow shape. Are there names for the measurements described in the diagram pictured below? Blue lines indicate a measurement and are capped with red lines.

image source


texts: Questions about vocabulary related to publishing and writing - proper words

texts:
Updating my resume and converting it to English, I encountered the following issues:

I have written a few technical books. In the resume summary, what should I refer to myself as? Writer, author..? I would like to emphasize the subject (technical stuff), would "technical writer" be correctly understood? In my mother language, we distinct between those who contribute to magazines and those who author books. Of course I want the resume to be as clear as possible.
The books I wrote were published (printed) by a publisher. Of course I would like to show that these were not "just" ebooks I put up somewhere but classic books, not fund by myself.

Thank you


texts:
I want to describe a picture that was taken in past, I should use the phrase "back in" or "back to"?

Ask for help


texts:
In the following graph, the long s accounts for the sudden rise in frequency of most of the; if you search for moft of the, the lines match up nicely. But what would be behind the sudden increase in the string all of the at the beginning of the 20th century?

Link here

The long s problem is illustrated here: Link here


texts: What is the best or correct way to spell this adjective (e.g. shorebased training)?


texts: Is (to) subclass a valid verb? It comes from this background: Inheritance (object-oriented programming). A class models something and to create a subclass means to extend this class.


texts: What’s the meaning of ‘they don’t make them like that’?

texts:
(As an incredibly beautiful girl with silvery hair crossed the Hall, many boys gaped at her.)

"I’m telling you, that's not a normal girl!" said Ron, leaning sideways so he could keep a clear view of her. "They don’t make them like that at Hogwarts!"
"They make them okay at Hogwarts," said Harry without thinking. Cho happened to be sitting only a few places away from the girl with the silvery hair.
(p252-253, Harry Potter 4, US edition)

NB – Hogwarts, the school of Ron and Harry, is having a lot of guests for Triwizard Tournament. The beautiful girl is one of the guests in a guest school. Cho is a pretty girl in Hogwarts. Harry likes her very much.
I’d like to know

who ‘they’ are.
who ‘them’ are.
what ‘make’ means.

In other words, the whole sentence!
I’d be happy if you could help me.


texts: Which tense should you use when talking about a book if it is narrated in both the past and present tenses? I am asking this because in To Kill a Mockingbird (Can you underline book titles here?) Scout uses both the present and past tenses when narrating the story.


texts: Does the phrase "not nearly as many as" imply some level of similarity?

texts:
If a sentence would say:

  X has nearly as many Ys as Z.

I think it would be understood that it means that X has fewer Ys than Z has, but it is not that much fewer. I.e. X has almost as many as Z. When you put a negative in front of the sentence the meaning changes. The question is how much.

If we instead write:

  X has not nearly as many Ys as Z.

I would think that this means that X does not have almost as many as Z (because the previous version meant that it did have almost as many, and all I did was add a "not" to the beginning). If a sentence states that X does not have almost as many as Z, I would think that it implies that X has somewhere near almost as many as Z. I use "somewhere near" in contradistinction to "nowhere near". That is to say, that "not nearly as many" does not mean the same thing as "nowhere near as many". The latter implies that the amounts of X and Z are extremely far apart, while the former implies that there is only a noticeable gap between them but they are not so extremely far apart.

However, when I googled the phrase, I found the Collins English Dictionary which says that in American "not nearly" means:

  not at all; far from

And in British it means:

  nowhere near; not at all

This seems strange and counter-intuitive to me. Is this correct, or was my above assessment correct? (Or some other option?)

The relevance of this question is whether I can make an inference from the following text:

  Where was this place? It surely wasn’t Hogwarts; he  had never seen a
  room like that here in the castle.  Moreover, the crowd in the
  mysterious room at the  bottom of the basin was comprised of adults,
  and  Harry knew there were not nearly that many teachers  at Hogwarts.

  (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Chapter 30)

The text later tells us that the actual number of people in the room was at least 200. Can I infer from this that there must have been many teachers at Hogwarts (say, 50-100 as opposed to only a handful) because otherwise it should have said "nowhere near that many teachers" and not "not nearly that many teachers", or would both phrase choices actually mean the same thing?

(Note, I am not asking whether a particular author was aware of any differences in meaning, or was precise in word choice. I am asking whether objectively speaking the phrase "not nearly" carries a certain meaning/implication.)


texts: How is the pronunciation of r before th? Specific case: "north"

texts:
Some consonants such as n,d,t are usually alveolar in English, except that they are replaced by dentals when they are before dental fricatives (th): tenth, said this, in the….

What about "r" before "th"?

Arthur: BrE /ɑ:θəʳ/, AmE /ɑ:rθɚ/
north: /nɔ:θ/, AmE /nɔ:rθ/ ; northern

My conjectures are:

a or o are lowered in the mouth so that we have /ɑ/ or /ɔ/.
the mouth becomes less tensed
the r is very loose
n in north becomes dental!


texts:
What the words (verb and noun) are used in medicine to describe the process as a result of which drug appears in the patient's body?
I need the word that describes the process in general, without specifying the way (drug can be syringed into or eaten by patient, etc; it is not specified).

Suppose we want to describe a scheme for the action of some drug, like this:

Drug _______ (or “_______ the drug”).
Moving of the drug with bloodstream throughout the body.
Getting the drug to the liver.
Getting the drug into the liver cells.
Inhibition of the enzyme by the drug.

My question is referred to step 1 and it is how to say briefly about the process of getting, arriving, gaining the drug into the patient's body, in general, irrespectively of the way.
Before this process, the drug was, for example, on the table or in the nightstand.
After the process, the drug is in the body.
If a syringe was used in this process, I would say “Syringing the drug” (however, I don't know if it's correct). But I want to abstract away from whether a syringe or some other device is used in this process.


texts: Can't Understand Sentence Containing Word "Keep The Difference"

texts:
I work for a client at the rate of X USD (United State Dollars) per hour. Recently, he accidentally paid me at the rate of Y USD per hour. Y is greater than X.

I notified him of his mistake and he replied with the following sentence:-

  Go ahead and keep the difference to be applied to the next round of work you do for us.

What does this mean? Should I accept the payment at the rate of Y USD per hour or correct it to X USD per hour?


texts: How did the final d of "diamond" become voiced in English?

texts:
A survey of other languages with obvious cognates clearly suggests the source for the word "diamond" ended in an unvoiced dental consonant. It is clearly voiced in modern English, and that is also reflected in its spelling.
Was this change:

a member of a regular, "event-like" historical shift in the development of English;
a member of a widely-applying and general phonetic process due to its environment;
sporadic?

I would also be interested in information on the history of this change and causative phonetic context, if available.
"Diamond" in many languages: https://www.mindat.org/min-1282.html#autoanchor12


texts:
One in ten has to "gear himself up" to rejoin hectic family life at the end of the working day and one quarter admit having to sneak in naps during week days in order to cope.

What is the meaning of having to sneak? Can this sentence can be said in some other way? Also, can you give another example where having is used like this?


texts: What is the meaning of "momentarily" in this sentence?

texts:
What is the meaning of momentarily in this sentence:

  Would love to chat on the phone momentarily.

For a very short time,  briefly.
Very soon.


texts: What does the word occupancy mean in this sentence?

texts:
The day for changing from one occupancy to the next was on a Saturday.

As far as I know, occupancy doesn't refer to a place but the use or the period of time you use a place, and it's uncountable.
I can't work out the meaning.
By the way it's longman's sentence example with occupancy.


texts:
I've just started reading the English translation of Crime And Punishment, and come across the following sentences where the usage of past perfect tense has confused me:

He was so badly dressed that even a man accustomed to shabbiness would have been ashamed to be seen in the street in such rags. In that quarter of the town, however, scarcely any shortcoming in dress would have created surprise. Owing to the  proximity of the Hay Market, the number of establishment of bad character, the preponderance of trading and working class population crowded in these streets and alleys in the heart of Petersburg, types so various were to be seen in the streets that no figure, however queer, would have caused surprise.

The use of past perfect appears in each of the three sentences. In all of them, for me, "would" instead of "would have" seems to be clearer. "Would have" leads me to read them through a subjunctive or a speculative mood, which I don't see them should imply, according to the scene being described. Or they do imply something that I've missed? Could you guys share your opinions. Thanks.


texts: Is /ɜː/ realized as schwa [ə] in British English?

texts:
I have noticed that the vowel /ɜː/  (as in the RP pronunciation of "BIRD") sounds the same as the schwa [ə] (as in the pronunciation of "BUTTER" in RP). I assume the BIRD vowel is a bit longer than [ə] and occurs in stressed syllables and has the same quality as [ə]:

/ɜː/ = [əː]

And looking the word BIRD up in Lexico added to my doubts, Lexico gives /bəːd/ (Cambridge gives /bɜːd/, BTW).
My question is: Is /ɜː/ realized as [əː] in modern RP?


texts: "xxxx it is then!", what does it really mean?

texts:
Every now and then, I hear others say "xxxx it is then", e.g. "10:30am it is then", "$200 it is then", I myself sometimes say this too, as a means to confirm some arrangement I suspect I did not hear correctly.

Is confirmation actually the supposed use of such expressions?


texts: Is there a hypernym of actual & basic [price / weight]?

texts:
Is there a hypernym of 'actual' & 'basic' in this usage?

For example:

  The actual price can be higher than the basic price because of fees etc.

or

  The actual weight can be higher than the basic weight because of packaging.


texts: What is the correct positioning of "Please" in a sentence or indeed is there one?

texts:
Please can you help me with this question?
  Can you please help me with this question?
  Can you help me with this question please?

Is there a correct place for please in this question or is it just a matter of choice?


texts: Can someone please explain the following passage from Milton's Paradise Lost?

texts:
I understand all the words, but not quite the meaning of the following passage, from Milton's Paradise Lost, Book I:

  635 For me be witness all the host of heaven,
  636 If counsels different, or danger shunn'd,
  637 By me, have lost our hopes,

Also, I'd like to know if there are some references online where one can look up passages from this book. My edition has some footnotes, but they're not very thorough.

Thanks!


texts: What's the word that sounds like “procedures” in this recording?

texts:
Here is what I hear in this audio:

  When Roman empire crumbled, Europe was procedured by famine, plague，prosecutions. and steed of war so persistent, it only rarely interrupted by peace [...].

I'm now watching some documentaries that are not only interested me but also helps me improving my listening and enlarge vocabulary for my coming IETLS. The words I'm asking in the recording really stand in the way of understanding the content.

So I really want you help me to figure it out, but I'm not just looking for convenience or being lazy; there are no caption available in my country and there's no way for me to figure it out after using all the methods I know: dictation software and guess-and-spellcheck method.


texts: Using a comma in a sentence with multiple "and"s

texts:
The sentence I'm having trouble with is:

  Track monetary and material donations and compose gift acknowledgement letters.

I am trying to express that I keep track of both monetary and material donations and also compose gift acknowledgement letters.

Should there be a comma after donations?


texts:
What does "distanced by" mean in:

"The images in themselves are as grotesque as those in Hirst’s catalogue pictures but taken out of documentary context, juxtaposed with other material and distanced always by a sense of the artist’s hovering and appalled presence, they are rendered art."


texts: Is the word "mayor" capitalized when it follows the city name?  As in, San Francisco Mayor John Doe   or San Francisco mayor John Doe?


texts:
What is the difference between following 2 sentences?

In which situation can we use " I've never" and "I've not"??

1: I've never been there.

2:I've not been there.


texts: A word for someone who sarcastically exaggerates your superiority?

texts:
I was having an argument with someone, and I showed them a piece of clear evidence and now they're just making things up because they've given up.

They keep saying things such as

  "Funny, I thought you were the only genius in existence. You should be able to understand everything in the universe, especially the base thoughts of us lowly plebians, who cower in your vast and superior intellect."

and

  "Of course I, and all of Earth's other inhabitants are full of s**t. What are we thinking, in defying Earth's greatest, and superiorly intellectual ruler? How dare we question the supreme infallibililty of Earth's sole living braniac? What was I thinking indeed? Oh guide us, great savior, guide us! GUIDE US, MASTER!!!!"

and again...

  "Yes, oh brilliant Master! What other orders do you have for us, lowly, insignificant ants?!"

It's getting really annoying, and it's incredibly childish. He's being sarcastic and making incredibly exaggerated things up because he "lost" the argument, as you can see.

Is there a word for this? A word for someone who just sarcastically says you know everything and the like?


texts: If the rule states an infinitive follows the verb "want", why is "I don't want you worrying" correct?

texts:
Why is the sentence "I don't want you worrying about the oral interview" correct? Is the syntax want+gerund correct?

Shouldn't it be

  I don't want you to worry about the oral interview (?)

(taken from a test book)


texts: There's no pressure, just follow at your own pace or There's no pressure, just follow your own pace?

texts:
It's one of the introduction pages for a flash card application and I'm try to convey the message that people can use the app at their own speed. Would it be better to say:

There's no pressure, just follow at your own pace

There's no pressure, just follow your own pace


texts: Why do we say “in” a movie but “on” a TV show?

texts:
When referring to a television program, my experience tells me that it is proper to use “on” whether I’m referring to an actor on the show or events on the show or anything.

  Did you see Matt Damon on Saturday Night Live? The sketches on that show are funny.

With films, on the other hand, I always hear people using “in” for the same purposes.

  Did you see Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting? The scenes in that film are powerful.

It could just be a trend that caught on in either case, but I’d love to know if there’s a definite explanation for this use of these prepositions or if there has been any scholarly work on the topic.


texts: What do you call the person asking someone survey questions and recording that person's answers?

texts:
What do you call the person who completes a survey for another person?

Example:

John Doe goes to some supermarket and buys some food. Marie, who works at the quality assurance department of the supermarket, calls John and asks him a series of questions about the food he's just bought (a survey about the food).

In this case, Marie is filling out the survey in name of John about the food he bought. What should I call Marie?


texts: What does “get down with the kids” or “be down with the kids” mean?

texts:
To show how “down with the kids” she was.
  He sounds like someone’s dad trying to “get down with” the kids.

Can somebody tell me what “down with” means in these sentences?


texts:
We are writing a mathematical article. We are describing objects (unit squares) rotated only 0° and 45°.

For easier use we call 0° rotated "axial".

What should we call 45° rotated? Using just "rotated" can be misleading, as it could mean arbitrarily rotated.

"Oblique" seems best to me. "Diagonal" is something else.

Edit: Sure, we are going to define it. But imagine a casual reader who looks in the middle of the article and see "rotated square". It is neither obvious that this square is 45° rotated nor that there is some definition. "mitred square" does not sounds familiar and reader will see the definition.


texts: Scheinsicherheit (ger) -> pseudo safety?

texts:
In German we have the word "Scheinsicherheit", meaning that you are applying some measures and feel protected against some threats. However if such a threat might occur in reality these safety measures might turn out to be useless.

E.g. installing some backup-software on your PC, without noticing that the data from the backup cannot be restored if needed due to programming errors.

How would you phrase that in English: e.g. pseudo-safety??


texts: Use of `even` to emphasize the desired outcome of a request

texts:
Is the word even correctly used to emphasize that arranging a call is the preferable outcome?

  I'd greatly appreciate if you could even find some time to discuss this on a call with me. In this case, please use the link below to choose the most convenient time slot for the call:

Context: outreach email


texts: What do " that" and " at a cost" mean in the following sentence?

texts:
I struggles to understand the  sentence in bold in the following essay because of the usage of at a cost and following the word that.

  Geothermal energy is natural heat from the interior of the Earth that
  is converted to heat buildings and generate electricity. The idea of
  harnessing Earth's internal heat is not new. As early as 1904,
  geothermal power was used in Italy. Today, Earth's natural internal
  heat is being used to generate electricity in 21 countries, including
  Russia, Japan, New Zealand, Iceland, Mexico, Ethiopia, the Philippines
  and the United States. Total worldwide production is approaching 9000
  MW. Some 40 million people today receive their electricity from
  geothermal energy at a cost competitive with that of other energy
  sources. However, at the global level, geothermal energy supplies less
  than 0.15% of the total energy supply.

I know what "at a cost" means but  I looked it up  again in the Cambridge Dictionary and I found the following examples which are completely understandable.

  He rescued four people at the cost of his own life.

It means you take a risk, in this case his your life, you are going to lose something but it is not clear how much it will be.

  The cruise ship was built at a cost of $400 million.

This sentence simply means that the cruise cost $400 million.

Can you explain to me what the sentence imply , especially at a cost and that?


texts: In the context of gambling, specifically poker, do you post a bet or place a bet?

texts:
In the context of poker a player places/posts bets. Two particular types of bets are the blinds.

I've seen "place a bet" and "post the small/big blind" but are the verbs interchangeable?

I understand that "to post" can mean "to announce or publish" something and I believe "to place a bet" is the more common expression, but can you "post a bet" or "place the small/big blind"?


texts: "I hope you don't mind my telling you frankly" - sentence structure

texts:
"I hope you don't mind my telling you frankly"

I've come upon this sentence while reading Viktor Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning" and it struck me as kind of strange. To me, swapping "my" for "me" would sound more natural.

"I hope you don't mind me telling you frankly"

I assumed that this sentence is, of course, right, but how does it work grammatically? Does "telling you frankly" function as an object in this sentence?


texts:
निगाह-ए-गुल से बुलबुल यूँ गिरी है गिरे जिस तरह तिनका आशियां से

Literal English translation

  The nightingale's fallen from the flower's view as a twig falls from nest

I think it's a simile. Original passage indicates she has fallen from the higher to the lower position in her flower's view.( I mean she has fallen into disgrace) dose the translation conveys the meaning of disgrace or something else? Thank you.


texts: "Will" not used for somebody else's intentions/plans

texts:
Page 576 of Collins English Usage reads

When you are talking about your own intentions, you use will or be
going to. When you are talking about someone else's intentions, you
use be going to.
I'll ring you tonight.
They're going to have a party.

Why can't will be used for somebody else's?


texts:
There is a family of grammars called construction grammar that started perhaps in the 80s with the work of Fillmore & Kay among others. Examples of constructions include:

the time + away construction (they danced the night away)
the way construction (he glad handed his way into the club)
the incredulity construction (Bush, a humanitarian!?)

I'm wondering if there is a dictionary or list of these constructions. I'm not looking for something exhaustive, but fairly extensive. Various online searches have turned up only a Japanese dictionary The Taishukan Contemporary Dictionary of English Constructions, but judging from the Japanese title 〈最新〉英語構文事典, I would say it's unlikely to be what I'm after.


texts: What does "I have eaten myself stupid" mean?

texts:
Jenson Button has said that he expects the 2016 Abu Dhabi grand prix to be his last, despite him having a contract as a reserve driver in 2017 and potentially full-time driver in 2018. When asked why he would have a contract to possibly drive in the future if he is planning on this being his last race, Button replied:

  The whole idea about having a contract is that in three months’ time, when I have eaten myself stupid and am thinking of things to do in the future, maybe I realise I need F1 back in my life.

Source: jamesallenonf1.com

I tried to look up the vocabulary but I couldn't understand the meaning of "to eat yourself stupid". Can someone help me, please?


texts:
In this text, is it correct to use the word 'has' at the very end of the last sentence?

  A true student would give everything he has and owns to his guru. It doesn’t matter what value it holds, but it has to be everything the student has.


texts:
Is there a figurative/metaphorical term for a nation (or perhaps business, etc.) that has a very powerful military? I'm looking for something to parallel "deep pockets," like:

  Ancient Persia was an empire with deep pockets and (a/an) ____ ____.

I don't think the Rooseveltian "big stick" would be immediately obvious to a reader, so I'm excluding that off the bat.


texts: Origin of "bug" in reference to software

texts:
What is the origin of the expression bug when used to refer to software? Wikipedia says it's from 1843 in Ada Byron's notes on the analytical engine.  Another source I found was on dictionary.com:

  The latter observation may explain a common folk etymology of the
  term; that it came from telephone company usage, in which "bugs in a
  telephone cable" were blamed for noisy lines. Though this derivation
  seems to be mistaken, it may well be a distorted memory of a joke
  first current among telegraph operators more than a century ago!

It seems to me that nobody really knows and that it's just a reference that came into being maybe through another domain than software and eventually creeped into it when computers and software were born.  I've always thought that it might have been because an actual bug (insect) went into a mechanical calculator and got jammed somewhere which messed the process.


texts: I regret that something didn't happen in the past

texts:
We can use should have + pp to express our regrets about things that didn't happen in the past.

  I should have talked to him about the car. (I regret, that I didn't talk to him)

In the other words it would be more beneficial to me to talk to him. Could we express the same idea with the be better off structure? As far as I understand, the structure's expressing that something would be beneficial to me.

  I would have been better off talking to him about the car.

or

  I should have been better off talking to him about the car.


texts: is the phrase "something is tops" grammatically correct?

texts:
I came across the following tech. presentation, and the first sentence annoys me: "0.5 to 0.55 is tops for similar problems".

Wouldn't it be better to write "is best" because "is tops" doesn't sound correct to me. Google also said that this phrase isn't too common.

What's right?


texts:
See, in one of our employee evaluation systems, we would like to implement a feature by which any employee can show appreciation to another employee that he has got help from or whom he thinks to be a good performer, mentor etc., and it has to be done every month. So, to give a name to this action, one of the suggestions was the phrase 'give kudos', but we would like to have a better phrase with a similar meaning. Something interesting!

Update: It is not mandatory that we should use the word 'give' or 'kudos' when we rephrase it.

Can anyone help me on this?


texts: A word for shouting athlete's name as an applause

texts: I have a question about a single word. What is it called when spectators or the audience shout an athlete's name as a support repeatedly?


texts:
Which is correct and why?

Let's go hiking at the park.

or

Let's go hike at the park.

On the second example (hike), should that actually be let's go to hike at the park?

Also works for things like: skate/skating, bike/biking...

(I'm not sure if this is a duplicate because I'm not exactly sure what I should be searching for...?)


texts: Is 'on an annual term' the same as ' on a yearly basis '?

texts:
Let's assume I have an entity called Policy. Well, policies get renewed on an annual term, so there's likely an entity called Period.

The sentence is extracted from http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/dd419654.aspx


texts: Does the phrase "per se" have to be italicized?

texts: As far as I understand, the phrase "per se" comes from Latin. Yet, it has become to accepted in English and is used so commonly, that I was wondering if the phrase is still considered of foreign origin and requires italicization or it is already considered everyday English and should not be in italics.


texts:
I was recently given a specific short sentence, and a question about the conjunction. The sentence was given orally, and I think that's relevant.
The sentence is: I don't know how to read and write.
This could mean, I don't know how to read, and I don't know how to write (the intended meaning). It could also mean, I know how to read and I know how to write, but I don't know how to do both at the same time.
To avoid this confusion, I suggested: I don't know how to read or write. Orally, the stress would be on the 'or'.
I'd like to know whether you agree or disagree with this, or am I simply compounding the problem. Many thanks.


texts: Can I use 'would like' or 'want' in place of 'wanted'?

texts:
"It’s been so long since we last were in touch but I haven’t forgotten all the wonderful times we spent together last year. It’s my birthday coming up and I wanted to invite you over to stay at my place for the celebration."

In the above quote can I say:

It’s my birthday coming up and I want to invite you over to stay at my place for the celebration.

OR

It’s my birthday coming up and I would like to invite you over to stay at my place for the celebration.

And by "wanted" does it mean that he was thinking of inviting her in the past, before writing the letter?


texts: Can a faculty be based on area1 and area2?

texts:
I've been writing a motivation letter for a grad school. The faculty I'm applying to is a "The Faculty of Computer Science and Mathematics". I want to emphasize that it is an interdisciplinary faculty which is the first thing I'm interested in it. There are mathematics faculties and computer science faculties separately which is the only case in my country. Should I say :

Your faculty is based on computer science and mathematics together which is the first reason I was need of searching more about it.
The fact that your faculty has a combination of computer science and mathematics has been the first thing to be interested in.
Your suggestion.(please)

Btw, I'm applying for a mathematics(M.S) program, I just like the opportunity to have computer science courses and research opportunities available.
Thanks in advance.


texts:
The whole quote is:
"We children didn’t quite fathom the significance of what happened on 27 May 1967. I do remember the shrieks of joy after the result was announced, laughter and a mass of tears. Mum told me we would be counted in the census now, along with the sheep and cattle. She also said we would be free people at last. I never quite knew what she meant, only that this was a big deal."

But I only really want to take three parts out of the quote like this;

“we children didn’t quite fathom the significance of what happened on 27 May 1967...Mum told me that we would be counted in the census now...She also said we would be free people at last”

How do I do that correctly?


texts:
Do we use to along with help?

  This book helps to improve our knowledge

or

  This book helps improve our knowledge

Which one of these are correct?


texts: A word describing someone who says "like" or "um" every couple of words in most sentences

texts:
Is there a word (or a few words) that accurately describes someone with the "like disease" (or the many other unnecessary words or small phrases spread throughout most sentences, such as "um") in "proper" English?

I often find having a conversation which such a person very distracting, even annoying, and it makes it difficult to concentrate on the intent of their conversation when I constantly here like x, like y, like z, ...  if such a "word" describes this too, even better.


texts: Game-changer or game changer … Hyphenation

texts:
This is my first question.
I already did a lot of research but didn't find a specific answer that helps me with this.
I know there are three forms (closed, open and hyphenated) in combining words.
With prefixes it seems rather clear, but what about nouns or verbs?
So is it "game-changer" or "game changer"… "mind-changer" or "mind changer"?

Thanks a lot!


texts:
In almost every Dravidian language, there are two versions of you, one is friendly version and another one is a  respect version.

Is there any respected version of you in English?


texts: Are null and zero articles present in every language, conceptually, or only in English?

texts:
I have been studying Peter Master's 2003 paper regarding null and zero articles and I am still not clear if he is saying that this is a peculiarity of English or if he is saying that this is a conceptual matter and that it will be apparent in all languages.

I ask this particularly as the matter of absent articles is something I meet with in Greek which has no indefinite article and is very generous with the definite. When the Greek article is missing, therefore, it is often quite a significant matter.


texts: To clarify a murky concept without explaining completely

texts:
Some concepts are just too difficult to be fully understood. Take for example the multivariate causes of the recent recession: who among us can honestly say that he or she grasps the situation completely? With respect to topics like this, although it is not possible to thoroughly grasp the concept, attempts can be made to elucidate--at least partially--the more mysterious parts.

Accordingly, is there a phrase that means, "To make less mysterious, but not explain completely because the concept is too difficult"?


texts:
I'm struggling to understand which sounds better between "It connects people who are on the same train" and "It connects the people who are on the same train".

I feel the article added to the second sentence helps restrict the group more precisely (only those people) But it also makes the sentence wordier.

I aim at being clear and concise at the same time.

What do you think?


texts:
are the tense of the verbs true in each sentence?

1-I think Jimmy did his duty as other police officers do.(simple past+simple present is true?)

2-I think he did the right thing because he is a police officer (simple past+present is true?)


texts: Is there a difference between a poll and a strawpoll?

texts:
I've heard the term strawpoll used in various TV shows and websites, and I hear poll when talking about the election.

Is there a difference between the two? Is poll just short for strawpoll? Is strawpoll just an older term?


texts:
“There are very few regulatory bodies,” says tech writer Paul
Armstrong. “And I think that’s why we’ve found ourselves in such
disarray recently … And if anything, it’s almost giving [businesses]
another free pass for another two or three years without repercussions
… It’s always going to move in advance of the regulatory framework.
“We have to think of it more holistically. But that’s quite hard to
sell in when economic times are tough … Could the change come from
actual car regulators going: ‘I won’t be buying your software, because
clearly it’s racist.’ So what is the pressure that you add to these
companies? I think the answer we’ve seen in history is there’s nothing
that changes [behaviour] as quickly as taking money out of people’s
pockets.”

This is from Richard Chataways The Behaviour Business.
What does bolded 'sell in' exactly mean here? To put into practice?


texts: Do you think these sentences are acceptable?

texts:
I'm a graduate student who studies linguistics in South Korea.
Now, I'm writing a final term paper about 'Sluicing' which is a kind of an ellipsis structure in English. However, I lack in English intuition to determine whether the following sentences are acceptable to English native speakers.
So, I want you to share your opinion with me.
Please choose which one is acceptable!

① They were firing, but at what was unclear.
② They were firing, but what at was unclear.
③ They were firing, but at what they were firing was unclear.
④ They were firing, but what they were firing at was unclear.
⑤ They were firing, but it was unclear at what.
⑥ They were firing, but it was unclear what at.
⑦ They were firing, but it was unclear at what they were firing.
⑧ They were firing, but it was unclear what they were firing at.


texts: does apropos have contradictory meanings?

texts:
Definitions:
1) with reference to; concerning.
2) very appropriate to a particular situation.
3) used to state a speaker's belief that someone's comments or acts are unrelated to any previous discussion or situation.

definition 2 and 3 seem to directly contradict eachother. am I right to assume that you can use the word apropos to describe something as highly relevant AND irrelevant?

Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Difficult Words


texts: Is "along with" always set off by commas or preceded by a comma?

texts:
Moreover, yoga, stretching, and mobility along with strengthening exercises for the back, abdomen, and leg muscles play an important role in the management of lower back pain.

Do I need to set a comma before "along with"?


texts: Is "purchased" more formal than "bought?"

texts:
It was suggested to me that the correct verb to use referring to something I paid for in the past is the word purchased:

  I purchased x.

instead of

  I bought x.

As far as I can tell, the words are almost the same in this context. The only thing I've seen online is that boughten is a colloquial past participle of the word bought.

Is bought ever, if rarely, considered colloquial? Is it ever improper to use when referring to a recent purchase?

Edit: not spoken English, and not sure how relevant, but here's an ngrams graph of "bought vs purchased."

http://imgur.com/IEO1D2e


texts: What is a good word or prhase to describe a unit of measure/a unit of physical quantity?

texts:
I am looking for a good word or a short phrase to describe a physical quantity.

For example consider these examples:

5.0 m3/h
17 bar
20 gpm (gallons per minute)
3 psi (pounds per square inch)

I am looking for a word or phrase that accurately describes the text on the right side of the number in above examples (bar, gpm, meters, etc).

In the past I've used words like unit, but I do not feel that they represent the concept properly or distinctly.

My context of use is in programming code and naming variables, so when I just say 'unit', it is seen as ambiguous - am I referring to Metric/English unit system, or unit of measurement?


texts: I have questions coming out the yin-yang about yin-yang phrases!

texts:
Yin Yang is the Chinese philosophy of Light and Shadow, often signifying the need for balance or that everything exists in balance.

But the (reasonably enjoyable to use) phrase

  Up the Ying Yang

or

  Out the Ying Yang

Doesn’t really make sense in this context (and it seems the spelling in the phrase has changed too) as it means to do something in the extreme, or to have a profusion of something. It sounds like it should be referring to a long river that someone has to travel up, connoting an extreme of something.

I can’t find an online etymology of this even after Googling and looking on Wiktionary amongst other online dictionaries, only a few ‘discussion’ here and poor explanation here.

Where did this phrase come from? Am I using it right?


texts: "The pumps were tump-tumping" from the novel "Waterland"

texts:
What is the meaning of "tump-tumping" in the extract below. I looked in many dictionaries but the expression is listed nowhere.

From the novel, Waterland:

  Fairy-tale words; fairy-tale advice. […] So he would always set his eel traps at night. Not because eel traps cannot be set by day, but because the mystery of darkness appealed to him. And one night, in midsummer, in 1937, we went with him, Dick and I, to set traps near Stott’s Bridge. It was hot and windless. When the traps had been set we lay back on the river-bank. Dick was fourteen and I was ten. The pumps were tump-tumping, as they do, incessantly, so that you scarcely notice them, all over the Fens, and frogs were croaking in the ditches. Up above, the sky swarmed with stars which seemed to multiply as we looked at them. And as we lay, Dad said: ‘Do you know what the stars are? They are the silver dust of God’s blessing.


texts: In the Oxford English Dictionary of 1989, Vol. VII. under the verb 'sin' it lists the earliest recorded use of the word as from circa 825 AD. The word 'sin' was written then as 'syngian'. If the Latin suffix 'ian' means: of or belonging to, how does the verb sin derive from syng or sing which could be interpreted as a substantive or a separate entity?


texts: What is the difference between "practical" and "practicable"?

texts:
I use both the terms practical and practicable frequently, both in a social and professional environment, but I'd like to check the validity of my usage.  To me it seems that "practical" could readily be used in each case where "practicable" is used, but not the other way around.

For example:

  This is a practical solution.

and

  The solution is practicable.

It seems slightly out of place to say practicable solution, but still correct to say The solution is practical.

So my question is: What is the usage difference between practical and practicable?


texts: What's the rule for bare infinitive in a dependent clause?

texts:
I've been reading a chapter in a certain (programming) book and stumbled upon the following sentences (and I'm sure I've seen more examples like this in the book):

Since randomized tests are nondeterministic, it is critical that the log record sufficient information to reproduce the failure.

It’s important that code being tested not call (certain functions).

(While I would expect 'the log records' and 'code doesn't call'.)
The book is well-edited so I don't think all of these can be mistakes.
So what's the rule about using bare infinitive after 'that' (or probably in similar constructions)?


texts: What does it mean for something to be "soul"? (as an adjective)

texts:
That outfit is very soul!
You look soul today.


texts: Difference between "constitution" and " structure"

texts: The main kind of problem which I always face in English language is my inability to find out the difference between two similar words . Now I can't really understand the difference between "constitution" and "structure". I'd be more than happy if someone guides me to get the difference.


texts: What's the difference between "if" and "whether"?

texts:
Using whether is far more common.  It is certainly more formal.

  I would like to know whether it is a true story or fabricated.

But we can use if as well in the same sentence.

  I would like to know if it is a true story or fabricated.

So when do we use one or the other?


texts: A function in computer games to send messages by selecting them from a preset list rather than typing

texts:
Is there a term describing a popular feature in modern computer games, where players can send messages during the game by selecting messages for typical situations from a predefined list rather than typing message text in normal way?

The examples include so-called "chat wheel" in Dota 2 where player can select from 8 different messages. The set of messages and their position on the wheel can be configured in settings. This system supplements the conventional text chat.

Another example is Hearthstone. The set of 6 messages is fixed, though different heroes have their own phrases corresponding to each message. There is no option to type messages so this system is the only way of communication for players during the game.

Perhaps, there is also some derogatory term with negative connotation referring to degradation of communication, caused by this feature?


texts:
When using compound words, their mean can still be retained when "de-compounding" them in one of two ways.

  The first way: bookstore = store of books

For this compound word, one just adds an "of" in between the two parts of the word which were compounded and the words still retain the original meaning, however, this doesn't apply to all words. And for that there is the second kind of "de-compounding" word.

  The second way: racehorse = Horse for racing

For this second way, it wouldn't make sense to say horse of racing because the horse itself isn't made of racing.

What is the name of this kind of distinction and why is there this difference within language?


texts: Is there a difference between articles and determiners?

texts: I have heard the, a, and an referred to as both articles and determiners. Do these two terms mean the same thing, or are there some differences between them? Can a word be an article but not a determiner, and vice versa?


texts: "in like manner" v. "in the like manner"

texts:
1."in like manner"

or

2."in the like manner"

I thought that the latter is correct, but more digging points to the former.

In Leviathan,of Hobbes, in like manner is used twenty five times, whereas in the like manner appears only four times, e.g.

  And these are Pleasures Of The Mind of him that draweth those
  consequences; and are generally called JOY. In the like manner,
  Displeasures, are some in the Sense, and called PAYNE; others, in the
  Expectation of consequences, and are called GRIEFE.

According to the research I did manner is countable in this phrase, and it is only when it means type that it is uncountable. Therefore, I would think that the definite article is needed.

Which of the phrases is correct and why? Are both of them correct?


texts:
First of all, thx for this site. It's great for me. I read it everyday, because I want to grow up my english skills. I'm from Poland btw. :)

My question is this:

What does it mean 'ain't'? I don't understand this language-tool. Could U explain it to me? I will be very greatfull! :)


texts: Comma usage in parallel structure without conjunctions?

texts:
I think it's valid to omit the conjunction in a parallel clause for effect, e.g.:

  There can be no absolution, no forgiveness.

But is this still a valid variant of parallelism, or does the later phrase now serve as an aside that requires an extra comma? That is, should it be

  There can be no absolution, no forgiveness for what he's done.

or

  There can be no absolution, no forgiveness, for what he's done.

Somehow both look off to me. The conjunction-free parallel fragment is grammatical and common enough, e.g. "no harm, no foul", but can its use in a sentence be grammatical without re-adding a conjunction?


texts: Meaning of the word "fold" in the sentence "Lamb astray from the fold"

texts:
Here's a extract from the fable "wolf and the lamb" from Aesop's Fables by George Townsend

  Wolf, meeting with a lamb astray from the fold...

In the above sentence what is meant by "fold"? Is it a flock of sheep?


texts:
I've seen sentences like:

"A lot of people use their computer to ..."

is it just a typo of "their computers",  or it's correct usage?

Thanks


texts: Word for the person who originally said a quote

texts: Is there a word to describe the person who said a quote?


texts: What's different between the two sentences?

texts:
Hey,
I'm watching a TV show, and there's a sentence:

  I knew giving you that book was gonna come back and bite me in the ass.

Can I change it to:

  I know gave you that book was gonna come back and bite me in the ass.


texts:
I'm always confused about the meaning and use of

  no more than

versus

  no more ____ than.

They're sometimes like comparatives, but sometimes also like collocation.
How should I distinguish them?

For example, in this sentence

  Many predictions are no more than best guesses.

What's the meaning of "no more than"?


texts:
Accountants help people with their
   1. Finance
   2. Finances


texts:
I am applying for a scholarship and this sentence doesn't sound right to me...

  I, therefore, urge the Foundation to provide me with their generous
  support that would not only make my education possible but would also
  ensure a desirable future for me.

Towards the end, I want to say that the scholarship will allow me to have a future that I wish to have and so I used the phrase "desirable future." But somehow "make my education possible" doesn't seem parallel with " ensure a desirable future for me." How do I make these phrases chime?


texts: To me "a lawn" conjures up an image of something well-kept, mowed green grass and flowers. So I've been thinking if a person doesn't care for the space in front of his house and lets it run wild, with weeds all over the place and some random grass patches here and there, will that still be a lawn? Or is there any special word to call it?


texts:
I was reading this question on meta.ELU and was struck by what, to me, was a strange use of the phrasal verb to stand up:

  The site for English Language Learners was stood up in large part so that non-native speakers could have a place where their questions, which would be regarded by some to be "too basic" for ELU, could ask their questions. The site was stood up in January of this year.

Now, to me that means that the poor site was left waiting for someone who never showed up. However, the author of the question (J.R., one of our highest rep users) seems to be using it to mean was set up. Is this common usage? Is it from a particular dialect? I have never come across it before and cannot find it in the dictionary definitions that I checked.


texts: I want to compare an exaggeration using a simile. how can I do this?

texts:
Small mistakes, which were usually unnoticed by my audience, felt like I turned into an infant going to town on a keyboard.
This is the sentence, but I want to use a different simile instead of "felt like I turned into an infant going to town on a keyboard". Does anyone have any ideas on how to do this? for context, this is about me feeling nervous when playing the piano and how smaller mistakes seem so much bigger than they are to me. Thank you!


texts:
What do I call a person who always seeks for the best price on particular item/product/service ?

Person who spends hours digging internet to find deals/discount codes/coupons in order to pay a minimum price ?

Same person may also bargain for hours with any service provider, like a car dealer, barber or street hot-dog seller, etc.

It can be in a form of addiction but also can be considered as good quality of person (he is smart enough never to overpay)


texts: Multiple clauses without the fanboys rule

texts:
The examples below show unique clauses which are commonly found in academic papers and bullet points.

Example sentence:

  The factory produced a foul smell in the air, angering numerous residents in the neighborhood.

Example bullet point:

  • Raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, helping numerous non-profits achieve their goals

These constructs seem to include multiple clauses, but do not utilize the fanboys rule after the comma. In many of these instances, the fanboys rule sounds too verbose when applied.

Are these sentences grammatically correct? What are they called?


texts: Different from x Different to x Different than

texts:
In the following sentence:

  "When I visited my old school after so many years, it looked completely different in the classrooms and the backyard /from what/to what/than/ it had been when I was a little boy.">

Are the three options acceptable in spoken English ?


texts:
I thought I had heard and seen this word being used. For example,

  If you do this, things will go hayway.

Meaning that things will go out of order in a mess/berserk, something like that.
Now I cannot find any such word in existence.


texts:
I have an american friend who tells me that this sentence:

[...] Since their absence results in a relevant market which is defined too broad, the two-sided critical loss analysis cannot be recommended ultimately for actual merger cases.

sounds more natural than this one:

[...] Since their absence results in a relevant market which is defined too broad, the two-sided critical loss analysis ultimately cannot be recommended for actual merger cases.

I'm no native English speaker, but the first one sounds weird to me. I would be very glad if I could have some more opinions on this - thanks!

Edit: I'm aware that there are (a lot) of other questions concerning the positioning of adverbs. However, since this is the last sentence in my abstract, I want the sentence to be perfect and not choose the "ultimately" at a random position. Maybe someone could explain which position would make the most sense / sounds the most natural.


texts: What is the word for doing something absentmindedly?

texts: Suppose a person throws his pen up and catches it by his one hand when he is deep in thought to solve a math problem. They don't know why they do it, but they just do and they do it unintentionally and inattentively. This behavior is generally not easy for a person to give up, but if one lessens his absentmindedness, he can stop this habit.  What is the word for this behavior?


texts:
If we are malnourished, we can die by starvation.

Is there a word that is the opposite of starvation? We can die of _________ ?


texts: "Rounded", "heaping" and other types of teaspoon(fuls)?

texts:
Can you please elaborate what's "rounded" teaspoon, what's "heaped" teaspoon and what other "types" of teaspoons exists as a measures of volume?

And is there any difference between, rounded teaspoon and rounded teaspoon*ful*?


texts: Adjective refers to one word only or to more words

texts:
Please consider the next case:
1) Financial structure and policy.
2) Financial structure, and policy.
Can case (1) be read as "Financial structure and financial policy."?
Does "Financial" in case (2) refers only to "structure"?
Thank you.


texts: One word for someone who doesn't care about anything

texts: A pessimist is someone who always considers negative outcomes of a situation, whereas an optimist always considers the positive outcomes. Is there a word for someone who, in any given situation, doesn't care about the outcome at all?


texts:
In many scientific papers, the article before the word "Equation" is omitted. Is there any grammar statement behind this? For instance:

  "Equation (8) contains various approximations, and we have to check their consistency."


texts: after retired or after retirement or after retiring？

texts:
I am preparing a speech about the life after retire. But not sure which one is correct below, please help to confirm.
1. After retire, I want to be a happy person.
2. After retirement, I want to be a happy person.
3. After retired, I want to be a happy person.
4. After retiring, I want to be a happy person.


texts:
Do these sentences mean the same? Is one preferable to the other?

I think Ben is a robot. If he is, we should not talk to him anymore.
I think Ben is a robot. If he is one, we should not talk to him anymore.


texts: Meaning of "running off" in this context

texts:
I do not understand the use of "run off" in the following sentence. Neither was I able to find any explanation so I guess it is not a phrase?

  If your generator (software) was running off a different machine you would type the server name or IP address of that machine.


texts: "I think that ..." v.s. "From my viewpoint/perspective"?

texts:
When I am asked "why you believe this candidate is or is not ready for ...",
shall I use

"I think that the candidate is ready ...",

or

"From my perspective, this candidate is ready ...


texts:
What is the study of language usage types [a question, an answer, a criticism, a complaint an elaboration, etc]?

I've heard ontology and linguistic-typology used interchangeably for this (among others) but not sure either is correct - at best both seem to be metaphors. Is there a widely accepted answer for this discipline? Is this even a discipline :) ?


texts:
All these three forms, high throughput, high-throughput or high through-put, are used in the scientific community by Google Scholar searching. Where is the hyphen should be? Is there a specific context for their using?

Thank you!


texts:
The level of A is classified into high, medium and low?
  The level of A is classified as high, medium and low?

Which of the above is correct?


texts: A word like “anachronism” but for word meanings instead of time

texts:
I’m trying to find a word that has roughly the same meaning as “anachronism”, but rather than incongruous time periods, it’s the word meanings which don’t line up/don’t make sense with each other.

The sentence which inspired this question was someone saying that they had a few more “sparkles to unfold” (as opposed to secrets, perhaps?). This feels incongruous as sparkles do not unfold. I see examples of mismatched metaphors like this a lot, but I don’t have a word for what they are.


texts: But other things being equal, it is better for society that the girl is educated than that she remain/remains ignorant

texts:
I found the following sentence in Neil Stephenson's Diamond Age

  But other things being equal, it is better for society that the girl is educated than that she remain ignorant.

(p. 164 in Google Books)

I do not understand why there is remain and not remains. The problem is that I'd expect all verbs in third person singular end with s.


texts: Which form would be correct: cyber security, cyber-security or cybersecurity?

texts: I want to stop changing my mind, I've used all three of the forms cyber security, cyber-security or cybersecurity at different times. There have been previous discussions on this (e.g. here and here) and I'm looking for a reasoned recommendation. I know there is never a simple answer in language due to the constant evolution of speech, but a reasoned consensus should be possible. Don't waste time on what cyber means, concentrate of the usage form. Why not the cybersecurity form, common in the America's, yet tagged as a misspelled in my UK version of Microsoft Word. The cyber security form is common in Europe yet I come across many documents in which both versions, and all three versions are used interchangeably. My preference would be to use the hyphen form to strengthen the specific computer/software related version of security. The single word form seems incorrect since I can think of no other security word without a hyphenated prefix (self-security is a rare hyphenated example). Other types of security are separated words, e.g. information security, financial security, physical security. Usage without the hyphen makes sense in other forms, e.g. cyberphobia. Let's see the consensus :)


texts:
According to Merriam-Webster, one of the definitions of the word finesse is as follows:

  refinement or delicacy of workmanship, structure, or texture

Now, based on the fact that the Latin base fin means end in English, I always intuitively assumed that the word had connotations with such concepts as: "finishing touch, attention to the end-product, and taking special care of the final details in a craft or situation". Are my perceptions of the word's associative properties a stretch of the imagination, or correctly guided?


texts:
Not a duplicate! Here are the differences:

I already read the other question while researching prior to asking this, and it didn't answer my question. Come on, you gotta believe me!
The other question asks about what the most appropriate word to use in a restaurant setting is. This question asks about what the logically correct word to use in a particular sentence (Stack Exchange error message) is when the meaning is a mix of both.
The other question asks about ASKING FOR permission or ASKING IF something is possible. This question specifically mentions the use of "can" and "may" for GIVING PERMISSION or TELLING that something is possible. Questions and statements are not the same kind of sentence.
I always have to fight to stop my questions from getting closed as duplicates. It's so irritating! Give me a break!

Stack Exchange has a network-wide restriction that limits low-rep users to only ask 1 question per 40 minutes (90 minutes on Stack Overflow).

The error message that you get when you try to ask too many questions:

  You can only post once every 40 minutes.

"Can" is supposed to be used to denote the possibility of doing something, i.e being able to post once every 40 minutes.

On the other hand, "may" us supposed to be used to ask for and give permission, i.e having permission to post once every 40 minutes.

The error message in question seems like a hybrid of the 2 "can" and "may"  contexts. The system gives users permission to post once every 40 minutes, but it's also impossible to post before the 40 minutes is up.

Which is the correct word to use here? "Can" or "may"?


texts:
I was looking at a question on ELU, when I saw “yada yada”. My friends usually text me yadda yadda.
So I looked on the internet.
Urban dictionary says:

yadda yadda yadda
A phrase that means "and so forth" or "on and on;" it usually refers to something that is a minor detail or boring and repetitive.

But Merriam webster says:

Yada Yada
boring or empty talk

So is it Yada or yadda?


texts:
In the following sentence, I'm trying to figure out which is the direct object:

  On a trip like this, one must be careful about gas consumption.

I know that the subject is one and the verb is be but I'm not sure what the direct object would be.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!


texts: It looks like not funny -> does it make sense?

texts:
My friend recommanded some game , so I saw game images
and I told my friend that it look like not funny?

My friend say what mean???

please correct


texts: Correct spelling and/or hyphenation for electronic commerce

texts:
What is the correct spelling and/or hyphenation for the abbreviation of electronic commerce?

I have seen the following variations.

eCommerce
E-Commerce
ECommerce
E-commerce


texts: "Hence the need to make X" vs. "hence the need for X"

texts:
Is either of these two sentences correct? If both are correct, is one of them more common than the other?

  [some arguments...] Hence the need to make an educted guess.

  [some arguments...] Hence the need for an educated guess.


texts: Is a comma after the word introduced by 'let alone' in the middle of a sentence needed?

texts:
Consider the following British-English sentence:

  It is difficult for the decision-makers to believe, let alone accept(,) that the increased hardware-security would outweigh the production loss caused by security-enhancing measures.

Is the second comma mandatory, forbidden, or optional?  In the optional case: what shift in the meaning does the introduction of the comma (versus its absense) cause?  Justification supported by references would be welcome.

(If it has any relation: we use the serial [Oxford] comma throughout the rest of the text.)

OOD provides a single example without a comma:

  Who on earth would be prepared, let alone equipped to take on such a challenge?

But, there is no explanation (and it might even be a typo), so, all bets are off.


texts: English words with underlining like Uluṟu

texts: Apart from words derived from Australian Aboriginal languages, are there any words in English that are written at least some of the time with individual letters being underlined for pronunciation reasons, like "Uluṟu"? (I'm not sure whether "Uluṟu" counts as an English word, FWIW)


texts: What's a term for decision making that revolves around no one entity?

texts:
What's a term -- word, or phrase -- for a process of decision making that does not allow any one person or entity final power?
(Whether or not there's an example of this actually working or not, is unimportant. I don't care if it's possible, it can be theoretical...)
I initially tried "democracy," but that's not really what I mean. In fact, it's completely different. But something along those lines. (Actually, this is for debate, so I basically tried slightly -- or, fine, majorly -- tweaking the definition of democracy to be more what I was hoping for, but the word has too much baggage to make it work for me.)
Basically, some form of government or decision making that allows every individual to have a say in it.

They used [blank] to insure a fair decision.
This society functions around a [blank] system.

Or something.


texts: People not admitting when things are going bad

texts:
Is there a word for someone who does not want to admit that things are going bad?

E.g. when a person does not want to admit that a specific project at work isn't
going as planned -- not because they are not aware of it, but simply because they don't want to admit it.


texts: when using the titles of Dr. should it be followed by their first name or last name

texts:
when in the presence of a doctor, is it proper to call him

Dr. "first name" or Dr. "last name" is there any rules that normally apply. I know in the military that you don't use Sargent "first name" it is always Sargent "last name" and the same with President " Barack or Obama"


texts: Which is the correct usage of the verb "overlap": "overlaps" or "overlaps with"?

texts:
Which one is correct, "overlaps" or "overlaps with"?

Your vacation period overlaps John's.
Your vacation period overlaps with John's.


texts:
One is driving on a freeway.  A truck is about to crash into ones car, so one sounds the car horn.

One could say blast the horn, honk the horn, sound the horn, etc.

Which is the most proper word choice?


texts:
There is an essay whose title is Screw motivation, what you need is discipline. I can understand its main idea, but can not figure out the exactly meaning of Screw motivation in the title.

Could you mind explaining Screw motivation in plain English?

My some surmise：

Don't care about motivation
In order to strengthen motivation

Thanks.


texts:
I am having trouble figuring out when to use the word, could.

For example, in the sentence "There is a possibility that person had hit my car". If I used "could have" instead of "had", I think it would be repetitive.

But in the sentence, "There is a possibility I could have done better". Without the could the sentence meaning changes.


texts: In NBA basketball, TV commentators use the expression "shoot from downtown" when a player shoots beyond the 3-point line. What is the origin of this expression?


texts: What is the difference between "some would argue that..." vs "some may argue that"?

texts:
What is the difference between these two expressions:
"Some would argue that..." vs "Some may argue that..."
Thank you,


texts: What is another word for "dessert lover"?

texts: I just want to know a term for a dessert lover.


texts: One word - someone so scared that he can't move

texts:
I am not able to find an appropriate word to fill in for "scared".

He was so scared, he couldn't move. He turned to stone.
He was too shocked. He almost turned to stone and could not move.

What would be a single word that has more intensity than scared or shocked.
A word that can convey the figurative meaning of "he turned to stone".

[The following edits are the text of a well-formed and well-considered question (A word or expression for being paralyzed by fear or scare, like German Schockstarre) posed by Christian Geiselmann 2017-8-2, later closed as a duplicate of this question. This question had previously been closed due to lack of research. The answers to Geiselmann's question have been merged with the answers to this question.]
I am searching for a nice, possibly picturesque and idiomatic way of expressing in English what Germans call Schockstarre - being paralyzed by fear.

in Schockstarre verfallen

The word is used, first, to discribe the state some animals fall into when under threat, for example a beetle may have such a condition - not moving, apparently dead, so that a predator would hopefully turn away disinterested. Second, the word is used to picturesquely desribe a similar state in humans; usually ironically.
I tried to find adequate expressions in English but what I found so far seems too normal, not pointed enough to me:

to be paralyzed from shock
to be in a state of shock

These expressions seem to be mere descriptions of an actual state of shock, and I feel they lack the expressive power of German in Schockstarre verfallen (which evoces the picture of a motionless beetle or other funny animal).
Any ideas?
If you need a context: imagine, for example, a newspaper article describing a dangerous international situation, and the White House is unable to do anything meaningful due to inner confusion (I make this up, nothing real is intended here). Or take German car makers who seem to be paralyzed by daily new revelations of their fraudful schemes. Anyway, people who should actually do something, but do conspicuously nothing, and you describe this with irony.


texts: Word that describes a person's occupation?

texts:
For example, a demonym is the name given to the inhabitants of a particular location.

Demonym: United States -> American

Is there a word for the name given to people that do a certain job?

(Word I'm looking for): Cooking -> Cook


texts: Original / old English word for Metal or Metalcraft

texts:
I would like to write my story in Anglish, which is basically, to my understanding, English without borrowed words from other languages. I like it because it sounds familiar and strange at the same time.
For example, carpenters would be woodworkers and carpentry would be woodcraft.
So far so good, but I struggle with metalworkers and metalcraft because as far as I can tell, metal is a relatively new addition to the English language and it is originally a Greek word.
I've done some Internet research, but the only useful thing I could find out was that "smith" is supposedly the original English word for a metalworker. That doesn't help me with the original word for metal, though. I'm pretty sure there is something I just don't understand...
So my question is, what would be an old / original English word for metal and metalcraft?


texts: Difference between relatively and comparatively?

texts:
I have some problem about the use of “comparatively” and “relatively”.
For example
Power has comparatively greater effect on echo changes in the upper layer.
Or
Power has relatively greater effect on echo changes in the upper layer.
I want to show the effect of power on echo changes in upper layer with respect to lower layer. I want to write the sentence as shown above but dont know which sentence is correct. Any guidance will be appreciated, thanks


texts: "wash your hands" and "wash the hands" difference

texts:
everyone. Could anyone help me to clarify why people say 'wash your hands' all the time? There are a lot of articles on Internet about 'wash YOUR hands', but I've never seen 'wash THE hands'? Why don't we say 'wash the hands'?

The sentences:
1) Before lunch you need to wash your hands.
2) Mom, I don't want to wash my hands They're clean.

The same thing with 'brush YOUR teeth', 'wash YOUR face', 'comb YOUR hair'.
Why do we need to use "possessive pronouns" instead of "the".

Could you please give me a couple of examples with "the"?


texts:
Ok, according to this website :

"should" can be used to show mild obligation or advice

Ex: You should save some money.

"should have + pp" can be used to show advice in the past (that past action didn't happen)

Ex: You should have gone to bed earlier, now you have missed the train.

After spending 3 days googling, we found that we also had the structure "should + be + verb-ing" to express that the subject is not fulfilling their obligation or is not acting sensibly.

Ex: You should be wearing your seatbelt. (The person isn't wearing one right now)

We should be studying for the test. (We are not studying right now and we should)

This seems to make sense because "be verb-ing" expresses an ongoing action.

My question is that:

Do we have the structure "should have been doing" (advice in the past) in everyday English conversation?

Can we say:

Ex: You should have been wearing your seatbelt at the time the plane took off. (The person wasn't wearing one at that moment & we said this to express a regret in the past)

Note: I couldn't find any source on the internet mentioning this, so could you please include a referenced source in your answers?


texts: How would one use the phrase 'kitchen roll'?

texts: We don't use the phrase "kitchen roll" in the US.


texts: Sat question, passive word choice, "shown " grammar

texts: for question 1, the correct answer is C, but I chose D. My reason is that D is simpler, it can refer to "you", since there is a comma before it so that it would not refer to "hotel" instead