texts:
Anathema is a nounRef. And, nouns generally need articles in certain kinds of sentences.

Consider:

Jane is _______.

Then:
Jane is a cat. is proper but Jane is cat. (no article) is not proper.

However, I see both usages for "anathema":
Jane is anathema. and Jane is an anathema..

As in these examples from Dictionary.com:

  Risk assessment is anathema to most environmental groups.
  That's an anathema to most mainstream journalists.
  They are close lipped, secretive and anathema to the open stadards[sic] movement.

Shouldn't "anathema" almost always have an article (an) in front of it?
If not, why not? (other than a bunch of people have already used it improperly)

Is there a standard reference that allows this?  For example, I haven't yet found anything in The Gregg Reference Manual.


texts: Most proper verb form to use in a list of requirements

texts:
What is the most proper verb form to use in a list of requirements?

Each board member must meet the following requirements:

[not have/not having/do not have/does not have] any blood relationship with other directors;
....


texts: Name for literary device of changing person

texts:
Is there a name for the device of changing between third person and second person in a poem? Basically going back and forth from talking about the subject and talking to the subject. This happens a lot in song lyrics. For example in the Elton John song "Daniel" during the verses he is singing about the subject:

  Daniel is traveling tonight on a plane

But during the chorus he is singing to the subject:

  Daniel my brother you are older than me.
  Do you still feel the pain of
  the scars that won't heal

I'm pretty sure I've heard it done in poetry too but I can't come up with an example right now.


texts:
I know when I have to use thingamajig, yes, when I don't know the precise word during the conversation.

What I want to know:

Is that word can be used in written language as well?
How to use that word? Any example sentences would be appreciated.

I am adding one more questin.

Can I use this word in questions?


texts:
Is replete used appropriately in the following sentence?

  His office was like a Hollywood museum, replete with an autographed photo of Marilyn Monroe.

Or should replete only be used with categorical plurals, such as:

  His office was like a Hollywood museum, replete with autographed photos of famous stars.


texts: Should I say ON a circuit or IN a circuit?

texts:
Consider these two phrases:

I would like to know the current ____ a circuit.
The resistor ___ the circuit.

Should I use ON or IN and why?

I know that ON is for surfaces and IN is for inside something.

In the first example you do not see the current, because it circulates inside the components, so I would be inclined to use IN.

In the second case, the resistor is visible and is on a surface. I would be inclined to use ON.

Is that correct?


texts:
I've seen the "how are you" questions on this forum, but mine is a bit different.
I read this in the Readers Digest once:

  Don't tell your friends about your indigestion.   'How are you' is a
  greeting; not a question.

So if it's a greeting, should it be
How are you!
or
How are you?
or just
How are you.


texts: Why is it example-based methods but machine learning?

texts:
I was wondering what the exact rules are concerning hyphens, I know that they should be used to combine words that are used together but I'm not sure why for example "example-based methods" use a hyphen but machine learning does not.

So for what reason do these words have different rules and can this in any way be generalized?


texts:
I am uncertain if and how to punctuate if I use only one sentence for the following idea:

  We conducted two varieties of an experiment. First, we left used method A. Second, we used method B.

Can I write this in the following way.

  We conducted the experiment, first with method A and second with method B.

Or should it be like this (which seems strange to me)

  We conducted the experiment, first, with method A, and second, with method B.


texts: What is the difference between "’ll" and "will"?

texts:
Is there any difference in the meaning when we use 'll or will?
For example,

I will go to university tomorrow.

I'll go to university tomorrow.


texts: Subject Verb Agreement: “His devotion, passion, and commitment to the work he provides inspire(s)...”

texts:
Should the verb be singular, "inspire," or plural, "inspires." I am having trouble determining if the subject is "His," singular, or "Devotion, passion, and commitment," plural. Here is the following example:

Is it:

His devotion, passion, and commitment to the work he provides inspires advancement within his company and to those working in the forensic field.

OR

His devotion, passion, and commitment to the work he provides inspire advancement within his company and to those working in the forensic field.

Thus, it is either "He inspires...." or "All of his attributes inspire"


texts: What is a word for someone who intentionally ignores other people a lot?

texts: I always used to think the word was ignorant but it has turned out that I am wrong.


texts: Not specifying the amount that you eat/drink

texts:
You don't need to specify the amount that you eat/drink for some things:

I drink cranberry juice.
I eat fried chicken.
I eat bread with butter.

You can't do this for other things:

I eat cheeseburger. (Wrong)

You need to specify the amount of cheeseburger(s) that you eat.

I eat a cheeseburger. (One)
I eat cheeseburgers. (More than one)
I eat half of a cheeseburger. (Specific amount less than a whole)

How can you not specify the amount of food/drink(s) that you consume for stuff like burgers for which the root form is invalid in this case?


texts: "Heard" vs. "Read" or "Saw" in reference to written text

texts:
Apologies if this has already been answered but I couldn't find a question addressing this.

I had a thought about an expression I hear used frequently, in that myself and many others I know use the term "hear" or "heard" in reference to written information that was never conveyed audibly.

For instance, I may read an interesting fact in an online article and later tell it to someone else as "I heard that..." as opposed to "I read that..." or "I saw that..."

I'm wondering how one would classify this usage of the term or literary device. In my mind the use of the term "heard" implies that the information was perceived audibly.

My thoughts are:

This could be considered a form of metaphor (we are using "heard" in a context it is not literally applicable)
This meaning/interpretation of heard comes under the definition of the word, colloquially or otherwise
This is simply erroneous; it's just incorrect to use the word "heard" in this context
This is some other kind of literary device, perhaps something like personification (we are attributing the quality of spoken word to the information)
This is a bad 'translation' of the term used correctly in a slightly different context (for example, if I read an interesting fact and wanted to enquire if someone else knew about it already, I might ask them "did you hear that...", which is perfectly valid as even though I only read the information someone else may have heard it eg. via word of mouth")

I am hoping someone more knowledgable than I can clarify, and if applicable point me towards the correct nomenclature for this kind of thing.


texts: Initials as Title Abbreviations: Should I Format Them as Titles?

texts:
I am the webmaster/editor/curator for a website/e-magazine focussing on a game system. Reviews of scenarios published for the game system are a regular feature, and it’s frequently the case that a required add-on product will be named. Often, the add-on is well-enough known that the review author will often just refer to it by its initials (e.g., a product called Guns of the World might be referred to as “GotW”.
In the past, I've been less than entirely consistent in handling formatting in the magazine and on the website. I am starting to write a style guide for myself.
How should I handle these abbreviated titles? As I see it, my choices are:

Expand the initials into the full title, and then format it as I would any title (italics, usually)
Leave the initials as initials, but format them as I would the title (e.g., GotW)
Do neither, leaving the initials as unformatted initials.

Which is most consistent with ‘normal’ practice?


texts:
A girl said, quote, I want a lollipop, end quote, as she walked past the candy store.

Would you say it like that out loud?


texts: What is the origin of the drafting term "screened back"?

texts:
In engineering/architectural drafting, many people consider grey lines - usually used to indicate existing work or reference work belonging to other disciplines - as "screened back".
When older engineers ask for something to be lightened to indicate it is existing, they will ask that the drafter "screen back" the lines.

Newer software simply calls this feature "halftone", but I have been unable to find any sources on google that indicate how hand drafting worked previously that would explain the "screen" concept.


texts:
Is this question grammatically correct in regards to the word "hangared" pertaining to aircraft.

  If your aircraft is hangared in another locality, please let us know immediately.


texts:
What is the meaning of 'to get out of life'? I have never heard that phrase before and I wonder what it is supposed to express.It is from a song. The line goes like this:

  don't take life too seriously! Nobody gets out of life anyway.


texts: Word for someone who experiences an emotion?

texts:
I'm trying to fill out the blank in this sentence:

  The right kind of anger encourages its ___ to react in the correct way.

Currently, I'm using "holder", but that doesn't fit well. "Experiencer" isn't a word. "Feeler" usually means something else, and although it technically fits as "someone who feels," it just doesn't sound right. Any help would be greatly appreciated.


texts: Is comma required here: "Their closest relatives the zebras and horses are mammals."?

texts:
I found this sentence in one paper. I think one, or even two commas should be there:

  Their closest relatives, the zebras and horses are mammals.

or

  Their closest relatives, the zebras and horses, are mammals.

"the zebras and horses" is the noun modifier, and should be delimited with commas. Am I right? Which variant is most correct? Do missing commas in general make sentences ungrammatical?


texts: Should we categorize "She is fat" as a temporary process or a permanent one?

texts:
Simple present is used to show a fact

  Cats like milk.

  Birds do not like milk.

  Do pigs like milk?

  ABC city is in the country XNZ.

  Speakers sometimes use the Simple Present to express the idea that an
  action is happening or is not happening now. This can only be done
  with Non-Continuous Verbs and certain Mixed Verbs.

  Examples:

  I am here now.

  She is not here now.

Now should we categorize "to be" in "she is fat" as a Non-Continuous Verb expressing a temporary process that is happening?

or should we categorize "she is fat" as a permanent process that happens forever?

I think the boundary between "Simple present" & "present continuous" is not too clear because nothing is forever. Eg: now "ABC city is in the country XNZ." is true but what if a few years later "ABC city" is conquered and belong to other country "ABC city is in the country TPK."


texts: What does the phrase "Teflon just flakes in a solution" mean?

texts:
I am currently reading an article on the Internet which has the phrase: "Teflon just flakes in a solution". It is in fact part of the following longer sentence, which I think would help to explain its meaning:

"Post-it Notes were once a scientific curiosity, Teflon just flakes in a solution and penicillin contamination in a petri dish."

Now overall what I understand is that this sentence talks about the circumstances of three scientific discoveries. The first (post-it notes) and the third (penicillin) are not hard to understand. The second, however, is what I dont get.

I have been trying to search on the web for meanings of the word "flake", but none have the form "flake in". So I guess I have two questions:

1/ What does "flake in" mean?

2/ What does "Teflon flakes in a solution" mean in the above sentence?

Thank you very much for your help.


texts:
A. I had visited them two months ago.
  B. I visited them two months ago.

Which one is correct?


texts:
could anyone tell me which verb the best collocates with the noun "barrier" (that gate preventing cars,people from passing through it)

would it be

"The guard released the barrier"
"The guard lifted/raised the barrier"
"The guard opened the barrier"(it went up, not to the left right etc)

And the other way round.

"The guard closed the barrier"
"The guard got the barrier down"
etc.


texts: How to call a speech praising a laureate of a prize?

texts:
I will take part in an event during which several prizes will be handed.  There will be a short speech about each winner, explaining what he got the prize for.  What do you call this speech in English?  I found three candidates:

eulogy
laudation
citation

Which are correct?  Which are the best?


texts: What's the literary term for an instruction to the reader at the beginning or end of a book?

texts:
Books and other texts can have a motto at the beginning (or at the end), or a dedication. But they sometimes include a command, directive or instruction to the reader as prologue or epilogue. It could simply be “Go and spread the word” or “Every time you see X, think about Y” or “Keep Z in your prayers”, or something quite a bit longer.

Is there a specific word for this?


texts: Subject–auxiliary inversions beginning with an adverb

texts:
I am interested in subject–auxiliary inversions when the sentence begins with an adverb or an adverbial phrase. If the adverb is not negative (for instance, "not only" or "never"), can we invert the usual word order of subject + verb?

For example, can we turn "It faded slowly" into "Slowly did it fade"?


texts: Just a quick question, do I say "I want to develop my abilities on English and mathematics" or "I want to develop my abilities of English and mathematics"? Alternatives are also welcome.


texts: What is the exact term for resolving all sub-domains (*.stackexchange.com) to www.stackexchange.com

texts: The related question is asked here, and I cannot figure out it.


texts: What do you call a person or action who provides information irrelevant to the subject?

texts: What do you call someone or the action of a person who in an argument says one thing, but provides information to something that has nothing to do with what he was trying to prove?


texts: Help understanding the word 'topographical'

texts:
My girlfriend keeps seeing the word topographical appear in her social work coursework, and asked me what it meant in this context.

I'm struggling to help explain clearly, can you help break it down?


texts: Is “Call for somebody’s head on a plate” a popular idiom? What is its origin?

texts:
I saw the phrase “Call for sb’s head on a plate” in the following sentence of The New Yorker magazine’s article (January 20) titled “Newt and His Wives,” reporting that Gingrich was in a furor when asked by the moderator, John King, about his second and third wives during the presidential debate in South Carolina in January 19th night.

  “I am frankly astounded that Gingrich hasn’t been asked more about his various affairs and divorces—they are legitimate subjects for inquiry when you consider a) how merciless and, obviously, hypocritical he was when, as Speaker of the House, he was calling for Clinton’s head on a plate during Monicagate; and b) how sanctimonious he continues to be on the campaign trail, ranting about the encroachment of secular values into American life.”

I can easily guess that ‘call for sb’s head on a plate’ means “call for sb’s resignation’ here. But I can’t find the heading of either “call for a head on a plate,” or “a head on a plate” in any of the Oxford, Cambridge, or Merriam-Webster online dictionaries.

On the other hand, GoogleNGram registers “head on a plate,” and it indicates that the phrase existed from around mid 1800, but the usage started to be prominent since circ 1930.

Is “call for sb’s head on a plate,” which sounds pretty raw to me, a popular phrase? I wonder if it’s associated with the biblical episode of Salome, Herod’s daughter who demanded the head of John the Baptist after dancing in front of her father in a feast. What is the origin of this phrase?


texts: what is a good word to describe a movie that left a strong feeling or impact in you?

texts:
For example what is a better word to replace "struck" in the following example.

  I watched the Movie ABC today and what John said about gossip really
  struck me.

Update: The word I was looking for was enthralled.


texts: What is the correct word / words for the information about someone's body, like hip circumference?

texts: I would like to find a suitable word, that summarises data like different body parts' circumferences. What I could think of is 'Body Information', but it sounds bad at least for my non-native ears, and I don't know whether there is something better.


texts: When is it okay to use "kilo" in American English?

texts:
I was watching episodes of a documentary series called Drug Lords with one of the big video streaming providers.

Strangely for me, while the whole documentary was narrated with American accent and the overall focus was on the fight of the US government/DEA against drug trafficking, the narrator used kilo/kilos a lot during his voiceover when referring to quantities of the drugs in question.

That struck me as odd, given the customary use of ounces and pounds when describing weights in the US.

Is the use of kilo in the context of drug trafficking commonplace and therefore to be expected, or would this - from the point of view of a native speaker from the US - be considered odd in any way?

Essentially what I am interested to find out is whether there are specific areas aside from the typical scientific use of SI units where it's customary to use metric units or whether this was perhaps done in order to appeal to international audiences. After all even NASA and NASAs contractors have been known to use US units for scientific projects, so to me the use of kilo was unusual enough to ask here.


texts: The Use of the Present Perfect. What is natural?

texts:
Sometimes, I got really confused by the use of the Present Perfect tense. Given the fact, that we don't have this structure in Russian, all we can is to base our knowledge on grammar rules.

The rules are quite simple:

Experience: I have been to London twice.
Unfinished actions: I have lived in Moscow since I was born.
Close connection to the present situation: I have just cooked dinner.

However, when it comes to simple questions, all that grammar rules are not so obvious. For example, if I am not sure and want to re-ask, could I say something like

  Have you meant? or Did you mean?

Another case:

  I've sent you the letter and I sent you the letter.

Does the first mean that I have just done it and the second that it was some time ago? How do you use it?


texts:
Lit a fire "inside her" or "inside of her"

Which is correct in this case?
Is "inside" a preposition here?

I read the similar questions to mine, in particular this one - “Inside of a house” versus “inside a house”?

I'm pretty sure the correct answer to my question is "inside of her," because inside is a noun (a place) But because my scenario is talking about a person instead of an object I'm still a bit unsure


texts: Insult for someone who "doesn't know anything"

texts:
How do you call/insult someone who doesn't know anything (meaning not the simplest/basic or obvious things)?

Context: I need it in a dialog of the following form:

A: How does <very simple/obvious thing> work?
B: It works like <explanation>. <Insult>.

Searching various dictionaries I found already the following words:

silly
stupid
idiot
moron

But I have the feeling (as a non-native speaker) that they don't quite nail it and also I feel that the first two are quite weak insults. (Please correct me, if this impression is wrong.)

I would be happy if a single (short) word exists, but also longer words or phrases are welcome. Most important to me is that the insult/swear word is authentic (a native speaker would actually use it). And: the stronger the insult the better (for my specific project).

EDIT:

(OMG! I didn't imagine this topic would get so much attention!)

As some requested more context, I will try to summarize without revealing to much content here.

I'm writing a comic strip where there will appear two digital assistants. Both are assumed to be able answer a specific question, but one fails, leading to the other one insulting it.

So it's basically about missing knowledge/information.


texts:
I'm looking for the term for rely as validator is for validate or reader is for read.

The closest term I found is relying party but I would prefer a single word.


texts: What is the term for someone who thinks their race is inferior to other races?

texts: I believe that being racist means that you believe your own race to be superior to other races? What would be the antonym for racist?


texts: Word for someone obsessed with improvement and efficiency

texts:
Imagine someone who, in every way, always tries to improve things to make them more efficient.

Therefore, he loves things such as the automation of work because its more efficient. He loves tinkering with things to make them better and hates when things are being done in a certain way when another way exists that would make things faster, clearer, or in some way perform better.

Another example is this person might think the English language should include various proposed punctuation marks such as the irony mark and the authority mark because this would, in his eyes, improve the language. He treats all subjects like this; he always will always look for and advocate for changes in any system to improve it, disregarding traditions or norms as he does so.

I'm not looking for 'perfectionist'; this person doesn't strive necessarily for perfection, but rather sees improvement as an obvious goal that should be worked toward.

Nor am I looking for a word such as determined, motivated, or go getter. I'm looking for a word that focuses on one's obsession for improvement and efficiency.

Any word (noun, verb, or adjective) related to this concept would be appreciated!


texts: Is there a specific term for nullifying an intentional insult by accepting it as a compliment?

texts: For Example: 1.) Women turned Trump’s insulting “Grab’em by the pussy!” into “Pussy Hats” that they sported proudly in The Women’s March. 2.) Trump also attempted to humiliate Hillary Clinton by comments about her pantsuits, and both men and women rallied by founding “The Pantsuit Nation” and by proudly wearing pantsuits to express their support of HRC.


texts: A good and exhaustive book for English grammar

texts:
Before marking this post duplicate or voting to get it closed (the reason for which I simply don't get just because it is a grammar forum after all! If I am seeking recommendation for a book that means I will be coming back someday to the same site for my doubts also provided I get a not so harsh reply!), please read this and help this MBA aspirant.

A little about myself and my research so far. I am a very critical reader of English Grammar and the kind of person who aims at perfection.
Currently, I am keen on taking on English grammar again after a certain gap. Well, I am aiming for MBA, so preparing for entrance exams for the same.
I bought the religiously followed Wren and Martin and started studying it chapter by chapter. I was surprised when I read the pronouns chapter. I studied all the rules given and then started practising but it came as surprise when I found when many of the attempted questions were wrong. The reason simply being the rules for those specific sentences were not given.

For example:

  We scored as many goals as they/them?

According to me, the answer should be they, but it's them according to the solution manual. Worse still, the solution manual offers no explanation for this.

So after a chat with my teachers I was suggested to follow the blogs of grammarians and look for any rules for the sentences that have contradictory answers!

I did so and was clarified by this post of pronouns, Rule 5.

Then I saw a book by the same author. I was momentarily happy. It was Momentarily because the reviews on Amazon were too bad about this book. After reading a couple of forums about the book I found a common statement saying that no grammar book is exhaustive.

So, it's okay for me to have more than one. And my simple question is what will be a good and almost exhaustive (if not fully exhaustive) book of English grammar to help get through the subtle usages of English in my management entrances  which is crisp and to the point and yet covers all important rules and syntax, and most importantly having practice tests at the end with solutions and explanations?


texts: Is there a term for creating a new meaning for an existing word?

texts: I'm looking for a technical term for using a noun as its own verb form where such usage is not extant. For example, using intellect as a verb (to intellect). Is there such a term? It doesn't seem to be a neologism or an example of metonymy.


texts: Is there a noun for addressing a problem (but not quite a "solution")?

texts:
There is a problem that has a way to address it.

However, the way to address the problem is not a solution because it doesn't completely solve the problem, and perhaps it is not even a partial solution because it doesn't really solve it. It also introduces complications that may have to be dealt with separately.

The best thing that comes to my mind is "addressing the problem", and it would be great if there was a noun for it.

I would suppose that "mitigation" is an appropriate word, but perhaps there is something more precise?


texts: About writing: From an economical point of view or from an economic point of view?

texts:
Is it right to say in an opinion essay, from an economical point of view? (with the final "al" in the word economical?)

Our English teacher claimed this to be wrong in class and that 70% of the students had this wrong in the essay. I wished to get this clarified from a native speaker because she insists that it is "economic" and not "economical"


texts:
I found this definition of 'Soundacious' in Urban Dictionary:

Musically brilliant
Aesthetically pleasing to the ear

The most soundacious band is playing inside; you’ve gotta hear them.
Thunderstorms are soundacious.

What is the etymology of the word?
A quick search in Cambridge, Oxford, and MacMillan didn't yield any results.


texts:
My belief is that the following two phrases are correct:

A: "The app is easy to use."
B: "It is an easy-to-use app."

And that the following is not technically correct:

C: "It is an easy to use app."

If anyone can point out that C is correct versus B, would you mind pointing to an English language "rule" that shows why? My general rule-of-thumb is that if a section of the compound adjective cannot exist on its' own merit, hyphenate.

Thank you.


texts:
Dismissible is defined by Vocabulary.com as:

  capable of being removed or taken away or dismissed

Dismiss is (from Merriam Webster):

  to permit or cause to leave

In my context, I am trying to express that a character thinks a notion he’s had is worthy of being dismissed. He thinks the idea is absurd. Aside from just sucking it up and spelling out ‘worthy of dismissal’, which I just don’t really like the sound of, I thought I might say, ‘justifiably dismissible’. However, that ‘capable of being’ part of the definition has me unsure if I can use the word this way. Might it come across that I’m trying to say it should be capable of being dismissed or in some other way that isn’t what I’m looking for?

And here’s how I used the phrase:

  He believed the notion was justifiably dismissible to begin with.


texts: What's this type of coffee maker called?

texts:
Here's my verdaccio rendering of it:

It makes pretty good pseudo-espresso. The ground coffee goes into the container between the two cones. The steam rising from the boiling water in the bottom cone passes through the container, and in about 3 minutes you get two espresso-size cups' worth of coffee. The difference between this and a true espresso machine is that proper espresso is made at 88 degrees Celsius, while steam is 100 degrees and up, which results in no foam. Apart from that, it tastes very good. It was invented in Italy (I think). I must reiterate that it actually makes something almost like real espresso (i.e. it's not a percolator, dripper, or any of those glass-and-plastic monstrosities that produce the icky brown stuff that some people pour into mugs and guzzle all day, imagining it's coffee.

What's it called?


texts: Meaning of a ubiquitous sentence in patents

texts:
I noticed this sentence in many patents:

  Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

What exactly are the authors trying to say by "be obvious"?

For examples of how much this sentence can be found, search for "other objects of the invention will in part" (even in quotes, it returns over 1 million hits).


texts:
I am looking for a word to use in this context...

A teacher is scheduled to teach English 100. He has taught it before and knows it to be a grind. He believes that, like always, it will be populated by students who have built up a healthy disdain for English. So, he is sitting in his office minutes before the class begins feeling painful anticipation over his first lecture.

Psychology uses "Negative Anticipation" for these moments. I am hoping for a single word. The closest word I've found is "pang", but it sounds incomplete without "of something."

So, I would like a word that signifies the painful looking forward to an undesirable inevitability. This isn't a feeling of fear, just discomfort at knowing that what's to come will be arduous and tedious.


texts:
When I try to translate the German word "Krug" into English, LEO shows me without further distinction:

flagon
jar
jug
mug
tankard
pitcher

But as far as I know, they cannot always used interchangeably, right? What are the differences (maybe also regionally)?


texts: What do "brave" (adj) and "courage" (n) really mean?

texts:
For me, if someone is brave, it has always meant that they face certain dangers or situations, even though doing so is something that scares the living daylights out of them. For instance, if a normally timid person, one who would normally run away from danger, were to risk his life to save a child being attacked by a dog, I would consider that person (usually considered a wimp) to be very brave.

Merriam-Webster defines brave:

  having or showing courage

A rather weak definition. But, it defines courage:

  mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty

Which tends to agree with my original premise. But, Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary defines brave:

  showing no fear of dangerous or difficult things

Which I think is silly, because a lot of people I would consider brave, did their brave acts despite having fear.

Random House Dictionary defines brave much the same as M-W, but defines courage:

  the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery.

Which means that to be brave, one cannot have fear. In direct opposition to M-W, which says (in a roundabout way) that withstanding fear is brave.

So, this has lead me to be confused as to whether or not I use the word "brave" in the same sense as others. What do the words "brave", and "courage" really mean?


texts: Where in Ireland, if anywhere, at the time of James Joyce, would "hoe" and "whore" sound similar enough to pun?

texts:
Where in Ireland, if anywhere, at the time of James Joyce (1882 – 1941), would "hoe" and "whore" sound similar enough to pun?

This question pertains to Does Joyce, in Finnegans Wake or Ulysses, link the sound form “hoe” to “whore”? from our sister site for Literature.

The first issue is rhoticity. While most of the English world is non-rhotic, according to Rhoticity in English - Ireland

  The prestige form of English spoken in Ireland is rhotic and most
  regional accents are rhotic although some regional accents,
  particularly in the area around counties Louth and Cavan are notably
  non-rhotic and many non-prestige accents have touches of
  non-rhoticity. In Dublin, the traditional local dialect is largely
  non-rhotic,
  but the more modern varieties, referred to by Hickey as "mainstream
  Dublin English" and "fashionable Dublin English", are fully rhotic.

The Dublin non-rhoticity is why Joyce could successfully pun "haw" and "whore" in Ulysses. He heard the pun in real life (and of course all the non-rhotic English world would potentially get it).

But a "hoe"-"hoer"-"whore" pun requires non-rhoticity and a coincidence of vowel form pronunciations. That such a coincidence might occur somewhere in Ireland is suggested by my lay reading of Wikipedia’s Hiberno-English: Overview of pronunciation and phonology.

The modern day US "ho"-"whore" can only be traced back only to the sixties.


texts: Is it "Get notified on" or "Get notified of"

texts:
I am putting together a banner for a trade show to showcase our mobile app, and one of the bullets is: "Get notified on wishlist matches", but I'm not sure if the correct preposition should be on, of, or about.

Any help would be appreciated!


texts:
His job is a taxi driver.
He is a taxi driver.
His job is to drive a taxi.

Are the three sentences all the same and grammatical?


texts: Proper grammar for injecting another person with a drug?

texts:
I'm looking for the grammatical way to say one person gave another person an injection of some illegal drug, as opposed to a medical-office situation.  Self-injection is described  when a person says "I [or he] shot up."

Should I use "I shot him up," which sounds rather violent, or is there a better form?


texts: Word for "the ability to understand something without missing context"

texts: Not sure if there is a word for what I am looking for. It is almost something along the lines of like "being able to solve" but it's not really a question or problem you are trying to find an answer to. The closest thing I can think of is "perception", but you aren't really using your senses to understand, it's not something physical that you are able to perceive.


texts:
The boxes are each containers of uniquely colored balls. So, to get two balls of the same color, two boxes need to be opened.

or

  The boxes are each a container of uniquely colored balls. So, to get two balls of the same color, two boxes need to be opened.


texts:
I understand that a clause contains (in order) a subject, verb and object, like below:

  He let his daughter.

"He" is the subject, "let" is the verb and "his daughter" is the object. But what about the sentence below? I need some help identifying the subjects and objects.

  He let his daughter listen to the music.

Is this sentence two clauses? He let his daughter and his daughter listen to the music? I enquired about this and I was told that the second cannot be a clause because the verb is not finite. Is this true?

My stance at the moment is:

Part 1

Subject: He
Verb: let
Object: his daughter

Part 2

Subject: his daughter
Verb: listen
Object: the music

EDIT:
I think I finally have a grasp of the concept after reading the fantastic answers to this question along with some more thinking:

  He let his daughter [listen to the music].

In bold I have the subject, italics the verb, bold italics the object and in square brackets I have the phrase.

Could you please confirm if this, and my understanding, is correct?


texts: Referencing titles that include sparse quotes

texts:
I don't come across this particular problem very often, but everyonce and a while I come across a journal article that contains sparse/double quotes around a particular word.  In particular this is problematic when the quotes are in place around the first or last word because some reference styles enclose titles of journal papers or one level of series or book or chapter in “”.

Three observations:

It makes no sense to me to include back to back open quotes: ""XYZ" the remainder of the title"
Most reference managing software (some written by people with extensive knowledge of bibliographic rules) will strip off leading or even embedded quotations.
Medline’s and web of science’s citation databases show many titles I have had issues with, without the quotations.

Any suggestions on the best way to handle this in general.

Updates:

I do not believe this is a duplicate of How are embedded quotations used? because my question is very specific to a bibliography.  I'm not asking about paragraph embedded references, this is specific to how referencing styles tolerate changes to titles or formatting requirements which were deliberately written with specific punctuation or rule set, respectively. To me, this indicates the flexibility to altering the rules or the citation, may not be transferable and needs an explicit justification or rule.


texts: Why do many forms ask for initials instead of full names?

texts:
I have seen a lot of forms that ask for the name (first name, middle name, last name) and then initials.

Why does anyone want to ask for initials? Isn't initials the first letters of the name?

For example, name = john doe => initials = J D. Isn't this always true?


texts: Using "pizza" as countable vs. uncountable

texts:
I ate pizzas on Sundays.
  I ate pizza on Sundays.

Pizza is both uncountable and countable. In these sentences, is there any difference in meaning? Is one of them wrong?


texts:
I am consistently confused by by the usage of "as follows", in particular, I don't know if I should end "as follows" with a period, or with a colon.

Should I always use a colon, or can I sometimes use a period?

It feels more natural to use a colon, but I have only seen it in lists, but not sentences. For example, should I write:

The description of each chapter is as follows: in chapter 1, we discuss the life story of Bill, and as we will see Bill grew up poor and had no family. In chapter 2, we will talk about how Bill became the richest man in New York. In chapter 3 we will talk about Bill's relationship with Jane. We have finished talking about all the chapters.

or

The description of each chapter is as follows. In chapter 1, we discuss the life story of Bill, and as we will see Bill grew up poor and had no family. In chapter 2, we will talk about how Bill became the richest man in New York. In chapter 3, we will talk about Bill's relationship with Jane. We have finished talking about all the chapters.

The problem of using : to me is that the last sentence "we have
finished talking..." is not a part of the chapters, but it feels that
the colon also includes that sentence as a chapter, which feels wrong to
me.
In fact, it feels that everything that comes after a colon is
included in the list and the only way to signal to the reader you are
no longer listing things is by starting a new paragraph, which is weird.
Also if you are listing many things, it feels that the : only
includes the first thing, because you eventually have to put a period after it. If you were to replace the period with a comma, then you have created a run-on sentence.

What is the correct punctuation after "as follows"?


texts: Principles in the use of letters 'b', 'u' and 'v' in Early Modern English typography

texts:
I have been reading a medical book by one late surgeon Thomas Gale. I was wondering the following mix-up of letters 'u','v' and 'b'.

This states: "to have the cure of".

Letter 'u' is used in the word "have". Letter 'u' is also used in the word "cure" as in modern English.

In the following word letter 'b' is used to indicate 'v' as in "venomous".

The second word in the next one took me a while to clarify.

Apparently it states "The usuall gonnepouder".

I understand that 'u' was used to indicate 'w' as in modern English (powder). I just don't get a hold of the logic of using 'b' to indicate the pronunciation of letter 'u'.

Is there a freely accessible online resource in which this logic would be explained? Or did not the printer run out of types or is this purely random?


texts: Is there a reason for omitting "it" in: "As is usually seen"?

texts:
As is usually seen in such mass tragedies

Why can't I say "As it is usually seen"


texts: I was searching on the meaning of skirt in Longman dictionary and I found the definition which is: "a piece of outer clothing worn by women and girls", Why did not he say: "a piece of outer clothing is worn by women and girls", Why did they not use an auxiliary verb?


texts:
What time period does 'until last week' include?
In the following sentence - 'Here are the letters I recieved from John, until last week'. Would the list of letters also include the ones I recieved from John, last week?


texts: Bourbon whiskey, Bourbon monarchy: is there a connection?

texts: Is there any connection between bourbon, the name of the American whiskey, and Bourbon, the French monarchy, or is it just a coincidence?


texts: An adjective for an object that catches air

texts:
I'm after a very specific word, so for the purpose of illustrating the desired meaning, let's imagine nigh-tornado-like winds are whizzing around outside and that I have unusually wide, outstretched ears; lots of surface there. As I trudge to the store, cursing under my breath, I notice folding in my satellite dish ears slightly loosens the winds' grip on me. I start to wonder if there's a word to describe this unfortunate quality of my ears.

Armed with a thesaurus, I went on an adventure to find the right word. Sadly, the only thing it turned up was the adjective inefficient, which does not quite capture the "object or a part of an object which catches/blocks air when the object is in movement (thereby slowing it down)" sense or its hypothetical adjective.

So my question is: Is there a word that would describe the quality of an object to block air, thus slowing it down, i.e. the opposite of aerodynamically efficient? I'm not finicky about it, so both adjectives and nouns are fine.

You can (and are encouraged) to make up words on the spot. A fascinating example I nicked off a reddit thread is aerostagnant.

Since one of the tags requires an example:

  My ears are as __ as a parachute.


texts: Why does "stigmata" [often] have penult stress?

texts:
I have been studying the pronunciation of Greek-derived words in English, and I've found an odd anomaly. There are (at least) two possible pronunciation patterns for plural word-forms that end in -mata (which correspond to singular word-forms that end in -ma).

Antepenult stress (expected)

It appears that it is always possible to place the stress on the antepenult (third-to-last) syllable, such as:

lémma, lémmata /ˈlɛmə/, /ˈlɛmətə/
schéma, schémata /ˈskiːmə/, /ˈskiːmətə/
teratóma, teratómata /ˌtɛrəˈtoʊmə/, /ˌtɛrəˈtoʊmətə/~/ˌtɛrəˈtɒmətə/
stígma, stígmata /ˈstɪɡmə/, /ˈstɪɡmətə/

This is what would be expected from the stress rules of Latin (I believe most or all of these words came through Latin before entering English), since the penultimate "a" in the original Greek words is short.

Maybe Latin vowel quality and stress rules are not very relevant; certainly, few English speakers know about them nowadays. And even with antepenult stress, some of these pronunciations do not seem to follow all of the traditional rules for pronouncing Latin-derived terms in English. I was reminded by some comments in this Languagehat blog post that  in antepenult stressed syllables, we would expect tense ("long") vowels to be shortened due to trisyllabic laxing (TSL), yielding pronunciations like /ˌtɛrəˈtɒmətə/ (which I just noticed is in fact listed in the Oxford English dictionary) and ?/ˈskɛmətə/ (which is not). (Compare to genus~genera /dʒiːnəs/~/dʒɛnərə/, and perhaps opus~opera /oʊpəs/~/ɒpərə/). However, there are other Latinate plural forms that typically don't have trisyllabic laxing (matrices, also I think helices), or where both the lax- and tense-voweled pronunciations coexist (codices, apices), so I guess the apparent lack of it in schemata should not be surprising. (There are even some exceptions to TSL in singular nouns like obesity.)

Penult stress (unexpected)

The other pronunciation seems to exist only for a couple of words, in which the penultimate "a" is commonly stressed and broadened: stigma ~ stigmáta /stɪgˈmɑˑtɐ/ (listed by both the Merriam-Webster dictionary and the Oxford Learner's Dictionaries), and also sometimes schéma ~ schemáta /skiːˈmɑːtə/ (listed only by the Oxford Learner's Dictionaries). (Neither the Merriam-Webster dictionary nor the Oxford Learner's Dictionaries list *"lemmáta").  I'm wondering why this pronunciation exists. It's an irregular plural either way, and putting the stress on the penultimate syllable creates a stress change between the singular and the plural forms.

(It's true that all of these words are rare, and some people might pronounce some of their plurals differently. The pronunciations I give here are simply the ones listed in dictionaries.)

The plural form "stigmata" is probably most common in religious or theological contexts (where it refers to the wounds of Christ), so at first I wondered if the penultimate stress was supposed to be closer to the original Greek pronunciation, but according to Wiktionary, the stress is on the antepenult in Greek as well.

So, what's up with this? Did the stress perhaps change in Latin over time, is this a tradition of Greek accentuation that I'm not familiar with, is this a simple matter of ignorance of the original position of the stress that has now become entrenched with time and usage, or is this somehow explainable by established English stress patterns? (For example, do English speakers have some natural preference for a penultimate stress on polysyllabic words?)

If nobody knows of a reason, I suppose I can just put it down to people encountering the word mainly in text, not knowing which syllable to stress, and choosing the penult because it sounds better to them.

(I asked this question a while back on Wordreference, but nobody knew of any reason.)


texts: Why the abbreviation for the Doctor of Optometry is O. D.?

texts:
The abbreviation for the Doctor of Optometry is O.D.. instead of D.O. - Could someone help me understand the reason? Thank you!

"Optometrists are Doctors of Optometry (O.D.) who may prescribe corrective lenses (glasses and contacts) to aid refractive errors (e.g., myopia, hyperopia, presbyopia, astigmatism, double vision)."


texts: Could I combine "eaves-" (doing something stealthily) with other action?

texts:
As far as I know, I only know two words have "eaves-" that means "to doing something stealthily" — "eavesdrop" and "eavesread".

eavesdrop (Wiktionary)
"... purposefully trying to hear the conversation of others."
eavesread (Wiktionary)
"to surreptitiously read something."

Could I combine eaves- with other action like eavesmove to give meaning of "move (slow/fast) stealthily"?


texts: The probability that it "be" or "is" -- subjunctive?

texts:
I am writing a scientific paper, and would like my diction to be as precise as possible. Regarding the subjunctive mood, I know the following is correct:

"It is important that she be at home by 9 p.m.".

However:

"The probability that temperature exceeds its historical maximum is large."

sounds to me better than

"The probability that temperature exceed its historical maximum is large."

Which one is correct? Is it a matter of taste?


texts:
Interestingly, Merriam-Webster has an entry for "A-OK" but not for "A-okay."

Most other dictionaries I have referenced have an entry for "A-okay" including Oxford Living Dictionaries, dictionary.com, TheFreeDictionary, and the Collins English Dictionary.

In all these cases the entry is "A-okay" with a capitalized A. In a few entries, some of the example sentences use a lowercase "a." And Vocabulary.com (https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/a-okay) even has the entry as all lowercase.

I'm using the word in dialogue within a manuscript. Are all three variations acceptable, or is one generally considered to be correct?


texts: An adverb for all possibilities/possible options?

texts:
I want an adverb for the following blank. The adverb is used when we want to say that the options/possibilities we are gonna talk about exhaust all options/possibilities.

  A and B are all the factors that are relevant to the problem X.
  Therefore, ----- there are 3 possible ways to explain the problem X:
  1) A causes it; 2) B causes it; and 3) A and B both cause it.

I remember that I saw somewhere the word topologically, or a word similar to that, was used in the sense mentioned above.Topologically has not such a sense according to the dictionaries I saw, and I couldn't find any word similar to it.


texts: Can we use "either are right" to mean "both are right?"


texts: "Go a long way to" + gerund vs infinitive

texts:
Which one is correct? If they all are correct, which construction is the most preferable? Why?

The fund will go a long way to solving their problem.
The fund will go a long way to solve their problem.
The fund will go a long way toward(s) solving their problem.
The fund will go a long way in solving their problem.


texts: "Aesthetically pleasing" for the other senses?

texts:
'Aesthetically pleasing' most commonly refers to something that looks good.

But is there a term that describes something that sounds good? I've seen the term euphonious when I looked it up, is this quite a common term? (As a native I personally haven't heard it)


texts: Why use the term "Sister sites" instead of "Brother sites"?

texts:
This came up recently on programmers.SE, when someone (a Russian, presumably non-native English speaker) asked why we used the term "sister sites", instead of "brother sites". Of course, I'm a native English speaker, and I have no idea either, hence this question.

The full question, for context, was "Several of our sister sites have taken to featuring Questions [...]".

It does seem odd, considering that English (usually) uses masculine terms as the default.


texts: What does “being skinned alive “mean exactly? Is it a well-established phrase?

texts:
There was the following sentence in the article written by Maureen Dowd titled, “Where the boys aren’t,” sketching the life of Dolores Hart in New York Times February 19 issue:

  “I had no idea that it was going to mean singing seven times a day, working in the garden, 10 people in one bathroom, the sternness.” She compared it to being skinned alive.”

I thought “being skinned alive” means “live like a stuffed bird (or a living corpse)” from the context of the above sentence, and checked Cambridge, Oxford, Merriam-Webster online dictionaries for confirmation. None of them registers the word, “(be) skinned alive.”

Although the Free Dictionary and Online slang Dictionary provide with similar definitions of “skinned alive” as “to be very angry with someone; to scold someone severely. - FD” and “to reprimand severely – OSD,” I don’t think both applies to the above Dowd’s quote.

What does “being skinned alive” here mean? Is “skinned alive” a well-established phrase, though I can’t find the phrase in reputed dictionaries?


texts: American English for using "What do you think...?"

texts:
Which is more popular, or correct?

  What do you think are the chances of us winning?

vs

  What are the chances of us winning do you think?


texts:
I've been trying to get an image of the machinery (that looks sort of geary and with long handles) that is used to change the tracks for a train.

I'm not looking for the name of the track parts. I'm looking for the name of the sort of gear like handle that you use to change train tracks.

What do you call this machinery?


texts: Term for "something which is easy to remember; memorable" - a noun

texts:
A "mnemonic" is a term for a system which makes something easier to remember.

Is there a term for something which is easy to remember in itself?

An example might be the sign language signs of "eat" or "drink" - these things are naturally easy to remember.
https://www.startasl.com/asldictionary/eat
https://www.startasl.com/asldictionary/drink

In a sentence using the above examples:
"While some sign language words are peculiar and easily forgotten, words such as 'eat' and 'drink' are *****s, clearly mimicking each action itself"


texts: Meaning of "Apply at 4–6 weekly intervals"

texts:
I purchased some fungicide. The instructions on the back of the bottle say "Apply at 4–6 weekly intervals."

Does that mean it should be applied 4–6 times a week? Or every 4–6 weeks?


texts: Does empty have a gradable antonym in English?

texts:
Empty doesn't seem to have a gradable antonym. If something is not empty and not full, then it is not empty, but is there a single word expression for this?

Edit:

To make it more evident, I'm looking for something like what warm is on the scale of cold and hot.


texts:
Are the Africans brought over from the Transatlantic Slave Trade considered "immigrants"? Although I realize that they are forced to come to the US against their own wills, the definition of immigrant (according to the Google search "Definition of immigrant") is "a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country". Therefore, based on this definition, the Africans brought over should be considered immigrants. However, it still feels wrong to call them immigrants.
Are the Africans brought over from the Transatlantic Slave Trade considered "immigrants"?


texts: What does "otherwise than" mean in this text?

texts:
Indeed, it cost an effort to picture him otherwise than bent over a desk, studiously revising the tariff of the town baths or gathering for a junior secretary the materials of a report on the new garbage-collection tax.

What does "otherwise than" mean in this context?


texts: How do I emphasize a single word in a quote?

texts:
I am working on my son's senior ad for high school and have a question about quoting. When he was little I would say to him "I'm going to get you" with the "I'm" said long for effect. I was told to either make the font bigger or put in italics, but this is not an option for the ad builder site I am using. I am considering using single quotes to highlight this word. does this work and if so do I need to use a period?

  "'I'm' going to get you."


texts: What is the opposite of breaking the news gently, without being mild or considerate, just giving it to them bluntly and being straightforward.


texts: 24-hours notice vs. 24-hour's notice vs. 24-hours' notice

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Phrasing “An hour's rest”

In the sentence
"You must provide 24-hours notice."
which is correct:

24-hours notice
24-hour's notice
24-hours' notice


texts:
Writing a novel.

Are the names of statues italicized in a books?


texts: In most (or many) words that start with the letters "que", there's generally a Kw sound, such as in "question", "queen" or "quest". However, with the word "queue", it's more of a "Ky" sound. Is there any reason for this exception, or is it arbitrary? Are there any other words that also have this "ky" sound, while starting with "que"?


texts:
I am searching for a word for a person that thinks of and makes haute-couture dresses, specifically a person that thinks about a design of for example a dress, finds all the materials needed like velvet or silk, and sews and cuts it all alone to obtain the final product.

Words like designer, dressmaker or sewer are not the ones I am looking for, although the only thing I did find online is haute couture fashion designer, but that does not please me.


texts: Formal or polite alternative for "f***ing around"

texts:
I want to tell my uncle that I am "f***ing around" but I certainly can't use the F word. I googled it but I didn't find the phrase/word I am looking for.

I am wasting my time doing silly things and I want a phrase or word for that. Can anyone give any formal or polite phrase for that?


texts:
I was reading an article and could not make sense of what author means by the following:

So let's see. Right now, when people think of Malaysia Airlines, what do they think about? Probably the fact that they're missing an airplane full of human beings and nobody knows what happened. OK, great. So how can we use that to our advantage?
Malaysia Airlines could target the huge market and untapped demo of missing persons, and also get bonus wordplay points, with the addition of “International” to its company name.

What does the author mean by "untapped demo of missing persons" in this context ?


texts: Can 'He's kissed the Blarney stone' be used as a metaphor?

texts:
If someone has the gift of flattery, and is able to charm people with soft words, can one say, metaphorically, He's kissed the Blarney stone?

Or does one literally have to have risked life and limb at Blarney castle to kiss the stone, (as I have), to be said to have kissed the Blarney Stone?


texts: Name of character combinations that show faces?

texts:
What would a "face" using ASCII characters be called (Such as ":)", "-_-". "0.0"
I have heard the word "emoji" used for this but I thought emojis were the picture equivalent (Like these).

So what would a name be for these faces made out of letters/special characters?


texts: Phrase that means 'to tell someone something before they find out from elsewhere'?

texts:
Title covers the question; I seem to remember a phrase meaning 'to tell someone something before they find out from elsewhere' but I can't now remember it. Something like 'beat the news', perhaps, though I don't think this is in common usage.

Couldn't find anything online for the same question, so was hoping someone here might be able to remember if there is a phrase and, if not, suggest an apt one.

Many thanks!


texts: Meaning of "deep" in "deep, acute curves suggest confusion"

texts:
Deep, acute curves, on the other hand, suggest confusion, turbulence, even frenzy, as in the violence of waves in a storm, the chaos of a tangled thread, or the turmoil of lines suggested by the forms of a crowd. The complicated curves used to form the mother in the family group shown above suggest a fussy, frivolous personality.

Been googling for a while but couldn't find the answer. Google Translate also gave me a translation in my language that I could not understand.

Maybe if someone gave me the synonym of deep for the context above, Google Translate would provide a more obvious translation.

Copied from http://char.txa.cornell.edu/language/element/element.htm


texts: What does “walking middle finger” mean? Is it popular English word?

texts:
In the pretty old article of Time magazine, titled “The Outsider: Where Is Sarah Palin Going Next? (July 9, 2009), I found the phrase, “She is a walking middle finger to the BosNYWash elite.”

The text reads:

“She hates on the media, never forgets the troops and is a walking middle finger to the BosNYWash élite. As Rush Limbaugh interrupted his vacation to declare, "She is going to continue to fire up people in the conservative Republican base as often as she speaks to them."

Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary simply provides the definition of ‘middle finger’ as ‘the longest finger in the middle of each hand.' Though I interpret “walking middle finger’ here as the typical object of mockery, is this popular words?

As an additional question, do we need ‘on’ after ‘hate’ aparently used as a transitive verb in ‘She hates on the media’?


texts:
Which is better in this case, "me" or "I"?

All of us, including me, have made mistakes.
All of us, including I, have made mistakes.

It seems that "I have made mistakes" makes more sense than "me have made mistakes." But on other hand, "including me" makes more sense than "including I."
While typing this out I thought of a better way to phrase it so that it doesn't sound odd, but I would still like to know which is correct:

All of us have made mistakes, including me.


texts:
I ran across this sentence:

  Remark the small differences between this procedure and the one
  written by xxx.

Is this valid usage in English? I would typially write "note the small ..." or "notice the small ..."


texts: How to understand "don't make us look like jerks here" in this context

texts:
In one episode of Modern Family, the mother refuses to get her son a new bike because she thinks he is not responsible enough for it. But the father doesn't agree with her completely and buys it for his son. He says,

  We feel like this is a chance for you to show some responsibility. Don't make us look like jerks here.

I can get the general idea that he wants his son to take good care of the bike. But what exactly does "don't make us look like jerks here" mean here? I can only come up with two possible answers:

"Don't make us look like fools here." We bought it for you bucause we trust you, don't make us look like fools who trust the wrong person.
"Don't make us look like bad parents here." If the bike gets stolen, the boy may have to face punishment and not likely to get a new one. Being tough to his own child doesn't fit the speaker's parenting style and makes him feel bad.


texts:
How do I figure out when to use a comma before "so"?

1) I put it on my blog so you can read it.
(means: I put it on my web blog because I want you to be able to read it.)

2) I didn't find any eggs in the supermarket, so I couldn't bake your favorite pie.
(means: I didn't find any eggs, therefore I couldn't bake the pie)

Do I need a comma in both cases before "s" according to the FANBOYS-Rule? And if not so, why can I leave it out in case 1)? What trick can I use to figure out when to put a comma before "so"?

THANK YOU :)


texts: Position of Adverb of manner before or after preposition

texts:
I will tell a story slowly to you.
  I will tell a story to you slowly.

Which one of the above sentences is correct.


texts: Sa'ad : Correct spelling in English and French

texts:
We are considering naming our child the Arabic name Sa'ad (سعد).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saad

The Arabic spelling has an ع which I am not sure how to spell. I have seen it spelled as Saad which has the potential to be mispronounced.

The wikipedia lists it as Sa'ad, where the apostrophe separates both syllables. I currently favor this spelling.

My question is: Is there a spelling other than Sa'ad which is more descriptive of how to pronounce the name properly?


texts: Abstain, Maintain : Abstinence, Maintenance spelling difference between verb and noun

texts: Regarding the verbs Abstain and Maintain, why are they spelt differently as nouns Abstinence, Maintenance even though they seem like they would have similar spelling.


texts: Problem with "mine" while translating this phrase into early modern english

texts:
I'm translating a certain phrase from Japanese, and its roughly equivalent would be:

"It seems like it is my victory in this game as well"

Except for the fact the pronoun used to attribute "mine" is an archaic one in Japanese denominated "warawa".

Doing my research, I've found out the time period this pronoun was used was equivalent to the time of Early Modern English.

Given said details, I would like to ask what would be the better way to put that in the phrase, while of course giving it a nod with a translation note at the botton of the page.

EDIT1 (from the comments):

As apparently "mine" is "mine" in Early Modern English, I would like to ask for suggestions as for the usage of "mine" in this case, in order for it to be on pair with the Early Modern English standards.

From what I could gather:

(archaic) Used attributively after the noun it modifies.

(archaic) Used attributively before a vowel.

We could use at least one of these in order to properly solve the problem, or so I assume. How about: "Victory mine in this game as well, it seems", maybe?

EDIT2:
Typo in the rough translation is now fixed.


texts: What is the origin of the phrase "a map is not the territory"?

texts:
The phrase "a map is not the territory" is identified with the philosopher of science Alfred Korzybski and his 1931 lecture at an American Mathematical Society meeting.

In both of its prominent meanings (philosophical and practical) this is certainly an ancient idea. In fact, it sounds like an inevitable Roman maxim.

Is Korzybski really the first person to use this expression? Doesn't it in fact have a much older, perhaps ancient origin?


texts: A word to describe "political buyer's remorse"

texts:
Numbers (from 2015) show over 3.5 million people in the UK signed a petition to “do over” the Brexit Referendum.  Interestingly, the "do-over" Google question coupled with “What is the EU?” showed more hits for searchers in Great Britain than in the US, which would seem to indicate that many people made an uninformed decision  in voting on that Thursday. Some have said that if they had known that the UK would actually leave the EU, they never would have voted for “Leave”.????
This is already being called Regrexit by news agencies.
As the US is facing an election in which neither of the candidates has a clear-cut  advantage in ratings, it looks like Americans will probably need a word to describe the regret that will inevitably ensue when they realize they are not happy with their choice for president.
For example, after the 2008 US elections...

...and one-third are suffering a form of buyer’s remorse, saying the U.S. would be better off now if she (Hilary Clinton) had become president in 2008 instead of Barack Obama.

Is there another word, phrase or neologism that would more specifically describe this regret, other than political buyer’s remorse?
[EDIT- year 2020 four years later]
Once again we are waiting for yet another election,,,


texts: Plural or singular: "The socks in these pictures [are/is] the left one, before and after it was cleaned." Is the correct conjugation "are" or "is"?

texts:
"The socks in question [are or is] the left one, before and after it was cleaned."
Is the correct conjugation "are" or "is"?

In the above sentence (and this one), a pair of socks is expected, but it is introduced that the two socks are/is in fact the same one. Should the plural or singular form of the verb be used?


texts: Was this term (I believe it is a synonym of geek, nerd, and so on) based on the television series Dexter or was it around before that and the series based its name on it?


texts: Personal pronoun - Using 'it' when introducing a person

texts:
On the NPR radio program Wait Wait Don't Tell Me (http://www.npr.org/programs/wait-wait-dont-tell-me/) Peter Sagal introduces the week's panelists using 'it's,' as in "She'll be performing Friday at the Comedy Club, it's Paula Poundstone." I'm not sure it is grammatically incorrect, but it doesn't seem appropriate to refer to a person as "it."  Wouldn't it be better to say "she is" in this case? Or better yet, use another phrase, such as "we welcome..." or "say hello to..?"

I have heard similar usage on other radio and television programming as well when the gender is known to the speaker, where "it is" replaces "she/he is/has."  Is this now acceptable usage?


texts: What does an ellipsis followed by an exclamation mean?

texts:
I'm confused about how to use "...!" in writing. Currently, I'm writing a fiction story with a character who has been critically injured. I got this question while typing out this:

  "I won't die yet...!"

I'm afraid that using it this way is actually wrong. I thought ellipsis is used to indicate omission, pause, silence, or an unfinished thought. Then again, I also thought ellipsis could also be used to indicate echoing voice.

I'm asking this question to make sure it's correct judged by my fellow writers. I'm really grateful for anyone trying to come up with some answers for this question of mine, really appreciate the effort.


texts: English word for someone who delves in poisons?

texts: Like in some tribal society. Someone in position, like a folk healer, but is an expert at poisons and poisoning.


texts: Is yea an acceptable replacement for yeah?

texts:
I'm an amateur writer, writing almost entirely fanfiction, and I use the word 'yea' in my writings rather often instead of yeah. In sentences like "If you mean did that just happen? Yea." or "Yea... I'm gonna need another cup of coffee before dealing with this."

I know that originally Yea was the opposite of Nay but more and more I'm seeing people use it in place of Yeah, dropping the h. Is that becoming the correct way, an acceptable way, of saying it or am I just mistaken?


texts: "[will] likely" vs. "[will] probably" in AmEng usage

texts:
As far as AmEng goes, can likely be an acceptable alternate to probably in the following OUP quiz?

The traffic is terrible so I'll probably be late this morning.

Climate change is likely to affect us all by the end of the decade.

I'll call them if you like, but they aren't likely to be in.

The concert tickets are likely to sell out very quickly.

I'll probably find out if I've passed or not by the end of the day.

You've probably heard this joke before, but I'll tell you anyway.

LIKELY

adv. Probably: They'll likely buy a new car soon. [AHDEL]
Usage:
Likely as an adverb is preceded by another, intensifying adverb, as in it will very likely rain or it will most likely rain. Its use without an intensifier, as in it will likely rain is regarded as unacceptable by most users of British English, though it is common in colloquial US English. [Collins]
likely meaning “probably” is often preceded by a qualifying word: The new system will quite likely increase profits. Some usage guides maintain that such a qualifier must always be present. However, likely without the qualifier is standard in all varieties of English: The new system will likely increase profits. [Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary]
FOD


texts: When I send an e-mail with an attachment (e.g. document) to somebody, can I say in the e-mail: "Please receive the document."? If not, what would be better?


texts:
Which sentence is correct?

  I just put &nbsp; in the empty  elements for IE to render them.

  I just put &nbsp; in the empty  elements for IE render them.

The render will be processed by IE and not me, so putting &nbsp; will make IE render  elements.


texts: Is there a quick and easy way to pronounce "W" letter?

texts: I mean, there is a well known 'substitution' for number "0" with 'ou' sound. Like, '107' in military communications will be pronounced as 'one-ou-seven'. Is there similar kind of substitution for letter "W", say, in aforementioned military comms? Some way that allows to pronounce it much quicker?


texts: Is it ok to start a sentence with “also”?

texts:
Is it ok to start a sentence with also?

  Also, I had given him the file you sent me.


texts: Health science researcher(s) or health sciences researcher(s)

texts:
As the title reveals, what is the correct usage:

  1) "Health science researchers" or "health sciences researchers"?

Similarly:

  2) "Researchers in health science" or "researchers in the health sciences"?


texts: How did the word yank come to mean copying a text in vi and Emacs?


texts:
Does it mean 'addiction'? I can't find the exact definition which fits in with the following context in the English dictionaries.

  If you use heroin for 20 days, by day 21, your body would physically crave the drug ferociously because there are chemical hooks in the drug. That’s what addiction means.
  The Likely Cause of Addiction Has
  Been Discovered, and It Is Not What
  You Think


texts: Why is something fried on a griddle called grilled?

texts:
To my understanding, to grill is cooking with a heat source located beneath an open slatted grate (or ribbed closed pan).  (For example, using a barbecue grill on one's patio.)

The word grill is derived from the French for gridiron gril which is derived from the Latin craticula (gridiron, or small griddle).

So, how did this definition expand to the sense of frying on a griddle to be called grilling?  For example, a grilled cheese sandwich.  Does this actually date back to the Latin definition?  Is there a chain from Latin to English for this definition?

Why wouldn't we just call this griddled?


texts: Are there any words whose spelling was deliberately changed to make them non-offensive?

texts: I am looking for some examples of words that, possibly due to their non-Latin origin, would have sounded offensive if they went through the English language rules. For example, if a specialty Bohemian medical practice sounded like "rap" then people practicing it would be "rappists," like psychologists who practice psychology. Since that's too close to "rapists," out of respect the word might have been changed to something else, for example "rapsters".


texts: Are you supposed to use capitalized letters when expanding an all-caps initialism in parentheses to explain what each initial respectively stands for?

texts:
Which of these two is written correctly:

MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)


texts:
"Many of our employees hold a master's degree."

"Many of our employees hold master's degrees."

"Many of our employees hold masters' degrees."

Which of the above is the correct expression, assuming none of the employees have more than one master's degree? (You can either have 1 or none).

For me, I feel #1 sounds the most natural, but I'm not sure it is correct.

Thanks in advance!

Edit: This isn't a duplicate as the question isn't about whether or not you need an apostrophe at all (all three of my examples given have apostrophes in them)!


texts: Is the use of the word "thus" still common practice?

texts:
I have quite some reservations regarding the use of the word "thus". Often I see people using it as as substitute for "consequently".

I have always taken the word to mean "in this way". E.g I perform the calculation thus.

Is the word still in common usage, whenever I see it I can't help but feel the author is being pretentious - or in some cases flat out using it incorrectly.

If anyone has some insight on this let me know - especially if I am wrong!


texts: Correct use of quotation marks in phrase from To Kill a Mockingbird

texts:
The following is a quote from the book:

  Jem became vaguely articulate: “‘d you see him, Scout? ’d you see him
  just standin‘ there?… ’n‘ all of a sudden he just relaxed all over,
  an’ it looked like that gun was a part of him… an‘ he did it so quick,
  like… I hafta aim for ten minutes ’fore I can hit somethin‘…”

What is the correct way to quote (put quotation marks around) the segment in bold?


texts:
I'm unsure of how to pronounce subreddit names in casual conversation without preface. I read /r/funny mentally as "R funny", but this doesn't always work in conversation, especially with acronym subreddits, like /r/wtf, as the 'r' could be misinterpreted as part of the subreddit name.

Furthermore, it can be sometimes hard to assume that one is referring to a subreddit  if no context is given. For example,

  I saw the weirdest thing this morning on /r/wtf.

can be hard to interpret if read aloud in the manner mentioned above.


texts:
Is it proper English to say:

"With method A, the goal is not so to perform task B but (rather) to address problem C."

Are there other more appropriate/elegant ways to convey the same meaning?


texts: Differences and use cases of "net", "network", "mesh", "grid"

texts:
What are the differences between net, network, mesh and grid?
If I have a look at the OED entries, I have a feeling of rather a circular definition:

mesh Material made of a network of wire or thread...
net A piece of open-meshed material...
grid A network of lines that cross each other...

Could you list some most common collocations with each of the words and explain why this particular one is used? Such as why do we use mosquito net and not mosquito mesh?


texts: What are the derivatives of position with respect to time

texts:
According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jounce, the derivatives of position with respect to time are position, velocity, acceleration, jerk, snap, crackle, pop.

Who came up with snap, crackle, and pop?  What about higher order derivatives?


texts: Word for a belief in extra-terrestrial rights

texts: Looking for a word that means, "a belief in goodness and liberty toward sentient aliens."  The use of "humanitarian" doesn't seem to fit due to the use of "human" in it, and I am not entirely convinced that "xenotarian" is a valid word (although it might be.)


texts: How can I correct this sentence? The bellflower is a wildflower that grows in shady fields , in marshes and mountain slopes?

texts:
What is the correct form of "the bellflower is a wildflower that grows in shady fields , in marshes and mountain slopes?"

the bellflower is a wildflower that grows in shady fields , in
marshes and on the mountain slopes?
the bellflower is a
    wildflower that grows in shady fields , in marshes and the
    mountain?


texts:
I know the phrase "let alone" can be used in this way:

"The man is too severely injured to be saved even by a doctor, let alone by a layman like me."

But can I use it this way:

"Even a doctor can't save a man so severely injured, let alone a layman like me."

Thank you.


texts: “She got her first child” vs. “She had her first child”

texts: I am not a native speaker and yesterday someone told me that "She got her first child" would be misunderstood and "She had her first child" is correct. Now I wonder if this is a 'local' thing here in Wales or a general 'rule'.


texts: What is a synonym for "jack of all trades, master of none"?

texts:
What is a synonym of jack of all trades, master of none?

I want to differentiate it from a generalist (might have deep knowledge about everything)?

On the same note, is there a better way to say jack of all trades, master of all?


texts: Committee, Association and Assembly -- What's the differrence?

texts:
I'm confused by these 3 words and I'm not quite sure what the differences are. I know how council, commission and committee differ, but I can't find it for Assembly and Association. I'm using it for a group of students who shared the same interest and work together to promote their interest to the public. I'm not quite sure what word to use to call them.

Also, for instance, if that interest is higher education and disabilities in the United States of America, should I use 'Association of Higher Education and Disabilities in the USA' or 'Association for Higher Education and Disabilities in the USA' or 'Association on Higher Education and Disabilities in the USA' ?

Thanks


texts: What is the difference between "everyday" and "every day"?

texts:
I constantly see "everyday" being used in cases where the writer really means "every day". For example, here's a sentence from Google's eBooks documentation: "New titles are being added to Google eBooks everyday."

There is even a supermarket chain that has a large sign saying, "Low prices, everyday!"

Could someone, for the record, state the rule on this?


texts: Why was the semicolon used over the colon?

texts:
In The Oatmeal's guide, they write:

I gnaw on old car tires; it strengthens my jaw so I'll be better conditioned for bear combat.

Why was a semicolon used instead of a colon? The Punctuation Guide says:

When the second clause expands on or explains the first, the colon is the better mark.

This isn't the only example, either:

When dinosaurs agree on something, they'll often high five one another; dinosaurs are all about high fives.
Godzilla is a misunderstood creature; beneath his raging desire to set people on fire and eat them lies a gentle giant who just wants to cuddle.

Each of those second clauses explains the first. So why wouldn't a colon replace the semicolon?


texts: Only a something away from completing something

texts:
Is this statement grammatically correct:

  Only an Xbox One away from completing my Microsoft family.

I have a Microsoft Phone (Lumia 920), PC (Dell) and tablet (Surface Pro) and I just need a console now (Xbox One) so does that statement correctly tell a person that I just need an Xbox One now in order to complete my Microsoft [product] family (which includes phone, PC and tablet right now) ?


texts: "... that had stopped half an hour ago" VS " ... that had stopped half an hour before/earlier"

texts:
This is a sentence I read:

  The engines that had stopped half an hour ago were in action again.

In my opinion, ago in the above sentence is used incorrectly. It should be replaced by before or earlier:

  The engines that had stopped half an hour before were in action again.
  The engines that had stopped half an hour earlier were in action again.

I think ago can only used in the past tense rather than past perfect tense.
Here is a correct sentence, making the correct use of ago as follows:

  The engines that stopped half an hour ago are in action again.

Is this thinking correct?


texts: A word or term to describe a person who feels pleasure in picking on one's skin

texts:
What do you call this behavior where gratification is felt when picking on one's or somebody's skin?

I have this one friend who feels pleasure in doing such behavior when he is bored or nothing to do even though bruises are evident on his own skin.


texts: What's the difference between "He is no fool" and "He is not a fool"?

texts:
For a non-native speaker, the above two sentences seem similar.

From the point of the native speaker's view, is there any slight difference?

In the same vein, "I have no money" and "I don't have any money" seems similar to me. Am I right?


texts:
I'm doing SAT writing practice questions, and I came across a problem I believe has multiple solutions. The incorrect sentence is as follows (i shortened it):

  He was not merely expected to work hard, but to help others.

And the error occurs at not merely. According to the site, the sentence should be corrected like this:

  He was expected not merely to work hard, but to help others.

Isn't this sentence also gramatically correct though?

  He was not merely expected to work hard, but also to help others.

Thanks everyone.


texts: How does "spanner" come to mean "a wrench"?

texts:
"Wrenching" refers to an injury in which some muscle is forcibly twisted.  A wrench is a tool that applies a twisting force to something, so that seems consistent.

"To span" means to bridge a gap.  But British English calls a wrench a "spanner", and I've never understood that word.  What is conceptually being spanned (bridged) here?


texts: idiom or a smooth way to say that the game is the right level/scope for a person?

texts: I'm looking for a way to say that a certain game is challenging enough (but not too much) and of the right scope. So far I came up with 'This game is in my league' but that doesn't sound quite right.


texts: Comma Placement in a Semicolon-Split Sentence

texts:
In Australian/British English, would a comma be placed between the words panic and knowing? I am horrible at grammar!

“Yet, now, when I trudge in, the picture of the next thirteen hours delivers a palpable panic knowing that my self-imposed isolation is for naught; like Pius, I’ve played the game, but I’ve lost instead.”


texts: Variable that depends on another variable

texts:
In a software system, we allow users to define variables. The variables can be related to one another using mathematical formulas (for example, A = B + 1).

If a change of value of a variable A affects variable B, we would call B a "dependent variable".
How should we call the variable A - that is, a variable that is affected by a change of another variable?


texts: Is the "blue" in "blue moon" a reference to betrayal?

texts:
There are some previous questions on this site about the etymology of the phrase "blue moon" (What is the origin of the phrase "blue moon"? Any alternate phrase for it?, Why do we call some full moons "blue" when they're not?). But none of these posts deals with a surprising hypothesis currently mentioned on the Wikipedia article "Blue Moon": that the word "blue" here is somehow connected to the Old English verb belǽwan meaning "to betray":

  The suggestion has been made that the term "blue moon" for "intercalary month" arose by folk etymology, the "blue" replacing the no-longer-understood belewe, 'to betray'. The original meaning would then have been "betrayer moon", referring to a full moon that would "normally" (in years without an intercalary month) be the full moon of spring, while in an intercalary year, it was "traitorous" in the sense that people would have had to continue fasting for another month in accordance with the season of Lent.

As far as I can tell, none of the references listed in the Wikipedia article seems to be a reliable source for etymological information, or to reference any more reliable source to back up this etymology.

The first linked reference is an article "What is a Blue Moon" by the staff of Farmers' Almanac that simply says

  One explanation connects it with the word belewe from the Old English, meaning, “to betray.” Perhaps, then, the Moon was “belewe” because it betrayed the usual perception of one full Moon per month.

(Note the vague wording here—"One explanation connects it with"—as in the  Wikipedia article—"The suggestion has been made").

Neither the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), nor the Online Etymology Dictionary provide any support for the idea that the term "blue moon" has any connection to Old English belǽwan "to betray". To the contrary, the OED indicates that the "blue" in "blue moon" is derived from the familar color word, which is a loanword from French (although French in turn got the word from a Germanic language). The OED does indicate that the color word blue was spelled "belewe" in some Middle English manuscript or manuscripts.

Does anyone know of any more scholarly etymological sources than the ones that Wikipedia references that discuss this hypothesis?


texts: Can you leave a hyphen hanging when there is more than one adjective?

texts:
When you have 2 adjectives describing one object, do you use 2 hyphens? For example:

  There are short- and long-form publications.


texts: What is the opposite of "parallel" in architecture?

texts:
The two towers of the Verrazano Bridge are not parallel: they are slightly [???] to account for the curvature of the earth.

What is that word?


texts:
I was wondering how would I say in English "Change the way of information getting from email". I am not a native English speaker and I know this is wrong, but I the word for "getting information" is not coming to mind right now. The word deducting came but I don't think that's acceptable either.

To better explain my situation: I am making an app that reads emails from my inbox and when it finds a certain subject like "click me" it opens the email and gets the information inside it. So the body of the email looks something like this

Name:YeetMaster
Age:100
Work:DinosaurHunter

and then it splits the lines at the colon (:) and gets the info on the right.
Any ideas or really any help would be appreciated because I feel stuck right now.

:(


texts:
I wanted to know the given 3 lines are correct or have any error, if so tell me the correct sentence

1) I have not only kicked the ball but also brought it back.

2) I not only have kicked the ball but also I have brought it back.

3) Not only I have kicked the ball but also I have brought it back.


texts: Using the format "city, country" in spoken British English

texts:
I have increasingly noticed my British compatriots referring to places such as "Cancun, Mexico" or "Riga, Latvia" or even "Plymouth, Devon" in their spoken English.

As far as I am concerned, the above usage is suitable for use only on an envelope. I would always insert the word "in" between the city and the county or country in spoken English.

I wonder if this style is a recent American influence. I know that it is standard practice for Americans to refer to their cities using the format "city, state" in spoken American English.

I would be most interested to hear others' views on this!


texts: Word for employees without management responsibilities

texts:
I'm looking for a noun or adjective noun combination that, as clearly as possible, explicitly identifies employees that don't have anyone reporting to them.

The closest existing question I could find was A word for people who work under a manager and it doesn't help me because people who fit that description are not precluded from having subordinates of their own.

Required example: We categorize employees as upper management when they report only to the board of directors.  Middle management personnel report to another employee and also have employees reporting to them. [some noun or adjective noun combo] are employees that have no subordinates in the company.


texts: Looking for translations of room for children I found the word "brattery" along with the word "nursery", which I believe is most commonly used for children's room in a house. Is "brattery" still in use or is it obsolete now? Or does it have some specific context?


texts: Another word for "attack" in terms of a disease

texts: Is there another word to mean the arrival of a disease?


texts: What's is the meaning of the phrase "Read it like you've written it"?

texts:
Does the meaning of the phrase changes on its usage? If it changes, how?
I am hoping an answer based on how it changes with what people are concerned, like for an example:
1) If I have written an article, and I told you to "read it like you've written it".
So I am expecting from you that you will offer constructive criticism.
2) If someone have written an article, and later on I picked up some mistakes and told the writer to review his/her article like it has written just now.


texts: Single word for "make good use of something"

texts: Does a single word for "make good use of" exists?


texts: Adjectives After an Object That Comes After Transitive Verb

texts:
I'm very aware of how verbs, indirect objects, and direct objects relate.

I gave Sam a ball.

Sam - indirect object and ball - direct object. Very simple! But what about when an adjective comes after a direct object?

I find her utterly repulsive!

What role does repulsive play in this sentence? Could this be one of those uncommon instances in which the adjective comes after the (pro)noun?


texts: Why do the sentences "I have to get a job" and "I need to get a job" mean the same thing if 'have' and 'need' are antonyms?

texts: For example, "I have a job" and "I need a job" are opposite statements, but "I have to get a job" and "I need to get a job" are the same. I understand that they are no longer modifying the same words, but it doesn't seem to make sense why the meaning switches.


texts:
We know that [Should have + past participle] can mean something that would have been a good idea, but that you didn't do it. As in the following example-
Example: I should have studied harder but I didn't.

.....They will be eligible to claim the allowance for three months during the period from start of lockdown on March 24 to December 31. They should have been part of the scheme for two years during the period from April 1, 2018, to March 31, 2020, and should have contributed at least for 78 days from October 1, 2019, to March 31, 2020 and also in one of the other three six monthly contribution periods from April 1, 2018. TNN

But in this paper cutting "should have" seems to have been used in different sense. Please clarify it.


texts: Words with multiple allowable pronunciations

texts:
Long time listener, first time caller.

I was chatting with some friends, and GIF and nuclear came up.  GIF is pretty unique, we considered, as we allow both /dʒɪf/ and /gɪf/ for its pronunciation.  Both are interchangeable, and I would say we hear both of them rather evenly distributed in my tech company.

Nuclear shares the same trait of multiple "allowable" pronunciations /ˈnukliəɹ/ and /ˈnukjulɚ/ . However, some speakers ascribe a certain undesirable quality to the latter pronunciation.

This made me wonder.  How many other words are there for which we allow distinct pronunciation in English?  Are we more likely to find that these examples are largely devoid of stigma, as with GIF, or the opposite, as with nuclear?

I realize this may be regional, but I'd like to eliminate questions of accent (cot-caught, sit-set etc), and limit it to places of articulation and orthographic interpretation leading to the pronunciation differences for a single word.

Thanks for the help!


texts: What tense should I use in the following case?

texts:
I'm describing something in the past tense. However, that something repeats over and over again. What is more correct?

  A ball destroyed a vase. It was an infinite loop. The ball bounced up. It hit the vase. The vase dropped on the floor. This cycle repeated forever.

or

  A ball destroyed a vase. It was an infinite loop. The ball had bounced up. It had hit the vase. The vase had dropped on the floor. This cycle repeated forever.

or

  A ball destroyed a vase. It was an infinite loop. The ball bounces up. It hits the vase. The vase drops on the floor. The cycle repeated forever.

Thanks


texts: Which verb is better to express the "functioning" of a "pump" and a "pump motor"?

texts:
Does a pump "operate" or "run"?
Does a pump motor "operate" or "run"?

Or are there better verbs which describe the functioning of these devices?


texts:
There was an article titled “Obama or Emanuel pushed to spotlight Solyndra” in today’s Washington Post, reporting that President Obama or his chief of staff were eager to help spotlight a solar company, Solindra. Eventually, the Department of Energy allowed (or was forced to allow) to pour $535 million in loans to the now shuttered company.

In the article, there was a sentence:

“Any word from OMB?” Department of Energy stimulus adviser Steve Spinner wrote to a department staffer about final terms of the Solyndra loan to be approved by the Office of Management and Budget. “I have the OVP and WH breathing down my neck on this.”

What does “breathe down one’s neck” mean?

Additionally, there was the line;

“Ron said this morning that the POTUS definitely wants to do this,” one White House staffer told an Obama scheduler on Aug. 17, 2009.”

What does “scheduler” mean?

Cambridge Dictionary online defines “scheduler” as “a person who works for a broadcasting company putting the various programmes for the day, week, month, etc. into a particular order.

But I don't think this applies to "Obama scheduler." What is Obama schedulers' job?


texts: meaning of "fallen little short of a mother in affection" in Jane Austen's Emma, Chapter I

texts:
She was the youngest of the two daughters of a most affectionate, indulgent father; ad had, in consequence of her sister's marriage, been mistress of his house from a very early peroid. Her mother had died too long ago for her to have more than an indistinct remembrance of her caresses; and her place had been supplied by an excellent woman as governess, who had fallen little short of a mother in affection.

At the end of this paragraph, I am not sure about the meaning of " fallen little short of mother in affection". The meaning of fall short (of) is being inadequate, but as I read some translation in my native language, it has been translated as she being a very good mother. How can I understand this sentence exactly?


texts:
What is the meaning of "punch" in technical terminology?

The original phrase is from the "Autocar Road Test 1967" article about Moskvich de Luxe.

  An inexpensive, sturdy, well-equipped car, lacking in punch and refinement.

Thank you.


texts: Does anyone know why the word "baby" is referred to by the pronoun "it" rather than a human pronoun. Is there an historical/etymological reason?


texts: Is there a word that means force feeding someone music?

texts:
I'm looking for a single word which is more akin to force feeding as opposed to being subjected to music as a child, say.

EDIT

With respect the the analogy to food, I do not mean literally force-fed as it ducks or geese, and I don't mean force-fed as would be the case for medical reasons.

This is a sentence that makes sense of it:

  As a child, I was force-fed sprouts, even though I didn't like them.

Here, you can image a child sat at the table looking at something they didn't to eat it and being "force-fed" in that they were forced to eat it, through, say, not letting them leave the table. More "forced to eat". I'm sure you agree this is not a case of being "subjected to" in the sense that it is not endured.

I wish to represent this concept with music. Not that a particular style of music was played all the time:

  There was only ever jazz played in the house

That would be subjected to.

  My dad taped headphones to my head and played jazz

That would be literal.

  My parents ________ me jazz.

That is the musical version of the sprouts example with food. A parent might say:

  One more song and we can go out.

or

  You have to listen to this one it's great.

or

  This is the best bit, don't go away.


texts:
Is the following sentence grammatical? :

  Jack splits a blade of grass. He won't speak up. Never does. Tom will. Always does.

For some reason it sounds weird. I was wondering shouldn't it have been "never did" instead of "never does"?

What's the difference between the sentence above and this below? :

  Jack splits a blade of grass. He won't speak up. Never did. Tom will. Always did.


texts: What's the difference between 'shatter' and 'splinter'?

texts:
What's the difference between shatter and splinter?

Are they interchangeable?

Their definitions from Cambridge dictionary are as follows:

Shatter(V):

  to (cause something to) break suddenly into very small pieces.

Splinter(V):

  to break into small, sharp pieces.

Can I say "The car window was shattered (or splintered) last night."?


texts:
When I'm writing a sentence like this:

Favorite movie: Batman

Do I put Batman in italics or not?