texts: Is there a word for this: an object that imitates the design of an old object?

texts: Is skeuomorph the correct word for this situation: I am writing a program which, given a picture of an old internet browser (Mosaic for example), creates a basic yet fully functional internet browser, using the picture as a skin, by overlaying a few native GUI controls over the picture. My goal is to make this object (a modern browser) look old - because I'm a bit nostalgic sometimes.


texts:
Would it be grammatically correct to use "Pretty cool, huh?" or would you need to use e.g: "Pretty cool, right?"

I think that the "huh" would be asking a "what?", although that doesn't make sense in the context. However, a search on Google reveals many uses of "Pretty cool, huh?"

So in brief, is it ok to use the term "Pretty cool, huh?"


texts: Why is the word weirdo synonymous with pervert?

texts: On the website Oxford Dictionary, pervert is a synonym for weirdo. Weirdo - a person who is eccentric, while pervert means - abnormal sexual behavior. What makes these words synonyms? Because to me I think weirdo just means someone who likes things most people don't. Please help!


texts: Difference between "asleep" and "sleeping"

texts:
I know asleep and sleeping are interchangeable in many cases. But in these situations, I am not sure.

I read stories to my son after he went to bed.
After reading the stories, I stayed for some time and tucked the quilt for him.
When I came out of his room and met my wife, she asked "Is he asleep?" or "Has he fallen asleep?", or "Is he sleeping?"

In the morning, I woke my son up before he went to school. But later I found he did not get up. His eyes were closed. I asked, "Are you still asleep?" or "Are you still sleeping?"

Which is better in each situation?


texts:
I've always thought words that describe something's color (without specifically naming it) were really interesting. For example, instead of calling something green you may call it verdant.
Are there other examples of these types of words in English, if so, can you please list off some?


texts: Difference between "one..., another" and "one..., the other"

texts:
I have searched on the internet but the explanations are in Chinese, which I can't understand.

What is the difference between these two (pairs of) sentences?

I have 2 pens. One is red, another is black.
I have 2 pens. One is red, the other is black.


texts: What is a good word for 'being a group where different beliefs are practiced'?

texts:
What is a good word for being a group where different beliefs are practiced?

I.e. wearing a headscarf, being a atheist or doing a silent prayer for diner are common.

Secular means an organisation is not religious by itself but implies we expect people to be secular. And pluriform could also cover cultural properties but hasn't that much to do with religions.


texts:
For reasons I cannot explain, I hate the phrase consists of. Does anyone have an alternative? An example is:

  Testing consists of continual operation, alternating between random writes and random reads.

To me, that phrase just sounds pompous.  As a technical writer for international audiences, I try to keep my words as simple as possible.


texts: Are the hyphens necessary in "hard-to-find" or can they go without?

texts:
Is it necessary to hyphenate the words "hard-to-find" together when referring to things which have a property of being not readily located?

Example:

  Adam locates hard-to-find items.


texts:
I am asking a verb for the following scenario:

  "I _______ (tap lightly) a piece of adhesive tape on the sample (to make insects stick onto it), and examine it (and the insects on it) under the lens of a microscope."

Is there a more idiomatic verb for the italic part?


texts: "Average processing time of/for/in ..." - which variant is corrent?

texts:
Which one is correct?

Average processing time of the largest input data set was X seconds.
Average processing time for the largest input data set was X seconds.
Average processing time in the largest input data set was X seconds.

Thanks


texts: A saying that means "our best friends are those we have known for a long time"

texts: We don't yet know what our new friends are like, and our best friends are those we have known for a long time. I am looking for a phrase, traditional saying or idiom that expresses this idea.


texts:
I came accross the following sentence:

  There will be 110 personnel in the store on launch.

Is it better to phrase it like so:

  There will be 110 persons in the store on launch.

Which of the two is correct?


texts: Is there a word for a "cheap page-turner"?

texts:
The word page-turner describes a book that is so exciting or gripping that the reader feels compelled to keep reading. It seems that the connotation is more-or-less positive.

Is there a negative equivalent of this word? Doesn't have to be specific to books. I'm looking for a word that describes a piece of media that, although is compelling enough to keep its audience going, is otherwise of poor quality, or it uses questionable methods to achieve this compulsion, hurting its quality in the process. Some examples of said methods might be:

Stretching out a romance
Delaying the main plot by adding low-quality filler such as sub-plots
Contriving plot twists or crises for beloved characters
Using cheap tactics like cliffhangers, or


texts: How would you say "put aside the exceptions"?

texts: In Hungarian we say "eltekintünk a kivételektől" which means that we don't care about the exceptions when we create our model of sthg. Now I don't know how should I say this in English. I thought that maybe "put aside the exceptions" would be a good translation, but I haven't found anything like that in google.


texts: What would be the term to describe someone who has power, but chooses not to use it?

texts: The best way I can think of explaining this is with Teddy Roosevelt’s quote “speak softly and carry a big stick.” Someone who can wield a sword but chooses not to. A person that people respect, but know not to cross him/her because they’ll regret it. What would be the adjective to describe someone like this?


texts: Is "I can't go on, I'll go on" an idiom or not?

texts:
What does the following phrase mean?

  I can't go on, I'll go on.

And is it an idiom or not? I've found it in a Gogol Bordello song. The text is in Forces of Victory.


texts: Which is more affirmative: "I think" or "I guess"?

texts:
In South Asia, we tend to use "I think" when we are almost sure about something; or sometimes use it ironically like in example "I think you should have done this yesterday".
"I guess", on the other hand, is used when the person is not sure himself like in "I guess you come here often".

Now as I talked to some North American people, I noticed that they use the two terms oppositely. That is, "I guess" when they are almost sure and "I think" when not. So I want to know which is the correct way to use these terms? Or are they just equivalent?


texts: what do you call the gameplay of an application?

texts:
I mean, when we want to analyse the usage of a game, we’re talking about the gameplay. What are we talking about when we want to analyse the usage of an application in a similar way? I am not thinking of the user experience, but of the "gaming" experience (the journey) itself. Is there any special word for this? or any theatrical analogy?
Thanks


texts: A word to describe a person who refuses to acknowledge illness in others

texts:
Such as a parent refusing to believe a child is ill?
Hypochondriac is a person who constantly feels they themselves are ill. I am looking for a word to describe a person who refuses to acknowledge another person is ill.


texts:
Is there any rules regarding gerund that tell when to double the consonant of a word and when not to?

I'm a little bit confused regarding this matter. Based on this link there are words that can be spelled with or without double consonant. An example given was "traveling" and "travelling" which was discussed further here while there are words that are required to be doubled and words that are required not to have double consonants like beginning and opening. Or should I just follow this rule,

  -If the base verb ends with consonant + stressed vowel + consonant, double the last letter.
      (This does not apply when the last syllable (thus last vowel) is not stressed.)
      but,

  -If the base verb ends in vowel + consonant + e, omit the e.

and think that "travelling" is wrong (even though we knew that it is accepted in normative English).


texts: Usage of Negatives in Everyday Speach: Unnecessary or Incorrect

texts:
I frequently have this debate with my fiancée about whether it is as appropriate to use a negative in the following examples as it is to omit it.

I am frequently found making statements using the negative form seen below:

"I wonder if they wouldn't mind taking us with them this weekend."

vs

"I wonder if they would mind taking us with them this weekend."

or

"I wonder if it wouldn't be possible to substitute ham for turkey in my sandwich."

vs

"I wonder if it would be possible to substitute ham for turkey in my sandwich."

Question

Is it appropriate to use the negative form "wouldn't" in these sentences?

Author's Viewpoint

The way I see it, it is just as appropriate to wonder if something was possible is it would be to wonder if it was not possible. One may view this as inefficient speech but I don't believe it is incorrect; grammatically or otherwise.

I would greatly appreciate it if someone could give an explanation as to why this is correct or incorrect and the reasoning behind their position.


texts: Word to describe people who blindly believe accusations

texts:
I can’t for the life of me remember what this word is or if it even exists.
I’m thinking of a word that would describe medieval era peasants who are religious and make and believe accusations of witch craft or demons etc. Such a word could describe the people in the town of Salem during the infamous witch trials.

Any ideas?


texts: "My goodness" expressed after hearing sad news?

texts:
Recently my cat died. He escaped my house and was attacked by a dog. Sadly he didn't survive.

I emailed a male acquaintance ( were not close friends, live long distance, communication is not daily). He's offered a listening ear if I need one. I told him the above ,and that I was feeling sad.

His response by email "My goodness. My heartfelt condolences."

My goodness is expressing surprise?


texts:
I'm trying to trace the geographic usage of the word Gavver to mean Policeman, it appears to be a Romany word peculiar to the Medway/Maidstone area of Kent, UK.  It's use seems to have spread as far as the south London borders.
Wiktionary only gives the following:

Etymology:
Romani
Noun
gavver (plural gavvers)
(Britain, slang) A member of the police.

It seems to be unheard of anywhere else in the UK.
Is anyone familiar with it or can they provide an etymology?


texts: Is a daycation the same as an overnight trip? Do they refer to the same amount of time for a very short holiday?


texts: What's the Australian or British way to say 'Ticket collector'?

texts: I know Indians say ticket collectors while in Australia people are confused with this phrase. Please let me know how you would say that.


texts: We use "append" and "prepend" for adding to the end and to the beginning respectivly. Is there a word for removing in same place


texts: A common word for holiday, unplanned absence and overtime or Time in lieu

texts:
Is there any common word for holiday/unplanned absence/overtime/Time in lieu/Lateness ?

Thanks for your input.

I want to create a software which will let people manage all things above together at a single place.


texts:
In a book, I found this sentence.

Though dead for three years, the ghost of this scoundrel threatened greater harm to Sherlock Holmes than Professor Moriarty himself had done.

In this sentence, is "himself" compulsory?
Does the meaning change if it is removed?
Or will there be a grammatical mistake if it is removed?

Thank you.


texts:
Nostalgia is generally positive memories (sometimes through rose colored glasses) of past events. Is there a word for the surfacing of negative/unhappy feelings/memories?

So for example, one might say "This burrito is good, but I don't think I can finish it, it's making me ______ of/for that time I ate a burrito and got food poisoning."


texts: What is the meaning of "to inquire of the court whether the jury might not find a special verdict"?

texts:
At the trial, after the testimony had been concluded, the foreman of the jury (a lawyer by profession) inquired of the court whether the jury might not find a special verdict, leaving it to the court to say whether on the facts as found the defendants were guilty.

I have problem understanding the bold text. I already assume it means that the foreman of the jury announced to the court that they might be unable to find a special verdict ... However, I doubt if this is true. Use of inquire+of and followed by negative whether they might not find seems weird to me. So, generally, I thought that "whether" here might convey some type of possibility.


texts: A better word for transforming a software project from start to finish

texts:
I ___ a (software) project from concept to implementation.

"___" here refers to being solely responsible for all phases of the SDLC process for this project.


texts: In barter... Is it "to pay in something" or "to pay with something"?

texts:
In barter deals... Say, a farmer wants to exchange his chickens for French lessons. Do we say like " A farmer pays a tutor in chickens" OR... "A farmer pays a tutor with chickens".
My guess is that BOTH forms are correct in spoken English at least. But I'm not a native speaker, so I'm not 100% sure about that.


texts:
Does Middle English "w" relate to "uȝ"?

plow plouȝ
enow enouȝ
raw rouȝ
draw drouȝ
tow touȝ


texts: What is the origin of the word “optics” that's prevalently used now in politics?

texts:
Here’s an example from RealClearPolitics:

  But the optics bode well for a party whose chances of winning the White House depend on attracting many more Hispanic voters than it did four years ago.¹ [emphasis added]


texts: Can "obsess over" have a positive connotation?

texts:
I would like to use the verb "obsess over" in this sentence: "Being interested in classical architecture I have always obsessed over Italy."

Does this verb have a positive connotation or does it sound like my obsession over Italy is a negative thing?


texts:
Can a phrase that needs more to make a complete thought ever be its own sentence? What about the following phrase that begins with  preposition "for"?

  I'm waiting for the answer. For any reply at all.


texts:
A friend of mine has a big family.
She is a Chinese girl, and has five sisters, who are all younger than she. She wants to know how to introduce her five sisters.

To make it easy to understand, I use A, B, C, D, E to represent her sisters' names.

A and B are twins, both are 12 years old
C, D and E are 10, 9, 7 years old respectively.

Here is my suggestion for her:

  "Hi, this is A, and her twin sister B. C is my younger sister; she is 10. D is C's younger sister; she is 9. E is my youngest sister; she is 7."

Because English is not my native language, I am not sure whether my answer to her question is grammatically correct.


texts: Why is it "practitioner" and not "practicioner"?

texts:
This is one of those questions that just pop into your head when using a word; in this case, "practitioner".

The OED defines a practitioner thus:

  practitioner noun

  a. A person engaged in the practice of medicine; a physician, surgeon, pharmacist, etc.

Given that a practitioner is one who is 'engaged in the practice' of something, why is it not spelt "practicioner"? Is it to do with the practice being practised?


texts: What parts of speech are in the sentence, “He went to the moon”?

texts:
What  parts of speech are in this sentence:

  He went to the moon.

I’m confused about part of speech to assign to   “to the moon”.


texts: Why are there no English nouns starting with "th" pronounced as /ð/?

texts:
I just saw a claim that there are no nouns in English that start with "th" pronounced as /ð/, and I am convinced that is correct for at least Received Pronunciation, General American and Australian English. In fact, there are very few words that start with /ð/ at all, such as this, that and them.

This question asks about a specific case of "thank": Pronunciation of "thank" using ð (voiced th) instead of θ (unvoiced th). It also links to this question: https://linguistics.stackexchange.com/questions/15447/voiced-th-in-thank-you

I am guessing that a noun that starts with /ð/ would be difficult to pronounce immediately after an article (a th... or the th...).

Is there a linguistic rule to explain this?


texts: How to understand the word cascade in CSS?

texts: Why it is called cascade, instead of inheritable, or derivable, or chained, or something else? Maybe I have misunderstood the word? And, when should I use the word cascade in my own software architectures?


texts: What is a common word that describes men who don't attract women

texts:
How do you refer to men who are unable to get women for courtship?

Context of the question: A man might want a woman for sex, just for sex, for marriage, for a relationship that might not necessarily lead to a marriage, etc. But whatever might be the reason, the man needs to be able to talk to/impress/approach the lady. If a person is unable to do so and thus has a very hard time getting women, what would you call him?

Also, please do not consider paying a woman in the same way as I am trying to express getting a woman. Both are totally different things. Whatever the a man might want from a woman, he needs to go through a test of sorts. That could be having a soft heart for some women, simply wealth for others, with some it is social status, etc. What do you call a person who does not pass this test (or hardly ever passes it) with any woman.

Also, I am not looking for slang terms.


texts: An adjective describing the ability to be hidden

texts:
I am currently trying to find a single word which describes the ability of an object to be hidden.

  A label that may be hidden --> a hideable / hidable / hidible label

Is there any word like that in the English language?

I found stashable, but it does not meet the requirement of consistency across all terms in a computer program code.

The programming language uses certain names for attributes like Visibility="Hidden" (not Visibility="Stashed") and I want / need to name a generic type after this attribute.

Do you have any suggestions or do I have to invent a new term and use it in my code (most likely, very few people will see it and the English of those who might see it is even worse than mine).

The word I am looking for must be derived from to hide or it will not meet the requirement.


texts:
Would the more appropriate word to describe a person who holds secular beliefs be "secular person" or "secularist"?

Personally, I feel that "secular person" would be the answer as the suffix "-ist" is usually associated with professions (e.g., artist) or followers of theological doctrine (e.g., fundamentalist, Buddhist, Calvinist) whereas secularism is far from following theological doctrine or a denomination.


texts:
How do you pronounce sixth time?

For example: Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d'Or for the sixth time.

It's quite difficult to pronounce the /ksθ t/.

Do you skip any sound in /ksθ/ /t/? If so, which one do you skip?

The /sɪk/ part is easy but after that, the /sθ/ and then the /t/ right after /θ/ becomes difficult.

The way I pronounce 'sixth time':

After /sɪk/, the blade of my tongue touches the alveolar ridge and produces /s/, then the tip of my tongue sticks out a bit to produce /θ/ and then it gets pulled back and moves up to the alveolar ridge for producing /t/ and it takes much time and sounds unnatural.

(It's almost impossible to pronounce 'King James sixth's third daughter' (King James VI's daughter). Does anyone
know how to pronouncee it?

James /sɪksθs θ/ ird daughter.


texts: Is there a difference between "Grecian" and "Greek"?

texts: As far as I can tell, "Grecian" and "Greek" both mean "of or pertaining to Greece." Is there any difference at all between them?


texts:
Here is a sentence:

  Everyone likes you but her/she.

What should be the correct pronoun? According to me since we are replacing a subject with a pronoun it should be she, but the answer according to my book is her. Could anyone explain the reason for using her in this sentence?


texts: Can the word "settings" be used in singular form to mean "parameter"?

texts:
Take for example Google Chrome browser's settings. There are a lot of parameters (?) there. Or one could probably say, "a lot of settings." But can one refer to some particular parameter using the word "setting"? Like in,

  The "On startup" setting lets you choose what you see after starting up the browser.

Or,

  The 'Always show the bookmark bar' setting is self-explanatory.

What term would be best in this case?


texts: Looking for a word that means "pictures and videos"

texts:
What's a word that means "pictures or video"/"pictures and video"? I was considering "media" but not sure if that would be correct.

For example, when discussing the smartphone app Snapchat, it becomes very repetitive to say things like "with Snapchat pictures and videos can be shared with friends".


texts:
I have a question about where would it be best to place the verb (in bold) on the phrases below:

P1: To me, It is unthinkable how large the impact of her work is for the progress of science and humanity.

P2: To me, It is unthinkable how large is the impact of her work for the progress of science and humanity

Thanks in advance for your help.


texts: Why are indefinite singular third person pronouns treated as plurals?

texts:
It's always bugged me.
My research behind this question was rather shallow, so I apologize if it's a duplicates.
Thanks!

Edit, example:
Say you don't know who you are talking to on Reddit, you simply know -their- username. Is it just the way in English to call people when you don't know who -they- are? Thanks again!


texts: Is "missing person" considered a compound noun?

texts: In the phrase missing person, is the whole phrase a compound noun or would missing be considered an adjective that modifies person? It seems like in many situations when it is used with other adjectives, missing is not treated as an adjective. In addition, I have seen the phrase pluralized as missing persons rather than missing people, which makes it seem like the phrase is viewed as one whole word.


texts: Is "Fredo" an insult to Italian-Americans?

texts:
Recently in the news there's been some kerfuffle about a verbal exchange between CNN anchorman, Chris Cuomo, and a person who called him “Fredo”. In the cell-phone video, the man claims

  I thought that was who you were

Cuomo responds that his name is Chris and he works for CNN. He then explains why he is offended by the term “Fredo" and why it is insulting for Italian-Americans.

  Only punk-ass bitches from the right call me Fredo.
  Fredo is from The Godfather. He was a weak brother. And they're using it as an Italian aspersion. […]
  [“Fredo“] is like the n-word for us.

During the argument, Cuomo's anger escalates and in the ensuing expletive-ridden tirade, he threatens to use physical violence. The man repeatedly but calmly (probably seeking to bait Cuomo) interjects

  I thought that was your name

Many reports clarify that "Fredo" does not carry the same cultural baggage or level of hostility as the n-word. Italians were neither enslaved nor victims of a systematic genocide in the US or in Europe. I am  unaware if this term is considered a slur in the UK, I suspect it isn't, it seems to be exclusively American English. Hannah Gold for The Cut writes

  …the term “Fredo” has become a cultural short-hand for “incompetent, cowardly, large adult son.”

In fact, online it has been suggested that Chris Cuomo may have an inferiority complex. His elder brother, Andrew Cuomo, has been governor of New York since 2011. And their father, Mario Cuomo, served eleven years as governor of New York.

Unfortunately, the President of the USA decided to stoke things further by tweeting the following

    I thought Chris was Fredo also.
    The Truth hurts.
    Totally lost it! Low ratings at CNN

In another Tweet, he added

  Would Chris Cuomo be given a Red Flag for his recent rant?  Filthy language and a total loss of control. He shouldn't be allowed to have any weapon. He's nuts!

What did the POTUS mean by saying he thought Chris was Fredo also?

Did he think the CNN news anchor was called Fredo? Was he insinuating that Cuomo was weak and less intelligent than his elder brother? Was the President indirectly insulting Italian Americans? Was he insinuating that the family Cuomo had Mafia connections?

When did calling someone “Fredo” become an insult? Is it considered racist in the US?


texts: How do we distinguish that "shall" means obligation or future?

texts:
English native speakers, I've seen that the use of shall in first person is usually for future. But consider this John Maynard Keynes' example from 1930 which makes some predictions throughout the text:

"There are changes in other spheres too which we must expect to come. When the accumulation of wealth is no longer of high social importance, there will be great changes in the code of morals. We shall be able to rid ourselves of many of the pseudo moral principles which have hag-ridden us for two hundred years, by which we have exalted some of the most distasteful of human qualities into the position of the highest virtues. We shall be able to afford to dare to assess the money-motive as its true value. The love of money as a possession -as distinguished from the love of money as a means to the enjoyments and realities of life- will be recognized for what it is, a somewhat disgusting morbidity..."

My guess:
a) Although "shall" is used with third person plural, I interpret it as a moral  obligation (a cordial way to say "we must").

What do you think? Are these uses of shall future or an obligation?


texts: Is there a word similar to "in depth" but for width (in width)?

texts: For instance, there are different aspects of a topic. When you study "in width", you try to understand these different aspects just enough. Then, you may want to study one aspect in depth to fully understand this aspect. Is there a word with the "in width" meaning?


texts: In a novel, should a subordinate clause use present tense while the main clause is past?

texts:
Provided this is correct:
The general rule is to match the tense of a subordinate clause with the tense of the main clause. E.g. He vacuumed while I washed the dishes. However, a subordinate clause can use present tense to express a general truth despite the main clause being in past tense. E.g. He discovered that the sun rises in the east.
What I'm wondering is:
When used in a work of fiction set in past tense, should present tense be used in a subordinate clause expressing a general truth?
The exact sentence that's sent me down this path is (in the context of a middle school health class): She explained how young girls bled once a month. I changed it to "bleed," but the author changed it back to "bled." Perhaps either is acceptable?


texts: I'm looking for a word that means a ballad that is specifically about a hero. I know an epic is a super long poem about a hero and doesn't necessarily have a set meter. A ballad is a song-like poem that has a set rhyme scheme and meter (usually), but doesn't imply a heroic topic. I need a combination of those words: a ballad that is about a hero. I can't find any word that fits what I need, can anyone give me a hand?


texts:
The examples are as follows.

The idea that has drawn a significant interest is very hard to design.
The idea, which has drawn a significant interest, is very hard to design.
The idea that has drawn a significant interest, is very hard to design.

Need help on defining and nondefining.


texts: Can "doubt" be used as a synonym of "question"?

texts:
In several stackexchange areas, I have seen posts like this,  where database design is just for the sake of example.

  I have a doubt concerning database design.

Where I would have said

  I have a question concerning database design.

Is one of the meanings of "doubt" the same as "question" for some English speaking people?  I've looked in the dictionary definition and haven't seen anything like it.  It's possible that only non native speakers use this.

This is not a question about learning English.  There might be an interesting question there, but I just want to know if it's native English or not.


texts: Looking for a word to describe a person who lies/invents stories to elicit sympathy to manipulate others and further their own advancement

texts:
I am looking for the right word(s) to describe a person who lies and invents stories/scenarios to elicit sympathy in order to manipulate and further their own advancement at the cost of others.
Think along the lines of a psychopathic social climber, consumed by bitterness. Highly vindictive and vengeful due to an invented notion of unrequited love. Someone who has taken a twisted private fantasy and used it to try and gain both attention and allies against their perceived rival, regardless of that person's actual innocence.
Thanks in advance for any input.


texts:
I came across the following snippet when reading Endgame, a biography on Bobby Fischer (sorry, I cannot find a link here),

  But Bobby was nothing but complex. Although much of his reading was confined to hate literature, he also embraced other works, such as Dag Hammarskjold's piquant book of aphorisms and poetry, Markings; and Eric Hoffer's The True Believer, which in many ways repudiates Armstrongism...

Most of the definitions I can find online is for 'nothing but + noun.' with the meaning of 'only, merely something'. But it doesn't really fit here in this context. Any ideas?


texts:
Base Word:

re·scind
verb
revoke, cancel, or repeal.

Example: The rescidication of that law is ridiculous.
Am I making up a word here? Or is a real word despite spell checker and google? I suppose "rescinding" could be used, but that's present tense.


texts: What is the difference in the use of the word HEAR in this case?

texts:
I got 2 ways of use of the word HEAR below, what is the difference between them just in tense terms?

1- hear somebody/something doing something

e.g: He could hear a dog barking.

2- hear somebody/something do something
e.g: Did you hear him go out?


texts:
I'm not that old, but when I was a child/teen, stadia was the common term.  As in:

  Wembley, the Nou Camp, and the Santiago Bernabeu are football stadia.
  The MCG and Lord's are cricket stadia.

But now stadiums is the more common term. Is this shift essentially redundant? I've read some sources say that it better reflects English language pluralisation, but then I think "so what?" Stadia better reflects the Latin root, and English isn't a wholly logical/systematic language (very few languages are). If we call more than one dog dogs, more than one ox oxen, and use cattle both as singular and plural, then why does it matter?


texts: What is the meaning of "reflection about"?

texts:
A book on algebra by Sullivian contains a sentence like this:

  Symmetry with respect to the
  origin may be viewed as a reflection about the y-axis, followed by a reflection about the x-axis.

Here,what does the phrase "reflection about" means? is it equal to the phrase "reflection on"?


texts: When providing more information about an event in the past, are we allowed to use present continuous?

texts:
While describing an event in the past, is it possible to use present continuous or present perfect continuous while still being grammatically correct? In order to explain my question a bit better, I have an example.
[On the topic of Britain's Chain Home Radar Network before the start of World War 2] By the spring of 1939, there were 20 stations, providing a mostly unbroken electronic barrier from Ventnor near Portsmouth in the south, to Netherbutton in the Orkneys to the north.
For this example, is the bolded section grammatically correct, or would it be preferable to replace it with "were 20 stations that provided a mostly"?


texts:
I'm not a native speaker and I have a bit of trouble with understanding the meaning of the term Industry Puzzled in a newspaper headline.

Here is an example I found that uses the term:

  Biodiesel Industry Puzzled By Loosening Of Alternative Fuel Standard

Can anyone explain to me its meaning in simple English?


texts: A single word for an "instance" of publicity

texts:
Is there a non-collective noun for an "instance" of publicity?

In other words, a restaurant receives publicity every time a local newspaper publishes a review or an article about it. Each of those articles or reviews are examples of a [blank] for the restaurant?


texts:
I am looking for an idiom for telling "Classic is good.".

The term "Classic is good" by itself tells what I want actually, but I want a more intense saying instead.


texts:
The cure could find its way in dire-needing USK? (USK is a
  fictional country)

I am looking for a synonym to the word (dire-needing). I am skeptical about it being acceptable to say the least.


texts:
I am trying to read an English picture book to my daughter, but cannot understand this phrase "For my rest". The title of the book is Hattie helps out by Jane Godwin & Davina Bell. The phrase in question is used like this:

  'When you've finished that, it's time for your sleep, Hattie.'
  'For my rest,', said Hattie. 'I'm too old for a sleep in the afternoon...

Could someone please explain the meaning of the phrase?


texts: Why is writing "$1" correct but writing "%100" isn't?

texts: It seems like "%100" should be correct if "$1" is correct.


texts: When animals and population instinctively move from one place to another and come back again , this type of movement is called?


texts: What is the meaning of the expression "loco for coco?"

texts:
I've seen the expression "loco for coco" a few times, but I don't really understand it.
Sometimes it refers to Coco, the animated film or just chocolate.

What is the original meaning of this expression?
How was it created?
Any ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks.


texts: "Useless like tits on a log" vs. "tits on a bull" vs. "tits on a turtle" and so forth

texts:
I was reading an online book and there was the expression "useless like tits on a log". I googled to find more about this expression and I found a similar one:  "useless like tits on a bull". Which one of them is more recognizable in everyday English? Why haven't I been able to find references about the first one?

Edit: I think there is a whole group of expressions like that — "useless like tits on a boar", "useless like tits on a nun", "useless like tits on a turtle" etc. It is really interesting how we can make such an expression.


texts:
A friend of mine corrected my sentence but I couldn't understand it. Just hoping someone can explain it properly for a non English speaker.

My sentence is:

"Finally your passport GOT ready for pickup"

My friend (native English speaker) corrected  it to:

"Finally your passport IS ready for pickup"

Or "Finally your passport got processed and is ready for pickup"

Why can't i use "got ready" in the above sentence just like in sentences

"We got ready for bed", "Alpha team got ready to play"

Thanks in advance.


texts: Absent the doctor - a 'hanging' adjective?

texts:
I remember the occurrence of this type of construction from many moons ago, but not its particular reference :

Absent the doctor, the paramedic pronounced the victim deceased.

I'm not clear as to what is going on in the phrase 'absent the doctor'.
There could be an ellipsis here :

Absent [being] the doctor ...

The verb 'absent' can be used :

transitively : Her mother absented her from school.
or intransitively : The workers absented from work.

(examples from OED)
But I am not clear whether 'absent' is a verb here.
The same kind of thing happens in :

The patient dead, there was no more to be done but sign the certificate.

I am also interested in what role the definite article is playing.
For one could also say :

Dead the patient, the room became hushed.

Is there such a thing as a 'hanging' adjective ?


texts: Is there a word to describe a person who thinks he knows the fact, only after a fact has been revealed, but not before?

texts:
I have a friend that would consistently say, "I could have told you that," only after the fact is said.

But when I test him before the fact is revealed, he wouldn't know the answer. He has narcissistic traits.


texts: Word for "having characteristics of the beach?"

texts:
The city had a tropical, [...] feeling to it.

I thought of the word beachy but I worry people will confuse it with the other similar-sounding word.


texts: Words with a property that is contradictory to their meaning

texts:
I've always been amused by words like "monosyllabic" which are self-contradictory in the sense that the word itself is not, in fact, one syllable. "Palindrome" is another example.  (Palindrome, contrary to its definition, does not read the same forwards and backwards.)

At one point I remember having at least two other similar examples, which I can no longer recall.

Is there a specific term for words that are themselves a counterexample of the concept they represent and are there other such words?


texts: Is there a term for a self-fulfilling sentence?

texts: I am wondering if there is a term for sentences that describe what the sentence accomplishes. For example, the phrase "I'm warning you." The sentence simultaneously does the warning and says it is warning.


texts: What is meant by the indefinate pronoun 'one' when used in a statement like 'I dont understand why you'd bother'

texts:
You'd is shorthand for you would.
You is the colloquial for one.
So the statement 'I don't understand why you'd bother' is synonymous with the statement 'I don't understand why one would bother'?

One is an English language, gender-neutral, indefinite pronoun that means, roughly, "a person." For purposes of verb agreement it is a third-person singular pronoun. But one can also be used as a pronoun for person of the speaker's kind; such as the speaker himself or herself:

So in the statement 'I don't understand why you'd bother'
is the speaker saying they don't understand why someone like themselves would bother?

Or is the speaker saying they don't understand why a person (someone other than themselves, third person) would bother?

How can the meaning of 'one' be infered from the statement. Or is it simple down to the speaker to decide upon its intended meaning?

Many thanks for adding any clarification to this


texts: Why is the word cervix "relating to the neck", not anywhere near the neck?

texts:
The human cervix is long, like a human neck, but it seems like an overgeneralization to apply the latin root cer to something so geographically far from the neck. Adam Aleksic has an interesting post on the topic.

  "This is why by the eighteenth century cervix also began to be applied to the "neck of the womb"; same story with its derivative, cervical.
  "The part of the uterus" is a more common definition now because it's used much more; people get afflictions down there more often than in the neck. However, it also stands to etymological logic that any malignant tumor above the shoulders can also be considered "cervical cancer"."

I am wondering if anyone has more information or insight.


texts: Conjuring is listed as a noun on Google and Longman but then why does it appear as an adjective in the examples listed at these places?

texts: E.g., on Google, the meaning is: "the performance of tricks which are seemingly magical, typically involving sleight of hand." But the given example is: "a conjuring trick". Similarly, the example in LDOCE is: "He did conjuring tricks for the children." Why does it appear as an adjective in the dictionaries when it is listed as a noun?


texts:
On a package of tea I found a sentence as follows:

  If you have any questions, feedback or are not satisfied with this product, please contact us at our details below and we can talk tea.

This makes me confused since, as far as I know, talk is basically an intransitive verb and so it isn't followed directly by an object. If an object follows the verb, it should be followed by a preposition like over or through, as in we talked our problems over; but there is no such preposition in my example above.

Oxford Dictionary of English also provides an usage of the verb with no object: used to emphasise the seriousness, importance, or extent of the thing one is discussing. Considering the context of my example that is related to a product to be discussed, this explanation seems to be the one, though the dictionary only lists up examples where the progressive form is used, like We're talking big money.


texts:
This is another bit of unusual English (to an American) that I picked up from Terry Pratchett's writings. Characters in the books have told others to "Eat their tea", in the literal sense.

Is this a common British usage of the term? Does "tea" in this context refer to both the drink and the food that one would eat at teatime? Would "Take your tea" be more a common phrase?


texts:
Is there a name for this manner of purposely speaking in double negatives, e.g.

  I wouldn't say no to a cup of tea!

I've noticed it as a habit of some people, perhaps often going along with a particular type of sense of humour and British understatement.


texts: What does one call terms like "astroturfing"?

texts:
Astroturfing is a word used to describe a fake or counterfeit grassroots campaign. The clever term is derived from the notion that one kind of fake grass is astroturf.

Another more niche example is from mathematics. We call the "germ" of a function the part at the bottom of a stalk in some sheaf. We call this a germ because it is like the germ for the stalk of a plant.

In both of these examples, one makes an analogy to create a term, and then related terms, carry on this analogy to build terms related to the first.

Is there a specific name for this sort of term?


texts: Is there a word for having lost communication for an unexpectedly long period of time?

texts:
For example:

  The robot had a _______ plan so it wouldn't get lost if the radio went
  down.

  In case of ______, the nuclear submarine required all 3
  officers to unanimously agree to launch the missile.

It's important to distinguish it from losing communication briefly, the time aspect is critical.


texts: Does that mean that "I don't have any time" or "I have time" because there are two no's there?


texts: Are there any pairs of English words that are cognate to each other yet have opposite meanings?

texts:
Alright, here's the best way I can explain this: if, hypothetically, the word pairs (love, loathe) and (friend, fiend) were cognates (i.e. they shared an etymological ancestor), they would be precisely what I'm looking for. These pairs aren't cognates, of course, but what I'm trying to get at is that if they were, they'd fit my criteria: antonyms that are also cognate to one another.
So, now that that's explained, I have to ask: does anyone know of a real, non-hypothetical duo of words of the type I'm describing? Also, I realize this is the English language board, but if for some reason anyone happens to know of an example of this from a language besides English, please do consider chiming in anyways. Failing that, really any other relevant info or insight would also be a huge help, as I'm pretty much at a loss for leads on this one.
Thanks in advance~
--
NOTE: as far as this specific request is concerned, I'm not interested in either:

contranyms/auto-antonyms (e.g. fast can mean both "quick" and "unmoving")
antonyms that only differ in their affix (e.g. attach, detach; careful, careless; etc.)

Those two things aside, however, I'm really just looking for any two cognates with contrasting meanings. Whether they're direct, binary opposites (e.g. true, false) or a more subjective sort of opposites (e.g. float, sink), I'm all ears. I'd even say feel free even to compare words across different parts of speech (e.g. alive, death) – just so long as they're English cognates whose definitions clash with each other, that's what I want to find at least one veritable example of, if only to say that I can.
***Update! Here's what I have so far:
black and blank from PIE *bhel- (h/t John Lawler)
shirt and skirt from PIE *sker- (h/t Xanne)
potion and poison from PIE *peh- / *po(i)- (h/t Matthew Roberts)
guest and host from PIE *gʰóstis / *ghos-ti- (my own discovery)


texts: Should I refer to North Koreans and South Koreans "same people" or "the same people"?

texts: Are North Koreans and South Koreans "same people" or "the same people"? Which is correct: the same or just same, and why?


texts:
Because of the fact that Rene Descartes developed the Cartesian coordinate system, I would think that the word Cartesian would be named after him (Des-cartes). However, I can't shake the feeling that it should be named after the Latin carta, meaning map: after all, the Cartesian system is a mapping system.

Or maybe Descartes isn't the inventor's real name, and he changed his name to that after discovering the system?

Could someone help me out here?


texts: When are the phrases "in motion" and "in movement" used?

texts:
When are the phrases in motion and in movement used?
In motion is the most popular form based on a Google search, but in movement still has 3 080 000 results.


texts: What is the etymology of the word "dinlo"?

texts:
dinlo  n. stupid person; idiot

Suggested etymology from urban dictionary

  a Romany (gypsy language) word that has been adopted widely by the east coast.

Sorry if this language offends but I think it is necessary that I post the actual sentence in which I saw it, and in any case the word is probably itself quite offensive already.

  Christ, could you sound like any more of a fuckin dinlo in one thread?

I would love to know if this really is Romany.


texts:
If there is an quote in my lecture slide, for example:

“180 years of being a beacon of good practice. Something very precious was lost [when Cadbury was taken over]”
–   Sir Dominic Cadbury

Do I need to put my lecturers name and date in brackets after "Sir Dominic Cadbury
"?

Harvard style reference by the way


texts: Head is to decapitate as arm is to what?

texts:
Pretty straightforward but Google is failing me.

What is the single word for removing a limb, specifically an arm?

It can’t be disarmed, as that is used when someone has their weapons taken.

I know there is decapitate for removing a head, even defenestrate for throwing out a window (which I initially thought), but is there a word for chopping of an arm? Or a hand? Or a finger?

As requested used in a sentence:

  In Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Christopher Lee’s character Count Dooku was decapitated, but not before he was _something_.


texts: The word referring to a descendant of legal immigrants

texts:
Is there any word referring to descendants of legal immigrants that were born and raised in the new country and have all rights and opportunities like other citizens in this country.

For example, Hindus legally immigrated to USA and gave birth to children. How do you call their children to indicate that they are Americans of a Hindu descent?


texts: "so many" vs "too many" in a particular case

texts:
I had too many things to do that I couldn’t finish them all
  I had so many things to do that I couldn’t finish them all

What is correct? My teacher said that it is the second one but in my opinion, the first one fits better because of the phrase

  I couldn’t finish them all


texts: Apostrophe after Proper Noun ending with s

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  What is the correct possessive for nouns ending in s?
  When did it become correct to add an 's' to a singular possessive already ending in 's'?

Today's Newyorker News Desk says Texas's insurgent establishment.
Is Texas's correct usage? Doesn't seem elegant in any case.


texts: "… things like this." vs. "… things like that."

texts:
Yesterday on talk radio an interviewee speaking about Sudanese Northerner's being forced into the mountains and away from their farmlands by the Sudanese Army said the result was:

  The men would leave and go foraging to gather nuts and berries, things like this.

I don't know where exactly the punctuation belongs since it was on the radio, so I did my best to put the comma in the right place before the phrase in question.

Is his phrasing correct? Or would ending with the phrase:

  … things like that.

be correct. Are they both acceptable?
Are there meaningful or grammatical differences between the two?

For context, he didn't enumerate similar activities in the related line of questioning before or after the above, nor did he explicitly reference anything else he said in prior areas of discussions.


texts: What word best describes talking sweetly but in a sarcastic manner?

texts: I'm writing a character who is cynical and cruel, but the way he speaks is very sarcastically sweet to further emphasize how jaded he is by the nature of the world and men, but I can't find a word that describes this type of "fake sweetness". He very often says stuff like "My my, if you're so bothered by my antics, what are you going to do about it?" and just sounds so pleasant and well-versed, but his tone is dripping with sarcasm, but sarcasm has connotations of bitterness or scorn and he's not being scornful, he's genuinely curious what they come up with in the hopes of entertaining him.


texts:
I've always wondered about certain kinds of nouns, a particular example is worth. As in:
It is worth 100 dollars, It is worth it, It is not worth anything.

In which they handle direct objects, like transitive verbs. This isn't applicable for nouns like, say, 'cat' or 'monster'.  Worth can also be used in embeds. Eg:
The car worth ten thousand finally sold.

I can't think of any use alone apart from the idiomatic 'It has some worth'.

Am I misled? Or is this a thing like I think it is? Is there any information and other examples?


texts:
In one of the grammar books I study I found a following example:
In my previous job I was confined to doing only one thing.
I'd say that confined to do is the correct way to say it. I always thought that we can never use to + gerund, or can we? And if so, then what is the rule?
Thank you in advance.


texts: Why contract has two different meanings: "shrink" and "agreement legally"?

texts:
I know that "contract" has different two meanings such as "shrink" and "agreement".

I search the origin of this word on google, and "contract comes from "draw together".

I feel "shrink" and "agreement" are somehow different meaning. Why "contract" has these two meanings? Did the origin of both meanings are "draw together?


texts:
My knowledge in morphology and orthography is lacking. I would like to know how to spell the neologism boneular, from bone (or Backbone, a programming library used for creating Web applications) and modular.

Would it be bonular? Or a less likely boneular?


texts:
When someone dies, do we say they expired or passed away?

Does the word expired give any more respect when used? Or less respect than passed away?


texts: The 21st century use of Supper and Dinner

texts:
In the 21st century, generally would we still say we have both supper and dinner along with lunch on the same day?

I live in Seychelles and the eating habit here is breakfast-lunch-heavy dinner. Even when you offer a light supper, they say they'll wait for the dinner.


texts: "Of" used to say which specific thing belonging to a more general type you are referring to

texts:
"Of" can be used to describe the relationship between two close things, one thing being kind of an explanatory element. And gerund is frequently used. For example:

  The idea of getting into the cave unnerved me.

  The test of enduring heat as long as I can resulted in some major burns.

But if I apply this principle to certain sentences....

  The irresponsibility of leaving the trash behind angered his boss.

  The thoughtlessness of running into a ghost house resulted in his death.

This sounds stretched and kind of unnatural... But I'm not a native speaker, so I thought it better to ask you guys. Are they grammatically wrong? And if yes, why is that? And if no, is it possible to use this characteristic of "of" with every other nouns?


texts:
Whether the integration of the refugees into the local community can be feasible depends on the manner in which and the rate at which this happens.

Or

Whether the integration of the refugees into the local community can be feasible depends on the manner and the rate in/at which this happens.

I'm confused as to which word "in/at which" should be determined by; "manner" or "rate".

Any suggestions?


texts: A bromance is "a close but non-sexual relationship between two men". Is there an equivalent for women? IMO, sisterhood doesn't really fit.


texts:
What is the difference between referee, umpire and judge? How about the use of other similar words?

In sports like tennis, basketball, football and soccer, when do we use which?


texts: What is a word for when you condense a topic into a work that is all that's needed to understand it?

texts: Like when CGP Grey makes a video about the European Union, that video explains everything with details yet clearly and concisely. I thought redux would have been a great word, but it only means "revived"


texts: Does the word "synecdoche" work in this context?

texts: "Person X is a synecdoche for the American people," where Person X's traits are a representation of typical American traits. If not, what would be a better word to use?


texts: Can an object after transitive verb be omitted in some cases?

texts:
I feel very confused at this question. It may be split into 2 questions. A. Must a transitive verb always be follow by an object? B. If NO is the answer to Q A. , then under what circumstances the object can be omitted?

The example is, Wait a moment, I am going to correct it and update it. I doubt if it can be rephrased as "Wait a moment, I am going to correct and update it. See I am in a dilemma; I believe an object must go after am transitive verb so I think the second one is wrong; I try to find a simpler way to express and the second one sounds all right to me and I feel like it.

In short, I want to know whether it is grammatically correct to say "Wait a moment, I am going to correct and update it." I think the object of "it" has been omitted after "correct". Longman dictionary says both verbs of "correct" and "update" are transitive.


texts: What does "reclusion" mean specifically?

texts:
If we take a recluse, with their state of seclusion unknown, is their condition self-inflicted? Or is reclusion a punishment?

For example, (from www.thefreedictionary.com)

  re·clu·sion  (r-klzhn)
  n.

  The condition of being a recluse.
  The state of being in solitary confinement.

Is the solitary confinement self inflicted? Or is reclusiveness a state that's been imposed on a wrongdoer (by law or similar)?


texts: Use amount and quantity to replace number?

texts:
When we want to express the quantity of something (countable), we may say "The number of something is + number", like "The number of books is 3."

Can I say “The quantity of books is 3”? I mean "The quantity of something is a number". Is that correct?

If the stuff is uncountable, like water, can I say "The amount of water is 3 cubic meters"? So that the pattern becomes "The amount of something is + number + measurement units". Is that the formal usage?


texts: I'm looking for a word similar to an abstract concept

texts:
I'm looking for a word to describe when you are aware that something is real, however because you've never experienced said-thing firsthand, the thought of the thing seems like an abstract concept even though you are aware that it is very much real.

FOR EXAMPLE: I'm aware that genocide is occurring right now in other countries. However, because I don't live somewhere where I need to worry about genocide, genocide just seems like a intangible concept.

EXAMPLE 2: Despite my awareness of cancer, cancer has always just been a ________ to me because my family has never been effected by the disease.

Concept, idea, abstract, notion, are all close to the word but not what I'm looking for. Anything will help! Thank you!


texts:
try-hard has many meanings

In gaming subculture slang, its common use is to describe a person that takes an intentionally fun or pleasant experience and tries to score/be the best in it at the cost of the enjoyment of others, and sometimes even his own.

not exactly a "bad sport"

Should be applicable on any situation where no one in particular is trying to be a big achiever because it clearly isn't the main goal, but one person decides he will do everything at his disposal to make his victory happen.

For example George participates at a couple's video making contest at his workplace for the funniest video.

where as everybody has got the same shot at the challenge, George hires 2 directors,a comedian, and pays all the employees in the bushiness 50$ to persuade them to accept having him as their partner.

edit: George deliberately breaks the "code of honor" for his own ego


texts: I think every single one of us has experienced a dark dot in his/her sight when looking at a white surface such as a white ceiling, there's something in our eye that with a little focus we can see it, and when we move our eyes around, that thing floats around quickly in your sight. It's like a substance on eye's surface, I want to know what is it called. Hope I'm clear enough.


texts:
I looked up the synonym dictionary, and it told me that "deprived of" can be the alternative of "without". So I'm wondering if this usage is right:

  Deprived of his partner, he couldn't win by himself.
  Life would be miserable deprived of you.
  He would never be able to speak deprived of this technology being discovered.


texts: Why must "not" frequently be paired with "do"?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  English questions and negation with do in syntax

I've always wondered why English insists on pairing not with do, when negating an action.  For example, you say:

  I do not like that coat.

Instead of:

  I not like that coat.

When you're not negating, however, there is no need for do (except that it can optionally be used as an intensifier):

  I like that coat.

Dictionary.com describes the word not in this contect as an adverb.  Shouldn't it be OK just to add it in to the sentence on its own, so that one of the following should be acceptable?:

  I not like that coat.
  I like not that coat.

Why must do be added before?


texts: Usage of "to" before verbs after "let me"

texts:
I'm actually writing a scientific article, and my professor is correcting all my (numerous) grammar errors.

One in particular is bugging me. In my article I wrote

  "[object] that lets us introduce [object]"

and was corrected into

  "[object] that lets us  to introduce [object]"

My form is totally wrong? Or are they both correct? And why?

As "I let him do it" and "I allow him to do it", why exactly does one require 'to'? shows, the base rule imposes to not use the "to". My question here is a bit more specific.

Is the expression used above indicated/correct for a formal/scientific document?


texts: Is it "make" or "makes" in this sentence?

texts:
Many clauses and phrases make the noun known to the listener by telling the listener which person or thing we are talking about.

Can you give me the book on the table.
Did you read the book which I gave you?
etc.

The quote is from English grammar book, this is why I suppose everything should be correct. However, 'make' looks very weird to me. Isn't it a typo?


texts: What's the difference between "informal", "colloquial", "slang", and "vulgar"?

texts:
It seems many people get confused about the differences (and similarities) between "colloquial" and "slang", so what exactly does each term apply to?

But to be even more thorough it seems to me we can also include a couple more terms which are often applied to language and arrange them into a scale from most acceptable to least acceptable: "informal" > "colloquial" > "slang" > "vulgar"

Are any two synonyms? Do they all overlap semantically or only with their closest neighbours? Or should some of them be seen as independently variable aspects of a word or utterance?

Finally, could each term apply equally as well to a word, a phrase, and a grammatical or syntactical usage?

EDIT

Perhaps I should've also included "nonstandard" - not sure whether it belongs to the left or the right of "slang" though.


texts:
I could not understand this sentence and could not find the meaning. Is it an idiom?

I damn well hope they hang him. I think he’s as guilty as a louse.


texts:
There is a book titled Off to a Flying Start: Horsing Around the Language. What does off to mean?
I did some research on it and I feel it means going to do, but I still need your confirmation.


texts:
Is there any proper way to say what field of study of an engineering thesis is?

In Polish I can say:

Praca Dyplomowa Inżynierska na kierunku Informatyka.

And it's often put on the front page as title.

Is there any English equivalent? Something like:

Engineering Thesis (for/of?) Computer Science.

Or perhaps

Computer Science Engineering Thesis.


texts: Word for letters from a foreign or unknown language

texts:
I used to describe these characters as Cyrillic ("I don't understand the cyrillic text on this poster"), but I learned today that Cyrillic is an actual type of script/alphabet! Is there an English word that describes foreign/unknown text?

P.s. I'm talking like reading Russian as an English speaker, not reading French. Actual unknown characters, not just unknown words.


texts: I'm looking for a word to describe a system that filters certain gases from a space and 'exhales' them outside. What verb can be used to describe that action?


texts: Why did The New York Times use the present simple to describe a past event?

texts:
Statement is as follows:

  Obama makes a surprise visit to Afghanistan.

Is this a simple present tense? If yes then please explain

As per the definition of simple present tense, this statement does not fall into any of the following categories:

For repeated or regular actions in the present time period.
For facts.
For habits.
For things that are always / generally true.

This statement is one of the headlines in the New York Times.


texts: Meaning of "steady-as-she-goes financial package"

texts:
I was reading this article and I'm not sure about the meaning of this sentence:

  Despite rise in inflation and
  borrowing, chancellor to court medium
  earners in 'steady-as-she-goes'
  financial package

Could you explain me what the author meant by "steady-as-she-goes" financial package?

Could it be something like "a financial package that is congruent with previous economic policies"?

PS: Is this kind of question appropriate for this site?


texts: Colloquial terms for "[please do X] according to your own ethical assumptions"?

texts:
When I want to ask someone to do something that has some costs (like personal involvement, time, money), but want to leave it to that person to decide how much to spend on that - how do I express that in a non-contrived way?

Ideally, it should sound incidental, not drawing attention to the decision to make later.

Example:

  Other: Ok, if you are willing to lend me your tools for free, I will do this project. If I make money, you get part of it.
  Me: No, keep it for yourself in the beginning while it is difficult. Later, decide how to pay something back acording to your own ethic assumptions.

Example with implicit solution:

  Other: Wow, thank you soo much for that - how can I ever...
  Me: Oh, don't thank me - thank it forward by spending some money to one of our care projects.

Here, it's implicit that the person has to choose a project and an amount, and has not to disclose it.


texts: Is usually tired, usually tired, and feels tired?

texts:
She is usually tired after coming back from school.
  She usually tired after coming back from school.
  She usually feels tired after coming back from school.

Which one is correct?

Also, are usually, often, and seldom nouns, adjectives, adverbs or other?


texts:
I thought "provisionally" was what I was looking for, as in:
"As a provisional measure, I'd like someone with Volkswagen Corporate to follow up with me next week."

What I really mean is:
"Just in case anything remains unresolved, I'd like someone to follow up."

But "just in case" sounds too informal.

By this I mean, "just in case all my car's issues aren't solved by then."

But when I looked up "provisional" in the dictionary, the closest I could find was these:
- "accepted or adopted tentatively; conditional; probationary."
- "providing or serving for the time being only;"
- "existing only until permanently or properly replaced; temporary"

These make it sound like, unless something comes into conflict or I don't actually need them, then contact me, otherwise forget it.

What I'm trying to say is that "I want them to contact me no matter what because it might be that my issues are resolved, but I still want them to call me and that will not change."  Maybe I would be better to say, "because of something uncertain that may turn out good or bad," I definitely want them to contact me to make sure everything is ok.


texts:
Simply Put, I have the following(similar) sentences:

  Transducer Introduction.

  An introduction to Transducer/Sensor.

  A methodology to meet the deadlines.

  Introduction to XYZ.

All of these are marked GREEN by Microsoft's grammar check. Those Green lines are really Annoying . Whats the proper way to write these Fragments so that the Grammar Check spares me.

Update:

I learned from some answers that Microsoft's Grammar Check is way too sensitive. And it has a habit of annoyance. Still, is there some way I can solve the problem?


texts: How would you call someone that connects two people together?

texts: Is there an English term to describe someone that acts as a "mediator" between two people, i.e someone that connects two people together?


texts:
I've seen "some in form of" used for a lot of things, sometimes for non material things.

Let me explain:

"It does have a lot of humor, some in form of direct jokes, some in form of answers"

Is this usage correct? Can you use "some in form of" for non material things and concepts?


texts: Would I use who or whom in this scenario?

texts:
I know there are numerous examples of who vs whom. But I can't find anything that really makes me feel confident in how to write this.

The sentence is

  The two most important are the satisfaction level of the person whom
  opened the ticket and the number of days a ticket was open.

I broke it down so I could use the He/She/Him/Her test. What I came up with is

  The ticket was opened by her/him.

But that doesn't really match the sentence structure at all and really just rearranges it such that I can make that particular substitution. I could, if I wanted, rearrange it as

  She/he opened the ticket.

which also works but still doesn't follow the sentence structure.

I suppose the best way to really clarify it is to say

  The two most important are the satisfaction level of the person by whom the ticket was opened and the number of days a ticket was open.

Is that actually the correct way or are they both correct with the latter simply being less cumbersome than the former?


texts: Are the words "Senator" and "Representative" capitalized in a sentence?

texts:
In the following sentence are the words "senator and "representative" capitalized?

There are many special restrictions that senators and representatives must abide by.


texts: Is there a word for a vocabulary associated with a particular work of fiction?

texts:
In his Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien coins the word "glitter" to be a collective noun for elves.

In his books about Wonderland, Louis Carol invents an absolute mountain of words, words like "frabjous," meaning "great, wonderful, fabulous," and "boojum," meaning an especially dangerous variety of "snark," another invented word.

In Star Wars, we have terms like "tie fighter," a kind of spacecraft, and lightsaber, a kind of weapon.

Harry Potter, Star Trek, A Song of Fire and Ice (A Game of Thrones), Battlestar Galactica, Stargate, The Chronicles of Narnia...  And the list goes on.  These are all similar examples of works that incorporate their own subset of English words, some entirely original and some that alter standard English definitions.

Given that there are so many authors that do this in their works, is there any word that means a special set of words whose definitions are specific to and used by a specific work or works, particularly fiction?


texts:
In this sentence:

  They did a great job orchestrating volunteers.

Is the gerund orchestrating the object of the sentence?
orchestrating acts as a noun in the sentence, but I don't understand why it is the object of the sentence.


texts:
For my linguistics course I was asked to explain the difference in meaning of the following:

  1. I would like to have lunch with you on Friday
  2. I would like to have lunch with you on a Friday

Also, a similar example:

  3. We will have a test the next week
  4. We will have a test next week


texts:
Is there any difference between "a man with pride" and "a man of pride"?

Which one has the meaning closer to "a man who has pride"?


texts:
Which one would you prefer, in particular in combination with "the needs"?

Google finds a lot more for "tailored to" (30 millions) than for "tailored towards" (only 600 thousands).


texts: What are the requirements for a word to have an etymology?

texts:
This question is prompted by a recent question on the etymology of dunsel.
Both the Oxford English Dictionary and Etymonline profess ignorance of dunsel.  It seems, from an  answer, to have been made up by a Star Trek writer, although @Hot Licks says it was around long before Star Trek, but he gives no evidence.
Given that it is scorned by such major references, does dunsel even have an etymology?
If it does, can anyone make up a word and if it is gains some usage, does it have a etymology?  For example, I made up the word marm some decades ago, which means to make like a marmot, lying in the sun on a rock in the mountains and staring into space.  It achieved a certain very limited usage among a small set of backpackers.  Does it have an etymology?
What are the prerequisites for a word to have an etymology ?


texts:
I'm interested in how and why the verb cleave has two totally opposite definitions:

Definition I. Split or sever (something)
Definiiton II. Adhere strongly to

The referenced website shows the same etymology for both definitions?
Moreover, how can one manage or differentiate these two definitions, to obviate confusion?


texts: Phrase to describe "re-reading an email you wrote, because it is just that good"

texts:
I want to describe a recurring situation that happens in the modern day when people craft an email that is "perfect" in that person's mind, and they end up re-reading the sent message over and over.

Maybe they are re-reading the email because they are satisfied that all the details are covered, or to appreciate the email's conciseness and focus, or even appreciate the tone and word choice.

Relish is the closest I've found, but since I'm describing a person who enjoys the written word, I would hope there is a way to phrase it in a way that is more poetic to the situation. E.g. the word or phrase itself should have special meaning, intellectual or otherwise, to writers.


texts: The phrase "take advantage of" is usually perceived as negative. Is there a word or a phrase with a similar meaning which would convey a more positive meaning? Akin to "make use of the situation" but more refined.


texts: another way to express readiness for something

texts:
I am trying to express the idea that I am

  ready to begin

in a way that is personal and not excessively formal or stilted.

I have overused ready to begin something form. Other ways to do so can be "set to start", "ready for take the initial steps", "prepared to go", but none of these seems to work in the context.

All these following options are overly formal or informal or not as concise or emphatic.

  all set to begin

  set to go

  prepared to take the next step

  set to undertake this path

  all set to start

This is an statement with which a piece ends and therefore it needs a concise and emphatic quality which pretty captures the effect of "ready to begin" phrase with different words.

  ....John is capable of doing so much in this project. He will make a
  difference in what this project ends up accomplishing. He is ready to
  begin.

Any suggestions to convey this?


texts: What is meaning of few terms in this paragraph?

texts:
I came across this paragraph in a book. I am unable to understand this; What does "against the action of state" and "against state's action" in first line refer to? Aren't they both same thing? The first line seems ambiguous because of these terms. Can someone explain these terms in detail with respect to this context.

Fundamental rights are characterized as following -

Most of them are available against the arbitrary action of the state, with a few exceptions like those against the State's action and against the action of private individuals. When the rights that are available against the State's action only are violated by the private individuals, there are no constitutional remedies but only legal remedies

Here "State" refers to any legal/non-legal entity of the country.


texts: Do all four-letter-words have four letters?

texts: Two vulgar words I know have five letters but I've been told they are considered four-letter-words in spite of it. The explanation I got was that in such cases vulgarity matters more than the number of letters. Is that so ?


texts: Why isn't USA an attributive adjective, (but US is)?

texts:
When referring to the country, both US and USA (among other forms), are acceptable. But when used as an adjective, USA sounds wrong.

US Army, but not USA Army.

Even in the expanded form (for emphasis), I hear sentences like:

  He's a United States Senator, he has a lot of influence. (never United States of America Senator.)

Wikipedia lists the adjectives as American and US.

Is USA an adjective? Was it ever?

If not, how did US originate to be the adjectival form and why was USA dropped?

EDIT: After Janus's comment below, I wonder if US can be used predicatively (or is it used solely attributively)?

For instance, can we say "The car is US" instead of "The car is American"?


texts: Which is correct: "standing on line" or "standing in line"?

texts:
I'm curious to hear from folks in the the Northeast United States (or anyone, really) an explanation of why "standing on line" seems preferable to "standing in line" in the US northeast.

I imagine for many people that their reasons for preference will be that "It just sounds better," just as my reasons for my preference is that  "standing on line" sounds too awkward to my ears.  That said, I can't even create a linguistic argument for why it might be more "correct."


texts: "Never knew who to trust" - Object in indirect question

texts:
The phrase "never knew who to trust" is from a fairly recent popular song.

It should be "never knew whom to trust".

My question is: how do you reach that change?

Is it because "whom to trust" functions as the object of the verb "knew"? If I recall correctly, in Latin, when you have an indirect question or an indirect statement, the relevant indirect phrase following the verb is in the nominative rather than the accusative. So in that language, it would actually be "who". Can anyone confirm my recollection?

Or is it also because in the phrase "whom to trust", "whom" is the object of the verb "trust"?

Either way, you reach the relevant change. I'd be grateful for your thoughts.

Note: this is not a duplicate of the linked questions. There are two elements here, first the accusative (not dative) object of the verb and second the indirect question with complement. That second element has not fully been answered.


texts: "Suit yourself" as an answer to "How are you?"

texts:
A colleague of mine who works in a company told me that his colleagues and bosses will answer, every time he asks "how are you?" or "how is it going?", "good, suit yourself".

Does anybody know why they might be answering in this way?


texts: ”See/wonder if +(a negative)” vs. “See/wonder if + (a positive)”

texts:
I’ve asked a similar question about ‘wonder if’ before, but I’ll give it a second try to learn more about a difference in nuance between a negative clause and a positive one.
Just look at these examples.

He snapped it shut again, worried that the sound would attract Filch, wondering whether that hadn’t been Cedric’s plan – (Harry Potter 4 [US Version]: p.461)

See if she can’t break the habit of writing horrible lies about people. (Harry Potter 4 [US Version]: p.728).

I’m vaguely thinking in the above cases, wonder whether and see if are figures of speech, and those sentences have other meanings, for example, like this.

If Cedric were here, I would like to say to him, “That hasn’t been your plan, hasn’t it?” (hopefully)

If she were here, I would like to say to her, “You can break the habit, can you?” (peremptorily)

Also, I’m thinking positive ones have no such meanings, kind of neutral.
I might be reading too much, but I have a reason to become sensitive to negatives. (Does the sentence of “Don’t you …?” have a connotation of accusation?)
Let me get it straight. Here are my questions.
1. What’s the difference between a positive and a negative in wonder/see if clauses?
2. Is it determined by the form or by the context? (I’m asking this one because both of my examples have a similar context that the speakers have a bone to pick with him or her.)
3. Does the same go for other verbs, for example, ask, doubt, know, tell, and be not sure?
I’d be happy if you could help me!


texts: Difference between "kindness" and "generosity"

texts:
Is there a difference between kindness and generosity? For example,

  I have benefited a lot from your kindness and generosity.

The difference in my mind is subtle but I think it is a significant difference; it's just that I can't explain it!


texts: What's a shorter way to say recommendation?

texts:
Looking for abbreviation or similar meaning words.

The context is recommended songs, movies, books etc.

I need a shorter way to say the same thing (preferably half the characters) in order to fit it into a mobile application user interface.

I checked Thesaurus but doesn't help.


texts: "Things which are hung/mounted on wall" in a single word?

texts:
Is there an umbrella term for things like:

wall clock
wall-mounted TV
tapestry

I'm looking for a single, or at most two words for naming a concept in a programming project.


texts:
I’ve heard conscience used as a verb, in the phrase can’t conscience. For example,

  I can’t conscience taking credit for what I didn’t do.

Is this use of conscience correct? From a Google search it appears this phrase is actively used, but I can’t find it in the OED or other dictionaries.


texts: Requesting someone to perform a task without sounding pushy

texts:
In writing, I need to request that my doctor perform several tasks for me as soon as reasonably possible.  I am almost completely sure they will be willing to perform all these tasks.

I don't want to sound pushy or demanding.

As such, I started writing a list for him, with each item beginning with "Can you please [task]?".  The problem with this is that it is a question.    What I really want to write is "Please [task].", but to me, that sounds too demanding.

In English, what is a good way to politely request that another person promptly perform a task without sounding pushy or demanding.


texts: Does "gentle" have the figurative meaning of castrate?

texts:
In Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time the male Aes Sedai (magicians or sorcerers) are being "gentled", because their magic use is dangerous for themselves and others.

I'm not a native speaker of English, but somehow I was of the impression that "gentle" is an euphemism for castration. The characters in the book aren't castrated, only their ability to use magic is removed, but if "gentle" means castrate, that would add to the feminist subtext of the novels.

So does "gentle" have the meaning of castration? The dictionaries I used don't have that meaning.


texts: What does "Last yeer I kudn't spel Engineer. Now I are won." mean

texts:
In the end of the slashdot.org(on 23rd jan 2015) website page there is quote

  Last yeer I kudn't spel Engineer. Now I are won

what does it mean, especially the second part Now I are won.


texts: What is the word to describe a feeling felt in the past, but forgotten?

texts:
I am looking for a word that describes a feeling that I know I felt in the past, but I cannot remember what is was.

I found nostalgia a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations. But it seems to imply that I kow what I am feeling.

I hope this makes sense and thanks in advance.


texts:
from Raymond Chandler, The Long Goodbye, Chapter 4:

He looked around and yawned. “I haven’t been sleeping well. It’s nice in here. But after a while the lushes will fill the place up and talk loud and laugh and the goddam women will start waving their hands and screwing up their faces and tinkling their goddam bracelets and making with the packaged charm which will later on in the evening have a slight but unmistakable odor of sweat.”

I am confused by the term "packaged charm" here.
As first I interpreted the whole phrase "making with the packaged charm" as "turn on the charm which is as insincere as packaged food." But a simple Google search of "packaged charm" returned a bunch of "a small ornament worn on a necklace or bracelet", which also make sense to me...
I am not a native speaker of English and wonder how native speakers render this sentence.


texts: This, that and it for non-material objects

texts:
The question is not about how to use "this, that, it" with material objects, but how to use them with non-material ones? I don't understand (it, that, this) yet.
For example:

I go to a gym every day and I like (it, this, that?).
You helped me and (it, this, that) is very good.

Is there any rule about (again it, this, that?)?
Suggestions? Can I use "this, that, it" interchangeably in most situations?


texts: Irish folk song: Hunt the Hare, and played some funny rigs

texts:
I'm making a choral arrangement of the Irish folk song "Rocky Road to Dublin." One variation of the lyrics is here. I've been able to decipher the meaning of most of the words, many of which were unfamiliar, but there are a couple of phrases I haven't figured out.

This is the chorus:

One two three four five,
Hunt the Hare and turn her down the rocky road
And all the way to Dublin, Whack fol lol le rah!

I had assumed this was all nonsense, other than "rocky road, all the way to Dublin," but I noticed that on that particular website "Hare" is capitalized. Is there a reason for that, and is there any meaning here?

Also, in verse 4, when the storyteller is in the hold of a ship, we have:

Down among the pigs, played some funny rigs,
Danced some hearty jigs, the water round me bubbling;

What are rigs? I can't find it now, but I recall once finding a source that listed "prank" as a definition for rig. That's my best guess, but the situation described is still a bit confusing. Can someone shed some light on this?


texts: What does “sayd” (etc.) mean in old book clipping?

texts:
Quotation from A history of the cries of London ancient (p24, 25).

Noisy parties of wits and Paul's men crossed to Bankside to see Romeo and Juliet, or Hamlet the Dane, or else 'The most excellent historie of the Merchant of Venice, with the extreme crueltie of Shylocke, the Jewe, towards the sayd merchant, in cutting a just pound of his flesh, and obtaining of Portia by the choyse of three caskets, as it hath diverse times been acted by the Lord Chamberlain, his servants. Written by William Shakespeare.'


texts: Can I use "better than any boys" in this example?

texts:
I have encountered a question in exam.
We have to identify and correct the wrong part.
The question looked like this,

He can play badminton better than any boy in the school.

The correct answer is

He can play badminton better than any boys in the school.

which means "any boy" is wrong and "any boys" is correct.
I have searched several source,
but didn't find any convincing evidence of using any boys.
Can anyone shed some light on this?


texts:
I am confused about using the word only. I often hear it being used in many contexts that sound wrong to me - but I'm not sure if it's me or them.

Let me give some examples:

  A: Where were you yesterday evening?
  B: I was at the coffee house.
  A: Hey, I was there only; how come we didn't meet?

I guess the correct usage here would be I was also there or I was there too, right?

How about this:

  A: Did you complete that task?
  B: No, but I am doing that only

The word only is used here to stress on the fact that he is doing that (and not something else). I guess this usage stems from an equivalent usage in Hindi and other Indian languages. What's the correct way to express this? I feel I am still working on that is not the same - it sounds more like I haven't figured out how to do it, as opposed to this is a difficult task, it'll take some time

Another one:

  A: How many questions have you asked in this forum?
  B: I have asked only one question.
  C: I have asked one question only.

Who is correct - B or C?
I'm with B on this one, but I don't know if C is correct too.

PS: In case you haven't guessed it already, I'm not a native English speaker :)


texts:
- Hey John, what do you think?
- I think that sucks!
- It doesn't make any sense.

vs.

- Hey John, what do you think?
- I think that sucks!
- You're not making any sense.

What's the difference between these? Are there any emphases in the meaning?


texts: How can I form a word like "quadruple" for any number I want?

texts:
I'm not sure what these are called, but how can I form a word like "quadruple" for any number I want? Like 5× as much is quintuple, what is 31× as much or 147× as much? I want to know how they are formed so I can make my own.

Similarly, how do I construct the prefixes, such as unicycle, bicycle, tricycle, quadricycle? I figured out 12 is duodeci-, but how can I form any prefix like this?


texts: Is there an adjectival form for "good etiquette"?

texts:
For example, when we say someone has good courtesy, we can say they are courteous.

Is there an analogous word for having good etiquette?


texts:
Are there terms or succinct phrases that describe the different ways of whistling listed below?

The standard put-your-lips-together-and-blow
Tongue against bottom teeth
Sticking two fingers (thumb and middle/index) of a single hand in the mouth
Sticking two fingers (index and middle) of both hands in the mouth

Please feel free to point out any techniques that I've missed.

I'm also interested to know if there's a term that distinguishes the skill of being able to whistle both while exhaling and while inhaling.


texts:
I learned this post just now.
There are some different answers. Only Monica Cellio's gives me some inspiration, which are these 2 sentences.

I will drive home tomorrow.
I will be driving home tomorrow.

Is it reasonable to view the first one as an emphasis of leaving, and the implication of latter has been given by Monica Cellio, which is "tomorrow would be a bad time for you to call me on my cell phone".
Is my understanding correct? Are there other situations or implications?
Could someone give some examples where/when I should "will do" or "will be doing"?


texts: "All your battery needs can be found here" Is this correct?

texts:
I found this on the battery stand in a supermarket: "All your battery needs can be found here". I don't remember the exact wording, but what surprised me is that needs can be found on a supermarket stand. Now, from the point of view of my native language, the correct way to say this is "All your battery needs can be satisfied here", but English is not that language, so here is my question is the above sentence correct?

Edit

This is a question about word usage. In my mind needs or requirements are not batteries. Needs or requirements are to have batteries. And as such you can't place these on a stand. Are there any examples in literature, that could back up that one can refer to material objects as to "needs"?


texts:
These pronouns, which seem to behave the same way, confound me. I'm always scratching my head whenever I come across them in a diagram.

1) All the students can go.
2) All of the students can go.
3) They all can go.
4) The students can all go.

These sentences all have the same semantic meaning, but what is the function of "all/both/each" in these examples?


texts: What is the neutral way of telling someone to "do whatever you want"?

texts:
Do whatever you want

This sentence can carry a negative tone (highly probable). Making it sound that someone is fed-up and/or simply doesn't care. Especially after one has had a heated discussion/argument.

How can I tell that in a manner that it carries a neutral and preferable a positive tone?


texts: "To be so", is it a real phrase? If so, what is the correct way to use it?

texts:
Can I say: To be so, you must do so & so..

For example: Do you want to be wealthy? To be so, you should ...

Or is "to become so" more correct? or neither?


texts: Singular or plural after optional parentheses

texts:
Which one is the correct one?

  I had no idea San Diego (and its surrounding areas) is that crowded.

or

  I had no idea San Diego (and its surrounding areas) are that crowded.

And would the answer be different if I used commas instead of the two parentheses?


texts:
I was trying to decide between the following two phrasings:

"People like Bob and me are built differently."
"People like Bob and I are built differently."

Both sound fine to me and I was trying to figure out what the underlying structure was.  I tried breaking it down in a few ways and evaluating whether it "felt" wrong:

"I am built differently."
"Me am built differently." (definitely wrong)
"Bob and I are built differently."
"Bob and me are built differently."
"People like I are built differently." (sounds wrong)
"People like me are built differently."
"Don't listen to people like Bob and I." (sounds slightly weird)
"Don't listen to people like Bob and me."

Do others' gut reactions match up with mine?  I was also hoping someone might have a more compelling analysis.

(I'm not too concerned about following a particular set of prescriptive rules.  But it is sometimes still interesting to see what those rules might say about a particular sentence.)


texts:
I hit the sentence:

  The ProcessPoolExecutor class is an Executor subclass that uses a pool
  of processes to execute calls asynchronously.

I was looking for the word pool which means swimming pool in most cases. So, I'm asking the question: Why we're using in concurrent programming terminology the term pool of processes and not list of processes, set of processes etc. How did the term come into existence? Where is the origin?


texts:
Happy Holi to You and Your Family.
Play Safe!

Is anything grammatically wrong in above sentences?

In which category does the second sentence fall?

Can we replace Play Safe!
with  Play Safely!. Are they equally true and depict same meaning?
Is the usage of exclamation with both safe and safely correct?


texts:
While examining the definition/etymology of the adjective sinister, I noticed its senses of EVIL, ILL-FORTUNE, and general inauspiciousness, as well as explicit references to the noun/adjective LEFT.

A subsequent examination of the definition of the adjective LEFT however, while uniformly negative and pejorative, revealed nothing more sinister or evil than references to the left-hand’s evaluation as the weaker and, I assume, less valuable side of the body, and to liberal, socialist, or radical political ideologies, senses which were established relatively late, being first attested in English 1837. As LEFT is obviously being contrasted with its opposite, I examined the definitions of RIGHT (and, dexter), which associations (no surprise here) are as uniformly positive as LEFT are negative.

The impact exerted upon the English language of this "right-good vs left-bad" trope must be vast. What are some examples of this trope embedded in everyday English - phrases, idioms, aphorisms?

Example: Philippe Petit's conception and execution of his Trade Center Towers performance is arguably the greatest wire walk in history - all of it but the walk itself was accomplished undercover and covertly because no one in their right mind would have knowingly allowed Petit to conduct such a suicidal mission ...


texts: What is/are the word(s) for the overwhelming feeling of relief?

texts:
I am describing in a college app essay the feeling I felt when I finally did not experience overwhelming anxiety when presenting in front of the class. I have only felt this way when presenting topics surrounding math and science.
I need a word that encapsulates the feeling of utter relief. One example of this could be when someone finds out their loved one is not going to die. The cold, unrelenting grip of worry is released from the shoulders and lungs and that overwhelming sense of relief is felt. The lightness of the shoulders. The newfound ease of breath. What is a good word that encapsulates this?


texts: What's the term for claiming someone does something that you do to weaken the power of people's criticism of you doing it?

texts:
For example if a politician who's corrupt accuses another one of being corrupt with the intention of making it less likely for people to believe accusations against their corruption.

I don't really mean projection, I think that's more subconscious.


texts: 'Evenest' vs 'most even' word usage and its history

texts:
When I am looking for the superlative form of 'even' which would be evenest, I was surprised that it's rarely used.
[This 'even' which means something smooth and regular]

The only source that I found the 'evenest' usage is this:

> http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/5099/pg5099-images.html

I found this:
evenest

  Superlative form of even: most even

http://www.yourdictionary.com/evenest

Etymology:
[Middle English, from Old English efen.]
Source: freedictionary.com

Research about this word:

Evenest

Most Even

Does anyone have encountered this word both in a spoken or written form?

How do you perceive this word as native speaker, being used in everyday situation?

Which do you think is the most correct one in formal writing usage or informal spoken setting?

Thanks a lot!


texts: Difference between "affiliated" and "associated"

texts: What is the difference between being affiliated and being associated with a group of people?


texts: Semantic constraints on "have a problem V-ing"

texts:
I'm looking for possible semantic constraints on the sequence have a problem V-ing.

Can you say, for example, he has a problem speaking English?
What about he has a problem playing the piano?

Someone told me he has a problem speaking English is unnatural.
But he has a problem pronouncing this word seems natural.

So I suspect that the semantic constraint is that the V-ing cannot refer to a general ability. But I am not sure if 'he has a problem playing the piano' is OK.

FYI, he has a problem following my argument also seems OK.


texts: Allow introducing myself vs. allow me introducing myself

texts:
In the beginning of a formal letter, which one of the followings is the correct form?

  Allow introducing myself.

Or

  Allow me to introduce myself.

I have a feeling that the latter is better, but I'm not sure why.

In both case they are good sentences, then which is best?


texts: is it correct to use 'one' in a paragraph beginning then move to 'I'?

texts:
In a paragraph, is the following usage of one and I correct? The following are the first two sentences of a paragraph which goes on to stay in the first person:

  In primary school one moves outside the family-home environment for
  the first time. I meet and mingle with the children of migrants. My
  best friend is Dutch, they eat salty instead of sweet liquorice.


texts: Is the father/brother/sister of a stepmother a grandfather/uncle/aunt?

texts:
My daughter married a man with a twelve-year-old son. They had been dating for over five years. Now that they are married:

Am I technically the boy’s grandfather?
Are my daughter’s siblings his aunts or uncles?

Does getting married constitute those titles. What if they separate, do you now lose the titles because he is not a blood relative.


texts:
In the following passage

If the suffering existed alone, it would be impossible to bear it. And if there were only bliss, that, too, would be past bearing.

I wonder what past means here, none of the entries I find in several dictionaries seem to fit here. Is it used as a preposition? If yes, the two meanings I found on Google are

to or on the further side of.

beyond in time; later than.

I also met the expression "past understanding".
I was confused by this connotation, how can something be "beyond (in time) bearing/understanding"?


texts:
For example, after I run one mile I start to sweat. So should I say

  I'm likely to sweat.

Or if there is any other expression more accurate?


texts: Usage and order of "galore": an adjective, but looks like an adverb

texts:
It is common to put adverbs of manner after a direct object. But is it grammatically correct to put an adjective after noun? As in:

Since then there have been reports, inquiries and guidance galore.

Why can't it be like this, if it's an adjective modifying a noun:

Since then there have been galore reports, inquiries and guidance.

Also, I am not sure whether this is a postpositive adjective or a reduced phrase adjective.

I have Googled and but couldn't get the actual answer of it.