texts: What does "biased in your favour" mean in this sentence?

texts:
I checked several dictionaries and googled and checked previous biased-related questions here including Is it "biased towards" or "biased against"?, Word for being biased "towards the other direction"?, What do you call a person who is regionally biased? (unrelated),
Moreover, subscription-only LDOCE says:

biased (adj.):

unfairly preferring one person or group over another:
Of course I'm biased, but I thought my daughter's paintings were the best.
racially biased attitudes.
biased against/towards/in favour of
news reporting that was heavily biased towards the government

more interested in a particular thing than in another:
biased towards
The majority of infants are biased towards being social rather than being antisocial.

OED says:

biase (v.): To give a bias or one-sided tendency or direction to; to incline to one side; to influence, affect (often unduly or unfairly).,
biased: Influenced; inclined in some direction; unduly or unfairly influenced; prejudiced.

But I still can't understand the meaning of the following sentence:

I appreciate that you took the time to contact me. You are great in my opinion! But then I am very biased in your favour!

Does the sentence imply that:
a. The person saying this, is somewhat being unrealistically nice at their own expression of the addressee being great (in a negative way);
or
b. Do they mean that they're not great enough to be able to return the favor (in a positive way being keen on the addressee's greatness)?
I also notice that LDOCE uses "favour" rather than favor, which probably indicates that this usage is British only?


texts: Is it possible to say "ASAP" instead of "as soon as possible" when we speak?

texts:
Or is it just an abbreviation that should be written just on paper? I heard Al Pacino say "asap" on the phone when he was talking with his friend.

What about pm? Could we say p m instead of prime minister?


texts: I just read a question with answers about the letter u making the sound /w/ in penguin and sanguine. However, the word language was not mentioned. What is the explanation for the spelling of language?


texts: Term to describe someone's lack of interest in festive activities

texts:
I am someone who doesn't care if someone doesn't buy me a present on my birthday. I don't care if my girlfriend proposes that we not do anything on Valentine's Day and maybe go out another time. It doesn't have to be February 14th that we celebrate it, or even the month of February, I don't really care. I don't need to have a Christmas tree to celebrate Christmas.

I'm also not very materialistic. I don't want anything for Christmas, and I perceive almost everything people buy me as useless.

Just to make things clear, I am not anti-holiday. I am basically the opposite of the girl who cries because her boyfriend gave her just chocolate on Valentine's Day but didn't offer to go out somewhere to celebrate.

Is there a word that describes my attitude and personality?


texts:
What is a word (a verb) for the opposite of attend (to a class, to a conference...)?

Unattend? Disattend?

If there is not such a word, then maybe not attending could be OK...

EDIT:

The context for my question is the text for the evaluation rules within an official document containing the description and syllabus of a university course/subject. More precisely, I want to express this sentence:

  Only those students attending at least 75% of the lab sessions will be qualified to take the lab exam.

in another way, starting

  Only those students unjustifiedly not attending at most 25% of the lab sessions [...]

The point is the word "unjustifiedly". If you attended only 50% of lab sessions but you justifiedly skiped 25% of the lab sessions (you were ill or whatever), then you do meet the condition to take the lab exam (because the final percentage of unjustified absences is equal to 25%). That is why it is easier to put the sentence in the second way, with "not attending" (or maybe "skipping", that would be a good one...).

I thank the people who told me to look it up in a thesaurus, but I already did it and I did not found the perfect match for my context. That is why I decided to ask this question in this site. Sadly, I have -2 points at this moment. :/


texts: What's the difference between 'addictive' and 'addicting'?

texts: Some people use 'addicting game' and others use 'addictive drugs' - What's the proper usage?


texts:
I will be away until this Sunday.  I will be available Sunday afternoon 2 PM to 3 PM.

Please correct this if there are any corrections required. Kindly explain the rule for help in understanding its use.


texts: What is the adjective form for the noun accismus? accismatic?

texts:
I've been looking for a word in English that expresses the following meaning:
The state of wanting something but feigning disinterest  because you want the other party to insist,  ask more forcefully/affectionately, etc.
So far, the best word I've found is accismus. Now I'm wondering if it also has an adjective I can use. Unfortunately, dictionaries haven't been of much help. If there is no such word, do you think accismatic can be a welcome addition to English vocabulary?


texts:
I'm looking for a good word to express the concept of "the right thing being done" but avoiding the connotations of the two most obvious words:

Justice - has too much of a connotation of being legalistic or enforced by the police.
Morality - has too much of a connotation of "traditional values" and puritanism.

Is there a better word?


texts: Noun for "playing of the video/audio" object

texts:
Is there a word which means running of this media event?

For example:

  The advertisement was played 428 times over the promotions period.

  The advertisement had four-hundred and twenty-eight word-goes-here
  over the period.

The word needs to encompass both video and audio media.

The specific problem I have to solve is what to put on a report:

Media File:                    Buy_Duff_Beer.wmv
From:                          Monday, 1 August 2011
To:                            Wednesday 31 August 2011
Total Playings:                4,523
Average Playings Per Hour:     32

Playings is the best word I've come up with, and I really don't like  it.


texts: Using "had" vs "have" in conjunction with "previous"

texts:
This is a rather pedantic question and the only reason I ask is because something sounds wrong to me.

Say someone is giving instructions to a person to write down a name they used to go by but no longer do. Which phrasing is most correct?

  Write down any previous names you have.

  Write down any previous names you had.

  Write down any previous names you have had.

The first one seems most logical to me. The statement is assuming the person may currently have a previous last name. The second one seems logically wrong, as it's saying the person used to have a previous last name (maybe person reverted back to original name).

Changing the context to a similar structured sentence, to my ear using "had" is clearly the correct choice:

  Tell the dentist of any previous infections you had.

Here, replacing "had" with "have" certainly would be wrong.


texts: Is there a term for when fiction refers to fiction

texts:
In the movie E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, two characters are talking and one refers to something from Star Trek.

Here is the lines from that dialogue (source IMDB),

  Elliott: He's a man from outer space and we're taking him to his spaceship.
  Greg: Well, can't he just beam up? Elliott: This is reality,
  Greg.

So a fictional movie is referring to another fictional story.  Is there a term for this?


texts: What is the first recorded appearance of the mistranslation "Red Square"?

texts: Does anybody know when the mistranslation "Red Square" made its first recorded appearance? Have there been any noteworthy attempts at establishing the correct translation "Beautiful Square" at some point in history? Obviously, it's too late to change the name now, but I am interested in learning how fast its use gained momentum in English-speaking countries and when the point of no return was reached.


texts: For example "You are my favorite person too." Is this correct? Or should I say "You too are my favorite person."


texts: where we use "what" and where we use "which"?

texts: Sometimes, I get confused when I want to ask a question,so I need some clarification.


texts:
I'm doubting myself b/c Google grammar is telling me to (there should be a word for this -- gramidiot?).

On topic, I wrote what I think is a grammatical sentence:

  I'm not sure another call is worth it.

Google grammar wants this to be:

  I'm not sure if another call is worth it.

I think both sentences are grammatically correct -- I don't think that interrogative "if" is necessary. I would welcome input on this subject. Thanks.


texts: Is there a word for a person who looks absent-minded, but in fact notices everything carefully?

texts:
I'm coming out from the word absent-mindedness:

Absent-mindedness is where a person shows inattentive or forgetful behaviour. It can have three different causes:

a low level of attention ("blanking" or "zoning out")
intense attention to a single object of focus (hyperfocus) that makes a person oblivious to events around him or her;

I'm wondering whether there is a word for a person who only looks to behave like this, but in fact listens to everything around them.
I do this a lot. Whenever I'm in a group of people, I either look like I'm zoned-out thinking about my work stuff, or listening to only one person, but in fact I'm carefully taking in everything other people are speaking.
Another good example would be the character Columbo from the show of the same name. He always looked like he was ignoring everyone, totally absent-minded, while in fact he was doing this on purpose to keep his suspects from being too careful around him.
What is the word for such a person?


texts: Word or Phrase for events that don't fall into other categories

texts: We have regular events that happen every week or month. Storytime or Movie Night. We have other events that might be a one off. Most events fall into this later category, however I'd like to have a word to describe them... The best I've come up with is "special events" but that implies that the regular events aren't special.


texts: Unsure if my inverse order compound sentence makes is correct

texts:
I am working on a college essay and I have one sentence that may have a grammar issue.

  I was successful in my goals for the program, but even more so was the program successful in its goals for me.

I could obviously change it to something like:

  I was successful in my goals for the program, but the program was even more successful in its goals for me.

However, the first sentence sounds more symmetrical to me and I like the sound of it much better.  Is it grammatically correct?  If not, is there a way to maintain the feeling of symmetry while fixing the grammar.


texts: Do I travel "up" or "down" to London from north of the city?

texts: I am travelling geographically down the country from north of the city of London. Do I state "I am travelling down to London" or do I state "I am travelling up to London" in reference to its capital city status?


texts: What does “literary stylist” mean? Is it a characteristic or a profession?

texts:
The following passage in an article in The Guardian titled Occupy was right: Capitalism failed the world (April 13, 2014) comments on Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the twenty-first century, a work of scholarship that has attracted worldwide attention.

  “And indeed it has to be said that Capital in the twenty-first century is
  surprisingly readable. It is packed with anecdotes and literary
  references that illuminate the narrative. It also helps that it is
  fluently translated by Arthur Goldhammer, a literary stylist who has
  tackled the work of the likes of Albert Camus. But even so, as I note that
  Piketty’s bookshelves are lined with such headache-inducing titles as
  The Principles of Microeconomics and The Political Influence of
  Keynesianism, simple folk like me still need some help here.”

This is the first time I have encountered the expression 'literary stylist'. Does it refer to a characteristic of the writer, or to an established genre of literature or rhetorical mode? What does it mean? Is it a common term like 'fashion stylist'?


texts:
Puddle, as a noun, refers to a small pool of water, usually small enough to walk through but not large enough for a raft.

What would a (temporary) pool of water larger than a puddle be called?

  It just rained, so watch out for puddles

vs

  It just rained quite a bit and there's a [large puddle] on the corner, so take the other road

I would imagine a pool of water might be correct, but I've never heard anyone refer to a body of standing rain water as a pool. And floodwater would be too much.


texts: However, the courts in Lundy held that because the landlords never seen the dog, nor received complaints about the dog, nor visited the property, nor knew the size or age of the dog, that the landlords were not aware of the dangerous propensities of the dog.


texts: Can I avoid using “the” in the phrase “by artist John Smith,” as opposed to “by the artist John Smith.” If the phrase is on a title section it reads somewhat pompous, but I need to provide a justification for it.


texts: Preposition followed by participial phrase

texts:
For example,

  After brushing my teeth, I go to bed

Is this a participial phrase, or a prepositional phrase, or both?

  Brushing my teeth...

Is participial, but the after is making me think that the former is not a participial phrase.
What is this called?


texts:
It's pretty common, especially in video games' mission objectives, to state:

  A person X must not die.

Would this be rapidly different if constructed like this?

  A person X cannot die.


texts: Is "It's a way to find your way through the city" grammatically correct?

texts:
It's a way to find your way through this city.

Is this sentence grammatically correct, and why or why not?


texts: Which is correct or more common when talking about medicine: "buy drugs" or "buy medicine"?

texts:
I mean it in the sense of buying medicine, for example for common cold or other diseases.

When talking about buying medicine, which of these sentences is more correct or more commonly used:

"go to the drug store to buy drugs"
"go to the drug store to buy medicine"


texts: “A government of the people, by the people, for the people”

texts:
From a famous speech:

  A government of the people, by the people, for the people

I believe the last part is clear (for the people). But what is the difference— in meaning— between of the people (it is a genitive form?) and by the people?

As for the question mark ("it is a genitive form?") I think there is no need to set it inside the parentheses.


texts: Is there a reason for the dual-meaning of the word "stature"?

texts:
The word "stature" is doubly defined by Merriam-Webster like so:

1 : natural height (as of a person) in an upright position
2 : quality or status gained by growth, development, or achievement

I am wondering: is there a reason that we have this link between height and achievement in English? Is there etymological history behind stature meaning both "height" and "achievement"?
Backstory: I am tall (6'4"). Many times when people haven't seen me in a while they say "Wow, you are taller than I remember." I am also quite playful. I joke a lot and I am kind of goofy. This, along with the definition of stature, leads me to the conclusion that people remember me as being short because they associate my goofy nature with my height. So, when they see me, they say "wow you are tall!" because their memory of me is as a short person, i.e., one who is not very revered or respected. The word I use to represent this phenomenon is: stature. I am physically tall but socially "short."
I provide this backstory to make my question clearer. i.e., the question is such that the answer will hopefully validate or invalidate my theory of why people say they remember me being shorter than I am.


texts: Is there a term for turning a short statement into a long essay just to make sure no one gets offended?

texts:
Let's say you want to state "X people tend to be Y", e.g.

Grocers are often overweight.
Gays tend to be emotional.
Indecisive men are usually seen as unattractive.

Chances are that someone might take offense to something like that, so I noticed a pattern in which instead of making a simple statement like that, people would write rather long, logically unnecessary, essays, explaining that "tend" refers to the overall trend, and not every X is Y, and that some people who are not X can also be Y, and that just because they are Y doesn't mean you don't respect them, and so on, ad nauseam.
Is there a word for this kind of extra, logically unnecessary, verbosity added just to make sure no one gets offended?


texts: How do we say "domestic apples" in normal English

texts:
If you are serving apple pie and you want to write the menu so that the customer understands that the apples in the pie are from THE VERY CITY that the restaurant is in, how can I rewrite this phrase:

  Home-made apple pie, with DOMESTIC
  apples grown right here in San Diego.

I feel like the word 'domestic' refers to meat, but is there a good word for a menu that refers to local produce?


texts: Is there an exception to the prohibition against ending a sentence with “ ’s ” at work here?

texts:
The ’s can be used as a contraction representing a weak, unstressed word that is not pronounced.  It allegedly cannot occur in sentence final position.

  She is not ready, but he is.
  She’s not ready, but he is.
  She’s not ready, but *he’s.

The last one is not grammatical there.

Similarly, here the last one is not grammatical:

  He has not started yet, but she has.
  He’s not started yet, but she has.
  He’s not started yet, but *she’s.

This answer claims this is because you cannot end a sentence with a weak form.  It backs up its point with reasonably scholarly documentation.

However, this does not seem to be invariably true.

  Shall we go to the movies?  Yes, let us go.
  Shall we go to the movies?  Yes, let’s go.
  Shall we go to the movies?  Yes, let’s.

Unlike the third example in the first two sets, here in this case the third example is indeed grammatical, despite ending with a weak form.

Is this an exception to the rule, or is there another rule at work here?


texts:
Single word request: a notable representative of a discipline

e.g. Picasso and Braque - Cubism

Picasso and Braque were "important representatives" of Cubism

Is there a word to replace "important representatives"?


texts: English idiomatic proverb that expresses "work makes the doer"?

texts:
Latvian language (one of the Baltic languages, others being Lithuanian and extinct Prussian language) has proverb (with alliterations) Darbs dara darītāju, which can be translated literally into English as work makes (does) the doer. My question is - is there the idiomatic expression/proverb with similar meaning in English?

I tried to do the exact-googling of the translated phrase "work makes the doer", but Google gives only pages from Latvia or Lithuania which mention this proverb as distinctly Latvian one with English translation only. I am fan of this proverb and I wonder - is it possible that English have no similar proverb? My guess is that English have such proverb but with different (more English-like) wording. Maybe there is even the Latin roots of this proverb? Or maybe Anglo-Saxon world have such deep cultural advancements (OxCam being the example) and such reliance on education so that such proverb is useless in English speaking cultures which rely on professional education, professionalism as opposite to the in-work skills development and growth of personality?

Growth of skills and personality through the work is the essence of the Latvian proverb. But I guess - this proverb can be applied only to such work in which the growth is possible and necessary be it the development of the motoric skills or the development of intellectual skills. If the work is monotone, without possibility to grow (in such work) then this proverb is useless.


texts: Position of a relative clause before/after a verb

texts:
I'm not sure about the sentence structure below:

All kinds of problems arise that smaller animals or plants do not have to cope with.

It looks like that works as a relative pronoun for all kinds of problems, but I couldn't find such usage in my dictionary or online.
This sentence could be divided into

There are all kinds of problems.
Smaller animals or plants do not have to cope with all kinds of problems.

But, I can't figure out where 'arise' fits. If you have any thoughts, please share them.


texts: Exclamation mark after first person imperative

texts:
Is it inappropriate to use an exclamation mark after a first person plural imperative sentence, such as

  Yes, let's stop talking about that!

I am a foreign speaker of English conversing in text online with a friend who is a native speaker. My friend perceives the use of exclamation marks as shouting and feels offended by that. She pointed out the exact phrase quoted above as being offensive due to the exclamation mark.

I am aware that the exclamation mark is used far less in English than in my own native language (in German we use it in many places where English speakers would use a "."), however I remember being taught very long ago in highschool that any phrase starting with "let's" should end with an exclamation mark, to denote that the phrase is a suggestion. It feels wrong to me not to use one in this example.

Your input is appreciated.


texts: What does "the apricot and black humid evening" mean?

texts:
Mes fenêtres! Hanging above blotched sunset and welling night, grinding my teeth, I would crowd all the demons of my desire against
  the railing of a throbbing balcony: it would be ready to take off
  in the apricot and black humid evening; did take off—whereupon the lighted image would move and Eve would revert to a rib, and there
  would be nothing in the window but an obese partly clad man reading
  the paper.

The quote comes from Lolita by Nabokov. Does apricot signify the apricot colour? Nabokov used apricot to signify the colour in other parts of Lolita. I can very well imagine that sunsets are of apricot colour (and then black nights come), yet the sentence in question sounds strange to me because of apricot and black being so close to each other.


texts: How to punctuate spoken dialog with multiple levels of nested clauses?

texts:
I'm trying to do an audio transcription (for fun—I'm a complete amateur at this) and struggling with how to punctuate this part.

Could anyone please help?

We've designed this around the functions of nature, so, at certain times, and it's very relevant we choose the right time—
    more timing, not just technique—
        strategy again coming in, another time element—
not when the rainfall is less than the evaporation—
    if the evaporation is very high at that time of year, you leave the shade—
        shade is better than mulch—
but when the rainfall is higher than the evaporation,
we can speed up this cycle.

I've put in em dashes (and indented the inner clauses) where they might belong, except that I'd be nesting them 2 or 3 levels deep, which I don't believe is allowed.

In general, what would you do if you had 3, 4, or even 5 or more nested layers of clauses?


texts: Is there a verb that describes speaking with a full mouth?

texts: I am looking for a verb that describes speaking with a full mouth, like a child asking something at the dinner table before swallowing, because they are so anxious/curious for the answer.  Anything come to mind? I didn't find ANY.


texts: Is there any phrase or word to relate time, location and event?

texts: I'm working on a research paper, I need a word or phrase which is related to users' location, time and event. If there's isn't exact word or phrase then any best fit would also work out.


texts: Visual connotation associated with “lucid”

texts:
I’m interested in the definition and connotation of lucid when it comes to physical objects: what does a lucid object look like?

From Merriam-Webster:

  suffused with light : luminous
  translucent <snorkeling in the lucid sea>

From Dictionary.com:

  shining or bright.
  clear; pellucid; transparent.

From these definitions, it seems like the term lucid can describe stars in the night sky, light bulbs, the ocean in Aruba, and wine glasses.

Is this true? Are some of those objects more correctly associated with the word lucid than with the words bright, glowing, or transparent?

Also, links to any images containing lucid objects would be great.


texts: How does Alex Jones use the prefix 'Proto'?

texts:
Radiohost Alex Jones (and some of his audience) loves to attatch the prefix Proto- to everything:
Quotes like these:

  "he managed to reveal himself as a proto-fascist stooge"

And

  " Proto-patriot Steve Quayle visits the Infowars studio and discusses the elites"

And

  " it started as a lefty proto-new age event, the Burning Man of its day."

And

  "The French got a bloody proto-Communist Revolution"

These are just quotes I found online. In his rants, there are far more.

In all these contexts, what does the prefix proto mean?


texts: Single word for "performed catastrophically badly" (in a computing context/sense)

texts:
I know I've heard this word but cannot place it. Help please?

I'm looking for the slang-like/tech jargon term one might read in a computer software developers' discussion or email exchange, if performance of something computer-related under development failed dreadfully (or was dismally/catastrophically poor) in a given case.

The usage is something like "Testing went well, but output performance planked (or whatever the word is) when we added a second network card..."


texts:
The phrase is commonly used in mark schemes, like so:

The facility of the question was 65%,

Facility is defined as..."bathroom", "service", or "absence of difficulty" in Lexico.


texts: Why is the phrase "why am I not" abbreviated "why aren't I" (i.e. a complete replacement of the verb)?

texts:
The other day I saw the following (written) phrase being used in an American TV series episode:

"Why aren't I on the list?"

Even though I know this "sounds right" (I'm a relatively fluent, although not native, English speaker), this struck me as weird, since "am" is the normal form for "I" in all/most other situations ("I am", "you are", "he/she/it is" etc), i.e. without abbreviation being used, the correct phrasing would be "Why am I not on the list" (rather than "Why are I not on the list").

So, what is the origin of this strange special case, and are there also other similar ones like it in the English language (i.e. where the abbreviated word is at the same time replaced by a completely OTHER word or word form, effectively not just being abbreviated, but rather also substituted at the same time)?


texts: What does "underlying technicality" mean?

texts:
What does "underlying technicality" mean in the following sentence?

  Discuss from the existing scenario/situation up to the proposed
  system and proceed with its underlying technicality but presented in
  simple and layman's terms. (e.g Hardware, Software, Peopleware,
  Middleware, Firmware, etc.)


texts: English as a computer language : research links needed

texts:
I conducted a small experiment some time back.

The idea originated during e-mail composition when I wanted to examine the possibility of conveying something more than what is typically expressed in everyday vocabulary in given contexts. So I had the idea of finding a common synonyms list for what I wanted to say and what is generally said, then select the best one, which satisfies both, if possible.

Wrote a bash script in Linux by taking a word and keeping the synonyms in a queue (appending to master synonyms file for the word). Like in BFS(tree) algorithm, take next element, generate synonyms, insert at the end of queue. As the distance increases, relevancy may come down.

During the testing, I had on occasion even taken 2 words which are antonyms and found a harmony !!

motility, immotility : fermentation
true, false : creation
ink, vomit: pen

(Used Princeton university’s mysql database transformed English dictionary)

There are times I did not get any common word. So they are orthogonal.

When I find these minute discoveries matching with known things (even for creation - there is already a nasadeeya sukta in Indian philosophy. I guess similar ones should be there in philosophies originated at different places as well) and when I see this embedded in the language, thinking, may be yet unknown might have been handled.

With sanskrit, I know of at least one research at a very very early stage (I am one of the authors) given below (redirects to google drive stored document), the contents of which are not definitely yet in a polished form, but sharing it here as I guess most of the people who are in research at least will take the relevant and positive parts for the context needed:

https://tiny.cc/sanskrit_latest

(tiny link for https://drive.google.com/file/d/18wVYPdmEqWVcfzNWlRLle2YIxslRbL1J )

So in the similar lines, may be a subset words and grammar of English with very few new additions if required, can itself be used as a Domain Specific Language (DSL) for many domains?

Potential for long lasting success if we can get a proper DLS out of English is more. In a given DSL's aimed domain, may be we can to some extent figure out these kind of relations or in the proposed language, can verify with some tests of this kind and take a subset of English with its words and grammar and make it a DSL. For example. A bagel can mean a lot depending on the power of DSL. A cooking DSL or scientific DSL or a super GDSL, which can handle all. I see no possibility not to achieve with current technology at least part of this to start with.

Was there any research in this direction? Any pointers to study further?

Please note, some of this content may not be presented in an acceptable form, satisfying for everyone. If so, it is definitely not by any intention but to share as is while editing to the extent that I can think of and modify when sharing in a global platform. Request to go ahead and edit the post if you see it can be bettered for everyone.

edit: appending the following line:
There are in fact even more things rather minute discoveries like the shape of the letter and transformations on it yielding very interesting results, semantics wise wrt computer applications. Was there any research in all these kind of stuff?

edit 2: yet another append:
by very interesting, it was about suddenly expanded similarities with sanskrit semantics and syntax wise (even sounding) and finding some of its characteristics when these transformations are made.

edit 3: appending:
Found a better answer from comments and highlighting here by mentioning it:

Attempto_Controlled_English


texts: I am trying to describe the act of an official attaching a medal to a recipient's clothing (chest) during an awards ceremony.  Is "to drape a medal" the correct usage?  I don't think "to pin a medal" sounds formal.


texts:
What's the correct grammatical term for clauses expressing the goal or a target of an action expressed in the main clause?

For example:

Jack gave me his cell phone so that I could call my Mom.

Dad was telling me this story so that I didn't fall asleep.

To keep flowers growing, florists water them every day.


texts: Why doesn't this Google Translate ad use the word "Translation" instead of "Translate"?

texts: To my knowledge, "Translate" is a verb and not a noun. So why does the above advertisement by Google uses a verb? I mean why not "Translation Community"?


texts: Is there a specific word or term for the two dots (":") between hours and minutes?

texts:
Is there a specific word or term for the two dots in this "14:23"?

Edit. I know it's a colon. :-) I mean specifically related to date and time display.


texts: Using "now" when talking about past events

texts: The whole story is given in the past. Is the sentence in the middle of the story "But why did she wish to do it now?" grammmatically correct? Is it correct to use the Past Simple tense with the adverb "now" talking about past events?


texts:
This is an extract from 'The Sheltering Sky' by Paul Bowles:

One day a Targui comes, he is tall and handsome, on a beautiful mehari. He talks to Outka, Minouna, and Aicha, he tells them about the desert, down there where  he lives, his bled, and they listen, and their eyes are big. Then he says: ' Dance for me' , and they danced.

What's the meaning of 'his bled' here?

(Pag 33 e-book version)


texts: Why is the "to" in "we may see the price to rise" is wrong?

texts: My friend is trying to tell me that the use of "to" in the sentence "we may see the price to rise" (meaning "we expect the price to rise" or "we may see the price rise") is correct. I'm fairly certain this is wrong, but I cannot think of a way to definitively explain why. Can anyone help me out here?


texts: What is 'the game' mean here? From "Chicago , 2002"

texts:
The script is from "Chicago, 2002". I have a few questions. Thank you.

Q1. In the last paragraph, I don't understand the sentence grammatically.

Is the sentence same as:  the assistant D.A. promises the game (that) IittIe sharpshooter wiII swing before the year is up. ?

Why is it 'the game'?

Who is 'little sharpshooter'?

What does 'swing' mean here?

Why is Harrison gonna be governor?

  A voice from news: The Windy City has taken a new criminaI to its
  heart. The name on everybody's Iips is Roxie Hart.

  The sweetest IittIe Iady ever accused of murder in Chicago. Women want
  to Iook Iike her. FeIIas want to go out with her. Some IittIe girIs
  even want to take her home. Don't get any ideas, IittIe Iady.

  On the other side of town . . . the assistant D.A. promises the game
  IittIe sharpshooter wiII swing before the year is up. Who knows? If he
  Iives up to his word , Assistant D.A. Harrison might become Governor
  Harrison someday.

Q2. What does "stiffs" mean here?

  Mama: So, kiddo, given any thought to what you want to do after BiIIy
  gets you off?

  Roxie: I think I'd Iike to go on the stage.

  Mama: I figured as much . I aIready caIIed the Morris office.

  Roxie: ReaIIy? How much is that gonna cost me?

  Mama: My standard deaI.

  Roxie: Yeah , well , we'II see, Mama. Besides, I don't even have an
  act yet.

  Mama: KiIIing Fred CaseIy was your act. Those stiffs in the
  audience want to say they saw somebody famous.

  Roxie: That's a freak act.

And why is Mama saying those stiffs want to say thay saw somebody famous?


texts: Could the origin of "gangway" as an interjection be from Cantonese?

texts:
The use of "Gangway!" to tell people to get out of the way seems to be relatively recent (e.g. 100 years) in use.
There is a common equivalent expression in Cantonese, pronounced something like "Gwan-soy!".
Is there any evidence that the English term might simply be a mispronunciation of this Cantonese expression, perhaps as heard by naval or merchant marine seamen in Hong Kong?
This would be the same as how "Bombay", as a similar sounding English word, became the Anglicized version of "Mumbai" (or variations thereof).
Another example would be the French "chaise longue", meaning "long chair", which has become Anglicized as "chaise lounge".  "Lounge" is a completely different English word, but it sounds similar to the French word for "long" and it's meaning fits well with the use of this furniture.
Inspired by: Meaning of 滾水 as Cantonese idiom - Chinese Language Stack Exchange


texts: General term for permanent or non-permanent

texts: As the title states. I'm looking for a general term for permanent, temporary, etc. The best I could come up with so far is permanence, although after I looked at the definition I'm not sure that really makes sense.


texts:
I have had this thought on many sleepless nights: is there a word specifically for the desire to go to sleep? Not in the sense of being sleepy or tired, but actively wanting to become asleep.

If a person is in bed desiring and attempting to will themselves to sleep. Does this desire have a name?


texts: Is saying "candor and honesty" grammatically correct?

texts:
I recently read the sentence

  Thank you for your candor and honesty.

Is that grammatically correct? To me it seems redundant as candor is a synonym for honesty. Does candor have other meanings that would not make it redundant in this sentence?


texts: Should the names of seasons be capitalized?

texts:
When you are writing about the seasons, should you capitalize their names?

For example, would you say:

  I love the colors of the leaves in Autumn.

Or should you say:

  I love the colors of the leaves in autumn.


texts: Dialect "rules" and the pronunciation of individual words

texts:
Consider an American actor who is tasked with mastering British Received Pronunciation for an upcoming role. If he has a talent for vocal mimicry, as many actors do, he should have no trouble picking up the "rules" of RP just from listening to people speak it: the non-rhotacism of the dialect, the aspiration of intervocalic t, the characteristic intonation patterns and prosody of RP, and so on. For the most part, he should have no trouble speaking RP like a native. Yet he would never in a million years figure out on his own that lieutenant should be pronounced "leftenant," for example, or that controversy is often pronounced with the accent on the second syllable, unless he hears those specific words pronounced. To my knowledge, there are no general characteristics of RP that account for the mysterious appearance of an f in lieutenant (or, if you prefer, there are no general characteristics of General American that account for its absence). You just have to know how those specific words should be pronounced, because you'll never figure it out on your own.

Do linguists recognize a distinction between the "rules" of a dialect on the one hand and its individual pronunciation "quirks" on the other? Is there a term for this phenomenon? Is it considered merely a variation on regional preferences for certain words over their synonyms (e.g., rubbish vs. garbage), or is there something else at play here?

(Disclaimer: I take no position on whether the BE or AE pronunciation of any of these words should be considered the "quirky" one; I simply note that one couldn't easily intuit one pronunciation just from knowing the other.)


texts: What does “puncture veneer” mean? Is it a common idiom?

texts:
New York Times (March 6) reports Mr. Trump’s claims of the former President Obama’s giving an order for wiretapping at Trump Tower, with no evidence, under the headline, “Trump’s wiretapping claims puncture veneer of Presidential civility.”

A tire punctures, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard the phrase, “puncture veneer.” I tried to find out the exact definition of the phrase online to no avail.

What does “puncture veneer” mean? Is this a popular turn of phrase?


texts: How to use a person's given name, followed by what they're also known as, in the same sentence

texts:
How do we use a person's given name, followed by what they're also known as, in the same sentence? For example,

  There's just no denying that Barry Allan a.k.a. The Flash is one
  extremely fast guy.

Not sure if any commas, quotes, parentheses, etc. are needed, or where to put them. I'm kind of new to all this stuff, so forgive me for the stupid question.


texts: Difference between "composite" and "compound"

texts: Is there any difference between composite and compound? Are these words synonyms?


texts:
In general usage (and hopefully correct usage) a "notifier" is someone who notifies.

What is the word for the person who is notified?

For example: "Instruct each [X] to respond to the notification within 3 days."


texts:
a new pair of shoes / pants / scissors
a pair of new shoes / pants / scissors

I can’t find which one of those two it should be, and I’ve seen some debate about it.

“A new pair of shoes”: Could it imply that the shoes previously were part of a different pair?

But on the other hand, if it’s a pair of shoes, why would one have to state that both shoes are new when saying a pair of new shoes?

Which is correct, or doesn’t it matter?


texts:
I recently used the word re-rendezvous in conversation with several people, meaning for two entities to come together again after having initially met and gone their separate ways. (This was a software engineering discussion, in which everything is conceptual and we frequently use metaphors.)  Someone said "'Re-rendezvous' - wouldn't that be redundant?", implying that the re of rendezvous meant "again."  I've looked at several definitions and etymologies, and all I can see is that rendez vous means "present yourselves" in Middle French.  I don't get any "again-ness."

I'll admit it was a clunky invention, made up on the spot in a casual conversation, but I don't think it was "redundant."  And it occurs to me: doesn't the re prefix always occupy a syllable of its own when it means "again"?  As, say, "redundant" derives from re + undare, according to Online Etymology Dictionary?


texts: What's the difference between these negative sentences?

texts:
What's the difference between these two?

  "He is not obviously guilty."
  "He is obviously not guilty."


texts:
I wonder if it is correct to say:

 From A there follows B

if you want to say that A entails B (or B is a consequence of A).


texts: Word for "motion in slowly expanding" circles?

texts:
I'm looking for a word that means to circle outward from a center point, with each circle getting a little larger than the previous, as would be used by a search party, for example.

"The helicopter flew in ______ circles as we peered down toward the trees."
"Start there, and [walk (or any motion) in] ______ [circles] until you find a table with your name on it."

A single word for the whole thing would also be acceptable.
I found this word "circumnutation," but the main meaning of that word seems specific to plants, and the directly relevant version of the word is marked as not accepted and might not be standard. It's also specifically referring to ripples in water, which is not what I'm looking for. I also think the word I'm looking for is something I've encountered in the past, just can't remember at the moment.


texts: "Sure to do something?" — is it correct?

texts:
Is the question "Sure to delete selected elements?" correct? I have seen this many times. Can I use such questions in this form on a website? Does it make a difference to place it on a website?
I have found this answer but it is not exactly what I am looking for.


texts:
What is the best word to refer to the person that I (directly) supervise, in the context of a corporate workplace? The closest I can think of is employee, but that doesn't directly convey a direct supervisor relationship.

Other options I can think of are apprentice (usually used to refer exclusively to someone who is still learning where I come from), underling (patronizing), and worker (again not specific).

For example when describing a project:

My employee designed the front-end of the system while I worked on the critical business logic.


texts:
I am surprised reading a letter from a colleague in the office using a word Perpeocueing I don’t know if such word exists. I’ve searched google and my dictionaries and can’t find it.

The sentence reads:
“We crave your indulgence to guide us on how best to proceed as perpeocueing a memorandum of agreement with your respected office to carry out these services effectively”.

I need urgent help. Thank you.


texts:
What is good dictionary software? I am asking about the ones that can be downloaded and used on Windows machines, and not online websites.

I thought Word Web is a good one, but are there any advanced and good dictionaries?


texts: What is “Kludgeocracy” in short, in plain words?

texts:
In Washington Post January 26, 2013 issue, Ezra Klein introduces the word, “Kludgeocracy” in his article titled, “Is America a ‘kludgeocracy’?,” which begins with the following sentence:

In "Kludgeocracy: The American Way of Policy," Johns Hopkins political scientist Steven Teles argues that;

  "The great agenda of the next four years of the Obama administration,
  and probably the nation’s next thirty, is coming to grips with
  kludgeocracy." http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/01/26/is-america-a-kludgeocracy/

And in the article, titled “Kludgeocracy in America” in National Affair, Steven Teles, the coiner of "kludgeocracy" writes:

  “While we can name the major questions that divide our politics —
  liberalism or conservatism, big government or small — we have no name
  for the dispute between complexity and simplicity in government, which
  cuts across those more familiar ideological divisions. For lack of a
  better alternative, the problem of complexity might best be termed the
  challenge of "kludgeocracy."

A "kludge" is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as "an ill-assorted collection of parts assembled to fulfill a particular purpose...a clumsy but temporarily effective solution to a particular
fault or problem," but I have difficulty in relating it to
"kludgeocracy."

What does "kludgeocracy" mean in short and in plain words? Is it easily understood by every Americans? Does it have to be computer-specific as a political terminology?


texts: What is the difference between “rooster” vs. “cock” and “hen” vs. “chicken”?

texts:
When I was small and started to study English, I had pictures labelled cock, hen and chicken.

Now when I search the net for pictures for showing to my children, I see the same pictures, but this time they are labelled rooster, chicken and chick.

Do these changes belong to time, to American vs British usage differences, or to something else?

What names should I use when showing pictures to my children?


texts:
"Only through accurately understanding our feelings can we learn to free ourselves from negative emotions, which provides more creative energy, as well as the opportunity for limitless personal growth, and ultimately, [connect/connects] us to our higher selves."

Which one is correct?? Connect or connects?
I think both are OK.
"can we learn to ~~ + (can we) connect us ~~"
or
"which provides more creative energy ~~ + (which) connects us ~~"

How do you think about this??


texts: Word meaning a place contains a lot of a certain type of people

texts:
Here's what I'm writing:

  The way I think it actually is - is that some companies are able to
  attract and retain the good talent (through being able to pay well,
  having interesting work, or being a [centrepoint] of talent).

What I'm getting at is that some companies contain a lot of talented people, and so people are going to want to work there, to be surrounded by them. What's a noun to describe a place this kind of place?


texts: Which one is less formal: hence, therefore, or thus?

texts:
Which of the three is less formal, say, to be used in common speech?

Example:

  Cats have a parasite, Toxoplasma gondii. It's harmless to them—but in
  humans it can affect the heart, liver, eyes. Also the mind. [...] its
  correlation with suicide."


texts: Would you hyphenate “high touch” at the end of a sentence?

texts:
Would you hyphenate “high touch” when used this way:

  Those customer interactions are high touch.

If used immediately before a noun, you would hyphenate, right? It would be "high-touch customer interactions." But do you hyphenate this term when it appears at the end of a sentence? I’ve seen both ways.


texts: orientational metaphor: I'm feeling "up" today

texts:
I have come across the following as examples of "orientational metaphors":

happy is up; sad is down:

  I'm feeling up today. He's really low these days.

While I understand the general concept, I do wonder if native speakers of English commonly use "I'm feeling up today" in daily conversations to express their (temporary) sense of well-being.


texts: Interchangeability between atop and on top of

texts:
Atop seems to be used interchangeably with on top of when in sentences such as atop(/on top of) a mountain, as a preposition. However, is it correct if I use it to replace on top of in the sentence below?

This provides greater utility, on top of comfort.

I would greatly appreciate a detailed answer, thank you so much in advance!


texts: My friend is adamant that "touch base" is the one and only correct usage, although he admits to hearing "touch bases" in regular use.  Which was the original phrase, where did it come from, and do you think either/or is okay today?


texts: Why "present simple" and not "simple present"?

texts:
When reading grammar, I find the names of the tenses kind of weird to me;

Present simple and not simple present
past simple and not simple past
present continuous and not continuous present
etc

Does this contradict with the "adjective noun" ordering rule or is it an exception (or something else)?


texts:
The sentence contains the phrase, 'It would have to be OK'd by The Superintendent.'
My second sentence contains the phrase, ' ... being followed by the assistant manager.'
I'm not sure if I should use capital letters for The Superintendent & the Assistant Manager.'
Can anyone help please?


texts: Is there a single word other than manipulator for a woman who uses her sexuality to get a man to crush on her and then act as her champion for idiosyncratic reasons that have no basis in fact?


texts:
Assume I have written a book and want to name it:

  The Joy of Not Being Stupid

Would the "not" be capitalized?


texts:
I am wondering if the use of "are" in the last subordinate sentence is correct. It makes sense that 'are' refers to 'nodal cover depths' while I think the correct antecedent is the number defined as nodal cover depths.

  Finally, figures 12 and 13 show the characteristics of the optimal solution obtained for test examples I and II, respectively, using CABAC in which the number in parentheses are nodal cover depths.


texts: Negation "No + ... verb" and "but ..., rather ..." when emphasising

texts:
If I want to emphasise a negation in sentence, say

  Economy does not overcome crises but creates them
  Economy does not overcome crises; it merely creates them

may I use a No-form to these statements? For example:

  No economy overcomes crises; it creates them
  No economy overcomes crises; it does create them
  No economy overcomes crises; it merely creates them
  No economy overcomes crises; rather, it creates them

Which structure of the sentence is better in English? May be there is some other version? By the way, should a comma be in front of but in 1. Different sources say the different.


texts: Scientific-Sounding Adjective or Noun to Describe a Creature with Multiple Heads

texts:
There are certain mythological creatures that have more than one head. I want to find a word that can be used to categorize them in a way that sounds scientific. I hope to create much of the same feeling of the word "quadrupedal" meaning "four legged". Here is one example:

Dogs and cats are quadrupedal animals. Cerebus and Chimera are ________ animals.

I initially considered "multi-headed" but have since rejected it as it sounds a bit contrived in my particular application.

Further Clarification

must sound scientific
adjective preferred, noun is acceptable
Latin root preferred (in the hopes it sounds more scientific)
If no such words exists, I will accept a fictional word so long as it
sounds scientific and convincing


texts: Literary term for an obvious understatement to emphasize excess

texts:
I was wondering what the term was for a intentional understatement of an obvious excess to emphasize that excess.

For example saying Bill Gates is “doing well for himself”. Anyone familiar with Bill Gates instantly thinks of how “doing well for himself” doesn’t do his excess wealth justice.


texts: How do you politely ask for someone's gender?

texts:
If you, for example, have to add a person to an application whilst that person is on the phone, how do you politely ask for that person's gender if the voice and/or name has not proven decisive?

To clarify why I posted this question on this site:
I was looking for an answer within the context of the English language and usage. The given answers have proven that this question really isn't off-topic, other languages know different distinctions that are relevant to addressing this issue.


texts:
Not the sport definition, but this one:

  In our survey, the sweet spot for Windows are organizations with 300
  to 1000 employees.


texts: What is the difference between a Tautology and a pleonasm?

texts: What is the difference between these two words? They seem to mean the same thing.


texts: Why is the latin classification of the Armadillo translate into English as "Gorilla"?

texts:
The Latin classification of the Armadillo is Dasypus, which directly translates to gorilla in English.

Can someone explain why that is, I am confused.


texts:
Is there a term describe professions that rely on thinking in a broad sense (researcher, software developer, sales person, marketing, HR, etc...) as opposed to jobs that are mostly physical (bouncer, cleaning person, etc...).

I was going for "intellectual" professions, but I don't really like the term as it is offensive to people who I don't include in this category (it implies they are dumb).


texts:
In the following sentence, is rivers capitalized or not?

The Delaware and Potomac rivers are beautiful.


texts:
I'm looking for a good opposite of 'razor-thin'. It's got to have an analogy to something that's inherently a thick object. A generic adjective that fits into the template "xxx-thick" would be exactly what I'm looking for, others are okay too.

Example sentences for 'razor-thin':

"razor-thin slices of salmon"
"the new MacBook is razor-thin"


texts:
This might sound silly, but are "indeed" and "in fact" interchangeable? Here's a case:

Q: Is that a nice house?

A1: Yes, it's really nice indeed.
A2: Yes, in fact it's really nice.

It sounds to me that on the second one the person who's answering is making a subtle correction (it's not only nice, it's really nice), while in the first one the person is just agreeing.
Does that make sense?


texts:
So I'm an aspiring author and I can't wrap my head around how to write multiple peoples names in one sentence but I wrote it as...
"...while I went over Kyle, Jenny, and Marcos’s homework they were supposed to do yesterday."
Like did I write it out correctly? I am genuinely confused.


texts: Omission of the indefinite article to eliminate ambiguity

texts:
love between husband and wife

What is the reason that there is no article (e.g. "love between a husband and a wife") in the above? Has some kind of a rule been identified grammatically when it comes to such a case? If I were to guess I think it's because the indefinite article 'a', the purpose of that, is taking a generic sample (or 'instance') from a 'class' (the class of husbands), but in the above sentence you want to refer to the class itself... the husband class and the wife class... and not an 'instance' of them, because it just is more to the point. Do you think this is a fair reasoning? Also, a thought came to me that with the use of the indefinite article, you get a generic husband and a generic wife, which, may not necessarily love each other (for they are not a specific pair of a specific husband and a specific wife who in fact love each other).


texts:
What is the correct form when referring to the expertise of a user (e.g. in programming, writing)?

  user's expertise
  user expertise


texts: Translation and etymology of a slang passage

texts:
While reading software-user reviews on Google Play Store, I happened to run across the following (verbatim):

  "I'm game ginger an as wet as, a otters pocket full support to do you will ave to be used andbuy my nickers an then abuse me hardcore Istyley kettle bell"

I gather the young lady was pleased with the software application as she gave it a five-star rating and seemed, well, rather..., enthusiastic. However, I'm still curious as to the literal translation and etymology of the idioms / slang involved. My overall perception was this person is humorously feigning a bawdy Cockney persona. Do you think I'm even close in this assessment?


texts: Specifically,what does the line "which all the rooms opened off" mean.Does the hallway have these doors which were open?


texts:
Why do we have these two words that seem like they describe the same thing; or are they different?
The word polymath has the definitions:

Someone who knows a lot about many different things.
A person of encyclopedic learning.

The word multipotentialite or someone having the trait of multipotentiality has the following definitions:

A multipotentialite is someone with many interests and creative pursuits.
Someone with the ability and preference of a person, particularly one of strong intellectual or artistic curiosity, to excel in two or more different fields.

There are other similar words, but I would like to get a clear definition and distinction between these two words. The similarities between them seem to stem from the attribute of having a diverse interests and conveys an esteemed level of competency and a love for learning. The differences between the two words seems to convey that multipotentiality has a creative twist to it, whereas polymath seems to be based on deep knowledge and understanding.
Are these words the same? If not, what is it that distinguishes them?
Are these words the same? If not, what is it that distinguishes them?


texts: Flow rates correlations or Flow rate correlations

texts:
I do have a rather basic question. Does one say:
"Flow rates correlations" or "Flow rate correlations" in English.
Is there some specific rule to follow here?


texts: Term for machinery of polish sanding grinding

texts: Is there any English term which refer to general category of machines which perform polish, sanding, grinding and finishing of mechanical(especially metals)?


texts:
I'm drafting a lease which requires tenants to pay rent for the first three months when they sign the lease. Which one of the following is correct? Thanks.

three month rent
three month's rent
three months' rent


texts: What is a word that could define someone who's good at showing superficial kindness and friendliness towards others?

texts: What is a word that could define someone who's good at showing superficial kindness and friendliness towards others but speaks ill of them or gossips about them behind their back ?


texts:
Thank you for your time reading this.

I am from China and have learned British English for years from my middle school to undergraduate time. I normally take 'would' as the past form of 'will', though I know 'would' may also work as an auxiliary verb which could be used in subjunctive mood.

Now I come to the United States and have got confused about 'would' and 'will' very much. In the past, whenever it came to something related to the future, I would use 'will'. Now in the USA, people use 'would' a lot. For example, if we are talking about MIT, some guy may say 'I would go to MIT someday'. For me, I prefer to say 'I will go to MIT someday and I will surely make it!' There are many similar examples.  I know grammatically both sentences must be correct but I just can't understand the usage of 'would' here.

I have looked up some information online. They helped a lot. For example, people say'would' can be used to express your desire or hope. However, from my memory of middle school, it is 'will' that could be used to express your willingness to do something.

According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, both words can be used to express a desire or wish. Then why people prefer 'would' to 'will'?

I am totally lost! People keep using 'would' under those circumstances which I will use 'will' and this really annoys me a lot.

Help!


texts:
Can one say

a. You can not do it now and do it later.

b. You may not do it now and do it later.

(Meaning: You can do it later. You don't have to do it now.)
?

Can one say
c. It could happen and it could not happen.

(Meaning: It might happen and it might not happen.)
?

My feeling is that (a) works and (b) and (c) do not. For (a) to work 'can' has to be accentuated. It will still be a somewhat strange sentence, I think, but it will work. (Can you not speak for a few minutes?)

That is my take on it, but I am not sure at all. Or else, I wouldn't be asking!

Many thanks.


texts:
"I don't know, Aunt Ray," he said dubiously; "this is hardly a woman's
affair.  If there's a scrap of any kind, you hike for the timber."
Which was Halsey's solicitous care for me, put into vernacular.

I've never seen this kind of 'idiom' in my life, the above 'hike for the timber'.
It doesn't look like an idiom though, but what's this anyway?

The 'put into vernacular' means 'put into word'?

A part of 'Circular Staircase' by Mary Rinehart.

Thank you.


texts: Is "Not X is Not Required" an example of a double negative?

texts:
Well, obviously there are two negatives in the sentence. But, at least I am of the opinion that it can't be contracted into a positive- "Not X is Not Required" means a very different thing to "X is Not Required", but I would like to know what grammatical mechanisms are in play here!
(I was actually sent here after a disagreement with somebody on this topic led them to sarcastically say "go ahead and bring it to english.stackexchange" - seemed like a good suggestion though!


texts: What does “pull” in “House Republican leaders pulled legislation to repeal Affordable Care from consideration” mean?

texts:
New York Times (March 24) carries an article under the headline, ”In spectacular defeat for Trump, push to repeal Health Law fails,” which is followed with the following paragraph:

  “House Republican leaders, facing a revolt among conservatives and
  moderates in their ranks, pulled legislation to repeal the
  Affordable Care Act from consideration on the House floor Friday
  afternoon in a spectacular defeat for President Trump on the first
  legislative showdown of his presidency. House Speaker Paul D. Ryan
  conceded, “We’re going to be living with Obamacare for the foreseeable
  future.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/24/us/politics/health-care-affordable-care-act.html?hp&action

Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary provides 15 variety of definitions of the word, “pull,” and I cannot tell which one is appropriate to the interpretation of “pull” used here.

From the context, it appears to me “pull legislation from consideration” means to withdraw the legislation from discussion or voting in contrast to “push to repeal Health Law,” but I’m not sure.

Though it seems a very elementary question, what does “pull” here mean? Is “pull stg from consideration” a popular idiom?

P.S.

Incidentally, I found a paragraph in the concurrent article of NYT appearing under the title, “How the Health Care vote fell apart, step by step” suggesting the usage of pull here as a synonym with “yank.”:

  “Who decided to pull the bill? Mr. Trump and the House speaker, Paul
  D. Ryan, both said it was their decision. “Ryan says that he advised
  Trump to pull the bill,” Julie Hirschfeld Davis, a White House
  correspondent for The New York Times, wrote in a live analysis.
  “Interesting, because Trump told us that he had directed Ryan to yank
  it. A lot of blame-shifting going on.”


texts: Another way to express "was woken up suddenly."

texts: I wish to express the action of a person being woken up abruptly from sleep by a loud noise, such as an explosion. But the desired impact is missing from my writing. Please provide a phrase or an idiom that could be of use.


texts: "As a [noun]" followed by mismatching subject

texts:
There is one particularly commonly used language construct that I find logically incorrect. However, as a non-native English speaker, I can't decide authoritatively on whether the usage is actually wrong.

Consider the following sentence:

  As a web developer, I often help my friends with their websites when asked.

It is clear that I am a web developer and that I, when asked for help by my friends, do the favor for them.

Compare it with the following (disregard the slight difference in meaning — what is relevant is the change of subject):

  As a web developer, my friends often ask me for help with their websites.

What does it mean now? I think it means that my friends, who are a web developer (!), often ask me for help. However, in informal writing, this usage is so common that it might actually happen to be correct! Perhaps in my head I'm automatically trying to translate the sentence into my native language, in which it sounds somewhat more ridiculous (it might also be the case that the ridiculousness arises merely from the fact that I am more used to the language I speak every day).

What is your view on this matter? I'd like to hear the opinion of a native speaker or someone who is experienced enough to provide a definitive answer.


texts:
For example, what case would 'sword' be in the following sentence:

  He used the broom as a sword

Is it simply accusative/dative? I don't think this is just synonymous to 'general' in 'He acted like he was a general'. Could it perhaps be instrumental? I'm not sure, though, because it seems to be the broom relating to the sword, while in instrumental it usually appears that the word in the instrumental case is relating back to the accusative.


texts:
Which of the following is correct-

Keep those smiles to yourself

or

Keep those smiles to yourselves

When referring to more than one person


texts:
Is there any online dictionary or database of prepositional phrases? What I would like is to enter e. g. "justification" and it would give me: "justification to somebody", "justification of something", and other possibilities (optionally with description of the meaning of each phrase).

I found this website http://www.englishpage.com/prepositions/verb_preposition.html. This is almost what I want, but it contains only few examples. I am looking for more complete list. Maybe some online dictionary might provide me with what I want, but dictionary.reference.com, which I use, does not list prepositional phrases with words (right?).


texts: Advice for using multiple same-gender personal pronouns in the same sentence

texts:
I have often struggled with sentences that contain two characters of the same gender. For example, if there are two females, Alice and Carol, then the following sentence can be confusing.

  Alice reminded Carol about how she helped her last week.

Clearly, Alice is telling Carol something, but who helped whom?

When the genders differ, the ambiguity is resolved.

  Alice reminded Bob about how he helped her last week. Alice
  reminded Bob about how she helped him last week.

Is there a rule that addresses this or a rule of thumb for handling it?


texts: You think you're right but you're actually wrong

texts:
What's a word for when someone is wrong, and they know they're wrong, but they insist that they are right?

EDIT:
If someone does something and you know they did it, and they know they did it, but they keep telling everyone they didn't do it, and they go out of their way to try and convince others that they didn't do it.

(Example:  Someone steals your dog.  You know it's your dog.  Your dog knows he's your dog.  But the thief goes around saying its their dog and produces false receipts or photos (of other dogs), etc.)


texts:
Could someone please show me any word or phrase that could fit with

  as flat as _______

. Grammar is important.


texts:
In conversation, we often say Here I was, followed by A, and B, and then something like, but .... used in contrast.   This form of expression does not seem to translate well to the written word.

Am I mistaken?
Are there other ways to describe this phenomenon that when something happens, an atypical situation occurred?


texts:
I have a document dated 05/05/2012.

What should I say?

  Based on the document from 05 May.
  Based on the document from 5th May.
  Based on the document from 05 of May.


texts:
I have this sentence: "Tilly laid down in the center of the room, arms under her head and eyes closed serenely."

Do I need pronouns before the nouns ie "Tilly laid down in the center of the room, her arms under her head and her eyes closed serenely."

Do I need the repetitious "her arms; her head; her eyes" or is my first sentence still correct?

Thank you.


texts:
I wrote the following sentence in my exam

The film was tried to be masked as a fictional movie.

My teacher had underlined this part of the text and told me that it was incorrect. The idea was to say that the people who made the movie had tried to make it look like a fictional movie.

Is this correct or not?


texts: One word for, something (an event probably) that happens only under very specific (and strict) circumstance

texts:
Can someone please help me with a one word substitute for something (an event probably) that happens only under very specific (and strict) circumstance?

So, my firm is a software vendor. There is this client who uses this software. They faced an error when they used the software in a very specific way. Or when they specifically followed a set of actions in a certain sequence.
Now, they are afraid that they might encounter this error on a regular basis.

What I want to convey to them is:

  This was a/an _______ error. Which you encountered because you specifically chose to use the software the way that you did in this particular instance. In future you will only get it if you again follow the same set of actions in the same order.


texts: Guiding tables below the maps and color-coded tables in English

texts: Usually, there is a guiding table below the maps and color-coded tables, to help reader what is the meaning of each color or element. What is that table called in English?


texts: Do you capitalize Bill as in "Senator, please support this Bill"

texts: I was wondering if I need to capitalize it because my teacher highlighted it but without giving a reason.


texts: Usage of have: "Could you please explain why have these invoices been cancelled" is correct?

texts:
Is it correct sentence:
"Could you please explain why have these invoices been cancelled?"
Or
"Could you please explain why these invoices have been cancelled?"
I heard that that have should always stay before noun.


texts: How can I phrase this sentence so that it doesn't end in a preposition?

texts:
Whenever possible, I like to avoid ending sentences with prepositions because some people can be very picky about it. However, I am struggling with this one sentence in particular:

"The hypothesis proposes that the selection against aggression led to other physiological and psychological changes that may not have been directly selected for."

The only alternative I can think of is "....for which were not directly selected", but in my opinion that sounds very awkward. Any suggestions for a better way to phrase that sentence? I believe that it would be acceptable to leave it as it is, but I would prefer not to if possible.


texts:
My 90 year old father has a saying, "I've been dragged through an auger hole and beat with a sut rake."
It means you're worn out or have been treated badly.

"Sut" pronounced almost like "soot."

Not sure about "auger hole" or "sut"  I know it ends with " rake. "

I can't find anything on google, but perhaps I'm spelling a couple of words wrong?


texts: "pop bottles all night" - slang or valid term?

texts:
I know the meaning of "pop bottles all night" - drink all night long.

My question is - is this valid term, or slang invented by the person who wrote the song?


texts: Quote meaning: A wife is essential to great longevity

texts:
Can anyone please explain to me the meaning of this quote?

  A wife is essential to great
  longevity; she is the receptacle of
  half a man's cares, and two-thirds of
  his ill-humor. -Charles Reade


texts: An adjective to describe the state of being complex yet ineffective

texts: Looking for candidate adjectives to be used for describing an (engineering) method or procedure that is overly complicated and demanding but provides no additional benefit in return. In fact the method can be simplified or replaced with a simpler approach without much sacrifice on the output.


texts: One or more of A, B, C, [and, or, and/or] D?

texts: In the expression "one or more of A, B, C, [and, or, and/or] D," what is the correct conjunction?  Examples of all three choices abound with apparently equivalent intended meaning.


texts:
I'm a non-native speaker. In school, I was taught that the proper way of telling times in English is X o' clock.

In NAE, would it be common to omit o' clock and just say something like:

  It's eleven

in an informal context? Are there other commonly used ways to tell the time?


texts: Spoken word equivalent for "paper does not refuse ink"

texts:
This phrase advises a healthy skepticism of the written word.

Is there a similar idiom that advises skepticism of the spoken word?


texts: Reducing multiple "enoughs" as in a sentence

texts:
Writing "enough" three times in such a short sentence seems too repetitive. So is there a different or more succinct way to write it?

Horrible example sentence:

  I am drunk enough, fast enough and dumb enough that it just might work!

Just removing the first and second "enough" would change the meaning, no?

  I am drunk, fast and dumb enough that it just might work!

So can I write the sentence as follows and get across the same meaning as the example sentence or did I just come up with nonsense?

  I am drunk-, fast- and dumb enough that it just might work!

Thank you for your replies!


texts: Saying "You're welcome" to "No thank you"

texts: I have a friend who replies "You're welcome" when I say "No thank you" to a question.  It seems odd and kind of awkward, but I guess there is no harm in it.  It just doesn't feel like the correct response.  I have turned down the offer, so why state that I'm welcome to it?  Are there any general rules with this?


texts: Word Request: a word that means "taken over a long span of time"

texts:
I'm hoping that this request makes sense -

For the past 14 years of my life I've half-written a story that goes on in my head. I've always struggled for a name to call it, but have recently taken to referring to it as "The Anthology," mostly because in my head "anthology" relates to a story that takes place over a large period of time. I decided to look up anthology, and it doesn't exactly mean what it connotes to me. I've tried a few google searches and a search on here, but no luck -- is there such a word?

To give a hint at the span of time I'm referring to, the story starts about 14,000 years ago and ends far off into the future.

Thanks for any help!

P.S. If there is a word in another language that is close, I would love to hear it (and which language it comes from)


texts: Through wood and break and many a fertile field: what is "break"?

texts:
A poem from A Canterbury Tale (1944):

  Six hundred years have passed. What would they see,
  Dan Chaucer and his goodly company?
  Today the hills and valleys are the same.
  Gone are the forests since the enclosures came.
  Hedgerows have sprung. The land is under plow,
  And orchards bloom with blossom on the bough.
  Sussex and Kent are like a garden fair,
  But sheep still graze upon the ridges there.
  The Pilgrims’ Way still winds above the weald,
  Through wood and break and many a fertile field.

What could be the meaning of break here?
Could it be windbreak?


texts: Word that means "Strip down to the basics"

texts:
the answer to this question seems to be on the tip of my tongue but I can't seem to find it.

I'm looking for a word that defines the act of "stripping down to the basics"

For example, if I'm talking with a friend and he says running a business is complex and I respond by saying, "You just have to focus on generating sales, reducing overhead, etc"

Now, the act of me "taking something complex and explaining it in simpler form" is the word I'm looking for.

I'm aware of phrases like gross oversimplification but I feel like there is a word that literally means the act of taking something complex and making it simple.

The first couple words that came to me were rudimentary, primitive, but is there anything else I'm missing?


texts: Why do we call an instruction book a "Manual"?

texts:
"Manual" is used for many things: "Manual Labour" - work done with the hands; "Organ Manual" - hands again; and I can see the link to the Latin "manu".

But why would a book of instructions be a "Manual"?
Any ideas?


texts:
In this sentence

  Human sophistication has significantly advanced since the Demons last visited upon them.

one proof-reader suggested removing the word "upon."

The speaker here has been around since biblical times and would be prone to use older language constructs. I want to connote with this sentence that the Demons are coming to Earth with the express purpose of committing harm.

Does the sentence make correct use of "visited upon"?


texts: What is the meaning of 'to shadow forth'?

texts:
Example usage:

  With what fairer and nobler emblem could any man desire to shadow forth his character?

or

  In time the bells ceased, and the bakers were shut up; and yet there was a genial shadowing forth...

(from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens)

I cannot find a satisfactory definition anywhere.


texts: Should you pronounce the plural 's' after a word that ends with 's'?

texts: I've always said, for example, "Achilles' shield" as "Achilles-es shield". However, I've noticed others don't pronounce the plural, simply just keep it as "Achilles". Should you pronounce the '-es', or is it not necessary?


texts: I'm wondering if a flap occurs in wedding, and bidding in American pronunciation? I can't hear it out here: http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/american/wedding


texts:
I have trouble understanding the last sentence which reads "Are you sure you wouldn't be happier with a man who is making more money than you?"

Could anyone paraphrase this sentence in plain English?

Today, a successful single woman who falls for　a man making less money than she does or not sharing her career ambition may face not-so-subtle disapproval　from friends and family... Another felt insulted when a trusted friend asked, "Are you sure you wouldn't be happier with a man who is making more money than you?"


texts: What is the difference between “we might be seeing” and “we might see”?

texts:
I have noted that when something unprecedented is coming, the phrase we might be seeing something is frequently used. E.g.

  We might be seeing yet another crisis soon.

Is there any difference between this form and the simple we might see?

During my short research it seemed to me that both are used for simple future with a degree of probability.


texts: An expression meaning the feeling you get seeing something so beautiful it hurts

texts:
I'm trying to find an expression (a single word, not a phrase) that means simply that!
I'm sure I can't be the only person to feel this. I'm sure I heard it mentioned in a radio programme once but now I can't remember!

This is particularly in relation to something rather than someone - like looking out at a beautiful view of the mountains and feeling that ache in your stomach. (Although I have been known to get it over a pair of shoes!)


texts: Single word that describes a boat stop / dropoff point

texts:
I am looking for a single word that describes the place where a boat stops to allow passengers on and off.

For example, if it was a bus, the bus might arrive at a bus stop.

On the route, there are many stops.

Is the word the same for boats, or is there something more appropriate?


texts:
Geography, the science dealing with the areal differentiation of the earth's surface, as shown in the character, arrangement, and interrelations over the world of such elements as climate, elevation, soil, vegetation, population, land use, industries, or states, and of the unit areas formed by the complex of these individual elements. -Dictionary.com

In this sentence is the word "unit" used as an adjective or a noun? What does unit area mean exactly, because in wiktionary the two adjective definitions of unit is as follows:

1) For each unit.

2) Having a size or magnitude of one.


texts:
What is the adjectival form of Plato?  "Platonistic"?  For example, in the following sentence:

  He made the Platonistic statement that there are truths, but there is
  also the Truth.

Or is it incorrect to turn a proper noun into an adjective?


texts:
What does "resolute detail" mean? The context is this:

  Aristotle caught again the thread of scientific development in the
  pre-Socratic Greeks, carried on Plato's work with more resolute detail.

How can a detail become "resolute"?


texts:
According to this extract from Wikipedia, the pronunciation of the term  piste meaning "a ski run of compacted snow.":

  varies slightly in English, with British English using a long "e", (e.g. rhymes with "beast"), and American pronunciation using a short "i" (e.g. rhymes with "list").

Actually, references  such as the  Cambridge Dictionary  or the ODO  suggest that the pronunciation is the same in both dialects, that is, with a long "e".

Does the AmE pronunciation of "piste" really differ from the BrE one, or are both versions correct?


texts:
Ok, see

  to image: form a mental picture or idea of. "it is possible for us to
  image a society in which no one committed crime" Source

  to imagine: form a mental image or concept of. "imagine a road trip
  from Philadelphia to Chicago" Source

So, my question is:

Can we use "to image" & "to imagine" interchangeably?

So that the 2 above sentences can be written as:

"it is possible for us to image / imagine a society in which no one committed crime"

"imagine / image a road trip from Philadelphia to Chicago"


texts:
The best way to go about an explanation is an example.

Imagine if the times would go back, when we were living in Baghdad, when all was quiet and mellow.
"Ooo Peace! O God O God. If only we can relive a day."

In Arabic, O peace translates to (يا سلام) (ya salam). However, here there's an elongation in the way it's pronounced (yaa salaaaam). This adds emotion with a couple of nods and a circular gesture of the hand.
Here it means, O beautiful/great if that be/if that happen.
It's like when peace has just come and one looks into the horizon and warm-heartedly says, "O peace, lovely peace."
It's also for example:

Ya salaaaaaaam (O peace). What a lovely soup.

It's sort of an intensifier with the elongation.
It's used in many cases: yearning, something pleasant you hear (poem etc), you watch, you eat. Anything that arouses affection and emotions. Just imagine that moment when peace is finally there.
It can also be used satirically:

Ya salaaaaam. Yeah That's great, wonderful, amazing.

I hope it's understood.


texts: What's the difference between "possibility" and "contingency"?

texts:
I looked them up in Wiktionary. One of explanations of "possibility" is:

  A thing possible; that which may take place or come into being.

And one of explanations of "contingency" is:

  (countable) A possibility; something which may or may not happen. A chance occurrence, especially in finance, unexpected expenses.

It seems to me that both words refer to "an indefinite thing that may happen in the future". So I'm a bit curious about what's the exact difference of meaning, usage and connotation between these two words in everyday use.


texts: What does “touch off a scramble” mean? Is it an idiom or simple combination of “touch off” and “a scramble”?

texts:
I saw the phrase “touched off a scramble” in the article titled “Redefining headphone, with more bass” in the New York Times (November 20) followed by the following copy:

  “The rap impresario Dr. Dre is behind Beats, a successful line of expensive headphones that have become a fashion accessory and touched off a scramble in the industry.”

There were other instances of using this phrase, for example:

The authorization for establishing three of the satellite offices touched off a scramble among members of Congress who want one in their states or districts. - www.statesman com
The prospect of nearly $1 trillion in cuts unnerves military leaders, troubles lawmakers protective of the Pentagon and has touched off a scramble in the defense industry as contractors look to spare their multibillion-dollar weapons programs. – www.thinkownusa.com

There is no entry of “touch off a scramble” in any of Oxford, Cambridge and Merriam-Webster online dictionaries, while Google Ngram Viewer shows the usage of “touched off a scramble” that (suddenly) started in circa 1940, peaked around 1980, and since then is dropping down sharply.

I understand “touch off a scramble” means “cause a commotion or sensation.” Am I right? Is it an idiom, or the simple combination of “touch off” and “scramble”?

Is this expression actually losing vigor as the Google Ngram curve indicates?


texts:
I am curious about the word "zoot" in "zoot suit."  I have not done extensive research on the word, but the cursory search I conducted yielded so little and was so duplicative that I didn't bother digging too deeply on my own.  One source I visited (the Online Etymology Dictionary) speculated that it was "probably a nonsense reduplication of suit (compare reet pleat, drape shape from the same jargon)."

For some reason, and maybe because it really wasn't all that long ago that such a suit was popular, I found it odd that I didn't find a more definitive explanation.  I even went to Google books Ngram Viewer just to try to see if the word existed before the era of the zoot suit.  If the Ngram viewer is correct, it has been used in American English at least as far back as the 1850s.

I am also curious about this "nonsense reduplication" and wonder whether anyone has taken the time to study it as an aspect of American English usage, whether it might be the predecessor to what is called "rap music" today, and what led to the development of it as well as whether or not it is a manner of speaking found in other parts of the world and in other languages.  Does anyone happen to know more about the word "zoot" and this use of speech called "nonsense reduplication?"


texts: "I am going to school" = "I am gonna school"?

texts:
If "gonna" is a short form for "going to"

Can 'I am going to school' be said as 'I am gonna school'?

For clarification here, "school" is a noun.


texts: Is there a word for this clever piece of marketing?

texts:
I was shopping the other day when I decided to buy some Cranberry juice - you know, juice from cranberries - so I picked up what I thought was exactly that.
It was only when I got home that I realised I had bought a Cranberry Juice Drink. This drink contains the minimal amount of fruit, tons of sugar and, of course, water.

Here is my question: Is there a word for telling the truth, yet trying to mask it in some way?
This clever bit of marketing can be seen everywhere now, you really have to look twice at the label. The seller can't get in trouble because technically they advertised the product for what it is, yet we all feel cheated when we realise we bought the wrong thing.

I guess there's the phrase "bending the truth" but I am looking for alternatives.


texts: What are the origins of the phrase "lead from behind"?

texts:
I'm aware of the phrase being used by Nelson Mandela in the context of servant leadership (as well as a few other leaders - What does “Lead from  behind” exactly mean?), but I thought this phrase was originally coined to describe a military tactic where foot soldiers were followed by their superiors who would shoot them if they failed to advance on the enemy. I also remember this quote being attributed to a famous Russian author, but I have never been able to find who the author was.

Can anyone shed some light on whether the phrase "Lead from behind" was ever used to describe leadership through punishment or fear?


texts: Nesting subordinate clauses immediately one after the other

texts:
Is this construction allowed in English? The relevant part is set in bold:

"This is especially vital for technology companies such as Google or Apple, that, while they are in fierce competition with each other, strive to create islands of cooperation and creativity within their organisation to create a climate conducive to innovation."

The question is: Can you introduce a second subordinate clause immediately after another one?

If this is not allowed or considered bad style, is there another way instead of rearranging the sentence in the following way (and reversing the logical order):

"This is especially vital for technology companies such as Google or Apple, that strive to create islands of cooperation and creativity within their organisation to create a climate conducive to innovation, while they are in fierce competition with each other."

Thanks!


texts: To hyphenate borne, or not to hyphenate borne?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  When is it necessary to use a hyphen in writing a compound word?

In my place of business, it is part of our style guide to hyphenate "vehicle-borne IED," but not hyphenate "foodborne."  As the editor, I am looking for some definitive guidance on when adjectives containing "borne" are hyphenated.  Any ideas?


texts: IELTS Reading passage issue (English as a foreign language learner I am)

texts:
I have been taking IELTS mock exams recently on a website. (The tests are probably taken from Cambridge textbooks).

So I have 2 points I may disagree with in the Reading section.

I had to choose whether certain statements TRUE, FALSE or NOT GIVEN

Question 19 statement says China has more citrus pests than any other country in the world.

I chose NOT GIVEN

And in the text it goes like this:

Citrus fruits evolved in the Far East and the Chinese discovered the delights of their flesh early on. As the ancestral home of oranges, lemons and pomelos, China also has the greatest diversity of citrus pests. And the trees that produce the sweetest fruits, the mandarins - or kan - attract a host of plant-eating insects, from black ants and sap-sucking mealy bugs to leaf-devouring caterpillars. With so many enemies, fruit growers clearly had to have some way of protecting their orchards.

While the authors of this website say that the correct answer should be TRUE, and referring to the sentence in bold in the quote as a proof.

My position of understanding is as follows:

Statement 1: China has more citrus pests than any other country in the world.

Statement 2: China also has the greatest DIVERSITY of citrus pests.

Two statements don't carry same meaning for following reasons:

Let's say, China has the greatest DIVERSITY of citrus pests, like 10 TYPES of citrus pests. Assume 10 is the highest number of DIVERSITY in the world. But, there is one citrus pest of each type in China. How many pests we will have in total? 10!

On the other hand, let's say England has only one TYPE of citrus pests. England has a hundred of citrus pests of ONE TYPE only.

On diversity levels, China has greater number of pests than England has, sure. But when it comes to overall amount of citrus pests, regardless of their diversity, England has it more than China.

So the problem is: Q19 says "China has more citrus pests than any other country in the world." NOT MORE DIVERSE

As long as I understand, the answer should be NOT GIVEN.

WHat should the correct answer be -- TRUE, FALSE, or NOT GIVEN?


texts: Coordinating Conjunction and Subject-Verb Agreement

texts:
Is surfing the internet and using social networking websites a form of
  entertainment? Why or why not?
  Are surfing the internet and using social networking websites forms of entertainment? Why or why not?

Which of those sentences—(1), (2), or both—are correct? Which sounds more natural?

I've heard that when using and between two nouns that usually go together, a singular verb must be used. However, I'm not sure if "surfing the internet" and "using social networking websites" can also be treated this way.

I think number 2 is more grammatically correct, but it doesn't sound good to me.

Can anyone share their insight regarding this concern?


texts: Best english grammar resource to work through for native English speakers

texts:
Can anyone advise on the best english grammar resource for native English speakers? I am trying to learn to write (verse), and my writing (so far) may be over the top in flouting grammatical convention.

I am reasonably bright, and a little impatient.


texts: Which word is this relative pronoun the object of?

texts:
The following is a sentence from an analysis by Sarah Dillon of a passage of Elizabeth Bowen’s A World of Love.

  The fact that the tree’s a chestnut then promises in its symbolism the potential reinvigoration of a marriage that we then find gestured towards in the rest of the passage.

I can't understand how the relative clause "that we then find gestured towards in the rest of the passage" works. It seems that the clause modifies "the potential reinvigoration of a marriage". Is it the object of "find"? Or is it the object of "towards"?


texts: What is the difference between accrue, accumulate, and collect?

texts:
These words seem to be used interchangeably, but there seems to be a slight difference between them.

'Collecting' seems to be organized gathering of certain objects or a certain category of objects, e.g. collecting stamps. 'Accumulate' seems to be haphazard or otherwise unorganized gathering of something, such as the activity of accumulating as many points as possible in any given arcade game. I do not know what distinctive traits 'accrue' would have.

Can anyone please clarify the distinctions and differences between these three words?


texts: Does "due to" tend to have negative connotation?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Difference between “due to” and “thanks to”

Looks like "due to" usually has negative connotation - a plane crashed due to fog, unemployment increases due to automation, etc.

Suppose I want to say "Thanks to this very cool technology everyone wins" - can I use "due to" in place of "thanks to" or does "due to" always mean some negative attribution?


texts: What do you call a person who wants a package to be delivered to him?

texts:
So in shipment systems the word would be "recipient", but that word is from the point of view of the shipping company, what would it be called from the point of view of the person ordering the package?

To give more context, I have a system where a user can either be a courier or "someone who requests stuff from abroad", and these two sides of the system get matched up. I want one word to describe the words in quotes. What do I call you when you sign up to be "someone who requests stuff from abroad"?

Edit: Secondary Question, What if the person who requested the package and the one who will receive the package aren't the same person? How do I differentiate between them?


texts:
Planning a trip to Huddersfield the other day, I happened across the nearby villages of Linthwaite (pronounced lin-fit) and Slaithwaite (pronounced slow-it, or slaw-it depending who you ask). Thinking this strange I looked into the matter and turned up Seathwaite (pronounced sea-wait), and also Bassenthwaite and Hawthornthwaite, pronounced as you would expect. I have been unable to turn up any guide as to how Haverthwaite, Hampsthwaite or Thornthwaite are pronounced.

I realise that the pronunication of place names surpasseth all understanding, but my question is, are the three odd pronounciations the remains of an older form? If so, how came their names to be spelt that way? And if not, is there any reason those particular names are corrupted and not others?

I suspect it isn't just a matter of local accent as Seathwaite is quite a way from Slaithwaite and Linthwaite (which are quite close together). Is there perhaps an isogloss for this?


texts: "Bid" is to "counterbid" as "quote" is to what?

texts: Bids and counterbids are relevant in auction scenarios. But generally, when a seller/service provider sends a quote to a customer, the customer tends to negotiate. What is the price that the customer quotes back?


texts:
Simply Question,

As a foreigner, I am really confused when to use Adjective or Noun before Noun.

Which one is correct? I have seen the both of them many times.

Korea Government vs Korean Government
Environment Policy vs Environmental Policy.

Thanks in advance for your kindness.


texts: Word for pretending to be ignorant in order to avoid a responsibility

texts:
I once found a word I really liked, but forgot, this was a word used to describe a person who pretends not knowing or being incapable of understanding certain information in order to avoid a presumed commitment.

For example, A mother may want one of two children (A & B) to clean 'the room', so she asks child B "Has your brother (A) cleaned the room?". So the audacious child B "responds I don't know", because he assumes that if he answers "no" (which is in fact the case), then he knows that he will be told to clean it.

In short, it is basically a word that describes a person who purposefully feigns ignorance for the ulterior motive of being negligent/lazy.

Thanks.


texts: "Order of magnitude" for changes in prefix

texts:
Order of magnitude usually denotes a change of a factor of 10.  Is there a similar term for a change by a factor of 1000?

For example:

Kb -> Mb

Tb -> Gb

Edit:  I agree that you can just say "three orders of magnitude" but I am wondering if there is a more concise or appropriate term.


texts: Use of semi colon in a list with only one "complex item"

texts:
I have a list that goes something like this:

I am involved in all aspects of these projects: attending client meetings, material selection, compiling information, and most importantly, redesigning entire wings of the schools every time a stakeholder changes their mind.

I am not sure what to do for that last bit beginning with ", and most importantly,"
If each item of the list had a "modifying clause" (is that what you'd call it?), I would use semicolons throughout. But since the last item is the only one with a comma, do I still need to use the semi-colon? Does the semi-colon get used only at the beginning of that item, i.e. "; and most importantly,"? And if so, why?

Thank you.