texts:
I thought of the word "climb" but I think climbing is a vertical movement. Like, you climb a mountain, or a tree.

  I knelt down on the log and stayed like that, as though preparing to
  do push-ups. Finally, taking a deep breath, I began to [...].

In this case, the log is bending upwards. Maybe it can still be called climbing? Or maybe there's a more appropiate word? One that means "crawling upward"?


texts: today is the day when I will go to the movie with my boyfriend

texts:
"Today is the day when I will go to the movie with my boyfriend."

Is this phrase awkward somehow? Does "when" sound redundant?


texts: Should we use "the" when there is a post-modification( the+noun of+noun)?

texts:
Which one of these are correct, why and what are the nuances?

1a) This is a time of crisis

or

1b) This is the time of crisis.

2a) I was in a web of troubles.

or

2b) I was in the web of troubles.

3a) Some people have a tendency to curse when they are annoyed.

or

3b)Some people have the tendency to curse when they are annoyed.


texts:
Do we give or take exam ?
Please clarify the difference of both.

In normal english, if we give something then it is giving, then it will b giving exam. But everyone says "giving exam" is wrong.


texts: Can someone help me diagram this very confusing sentence?

texts:
The vase didn't look like I wanted it to.

That is the sentence.  My teacher said there is a participle, but I can't identify one.

Thanks!


texts: What's the word for someone who criticizes a work you've done without properly understanding it?

texts:
Let's suppose I write a book expressing how the political situation in my country is bad, because X and Y reason. Then some outsider comes and says I totally don't get the point or criticizes my work in any way, without understanding the depth of it, missing the whole one point of the thing, criticizing it as if I was making everything I wrote out of my head, when in fact I did not theorize or gave any opinions, but just outlined what is actually happening in the country.

Another example would be, I studied medicine and at some point I start doing some research on how to cure a certain disease, let's say HIV, since I really think I can find a cure or at least better treatment for it. At some point, I DO find a better treatment or a cure for it, whatever it may be, so I go on and publish the due academic papers explaining everything about the newfound medicine/treatment and the whole medical community understands it is a good and valid thing. However, some other doctors come with their butt hurt assess and with their PhD's, ready to disguise my work with some bullshit counter argument like :"Despite this substance now being known to cure the HIV - I strongly believe no one should use it since it is known to cause strong diarrhea, and as to prove this I show you the fact you'll have to shit your gut outs to be cured, as it is documented in paper X, Y and Z already". I mean, they totally miss the point, with arguments that despite not expressing hate, are quite observably either stupid, irrational, misleading, or plain bullshit, or just not constructive at all.

In other words, I'd like to know a word used to describe people who attack a legitimate work/opinion, especially one whose value is easy to understand, without really caring to verify if what they're saying is constructive or not, or don't care to at least back their arguments up with something solid. Notice that here I'm not talking about a hater in the proper sense, but a person whose argumentation is weak or solely based on feelings when criticizing.


texts:
Is there a rule that states what word adjectives in a sentence will link to? If I say

  I have a big cookie jar

it's still a correct sentence. The word "cookie" isn't an adjective, but "cookie jar" is a common term that represents a jar explicitly used to contain cookies.

In the phrases "dark green box" and "dark, green box" I know that with the comma, the box is dark and green, while without it, the box is dark green.

In the cookie jar sentence, is the jar explicitly used to contain "big cookies" or is the "cookie jar" big?


texts: What is the meaning of the quotation below?

texts:
“Perfection is a trifle dull. It is not the least of life’s ironies
  that this, which we all aim at, is better not quite achieved.” — W. Somerset Maugham


texts:
I was wondering if 'spread out over no telling how many years' is syntactically correct (Please see the quote at the bottom). Through the help of another forum, I now know 'no telling how many years' brings the sense 'it's impossible to guess how many years the decoration would be used' into the sentence, semantically interrupting it halfway. 'Over' should take a time noun here, but suddenly, BOOOM! 'no telling.' It is somewhat a sentence with 'there is no telling how many years' embedded in it.

preposition + no telling/ verb (other than 'be' of 'there be') + no telling, conveying the sense of 'there be no telling ...'

Although it might possibly be unorthodox English, I would like to be able to use it. I've tried to come up with example sentences in the other forum in vain. Here are some more I made up after a long thought:

The ancient village existed at the tip of the peninsula for no telling how long, but it was there and prospered for sure.
Seems like the dog came back with no telling what in his mouth. His tongue is all purple now. But we don't know what it was. There is no trace left other than that.

  We were ready for Christmas, and we'd got that way inexpensively --- a
  word you use when you don't want to say cheap. The total investment in decorations, beginning with the free tree, might have reached $20.00 --- a lavish sum  spread out over no telling how many years. Decorating today is an ornament of a different color. I Googled
  "Christmas decorations for sale" and looked at what's available in
  modern Yuletide festoonery. ("Hang That Tree Ornament" --- 'And the
  merchant who sold it to you' by William Jeanes, The Saturday Evening
  Post, Nov/Dec 2011)


texts: Grand (as in parents) -- singular or plural?

texts:
In his song "White Wine in the Sun", Tim Minchin sings

  I'll be seeing ... my grand and my Mum.

This apparently stands for grandparents, but what is the 'default' visualization of that word by native speakers? Do you see multiple grandparents or, for instance, one grandmother?

For me as a non-native English speaker, the latter seems more natural, since, along the musical motion and harmony change, the scene's attention is somewhat focusing gradually on the Mum character, going from plural of sisters to singular of Mum, dragging the intermediate point to singular.

It could also be undefined, so that you'd only sense just a vague odor of grandparenting. Is this the case?


texts:
This is an extract from text about restaurant of the future
http://www.eater.com/2015/9/14/9310919/restaurant-of-the-future

I am confused about this sentence:

  "You would be impressed had you not seen this shameless attempt to appeal to Generation Z’s eco-friendly sentiments a million times in similar restaurants"

Would someone please write this sentence in other words or explain the meaning.


texts: Which word in given statement is closest in meaning to "strikingly"?

texts:
The technology of the North American colonies did not differ strikingly from that of Europe.
The word "strikingly" in this statement is closest in meaning to :

a. Realistically
b. Dramatically
c. Completely
d. Immediately

I choose B but my friend A. What is the answer and why, Can you help me ?


texts: When is the correct time/day to wish someone a happy "day'?

texts: When is the correct time/day to wish someone a happy day (birthday,  holiday etc)?  On the day,  before the day,  after part of the day is gone?  I am always thinking you have to wish someone in advance of the day because you are rooting for them to have a good day on the day in question.  If one waits until the day,  then the day or part of the day is already done?


texts: Pick up the paperwork between 8:00 am to 8:30 am.  Is the word "to" incorrect?  I was informed by a coworker that it should read "between 8:0 am and 8:30 am." If a correction is needed, can you tell me why. Thank you for your input.


texts:
I just read an article from Economist Sep24th, 2016 titled Guns and ghee, the article was discussing india's armed forces. I don't quite understand what does the title imply?

  ghee: Ghee is a class of clarified butter that originated in ancient
  India and is commonly used in South Asian, Iranian and Arabic
  cuisines, traditional medicine, and religious rituals - wikipedia

Was the author trying to tweak "bread and butter" and replace "bread" with "Guns" and "butter" with "Indian butter - ghee" or what? What does the ghee means here? domestic economy or...


texts:
From Dune by Frank Herbert:

  "I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that
  brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me
  and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its
  path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain."

  He felt calmness return, said: "Get on with it, old woman."

  "Old woman!" she snapped. "You've courage, and that can't be denied. Well,
  we shall see, sirra." She bent close, lowered her voice almost to a whisper.
  "You will feel pain in this hand within the box. Pain. But! Withdraw the hand
  and I'll touch your neck with my gom jabbar --the death so swift it's like the
  fall of the headsman's axe. Withdraw your hand and the gom jabbar takes you.
  Understand?"

  "What's in the box?"

  "Pain."

Is the sentence "But!" considered grammatically correct? How is this meant to be interpreted? How is it different from using a comma? It should be noted this is part of a dialog.


texts:
Today I was driving by a UPS truck, which for those unfamiliar is a delivery truck used by a shipping company.

By standard definition UPS could be seen as an acronym as you can pronounce it "ups" however everyone (including the company) pronounces each letter instead, much like an initialism.

So my question is, in cases like these, which is it? Does the definition of acronym merely mean that a set of letters can be easily said, or does the actual implementation of the letters change the definition? As in, if a company chooses to pronounce their name as an initialism, does it become one?


texts: The meaning of Descending Priority when some possibly contradicting ordering is also are specified

texts:
At work, we use a priority classification with the following values:

Priority 0 (most urgent)
Priority 1 (less urgent than previous p0)
Priority 2  (less urgent than previous p1)
Priority 3 (least urgent)

I've listed them in this order as I see them in order of descending or lesser importance, as you go down the list.

My boss recently sent me an email with of prioritised tasks. She stated that "These are in in descending priority", and they were listed as

P3 ---- butter task
P3 ---- cake task
P3 ---- apple task
etc.
P2 ---- chocolate task
P1 ---- cookie task

However she expects that above defined importance is applied to the list

I wonder if either of our understandings of descending when applied to priority is flawed with respect to a common sense understanding.

FYI : We're English speaking New Zealanders to give you a cultural context.


texts: How popular is ‘Contrafibularities’ as a day-to-day English word?

texts:
I found the phrase “My sincerest contrafibularities, Tim” given to one of the comments to my question about the word, 'Cromulent' in EL&U site.

As I was totally unfamiliar with the word, ‘contrafibularities’ (as well as 'Cromulent'), I checked Cambridge, Oxford, and Merriam-Webster online dictionary. None of them registers ‘Contrafibularities.’ GoogleNgram doesn’t carry this word either.

However, I was able to find the definition of this word as ‘A form of congratulations as used by Edmund Blackadder to mock Doctor Samuel Johnson, author of the dictionary’ in www.urbandictionary.com, and its origin;

Blackadder: "Allow me to be the first to offer Dr. Johnson my most sincere contrafibularities! I am anaspeptic ... Contrafibularities: Obviously from contra, against, + fibula, the smaller of the two bones in the lower leg. Means 'pulling one's leg,' in www.reviewers-choice.com.

I don’t understand why combination of prefix ‘contra’ and ‘fibula’ come to form the meaning of ‘Congratulations.’

But as it looks like the salute giver used this word quite casually (I think) to congratulate a comment poster, the word (contrafibularities) wouldn’t be any unusual word.

However, I would like to make sure of popularity and usability of this word. The word may be taken for granted as casually among native English speakers even among cab-drivers and burger-shop waitresses (I use these jobs just for the purpose of reffering to an average person).

But, if I speak this word in conversation with or use in writing to native speakers, am I ridiculed or jeered by them as being awkward?


texts: What is a common English expression for when you were very tired or out of it and said something extremely stupid?

texts: I kept thinking of "spazzing out" but that doesn't quite seem to be it. An example is when you're very tired and kind of dozing off and you say something or ask a question that is incredibly stupid and makes no sense.


texts: Is there a word that means the bad events?

texts:
I'm trying to find a word that simply means the bad events (that take place in a story). For example, I'm trying to use it in this way:

  Kino, as a male, has the role as being the scandalous character, causing the ____________ that take place.

I was thinking maybe the word "disaster" would fit, but I want a higher level word and a word that means the closest.


texts: Can adverb be a subject in english? What part of speech can be a subject?

texts:
Many part of speech can be a subject in my native language (Russian)
For example - a noun, a adverb, a pronoun, verb etc.
But I think in English it isn't the same.
So what can be a subject in English?

I know it can be a noun (A dog is barking)
A pronoun (I'm running, everybody needs friends)
Perhaps, "It" is a pronoun in role of subject (It is cold), but I'm not sure.

What parts of speech can be a subject in English?


texts: Differentiating new (wife and children) and old family (parents) in a dedication

texts:
I am writing a dedication:

To my family, parents and mentors

Parents were also my family when I was a kid. Thus, may this "overlap" in the differents terms cause confusion?
A wordier option:

To my wife, children, parents and mentors

Less wordier option:

To my family and mentors

Or how to solve this?


texts: What part of speech is "almost" when applied to an adjective?

texts:
If I say that "the box is almost flat" what part of speech is "almost"?

I can't say "the box is almost", so it does not appear to be an adjective itself.  It seems to be a word that modifies the adjective "flat".

I note that the online definitions say it is an adjective and and adverb, neither of which I really understand the reasoning for.  One example of online definition


texts:
In the sentence below, I want to make it clear that the statistic (rather than the sample) is the subject doing the estimating.

  A statistic is a numerical characteristic of a sample, that
  estimates the numerical characteristic (or parameter) of the population from which it is drawn.

This sentence, from a lecture I attended, is introducing two new pieces of information about a sample--i.e. it is a numerical characteristic, and it estimates something--, so neither is just 'additional information', in that sense.

Maybe the structure could be changed:

  A statistic is a numerical characteristic of a sample; it
  estimates the numerical characteristic (or parameter) of the population from which it is drawn.

But if I wanted to keep the same structure and flow of the original sentence, (which I do), how should it be done correctly and unambiguously?


texts: How to distinguish previous holders of titled administrative positions

texts:
When writing about an event that occurred in the recent past, how should one refer to people who held well-established positions for a short amount of time?

For example, if I am writing about a bill in United States Congress in 2005, and what to insert a quip about George W. Bush, who was President at the time. I could write:

  ... passage of the bill was threatened by a veto from President George
  W. Bush.

(Bold text for emphasis in this question.)

However, since the current President is Barack Obama, I'm concerned about confusing the reader, so I'm considering:

  ... passage of the bill was threatened by a veto from then-President
  George W. Bush.

Note that my reference to the President is only an example.

While changes in the President may be a common usage of the "then-" prefix, I'm also concerned about relatively obscure positions, such as Deputy Chief of Staff, where a reader likely does not know the position's lineage.

Thus, which would be preferable?

  then-Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove

or

  Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove

Normally, I would simply stick to historical present-tense, but that could be tricky to do for the current context.

Edit 1: Emphasis on problem.


texts: Can indefinite article refer to anything within a list?

texts:
Please, help..

"There are pens on a table. Take a pen and write down the text"
 = Take one of those pens?

"Here are some books. I know you like reading. Take a book and read it"
 = Take one of those books?

Can the indefinite article here refer to instances within a list only, not suggesting instances that are outside the list of pens or books I talk about?

Thanks in advance.


texts: Word for a certain kind of mixed emotion

texts:
I simultaneously regret the way wind turbines alter the landscape but I am thankful for the clean energy they provide.  What word expresses this mix of emotions?

Thank you.


texts: single word for "inspiring/deserving of sympathy"

texts:
eg.

Because he hadn't done much of the homework, his confusion wasn't very deserving of sympathy.
That character was always so cruel, his death didn't inspire any sympathy.

Anyone know one word that can be substituted in there? Thanks!


texts: Difference between "normal person" and "average person"

texts: Is there any difference between normal person and average person? Can I use these interchangeably?


texts: How should this sentence be interpreted?

texts:
So I am reading the essay "On Some Verses of Virgil" by Michel de Montaigne (translation by Donald M. Frame) and I came across this particular sentence.

  Is there any ugliness in doing wrong that can dispense us from the duty of
      confessing it?

The choice of vocabulary here is, honestly, quite confusing to me. Here is the sentence again with the preceding paragraph for context:

  The diseases of the body become clearer as they increase. We find that what we were calling a cold or a sprain is the gout. The diseases of the soul grow more obscure as they grow stronger; the sickest man is least sensible of them. That is why they must be handled often in the light of day, with a pitiless hand, be opened up and torn from the hollow of our breast. As in the matter of good deeds, so in the matter of evil deeds, mere confession is sometimes reparation. Is there any ugliness in doing wrong that can dispense us from the duty of confessing it?

It's been a long time sense I've had this much difficulty understanding the exact conclusion a sentence was trying to reach.

My first instinct is to assume that the sentence is somewhat synonymous with:

  Is there any ugliness in doing wrong that can [spare] us from the [ordeal] of
      confessing it?

But then a friend of mine offered an interpretation more to the effect of:

  Is there any [wrongdoing so exceptional] that [it will] [render our
      confession truly unprecedented in the context of humanity]?

Meanwhile, another translation (found on Project Gutenberg) renders the sentence thus:

  Is there any deformity in doing amiss, that can excuse us from confessing
      ourselves?

I don't have much confidence in either his or my interpretation, and this other translation isn't clearing things up for me much at all. What is Michel de Montaigne saying?


texts: What is the word for when someone is overly nice and actually isn't nice at all?

texts: What is the word for when someone is overly nice and actually isn't nice at all because of the unnecessary added information/comments? For example, they will say things like "Your hair looks so good that wayyyy omg you should do it that way ALL the time! Looks way better than how you usually do it." And the word I'm looking for is not passive aggressive and it is not sarcasm. There is a word for these types of people. What is it? These people think they're being kind but actually blunt and rude. Another example would be for someone to say "hey you're beautiful, but maybe if you didn't wear harsh makeup you would look better" and they intend to sound like they're being nice when you know they don't like you and are saying in out of spite.


texts: what's the, shall I say, definition of "I admit, I am rather drawn to peel"?

texts:
Sorry, I didn't remember where I heard it but it was in a series about queen Victoria. her husband says that.
And I guess he was talking about something he liked.


texts:
I'm heading into the postgraduate phase of my Computer Science-oriented studies, and I can't put my finger on what this root means.

According to Etymology Online it comes from Cybernetics, which in turn comes from the greek for "Helmsman" and is the study of governation or governing systems.

But modern usage, such as cyberspace, cybercafe, cyberattack, cyberterrorism, cybermosque, cybersex, cyberbullying, and such seem to use it synonymously with "Internet"

Of course, you could argue that you use a cybercafe to interact with a primitive virtual governor, a cyberspace is a place where a lot of virtual governors "reside", while  cyberattacks try to disrupt these governors.

But cyberbullying and "cybering" really don't fit into that scheme, unless you were to day that cyberbullying is "bullying by relaying domineering or intimidating messages with the help of a governor." but then again "physics" could be a governor. You shout mean things into the air and physics makes sure your overbearing soundwaves propagate to your target.

Bo that would mean that pretty much everything is cyber-, because everything is controlled by something.

The rational middle ground would be for "cyber-" to now mean "internet," unless it is followed by a greek or latin root, in which case it would mean "control systems"

Is it safe to assume this?


texts:
When someone says:

  This author is a writer's writer.

I understand that as meaning the author is accomplished and generally excellent. It's a bit fuzzy in my mind how it can mean this, but I can roll with it.

What I'd like to know is: can this be said without pretense by a nobody, by someone who is not a writer? Is that "reserved" to people in the profession to call each other?

I also assume the same goes for any substitution of the word "writer", say with "philanthropist", "programmer", or "comic book artist."


texts:
What's up. I wanna ask about the sentence:

  'I don't think I will know no one at the party'

Which means that I will actually know someone. The question is, is this correct? I know I should not use 'no' or 'not' twice in simple sentences. But what about the complex, like the one above, or compound sentences? I really appreciate any help you can provide.

P.S I agree that I could've made a mistake in terms of complex and compound. If it so, please let me know.


texts: What's more appropriate? "A scientist or engineer..." Or " A scientist or an engineer"

texts:
"A scientist or engineer might be interested in estimating
........"

Or

"A scientist or an engineer might be interested in estimating
........."

Which grammatically correct/appropiate and why?
Thanks.


texts:
Many of you have probably heard the phrase "to no avail", as in "I tried to talk them out of it to no avail." (Which means I tried to talk them out of something but failed to do so).

However, I was wondering if the opposite of "to no avail" existed. Something like such:

  I took advantage of the ignorant to all avail.

Thus implying I took advantage of the ignorant in all extent possible. Is this correct, or would you phrase it differently?


texts: "Search this website" or "search in this website"

texts:
Sometimes I see the following expression after a search box:

  Search this website.

Some people say that the correct expression is

  Search in this website.

Which is correct, and what is the grammatical explanation?


texts: Is "neither have I wings to fly" grammatically correct?

texts: I came across this sentence "And neither have I wings to fly" in the lyric of the song "The Water Is Wide". Shouldn't it be "... neither I have ..."? Or it is grammatically correct?


texts:
Me and a friend were discussing something we experience (too) often: we discover some new concept or thing (for example "photography" or "knitting", can be anything) and become completely obsessed with that thing for a short period of time. Most often though this temporary obsession disappears as sudden as it appeared.

Is there a word for this all too common state of sudden, temporary obsession?


texts:
Which is correct?

  It was late and I was trying to do your package quickly and hadn't thought that I could put everything together.

or

  It was late and I was trying to do your package quickly and didn't think that I could put everything together.


texts:
I have worked here for five years.
  I had worked here for five years.
  I worked here for five years.

Which one is gramatically correct.
Does the first sentence mean that he worked here and is still working?
And the 2nd and 3rd indicate something happened in past. And when to use these. Is there any difference between these two?


texts: unsigned 64bit integer vs. 64-bit unsigned integer?

texts:
I found several way to write the same thing, but it may be that only one is really correct, can you help me to find the correct sentence. I want to specify the type of a parameter for a function (a C programming API).

What is the correct version ? 1,2,3 or 4 ? And for bitshould I use s as their are 64 ? :)

unsigned 64bit integer (1)
unsigned 64-bit integer (2)
64-bit unsigned integer (3)
64bit unsigned integer (4)


texts: What is the right use for each expression?

texts:
You can call me at my cell phone.
You can call me on my cell phone.
You can call me from my cell phone.
You can call me via my cell phone.

What are the differences among them?


texts: Which person do I have to use when I use parenthesis

texts:
You (or someone else responsible) have/has to be there tomorrow.

Which person should I use? 2nd or 3rd?

My opinion is that both should be correct, but I'd like this to be clarified.

How about if there is no parenthesis?

  Either my team or you have/has to be there tomorrow.
      Either you or my team have/has to be there tomorrow.


texts: Is there a word or term that means to consider something from muliple angles or views?

texts:
Similarly, how does one express holding opposing or considering many options about a problem or opinion?

I am trying to concisely express the ability to consider all sides.


texts:
I like the coat very much. —But can you afford such an expensive coat ____(on/ with) your pay?
which option is right?


texts:
How would you explain the differences between using "for example" and "just to name a few" in the following multiple choice:

  Your smartphone might give you a wake up call, send you emails, help you to order a high-speed rail ticket and to book a hotel room for the weekend conference, _.*
  (A) just to name a few
  (B) for example

I'd certainly choose (A), but I don't think I can adequately explain to my students their difference, except perhaps that for example seems to rarely follow such a long list of items containing phrases.


texts: Is a comma before a conjunction optional, or old? (not talking about lists)

texts:
I have been corrected several times recently for putting a comma before a conjunction in a sentence (splitting phrases, not items in a list). To each their own style guide, but my understanding was that (using 'and' as an example):

in the prehistoric era, the rule was to always put a comma before 'and', no matter the context
in the modern era, there are two schools of style about 'and', commas and the final item in a list (which I am not concerned with here)
in the modern era, you may put a comma before 'and' in a non-list to emphasise, indicate a pause, tweak meaning, etc. So that:

  We will fight them on the beaches and the landing grounds.

has a slightly different meaning to

  We will fight them on the beaches, and the landing grounds.

...but both are valid.

Is this comma in fact optional, or always to be discarded? Have I half-learned a (possibly out-moded) style rule without realizing it?


texts: What exactly does game of thrones mean? It is being translated into my native language (Czech) as a game in which one might win one of the many thrones, but to me it sounds more like a game in which different thrones play against each other.


texts: Word for a person who is overly profound?

texts: Dramatic somewhat fits my word choice. However, a person can be dramatic without being profound.


texts:
In the book Zom-B Bride by Darren Shine, I encounterd this sentence:

  Slotting in around the forces of good and evil were a variety of other
  groups and individuals.

I am not completely sure what does "slotting in around" means? Is it a common expression that I haven't heard of ?


texts: What does "get off the treadmill" in the content of this sentence?

texts:
“We’re losing a lot of kids and a lot of teachers because we still
  view challenging kids the wrong way and handle them in ways that don’t
  address their true difficulties. It’s an exercise in frustration for
  everyone involves, and it’s time to get off the treadmill.”
  - Lost At School, Chapter 01

Is "get off the treadmill" a slang? What does treadmill here figuratively mean "monotonous task"?

Thanks!


texts: Freedom fighters fight for freedom. Fire fighters fight against fire. I want to write an article comparing people who fight for freedom versus people who fight against  freedom. Would "Freedom fighters vs Freedom fighters" be a wrong title ?


texts: What does "Relates with understanding to manifestations of turbulent emotions in others" mean?

texts:
I'm trying to translate sociotypes' description, and I saw this sentence and couldn't understand clearly what does it mean..
this is as it came: "  CHARACTER: This individual is very interested in relations between people. Values understanding, tolerance, capacity for compromise for the sake of harmony in relations. Attempts to be helpful, responsive, and attentive towards everyone. Accepts people as they are; forgives their weaknesses and does not seek to change them by force. Tries to adhere to the principles of fairness and compassion. Predisposes others towards trust. Can patiently listen out his conversation partner. Relates with understanding to manifestations of turbulent emotions in others; tries to calm the person down, give some useful advice. If this does not help, knows how to wait patiently until the person calms down on his or her own. Does not need verbal confirmation of feelings himself - he understands everything without words. Stable and persistent in his sympathies and affections. Cherishes soulful harmony, his own and that of others. If his partner does not fully satisfy him, he departs without much commotion and sorting out the relationship."


texts: What is the origin of the phrase "trouble in paradise"?

texts: Does anyone know where the phrase "trouble in paradise" comes from? The earliest usage I can find of the phrase is the title of the 1923 movie Trouble in Paradise, based on a Hungarian play called The Honest Finder.


texts: What is a word to describe the opposite of "authentication"?

texts:
The noun "authentication" has a corresponding verb "to authenticate".

"To disauthenticate" and "to unauthenticate" do not seem to exist (I might be wrong).

So what is the most appropriate word for describing the opposite action of an authentication? Specifically, I'm searching for a name for the act of reversing/canceling an authentication.

Think of it as comparable to the "Login/Logout", "Sign In/Sign Out", etc. but I want one with "Authenticate / ?"


texts: Proverb/idiom thats getting together to fight common enemy but killing weakling to fight among each other

texts: Proverb/idiom thats applicable to animal kingdom for when a group of monkeys/lions.. would join hands together to fight unitedly against the common external threat to save their resources, but when the fight for resources is between them, they become their individual self and deprive off resources to the weakest among them.


texts: "like a duck takes to water" vs "like a fish takes to water"

texts:
I am aware of the idiom like a fish out of water. What intrigued me is an article using like a fish takes to water.

  Teo Zhen Ren, the swimming sensation from Singapore, took to swimming like a fish takes to water.

Is like a fish takes to water a valid usage? Is it an idiom? I thought the usual phrase was like a duck takes to water.


texts:
From subtitles for a Russian movie.
The source translated for two-bit was:

  полный/последний/конченный

[English meaning totally, absolutely (something bad)] (Do you know russian word "dno"?)


texts:
Should four week supply be hyphenated as four-week supply?
Thanks!


texts:
Is it grammatically correct to use the word "do" twice in a row?
Examples:
We do do what you are talking about.
instead of...
We do what you are talking about.

or

Our process does do what you are talking about.
instead of...
Our process does what you are talking about.

Is the meaning any different?


texts:
Was watching Prison Break Season 5 Episode 1 and came across this very sentence at the beginning:

"What is it with you killers that put the satin on women's panties anyhow?"

What does "put satin on women's panties" mean?


texts: When was the word 'being' first used to refer to a human being or sentient being?

texts: I am confused by the use of the word being to refer to a static thing. How can this word that appears to clearly be a verb gerund get turned around to be used as a thing?


texts: Have any pseudo-anglicisms become proper English words?

texts:
There are plenty of pseudo-anglicisms in other languages around the world: Handy, Pullunder, Showmaster and Beamer¹ in German. These words, though borrowed from English, are used differently from their usual English meanings. Have any pseudo-anglicisms later become common English words?

¹ I’m mentioning Beamer (German word for projector) especially as there is a popular package for the LaTeX typesetting system that helps in creating projection slide; such uses could potentially spread a pseudo-anglicism.


texts: A saying indicating how some professionals don't apply their skills for themselves

texts:
Some made-up examples:

Architect's house is always crooked.
Mechanic's car is leaking
Chef's breakfast is as plain as boiled eggs

Is there an established saying for these situations?


texts: What do you call a painting that was created specifically on order from a client?

texts: What do you call the painting created for a client order?


texts: I can't use "me and my family" may I use "with" instead?

texts: May I say "please join me with my family for a reception immediately following the final selection" or is there a better way to phrase the statement?


texts: Is there a better word than "just" for describing the recency of an event?

texts:
So, in the US, we make ample use of the word "just" in a context such as:
"I just finished my homework." (I finished my homework very recently -- perhaps immediately preceding this statement)  or
"He had just gotten his driver's license when his father's car was stolen." (pointing out that there was very little [if any] time between the two events)
I only recently learned that this is, apparently, an Americanism.  Is there a better, more universally accepted way of expressing this?
I feel that "recently" is not quite "recent" enough.


texts: Is it true that a "which" clause should always start with a comma?

texts:
Every time when I write a sentence in Microsoft Word like this:

  the rats which are the food of snake are crazily growing.

It always recommends me to rewrite like this:

  the rats, which are the food of snake, are crazily growing.

Is it true that which should always start with a comma?


texts: When and from where did "guns" become slang for biceps?

texts:
I first heard the use of guns to mean biceps in high school. I thought it was just a local slang. It turns out to be universally known. I later saw it in magazines and fitness books. I also heard of the term "gun show" to mean a bunch of people (yes, both men and women) showing off the size of their biceps.

I'm just curious because I don't think any other muscle or muscle group has a far-fetched term. Trapezius muscles are traps for short. Triceps are tris for short. Quadriceps are quads for short. Why are biceps guns? It doesn't make sense and seems so remote from the literal gun.


texts: Graduating with Cohort? What does it mean?

texts:
In the following message:

  Hi Sebastian

  I hope this email finds you well.

  According to our records, you have registered to Graduate for the 28th June ceremony. Dr. [name] thought you might wish to graduate in November instead, to graduate with a MA cohort.

  If you wish to do this, you must request so via the Graduations office (by 13th May 2016). [email]

  If you are happy to graduate in June you don’t need to do anything.

  Please let us know your intentions.

  Thank you.

  Kind regards
  [undersigned]

What does graduating with a cohort mean?


texts:
Let's take the following two sentences as examples:

I kindly ask you to send the letter to your boss.
I ask you to kindly send the letter to your boss.
It would be kind of you to send the letter to your boss. (this one would be understood the same way in English and my native language)

In our language we use the first one 99% of the time and the second seems to have opposite meaning of its English meaning.

What does "to kindly send" mean for English people?

Doesn't it sound rude in English? As if I was ordering someone to do something kindly (as if they weren't kind usually) - that's what would be the meaning in my native language. My interpretation is: "Go and do this kindly this time." and I think that this expression shouldn't be used unless someone wants to offend another party. But I've seen this expression more than once so that makes me think that it really means...
...quite the opposite and it is equivalent to "I sincerely believe that you are a very kind person, I'm counting on your kindness to send this letter" - this is a bit persuasive, isn't it? If they don't send it they will make themselves look not kind.

So, what's the true meaning of each of the example sentences? To me it's ambiguous.


texts: What's a word for doing something eagerly despite the pain? Especially in the context of eating something hot or spicy

texts:
I'm looking for two words: Specifically, is there a word to describe the activity of eating or being compelled to eat something despite its hot temperature or spiciness? The second word I'm looking for would describe same concept but at a more general level: a word for doing something eagerly despite the pain that it causes because it feels so good.

I'm looking for a single word, but idiomatic phrases capturing the same meaning would be helpful too.

Edit: Some clarification; while masochism is pretty close, per ermanen's answer, the word I'm looking for isn't about pleasure from pain, but pleasure despite pain. In other words, the hypothetical person is compelled to eat the hot food (temperature) because it tastes so good, not because she derives pleasure from the pain.


texts: Do we say "as it" or "as if" to say "as it is right now"?

texts:
In casual speech, take this conversation, for example:

Person A: Here's the message: "Hi, my name is [...] Cheers"
Person A: Do I send it as it is right now?
Person B: Yeah, no problem send it like that.

I often shorten the "as it is right now" part but I'm not sure if the correct way to say is "as it" or "as if".


texts:
I read:

  I would admire the blurb on the book jacket.

How is the word blurb related to book covers?


texts:
The word "broad" is pronounced /brɔːd/ (some US accents: /brɑːd/) instead of */brəʊd/. The spelling -OA- somehow suggests that these words are closely related and/or were pronounced the same at some point. In simple words, broad rhymes with caught, thought, sought and doesn't rhyme with BOAT, COAT, LOATH, ROAD, FOAM etc.
"Broad" is from Old English brād and its Old English pronunciation was /brɑːd/.
It seems that boat, road, loath, foam and broad had the same vowel sound /ɑː/ in Old English. All of them were spelled with ā and Wikitionary notes that their pronunciations were with /ɑː/ vowel. Why then is broad not pronounced the same as all those other words?
Edit
About a week ago I was reading a book on internet archive (whose name I have forgotten now and I am unable to find it again) which had an entry on "broad" and "abroad". I was lucky enough to take and save a screenshot from the entry. But I do not understand it well.


texts: Which one of the following sentences is correct? (scrambled text question)

texts:
Which one of the following sentences is correct?

a. I drive to german used an old blue car.

b. I drive an used  old blue car to german.

c. I used an old blue car drive to german.

My English teacher says the correct answer is (a) but I think (b) is more correct and grammatically make sense.


texts:
Would it be necessary to use any definite articles in this list?

There were many alternative theatres in London: Hackney Empire, Almeida, Half Moon, and King's Head.


texts: What is the word for "making something proper"

texts:
I am thinking along the lines of "normalize" -- something like proper-ize.

-- UPDATE --

In one of my comments, I presented an example...

  a disorganized mess (for example, a cluttered desk) that I want to "make proper" by organizing things "properly"

Take the above example figuratively NOT literally. An answer like "tidy up" is not what I'm looking for.


texts:
I'm writing a inferential visual analysis and I'm not sure if the phrase "Additive form" makes sense. The phrase is meant to represent a persons added form (for example clothing). I'm using it in the sentence "The arrangement of the two delegations, their additive form and environment are a clarion representation of their symbiosis. ".

Regards,
Techhead55


texts: Why is an Imperial hundredweight not a hundred of anything?

texts: An imperial hundredweight is a measure weighing eight stone, or 112 pounds, or 1792 ounces.  Why isn't it a hundred of anything?


texts: Single word for "This task cannot proceed until these other tasks are completed first"?

texts:
So, I'm creating a complex task manager. I have a list of tasks, but certain tasks cannot be started until others have finished. However, the position of a task on the list does not necessarily specify the order in which it has to be completed; some tasks can be done in tandem by different people, while some rely on another person(s) to complete other task(s) first.

I would like to list the tasks an item is waiting on next to it, with a single word to describe what that list represents like this:

Wash walls
Paint walls
Hang artwork (this task cannot be done until task 1 and task 2 are done)

Some shorter versions I've thought of are "pending: task 1 and task 2", "dependent: task 1 and task 2", "awaiting: task 1 and task 2", and "yielding: task 1 and task 2"

I don't think any of these words quite represent the situation properly, though I could be wrong.

Would you please suggest the correct single word to use in this situation?


texts: What is the name/term for someone's personal writing style?

texts:
I know I got a message from a friend. I could tell by the way they wrote the message, and their vocabulary. There is a name for a personal writing manner, but when I Google to find out, it’s like either a) I’m asking the question in the wrong manner, or Google has no idea that the word exists…

So, it's not lexicon, idiolect, vernacular, 'voice', hyperbole (I have no idea why that keeps bouncing around in my head - I feel that the 'hyp-' maybe relevant).

Any ideas? I knew it up until about 6 months ago, and now it's driving me nuts!

*I understand, and fully appreciate your help. However, I do have to say that the very first thing I tried was to search the internet for synonyms of writing style, personal writing style, personal penmanship etc. The reason I came here is because I needed a deeper level of knowledge (deeper than Wikipedia). Many times have I searched 'Google' for something, only to come up fruitless. Then, I find the exact word/phrase that I am looking for, search for it, and get a million hits. An almost 'Oh, was that what you were looking for..'

The last place I remember hearing it was on a show like Elementary/Sherlock/Death in paradise, where they main character stated they knew something was up by the **** of the letter (-paraphrased), if that helps?


texts:
Hello I am what I would consider under educated in a way. I never studied much in school. Either way I am here now.Never fully understanding when to use a comma. My lack of knowledge often scares me away from using them in fear of using them inappropriately. When do I have to use a comma? I know I can use them to set off starting words or phrases but I do not know the actual rules to that. Maybe I over think it but it can be upsetting. Also is the rule use it between two independent but related clauses only if you use a fanboy? If you are connecting an independent with a dependent clause then you do not need one, but if you choose to use one do not use a fanboy?

Fanboy = for, and, nor, but, or, yet


texts: "Pouring from the window" vs "pouring in from the window"

texts:
Mary woke to the soft light pouring from the window.

  Mary woke to the soft light pouring in from the window.

What's the difference? Do they mean exactly the same?


texts: "Muss man dabei gewesen sein" in English

texts:
German has an idiom,

  (Da) muss man dabei gewesen sein

I'd say it means

  You cannot understand the emotion/memory if you weren't present when it happened.

I couldn't find an equivalent English idiom, so I'm counting on your knowledge.


texts: Is “so little is clear” in “So little is clear that Castro’s departure took on the quality of a test...” an inversion?

texts:
There was the following passage in Time magazine’s (December 1, 2016) article that came under the title, “How Castro will be Trump’s first foreign policy test”:

  North Korea has both an erratic leader and nuclear weapons. Russia juggles a shrinking economy, an aggressive military and expanding role in the Middle East. China is bracing for threatened trade war, and Europe wonders if the transatlantic alliance that maintained peace for seven decades is about to be open to negotiation. So little is clear that Castro’s departure took on the quality of test case for the incoming leader of the new world.

I wonder what is the subject of “being little clear.”  Is the subject of “so little clear” that “Castro’s death can be a test case for President-elect,” or unsettled situation of the world depicted in the preceding passage to “So little is clear.”
I’m struggling to judge which of ①“so … that …,” or ⓶ an inversion of “formal subject ＋that ” construction does the last line come under.


texts: This issue should be resolved now or it should have been resolved now

texts:
Sometimes we receive an office email from a native English speaking HR Admin as follows [as an example]:

We are currently experiencing issues with printer.....

Then sometimes later a follow-up email comes in as follows:

This issue should now be resolved and you should be able to ....

Question: Should the above follow-up email say This issue has now been resolved ... or it's ok to what Admin's follow-up email says. It could be that I, being a non-native English speaker, missing something here.

NOTE: I'm not a native English speaker


texts: What is the answer? Amount or Quantity or Number

texts:
Try to reduce the .......... of cups of tea you drink a day
(amount - Quantity - Number)
Some help please


texts:
My mom and I are editing my book and we got stuck on a sentence: "It seemed like such a big question for someone her age — at least she thought so — for it had only been a few seasons after she was born that a Tendlebee called Tutor came to collect her."

My mon thinks it should be "had come," but I like "came." Does anyone know the correct way to do this? I found a great deal of conflicting information :-)


texts: Is it wrong to use the word "codes" in a programming context?

texts:
Is it wrong to use the word "codes" in programming context?

  I shall use these codes.


texts: What is 'that' referring to in the passage:

texts:
What is  that referring back to in this paragraph ?
American feminist activists who have been described as "solitary" and "individual theorists" were in reality connected to a movement―utopian socialism—which was already popularizing feminist ideas in Europe during the two decades that culminated in the first women's rights conference held at Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848.


texts: Term for this type of negation: "Not for X I don't"

texts:
You got any more pot?
Not for $9 an hour I don't.

What is this type of negation called? These are the lines from a movie script. I've come across this sentence structure quite a few times but I know next to nothing about it. Can anyone enlighten me?


texts: How to cite Shakespearean Blank Verse or Free Verse in an MLA Paper

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  How to quote multiple lines of verse inline

If I am using a quote that is only one line, I would not need a / between lines.  But, when do I use a / - for free verse or blank verse? I'm a bit confused.

Thanks!


texts: Do plaza and square have a different meaning?

texts:
Do plaza and square have a different meaning, when referring to a place?
From my English studies, I recall that I was taught that plaza and square were two different kinds of "square".

Is it true? Are the words used as synonymous?


texts:
I know that there are different opinions regarding Oxford comma, but I am taking IELTS soon, and I want to know if I should use it when my list is the subject of a sentence.

Example:
Spain, Austria, Germany and Spain use recycling as the main form of waste management.

Personally, I would not put a comma before "and Spain", but I wonder whether it would be grammatically correct to put it there.


texts:
After traveling for a number of days, their dry rations run out.
After traveling for a number of days, the fourth youths run out their dry rations.
Which sentence is correct? Please.


texts: Word for "not trying one's best" or "appearance of little effort"?

texts:
I will provide definitions for which I can't think of the word:

as though not trying one's best
having the appearance of little effort

The word is used to describe something that you look at and think, "They're not really trying."

I remember thinking this is a good vocab word, and darn it, I forgot it. This has been driving me crazy all day.


texts: What is a word for non alpha numeric characters that are the same when opened and closed?

texts:
Edited:

I'm searching for a way to describe this:

When using "quotes", one character is used twice: "

When using (parentheses), two characters are used once: ( )

Is there a word for this property? Common language, grammar, vocabulary?

Sentence Examples:

" The quotes that exist before and after this sentence are the same character. "

( The parentheses that exist before and after this sentence are two separate characters. )

How can I explain this "difference" in a word (or maybe a few)? Thanks!


texts: 'I stayed up late reading last night' vs. 'I stayed up reading late last night'

texts:
Which of the following sentences can I say?

'I stayed up late reading last night.'
'I stayed up reading late last night.'

If they are both grammatical, are there any differences between them?


texts: Are there any dialects of English where it is possible to say 'same to' instead of 'same as'?

texts:
"different" can be used colloquially by many speakers of English with either "than", "to" or "from".

Does anyone know of any varieties of English where people might say "same to"? For instance, younger speakers, bilingual speakers with a particular language, speakers from a particular region.

For instance: "That's the same bike to John's!" meaning "That's the same bike as John's!"

Update:

There is a previous question asking which is correct between 'same to' and 'same as': "Same to" or "same as" . However neither of the sentences given there are correct, and both sentences appear to be written by a non-native speaker of English. I'm not asking which of 'same to' or 'same as' is more acceptable (the answer is 'same as') or whether 'same to' is grammatical or not (the answer is that it standardly isn't). I'm asking whether there are any varieties of English where 'same to' is possible. To be clearer, this isn't an ESL question, it's an English dialect/variation question.


texts: Should MSDS be pluralized with an s? My initial reaction is to say No, because MSDS indicates it could be plural or singular — it stands for “Material Safety Data Sheets”.


texts:
hot spot  -vs-   hotspot

What's the difference between these two variants? When do I use them? An example sentence is as follows:

"Biochar addition is becoming one of the hotspots in soil science."

Here, "hotspots" is used as "a place of more than usual interest, activity, or popularity" ~Merriam. But, in the said dictionary, it is presented as two words, hot spot. So there, help me.


texts: Is "strictly" in the right place in this sentence? ("will strictly be dealt with")

texts:
Those who do not reach the venue by 9 AM, will strictly be dealt with a penalty.

Is the above sentence grammatically correct? Specifically the positioning of 'strictly'


texts:
Exactly as the title, what does "nine-and-twenty" mean?
Here's an example of sentence:

Afraid of him! No, indeed! But I wish you will consider that a man of
nine-and-twenty won’t relish having his affairs meddled with. Besides,
he will very likely wonder what the deuce it has to do with me, and
I’m sure I can’t tell him! I wish I had not come.
The Corinthian, Georgette Heyer, 1940


texts:
I was wondering how I should spell 'ewww' as in 'ewww ahhh':

  Bob showed Jill his most impressive set of magic cards. Jill, impressed, said, 'ewwww[sp?] ahhhhhh.'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-yCg-0-baE


texts: What's that word to describe "technology becoming invisible over time"?

texts:
There is a word similar to dematerialization that represents a slightly different concept.

The concept goes something like this: everything eventually becomes invisible.

The concept is particularly evident in technology.  For example, paper was (and still is) an important technology but it is rapidly disappearing.  It's gradually being replaced by computers. So, although the purpose & concept of paper is still around - the physical form is disappearing.

Another example is the horn on a car.   A century ago it was literally a pump you squeezed.   Later the pump was integrated into the center of the steering wheel.  And now, many cars there is no pump at all; it's simply an electronic button.   That is this concept in action.

I want to say demapherialization but couldn't find any matches when Googling.   But I do know for a fact there is a Wikipedia entry on it.   The term was dubbed many decades ago.

Anyway, it's a pretty cool concept.  Perhaps someone may know it.


texts: Multiple Instances of Same Noun: Does the use of "that" distinguish between them?

texts:
Consider the following sentence taken from some co-operative housing rules:

  "Any costs of repairing a suite are the responsibility of the owner of a suite, which could be a different suite from the suite repaired, if the damage was caused by the owner or guest of that suite."

There are two different instances of "suite" in this sentence: The suite that was repaired, and the suite whose owner or guest caused the damage.  Does "that suite" refer unambiguously to one instance or another?


texts: Word for something that has a legal and illegal use

texts:
Certain tools and substances (some fertilizers, nuclear technology, among others) can have both a legal peaceful application, or an illegal destructive use. What's the word for describing this type of ambiguous stuff?

This might get a better answer in law.SE, but in english.SE it has a chance too. Here people seem more open towards single word requests.


texts: Is there a term to describe something difficult to find but easy to understand?

texts:
Let's say I am writing a computer program, and there is a problem with my code so it won't run properly.  Because my code contains so many lines, discovering the source of my problem will be difficult.

Let's say I read every single line of code, and I was just improperly calling a function somewhere.

In this case, the problem I was encountering was very simple, but it was difficult to find.

Another example: Let's say I want to learn how to open my MP3 player so I can replace the parts inside.  There may be very little publicly available information about opening up my MP3 player, which makes it difficult to find the right solution, but that solution is as simple as applying pressure to a particular spot and pushing up.  (Again, a simple solution, that is difficult to find).


texts:
Hello everyone I am a non-native student of English. To improve my English I love reading books. Now I am reading a book "Second Hand" by Michael Zadoorian about a boy who owns a second hand store and there is a sentence which I absolutely don't understand. The boy has problems with shoplifters, expecially with a man who is trying to steal a Hawaiian shirt. The boy says:

  I was almost tempted to let him get away with it because I admired the
  theme to his theft.

Here is the problem: I don't understand the meaning of
"admire the theme to". What does this phrase mean?

Here is the larger context for this phrase:

  The store is looking good these days. Too good. I am having more
  problems with shoplifters. Last week, I caught some accountant-looking
  cat trying to steal a Hawaiian shirt. I noticed this guy slip it into
  his jumbo recycled plastic bag after he bought a big tiki spoon and
  fork. I don't know if it was an impulse thing or some sort of
  experimental larceny or what, because he didn't really look like the
  type (for tiki or thievery), but I actually watched him rip me off. I
  was almost tempted to let him get away with it because I admired the
  theme to his theft


texts: What do you call the container that looks like a ‘Pringles bottle’?

texts:
I don't need to eat that Pringles. I need the name of the bottle that contains them, i.e. which is long, doesn't need to be round, empty inside and light-weight.

What do you call such a thing in English? What should I Google if I want to find such a container?

[Source of the picture]


texts: "She don't care about me": how to explain this?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  The grammaticality of “that don't impress me much”

I know the rule, the correct form is: "she doesn't care about me," but I heard it in Lost series, I read it in many lyrics; is it a mistake by the speaker or the writer? Or is it informal?

I googled for it, but I didn't find useful results.


texts: What does "lit" mean, in The Cat in the Hat

texts:
The Cat in the Hat, by Dr Seuss contains the following:

  I do not like this said the fish as he lit. I do not like it, not
  one little bit.

What on earth does lit mean in this context?

A guess is that it means alighted, considering the fish has landed in the teapot.

Perhaps it's a typo?

Thanks to my 5-year old daughter for spotting this, somehow I never noticed it myself.


texts: What is the objection of Siddhartha here?

texts:
I am reading Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse and I am not able to understand this passage

  But according to your very own teachings,
      this unity and necessary sequence of all things is nevertheless broken
      in one place, through a small gap, this world of unity is invaded by something
      alien, something new, something which had not been there before,
      and which cannot be demonstrated and cannot be proven: these are your
      teachings of overcoming the world, of salvation. But with this small gap,
      with this small breach, the entire eternal and uniform law of the world is
      breaking apart again and becomes void.

It is what Siddhartha said to Gotama as he found it an objection but I am unable to think with the depth to grab the gist of his objection. If anyone who have read this and can explain please help me.

As Sidhdhartha started admiring Gotama's thought of seeing world as unity and understanding that superior being regardless of gods or any other chance. But in the same concept he told there is something alien and new. I do understand he left teachings because salvation is something that can not be achieved by them but self exploration. Still he talked something different there (see bold above) that is puzzling me.


texts: Which word should i use? Open and Opened

texts:
May I know whether open or opened I should use in this sentence?
These cases are opened?
or
These cases are open?

I want to use in, Once these cases _____, then it will be moved to "Opened Tab".
Or I should use, Once these cases have been opened ?


texts: If I am writing a formal letter, should I use "can't," "cannot," or "can not?"

texts: This question is asking about school reports, letters to members of Congress, apology letters, etc.


texts:
I am a resident of India. I have never been able to understand the language used in the legal documents here. Below is an example from an agreement to sell an apartment.

Herein after referred to as "THE FLAT PURCHASER/S" {Which expression shall unless it be repugnant to the context or meaning thereof shall mean and include his/her/their heirs, executors, administrators and assigners of the third part.
WHEREAS :
A) The then Collector of Bombay by the letter dated 19/12/1936 granted land in reclamation lease to one [Mr.] Bhika Bala Pawar in respect of the property out of Khajan bearing Survey No. 263 (Pt), corresponding to CTS No. 6/A/12, admeasuring 10 acres or thereabouts situate, lying and being at Village Malvani, within the limits of...

The sentence goes on and on. I had to stop somewhere.
I would like to know if it

is the language used everywhere (in English speaking world) in such documents;
was the language used in last-century Britain;
is just wrong English.


texts: Meaning of "Had we lived, I should have had a tale to tell..." by Robert Scott

texts:
It is an excerpt from Capt. Robert Falcon Scott letter "To: my widow" which he wrote while dying in Antarctic:

  "Had we lived, I should have had a tale to tell of the hardihood, endurance, and courage of my companions which would have stirred the heart of every Englishman. These rough notes and our dead bodies must tell the tale."

It seems that a complex structure of "Had we lived, I should have had a story to tell" exhibits nuances which the author wanted to express. Can anyone please explain what the phrase means and which nuances does it possess?


texts: Is "not only... but as well..." grammatical?

texts:
I was given a text to read by my teacher which contains the following sentence:

  Speaking a foreign language one can not only read the papers, magazines and original books by outstanding writers, but as well watch satellite programmes, use the internet, travel easily to different parts of the world.

Is it correct to use as well at the beginning of the phrase after but? Should as well be set off by commas in this case?


texts: Where does the saying cream of the crop come from? I know it means the best of the lot but I couldn't find anything on how it came to be.


texts:
"huge volume of data" or "huge volumes of data"

Should I use a singular form or a plural form?

Search in Google results in 178,000 hits vs 256,000 hits.


texts: The colloquial use of the pronoun "you" followed by "adjectives"

texts:
Utterances like you pig!, you bastard! or you silly! are quite common but it is hard to find grammatical explanation about them as they are prevalent in the colloquialism.

I would be glad if somebody helped me to better understand the use of the pronoun you before adjectives and in what environments it usually appears. For example, can it be replaced by another expression, what are the common adjectives used with it, can it be used to praise?


texts: Why must the cent sign come after the value?

texts:
Is it pureley by convention that the dollar symbol ($) comes before the value and the cent symbol (￠) come after? For example $1.50 vs $1 and 50￠

Also would it ever be correct to write a value of cents greater than 99, for example 101￠ ?


texts: Word for beginning a statement with a disclaimer / caveat / hedge when you are worried you might say something incorrect

texts:
For some reason I am convinced that such a word exists, that I've heard it used in classroom settings, and that I'll recognize it when I see it. But I have no idea what it is. I tried googling this elusive word and failed miserably; I asked a few friends, but they couldn't think of it either. Help!

Suppose someone says: "Well, I don't know much about this topic, and I could be wrong, but XYZ."  I feel there's a word to describe the opening that leads into XYZ. It's a sort of hedging: you aren't fully committing yourself; you're worried about being wrong. I can almost hear a high-school teacher saying "Don't start an answer with a _."

Any ideas?


texts:
It's not right that he should have to ride the lightning.

I found this expression in the story of "Ride the Lightning".

I think it is okay to use "should ride" or "have to ride" instead of "should have to ride" because "should and have to" have same meaning like "must " or "obligation", and using "should" and "have to, which equals must" at the same time is a kind of duplication.

  He should ride that
  He has to ride that
  He should have to ride that

What is the difference in meaning between 3 and others.

Does 3 have stronger meaning than others ?


texts: Is shittly a word (and if so, how many t’s does it have?) or do I have to use shittily?


texts:
I've always pronounced "Ephemerides" (plural of Ephemeris) using four syllables, the fourth being "Ides" as in the "Ides of March".

But in this talk at a few seconds after 10:10, it is pronounced with five syllables, the last two sounding like "Pleiades."

Are both acceptable, are there rules or guidelines for choosing a preferred pronunciation between the two?


texts: Where does compulsory do support come from?

texts:
We are familiar with the concept of "do support", where the verb do is used as a modal verb. It can be found frequently in Shakespeare and before and it is claimed to derive from the Celtic languages of Britain as referenced here. It is suggested that a different verb with the same meaning was used in the Brythonic (Welsh-like) languages, most commonly in declarative lists such as "jumping, shouting and screaming did he".

But neither this Brythonic use nor the Shakespearean use match the most significant feature of do support in Modern English, namely that we have to use it in most questions and negatives.

So where does the rule saying that we have to use it in questions and negatives come from? I can't find anything anywhere.


texts: Yesterday I said, 'there's nothing interesting, I don't think' and I thought about it afterwards. Obviously I do think, but that's not how it's said. It's always "I don't think". Is this an idiom or a corruption of language? Is it used in US English? Would "I don't think" be considered informal language?


texts: Is there a word that means "forced into somewhere despite not fitting"?

texts:
Eg, what is a toddler doing when they force a square peg through a round role? More abstractly, what would you call it when you try to describe something via a model that doesn't really fit, and you make lots of stretches to try and get the situation to make sense with the model.

Eg: "I know we claimed this phenomenon could be described by theory X, but in retrospect we really just <BLANK>ed our observations into theory X's model".

edit: And just as I'm typing this I come up with "shoehorn". I'm pretty sure that's what I was trying to come up with. Still, I'd be interested in knowing if people think that actually does make  sense here.


texts: Word for "they couldn't do it even if they wanted to"?

texts:
If I were to say something like:

"They couldn't have done X."
"They're incapable of having done X."
"It's not possible that they did X."

It can be interpreted in one of two ways:

They're morally/psychologically incapable of doing X (like I'm physically capable of murdering someone, but I'd never be able to bring myself to do so).
It's physically/logistically/biologically impossible for them to have done X (like it's impossible for the government to fake the existence of the Moon).

Is there any single word which will convey meaning #2, so I won't have to use some wordy phrasing like "they couldn't do it even if they wanted to"?


texts:
I'm trying to make sense of a phrase like the following

  The foregoing limitations shall not apply to ... [A] ...; or, subject to the provisions of ... [B] ... , to ... [C] ... .

(The actual text is Article IX § 6 of the Michigan constitution.)

In particular, the grammar around "; or,".  Would it be correct to write the long sentence as two separate sentences, removing "; or,"?  That is,

  The foregoing limitations shall not apply to ... [A] ... . The foregoing limitations shall not apply, subject to the provisions of ... [B] ... , to ... [C] ... .

Does the text after "; or," influence the meaning; in particular "subject to the provisions of ..."?

Or are these really not grammar questions, per se, in that there isn't necessarily a "right" answer and this is why we have lawyers (and judges).


texts: "He hit my head." or "He hit me in/on the head."

texts: Why do we need the preposition 'in' or 'on'? Can't we simply say "He hit my head."?


texts: How to use "is prohibitive" in a sentence?

texts:
Which of the following sentences is correct? Should I use "to" or "for"?

  Unfortunately, the cost for an attorney is prohibitive to me as a
  university student.

  Unfortunately, the cost for an attorney is prohibitive for me as a
  university student.


texts: Idiom meaning that trying to attract a certain audience may also attract the wrong audience?

texts: For example, a nice watch might draw the eye of people you're trying to impress, but it also stands out to thieves. I feel like there's an idiom I had heard expressing this, but I can't remember it for the life of me.


texts:
Is the first comma needed in the sentence "To make sure that the audit will go smoothly, and you will avoid future questions from auditors, please ..."?

My thinking is that although we normally put a comma if there are two independent clauses linked with "and", these are not really independent clauses because of the presence of "To make sure". In other words, "you will avoid future questions" links directly to "To make sure".

Therefore, the correct punctuation should be "To make sure that the audit will go smoothly and you will avoid future questions from auditors, please ..."?

Can you confirm if my thinking is correct?

EDIT:

Well, I don't know how to show what effort I've made to find out the answer myself. Most sources, e.g. this one make it clear that we use a comma when two clauses are joined with "and", whereas no comma is needed if the two elements are not full clauses. For example in "He slammed the door and never came back." "never came back" is not a clause as it's missing the subject. Both "the audit will go smoothly" and "you will avoid problems" are complete clauses as they have their subjects (different in each case), yet both of them are part of a dependent clause starting with "To make sure ..."

I was unsuccessful finding any sources that describe the case of independent clauses making up a dependent clause. I don't even know if my terminology is correct here.

That is, in a nutshell, the reason for me asking this question.


texts:
In which contexts are livestock destroyed?

A display about the impacts of the 2009 Black Sunday bushfires included

  Significant amounts of hay and silage destroyed

  250+ beef and dairy cattle destroyed or required emergency slaughter

  Numerous wildlife required emergency slaughter

Wiktionary has a definition of destroyed, but says it's for euphenasing animals.

Although Australia does eat kangaroo, we don't eat all kind of wildlife, so I assume the meaning of "slaughter" for the wildlife was killing, as opposed to killing for the purposes of consumption. Therefore, I assume that "emergency slaughter" implies the animals were being euphenased.

Would I be correct in concluding that the fire directly killing cattle is being described by the word "destroyed"? If so, why would that word be used instead of "killed"? Is it used to couch it in terms of an economic loss?


texts: Usage of "of" in "We know of any way to be certain"

texts:
Can anyone explain why an author used the structure with "of" in the sentence below and how it can be justified:

We do not know of any way to be certain that leads to success.

I would write it as

We do not know any certain way that ..., or as
We do not know any way to be certain that ....

I looked to the "of" definition in Collins Dictionary, but still have not found the way the author was thinking.


texts: A tense problem about the use of "Could"

texts:
Here is a paragraph from the HP books:

Was he imagining things? Could all this have anything to do with the Potters? If it did... if it got out that they were related to a pair of---well, he didn't think he could bear it.

In my opinion, the second sentence should be "Could all this have had anything to do with the Potters?" namely, to use the past participle to refer to the past time.

Could anybody help me out with this problem? Thanks.


texts:
All lanthanides except for lanthanum have suffix "-ium". Why lanthanum is so special, and why this particular word form has been considered canonical? Is using of "lanthanium" these days allowed, or it's forbidden?

It looks like in 19th century both forms were utilized, but since 1900..1910 "lanthanium" vanished from the grid:

In 20th century only few authors ever used "lanthanium", e.g. some recent publications also include "lanthanium", but it is rather an exception than a rule. In the other hand, I haven't discovered any IUPAC rules explicitly declaring "lanthanium" as a word to be avoided.

There are also related topics on English.SE (Suffix ‘-ium’ vs. ‘-um’) and Chemistry.SE (Why do the names of most chemical elements end with -um or -ium?), but neither provides a distinct answer.


texts: How to express this meaning by using "right" as a noun?

texts:
If you have read the whole book, you are in a better position to explain it.(self-made)

Can I change the sentence to be "if you..., you have more right to explain it". If not, how to rewrite the sentence with "right" as a noun?


texts: Can I use word exceptionally to mark a case of missing exceptions?

texts:
Can word "exceptionally" be used as:

"as an exception" - e.g. However, taking their popularity into account, they were exceptionally allowed in.
"without any exceptions" - e.g. Children in this family enter exceptionally State Taxation Academy.

I always thought option 1 is the only valid, but today I saw option 2 in Google Translate output, hence this question.


texts:
we never happened to have a lot of time spend together

we never happened to have a lot of time spent together

Which is correct?


texts: Is it correct to say "Please wish John a very happy birthday from me"? Or should it be "Please wish John a very happy birthday for me"?


texts:
I wrote the following statement:

"...introduction of transition nodes for the reroutes, etc.). "

Somehow it looks awry to me. I know that separetely, having a period after "etc" or a period to terminate a sentence after a parentheses are correct, but not sure if when they appear simultaneously one of the dots should be suppressed


texts: How did we get ‘deft’ and ‘daffy’ from “daft”?

texts:
[ Etymonline for 'daft (adj.)'] Old English gedæfte "gentle, becoming," ... from PIE * dhabh- "to fit together" (see fabric). Sense of "mild, well-mannered" (c. 1200).
[ Etymonline for 'daffy'] 1884, perhaps from daft (adj.), or from obsolete daffe "a halfwit"

The Oxford University Press website makes the following observations

[Blog.oup.com:] Daft goes back to Old English, in which its sense was “mild, gentle, meek”    (the root, again on the evidence of Gothic, meant “be, become fit”). Why “fit, suitable” yielded “stupid” and “bereft of sound judgment” is far from clear; nor does the presence of Middle Engl. daff “simpleton, fool” of unknown origin dispel the obscurity. To confuse us even more, we notice that daft is a doublet of deft. Originally, deft also meant “gentle, meek,” later “skillful; neat; pretty.” The starting point of daft and deft was the same, namely “fitting, convenient.” ...

Daft and deft are antonyms, but I always mistake one for the other.

How can I avoid mixing the two up?

I also included ‘daffy’ because I'm unsure if the OUP blog's citation of 'Middle English daff' refers to ‘daffy’. Does it?


texts: Apostrophe in sports team age division: 12s vs. 12's

texts:
In youth volleyball teams are divided by age. For example, a team consisting of kids 12 and under is referred to as a "12s team" or "12's team", and they typically play teams in that same division. This age designation can also be paired with other words like "division", for example, "they're holding a tournament for teams in the 12s (12's) division."

I've seen both "12s" and "12's" in use, although "12's" seems more popular in Oklahoma. Which one is grammatically correct?

This is not a question on how to pluralize numbers, but rather a question about whether we are pluralizing numbers (12s) or if this is the possessive usage of a number (12's), or perhaps even an abbreviation (just like "they are" abbreviates to "they're"). In other words, are people implying "this is a team consisting of a multitude of 12s", "this is a team belonging to group number 12", or "this is a 12-and-under team"?


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Use of “that” in a sentence

What are some of the rules surrounding the word "that" and its inclusion or omission in a sentence? For example, "My boss mentioned that you needed help," vs. "My boss mentioned you needed help." Is either form more correct?

Sorry if this seems rudimentary, but I've always felt a little self-conscious about my own usage of this word due to some fuzzy but persistent high school English class memories.


texts:
I want to cite a written work by a European (specifically, English) nobelwoman, more specifically, a countess.

However, in order to make my question a bit general and to provide a comparison case, let me start with another example, Andrew Lloyd Webber who was made a baron in 1997.  According to Wikipedia, he is properly styled as The Lord Lloyd-Webber.

However, I assume that is irrelevant when citing his work on the musical The School of Rock, so I would write in running text Lloyd Webber (2015) (without the hyphen), and in the bibliography, write

  Lloyd Webber, A (2015) The School of Rock (original score). London: Rodgers & Hammerstein.

But perhaps I'm wrong (see below).

The case I'm currently concerned with seems at least a little more complicated.  I want to cite Augusta Ada King-Noel, Countess of Lovelace.  She is usually known as Ada Lovelace.  In the original work I want to cite, she is only credited by initials, and those initials are A.A.L, or variously (probably a typesetter's error) A.L.L.  In any event, it seems clear that she is going by "Lovelace" in that work rather than by "King-Noel".

Therefor I assume that I should cite her as Lovelace (1842) in running text and as

  Lovelace AA (1842) Translator’s notes to M. Menabrea’s memoir on Babbage’s Analytical Engine. In: Taylor R (ed) Scientific Memoirs, vol 3, London: Richard and John E. Taylor, pp 691-731.

(dropping the King-Noel) in the bibliography.

However, since this differs from my intuition about the example above, I'd appreciate any advice that can resolve the issue.


texts: Etymology of informal use of “favor” in the U.S

texts:
I know in some U.S. dialects, “favor” as a verb is used informally to indicate that two people share a similar physical appearance, especially when the two look so similar that one's physical appearance makes you think of the other. So I guess you could use it in place of “looks like,” or “reminds me of”.

Eg: That child favors her father. I don’t see how you could possibly think she favors her mother.

Does anyone know the etymology of this particular use of “favor”?


texts:
When referring to a password that is to be stored somewhere, what is the correct way:
Store the password in plaintext OR Store the password as plaintext?

Google searching different variations of this phrase, gives the in variant an almost consistent 10:1 ratio.

On the other hand, grammatically, using as seems (to me) more correct.

My theory is that the as variant is the correct way, but the in variant is used more commonly with an implicit form that comes after plaintext

e.g. Store the password in plaintext (form)


texts:
Which form works better in this text? He shouted VS He used to shout

Every time the Prophet saw him, He shouted at him: "What are you
doing there?

Every time the Prophet saw him, He used to shout at him: "What
are you doing there?


texts: definite vs indefinite article before noun + "of"

texts:
I thought that I should always use "the" in front of noun + "of" since the noun is specified. But, I see some exceptions like:

  A leaf can reach a diameter of 15 feet.

What is the rule of using an indefinite articled nounce in front of "of". I appreciate your insight and help.


texts: "He was neither seer nor prophet" How would you explain the absence of an article?

texts:
Here's a fragment from Jack London's Star Rover:

  Wordsworth knew. He was neither seer nor prophet, but just ordinary man like you or any man. What he knew you know, any man knows. But he most aptly stated it in his passage that begins "Not in utter nakedness, not in entire forgetfulness.

To the best of my — admittedly sketchy — knowledge of grammar, the second sentence should read neither a seer nor (a) prophet, but just an ordinary man. Even if we accept the seer and the prophet as "poetic entities" ("father and son," "robber and robbed," "man to man," or whatever), logic would still dictate that ordinary man should be preceded by an an.

It is a well-known fact that Jack London's usage wasn't always up to par; his grammar, on the other hand, was always top-notch.

Logically, the sentence is grammatically incorrect (correct me if I'm wrong: no pun intended).

Illogically, it reads smoothly: intuitively, a native speaker understands that there's nothing wrong here.

However, those to whom English is not the first language cannot be expected to be intuitive in this case and would want an explanation. Any suggestions?


texts:
I'd like to include all numbers below 10, and exclude all numbers above 10. So I'd like to ____ at 10. (make the cut? put the limit?)

I'm feeling that the expression has to do something with cutting, but I can't find the right words.


texts:
What does much to his chagrin mean?

If chagrin means feeling of embarrassment, then can we write “I felt chagrin” or the like? What about “I was chagrined by”?

Then what does much to chagrin mean in a sentence, or is this the way we put it?


texts:
Email:
Dr. Elbert Ainstein,
Dear sir I have read everything you ever wrote. blah blah.. Your paper on so..more blah... I wish to study at your esteemed blahblahb....
Yours Sincerely,
Beststud Youlleverhave

Dr. Elbert Ainstein is a professor and Beststud Youlleverhave is a student. Students often write mails to profs before admissions(to get admissions). I have been to a University's webpage. It said we encourage Professor ________ing.

I can't remember what that word was. What is it? What is the word for this thing?


texts:
Often it is suggested that the differences amount only to personal
  preference. However, not all of the descriptions are equally able to
  describe all observations of the real world. To the extent of these
  differences, something more than "taste" or personal preference is
  involved.

The "differences" above refers to differences between proposed theories (descriptions). Does "To the extent of these differences" here mean "as far as these differences are concerned" ?

Source: What is centrifugal force? by Robert P. Bauman, in The Physics Teacher, October 1980. [The first paragraph in this link]


texts: Were or was, the majority of people concerned?

texts:
I have checked the possible duplicates which flagged up on this and I have attempted research with no conclusion. ELU is my final port of call.

I wrote, on another forum of Stack Exchange :

  'the majority of people was concerned about . . .'

And I have just altered it to :

  'the majority of people were concerned . . '

and I am now in a state of conflict so great that I cannot eat my breakfast.

Can you help ?


texts:
I was in a training session today with a Singaporean trainer (lah!) and he kept using the phrase:

"Ok, Ken"

I checked the meeting attendees for a 'Ken' - but there was definitely no 'Ken' in the room.
He kept repeating it, also using the phrase:

"Alright, Ken".

Eventually I inferred that he must be using a contracted version of:

"Ok, I am confident that you can do this."

But I wasn't sure.
I didn't know whether this was a Singaporean English expression (lah!) or if he was just taking a Mandarin phrase in his head, and translating it directly into English.
My question is: In Singaporean English, what does the phrase 'Ok, Ken' mean?

The context was an IT Training course. For example:

Trainer: Here is how to install Azure Migration assistant and perform a Cloud Migration.
[Performs 25 steps]
Trainer: So that is how you use Azure Migration assistant. Ok can.

Or another example

Attendee: [Complicated question]
Trainer: It's easy!
[Talks through 15 steps]
Trainer: So that is how you do it. Alright can.


texts: What is the source of the expression "nothing at all"?

texts:
I'm looking for the source of the distinction between "nothing" and the nearly equivalent phrase "nothing at all."  In common usage the two are synonymous, but the preposition "at all" seems to suggest a more nuanced logic:  "Nothing," but a nothing coinciding in the place of "all." The latter speaks less to the negation of the presence something and more to the condition of a gap in a totality.

I've seen definitions of the Latin nil being equally "nothing" or "nothing at all;" if this is the case, I wonder when and where the equivocation comes from.


texts:
I attended a farewell dinner in my honor.

Can you tell me what is the meaning of 'in my honor'?


texts: What's wrong with the phrase "eating at me"?

texts:
I like to say this in jest when cats & dogs munch loudly on their dinner: "Your cat Molly is eating at me again!"
I'm not sure what's "off" about it. Is it in fact incorrect, or is it merely awkward?


texts: I would like to differentiate between free basic support services, included in the License (Software) and additional paid support services. In which case should I use 'Support'  and in which 'Maintenance'?  Are there other applicable terms with the same meaning?


texts: Give some examples using "food, cuisine, dish, menu and ingredient"

texts:
I have troubles using some words about food and I cannot feel the subtle differences of their usage. I'd like to get some help with examples using these various words.

Food
Cuisine
dishes
menu
meal
grocery
ingredient
nutrition
drink
beverage


texts: Expression to justify choice of user interface

texts: Is it correct to say "for optimal user experience" when referring to how web interface has to be designed? I just need to explain why I chose specific colour scheme.


texts:
I'm really hoping that someone can help me.
In these sentences what does would actually mean? Usually we can use would to talk about past habit, suggestions, advice, conditionals etc.
1.
He would get upset about that! (= I'm not surprised. Knowing him - this is a typical thing that he'd do)
or
2
A: She at all of biscuits and didn't leave any for anyone else.
B: Well, she would! (= I'm not surprised. Knowing her this is a typical thing that she'd do)

What can I call this form of would if I'd like to read more about it? Why do we use 'would' here? How might it be described in a grammatical way?

Thanks!


texts: What is the difference between "I did play " and "I played" according to the British English?


texts: What does “would not have been possible had I remained” mean?

texts:
What does this mean?

  I am sure this would not have been possible had I remained a typical Anglophone North American.

I have never heard that before and I really find it strange.

I deduce that it means

  I am sure this would not have been possible if I kept remaining Anglophone North American.

But I might be wrong in this.


texts:
There's already a question (and answer) for "bits and bobs", which I believe is a Britishism, but what is the origin of "odds and ends"?  "Odds" I have some reckoning for (as in, "odd items", meaning leftover).  Why is this specie of miscellanea paired with "ends"?

Additionally, is "odds and ends" an Americanism?


texts:
What is the rule in use here that allows me to use I do in place of me in the second sentence?

An Olympic sprinter on a bad day runs faster than me on a good day.
An Olympic sprinter on a bad day runs faster than I do on a good day.


texts:
In dialogue, when a character is asking for another's name by saying, 'Mister...?' (expecting the other character to answer with their surname), is it written:

'Mister...?' or 'Mister?'

The first feels better, as it includes the implied gap, waiting to be filled by the answer.


texts: A critical situation in which no trick works?

texts:
How could one describe a situation in which no trick, no approach, no magic, nothing at all works to change the outcome? One where you have no choice but to accept things as they are.

For example, I can't use the excuse that I was ill for missed homework because I've already used it. Or when this happens with your boss?

What can I call such situation, in a single word, wherein you just have to accept  the blame, just have to give in to the situation you are in?


texts: preposition used with mathematical operators

texts: Is "minus with" or "minus by"correct? What preposition can be used for mathematical operator " multiply"?


texts: Is it 'sleep problem' or 'sleeping problem'?

texts:
As the title indicates, I'm having trouble with the correct use of the word sleep in (for example) the following sentences:

About 30 percent of adults regularly experience sleep(ing) problems.
The record was reviewed for any notes made related to sleep(ing) problems.
Sleep(ing) problems of patients appear to be under-recognised at admittance.

When should I use the -ing form of the word?


texts: Pronunciation of foreign words by foreign speakers

texts:
I've used English for a long time and it isn't immediately obvious to others that I'm native French. Whenever I say a French word or place name in English I wonder whether I should pronounce it like English or French speakers would. (Of course I always use English pronunciation for common place names like Paris.) Using French pronunciation can sound pretentious, but English pronunciation can too, especially if part of the audience speaks French and knows that I am native French.

This question is similar. My question focuses on native French speakers that speak in English to an audience of both English and French natives. Which pronunciation draws less attention?


texts:
To anthropomorphise is to ascribe human features to something, such as an animal. Is there a word that means the opposite, namely to deny a feature exists in an animal because it is assumed to be uniquely human?

For example, some would see it as anthropomorphising to say a dog misses its owner. How would you describe it when it is said a dog can not miss its owner as animals do not feel emotions?


texts:
I'm fairly new to the world of linguistics and this is my first post in this forum. I've been helping a friend to learn English and one of her questions has me stumped, even as a native speaker. She is confused about which verb forms to use. She understands all of the tenses and can create simple sentences in each tense, however she struggles with complex sentences and sentences where multiple verb forms are used. Is there a name for this field so I can do some further reading? Can anyone suggest any materials that explain the rules?

An example sentence that I found in an article online:

George Lucas had considered bringing Mark Hamill back as Luke Skywalker.

Upon seeing this sentence, my friend would probably ask why we use "bringing" instead of "brought" or "considered to bring"?

I'm sure there must be rules about which verbs should be used after one another. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,


texts: "At the low level" vs "On the low level"

texts:
I wanted to say that a particular essay written by a student has a poor structure. So, I wrote

"On the low level, your structure can be improved."

But my PhD supervisor told me it should be "At the low level". How do you decide which one is to use?

Edit: We're from the computing department.


texts:
I am starting a blog focused on software development and trying to come up with some catchy name for it.
The theme of the blog should be "putting things together", or to "connect all dots of complex programming problems".

Is there a one word or a simple phrase that would mean the same thing? I was thinking about words like "fusion" or "link", but the resulting names (codefusion, codelinking, codelinker) don't feel right somehow.


texts:
Which of the three alternatives is correct (or recommended)?

"in both the military and civil fields";
"in both military and civil fields";
"in both the military and the civil fields".

(entire sentence: "Current UAV technology has led to an exponential growth in the potential applications of drones in both (the) military and (the) civil fields.")
[update] The intended meaning is "the military field and the civilian field"; the term "field" is intended as synonym of "sector".


texts: possible ambiguity of 'he' when two nouns are in use

texts:
I want to express that Brahma explained to Indra the mistake Indra had committed.
Is it proper to say it like this?

  Brahma explained to Indra the mistake he had committed.

Is there any grammatical rule that says which of the two people (Brahma and Indra) does 'he' refer to?


texts: What is the rule for using inversion with "as"?

texts:
As far as I know, we can use either inversion or normal sentence order with "as" when we are talking about things or people in the "as clause" that are different from those we are mentioning in the independent clause, for example:

"John and Mary brought their kids to the party, as did we all / as we all did."

"I've often wished I could afford to work less, as do most people / as most people do, I suspect."

But we cannot use normal sentence order when--in spite of talking about different things or people in each clause--the clause with "as" is uttered by a second person. So we have to use inversion, right? For example:

Jill: Did you see that John and Mary brought their kids to the party?

Jack: As did we all. What's the point?

Is this rule correct?

By the way, is "as" acting as an adverb of comparison in the above examples?


texts: What is the origin of the phrase "A Mountain I'm Willing to Die On"?

texts: I hear the phrase "A Mountain I'm Willing to Die On" too many times at work and figured it meant "is this the battle I choose to fight today"? But this is used too many times on the interwebs to google down to the origins of it. Can someone point me to it?


texts: Is "looking to" acceptable English in this use?

texts:
Recently there is dramatic increase in the use of looking to verb as in:

  Jeff is looking to start something big.

Is this acceptable grammar?
Why is it recently popular?
What could best be used in its place?


texts: Different between "alacrity", "fervor", "zeal" and "fanaticism"

texts:
What is the different between "alacrity", "fervor", "zeal" and "fanaticism"? I find these definition in Google:

  Alacrity: brisk and cheerful readiness.
  Fervor: intense and passionate feeling.
  Zeal: great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective.
  Fanaticism: marked by excessive enthusiasm and often intense uncritical devotion.

They all share a meaning about energetic, putting effort into something. One thing I know is zealot is the one who dotes on their religious. Therefore I think zeal means extremely enthusiasm. Another thing I know is alacrity and zeal are rarely use in modern English. I wonder if using them will make people think the one using it is pedantic, like vituperative?


texts: Is there a word that means "to fill with (positive) apprehension"?

texts:
I want to say that a scenario is at once exciting, but also fills me with apprehension. While I could say, "That's both exciting and fills me with apprehension," I would like to use a single word in this place.

But it's a positive sort of apprehension. The sort of apprehension you might feel before going on stage to perform - obviously people are there to see you and so unless you really screw it up it will go well, but still.


texts: Using "studied for" in this sentence considered wrong?

texts:
I use Grammarly from time to time since I'm not a native speaker of English. I wrote this sentence,

  I studied for an exam, sat down in the exam hall, realized that it wasn't the exam I studied for.

Grammarly tells me that it's "inappropriate colloquialism" and I'm not quite sure if I get it.