texts: Word for making a basic mistake in your field of expertise?

texts:
For example, a computer security expert can be an expert and making a basic mistake, perhaps unrelated to his personality but highly relevant to his field of expertise and a mistake that just about anybody could do but just because he is a security expert he especially should not have done it.

I don't mean stupid mistake or stupid error but I mean contradictory and almost similar to a double-standard.

  Jeff teaches English but he couldn't spell "occurrence".

Or for example

  George is a professional Microsoft Windows programmer but he doesn't know what alt+tab does.

Or

  Henry is a surgeon but he cut himself shaving.

I don't necessarily mean something like a police officer who himself is corrupt or a judge who is corrupt because those are not accidents or mistakes but deliberate.

  Albert Einstein was a genius but couldn't remember his own address and entered the wrong house when going home.

(Perhaps the above Einstein example is not a great example because scientist could be absent-minded.)

I mean more like actually mistakenly missing the basics of your own speciality or making a human error that anybody else could do except you because you are supposed to be the specialist.

I think the classic example could be Bill Gates trying to show how good Microsoft Windows is and it crashes.

Or a news anchor, who should be a specialist in not making a word mistake, actually makes a word mistake.

Or a judge or an attorney, who should be experts in law and rights, wouldn't know something trivial about law and right e.g. unknowingly about that blackmailing is a crime.

I almost made such a mistake myself. I was an IT specialist and computer technician at a client's office and their boss was teaching himself the basics of programming and asking me about something basic. I actually got it right but I was not completely certain about something basic while actually being able to solve complicated and advanced problems for them.


texts: A Strange Conditional: "I couldn’t have talked to her that day if I never talked to her again"

texts:
In The Great Gatsby, thus pens Fitzgerald:

  ‘However—I want to see you.’
  ‘I want to see you too.’
  ‘Suppose I don’t go to Southampton, and come into town this afternoon?’
  ‘No—I don’t think this afternoon.’
  ‘Very well.’
  ‘It’s impossible this afternoon. Various ...‘

  We talked like that for a while and then abruptly we weren’t talking any longer. I don’t know which of us hung up with a sharp click but I know I didn’t care. I couldn’t have talked to her across a tea-table that day if I never talked to her again in this world.

It's a conversation between the narrator, Nick, and his quasi-partner, Jordan, followed by Nick's commentary.

I'm struggling to interpret the conditional sentence. Does it mean,

  I couldn't have talked to her that afternoon, even if it meant I would never see her again.

Or,

  Even if this had been my last chance to talk to her, I couldn't have done it.

Or something else?

More elaboration on the possible dialect or register that would featur such a structure is appreciated.


texts:
Can "Getting into his head" be used to suggest that someone is becoming crazy because of something?
Example : The upcoming Physics exam is getting into Johns head


texts: What's the origin of the phrase "show true colours?"

texts:
I wonder if someone knows the actual origin and oldest printed record of the idiom "show true colours?"
Other than this popular theory (seems not real to me):

This phrase dates back to the 1700s. It has a nautical origin and refers to the color of the flag which every ship is required to fly at sea. Pirates used to deceive other ships by sailing under false flags so that they would not excite suspicion. The other ships, thinking that the pirates were friendly, sailed close to them and fell under their grip. It was only after the attack that the pirates would show their 'true flag'.

References:

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/show_one%27s_true_colors
https://www.idioms.online/show-your-true-colors-to/
https://www.theidioms.com/show-true-colors/


texts: What is the meaning of "You're rolling one for two." if the context is about someone who is running late to go somewhere

texts:
I don't really understand about it. Especially because there is "one for two" after "rolling".

English isn’t my first language, so please excuse any mistakes and I'm sorry if the question is off-topic.


texts: Is more than one "nor" after a "neither" correct?

texts:
Is it correct to use more than one nor clause in a neither expression? For instance:

  Neither the question, nor the answers, nor the comments

Even if it is, is it so rarely used that it would be better to reword the sentence, or is it fine to use as is?


texts:
guys. Hope you are all in greatest condition. I do know that a verb can serve as an adjective when it is placed before a noun and this verb is either a past participle or a present participle in this case. My question: does a verb in the past participial form always bear a passive sense here?
For instance: He was the escaped/escaping prisoner. Is it true that we cannot use escaped in the sentence above?


texts: Does the verb 'to be' have a direct object in English? And do all prepositions create a direct object too?

texts:
For instance, would the correct sentence be 'whom is he?' or 'who is he?'?

Further, would 'to', 'for', 'with', and so on all be followed by a 'whom' or a 'him'; rather than a 'who' or a 'he'?

Thanks in advance!


texts:
Imagine there's a group of friends and they're on a trip or on vacation. They're not going to chip in for every single spending; instead, a certain person shells out for everything throughout and when they're back home (back from trip) THAT certain person figures each person's share of expenses and then charge them.

The question is what THAT person is called? I mean if there's any idiom or informal word for it.


texts: What to call someone who, apart from very inappropriate acts, doesn't care about what others think about him?

texts: So, for instance, someone who doesn't occupy himself with the opinions of others and what they think of him, however who wouldn't go naked on the streets, because he completely doesn't care about what people think.


texts: It was comprised of five ingredients. It comprises five ingredients

texts:
I have always used the term the first way, as in "comprised of five ingredients," but someone I work with regularly uses it as in "comprises five ingredients."

Are both usages correct? If no, which is incorrect? The second usage is something I find very difficult to wrap my head around. Thank you~!


texts: Lost Out of Sky - Local Usage (India) or Typo

texts:
I was reading a news story about a jet crash in the UK from a site hosted in India, and I believe the author may also be from there.

In it, I saw the sentence:

  The jet which appeared to have lost out of sky while performing looping-the-loops, smashed...

In the US, the phrase "lost out of sky" would either be "run out of sky" or "lost altitude".

My question is, is this an common or accepted expression in Indian English or even a more localized dialect, "to lose out of [something]," or is it merely a typo on the part of the author?


texts: Plural or single form of word in names of variables, classes

texts: I am wondering which option is more correct when I want to call some class of objects: NotificationService or NotificationsService. Is there difference between them? If so, what is it?


texts:
Can 'it' as a pronoun refer to many different imperative verbs? For instance, in the sentence:

  Abide by thy customs, thou excellent one: grind thy corn, drink thy water, praise thy cooking,-- if only it make thee glad!


texts:
My friend's dad had a stroke two weeks ago. Today I asked about his recovery and my friend said he is ok for now. I want to say that I'm really glad that my friend's dad is feeling better. Does "I'm really happy to hear that" sound natural to a native speaker's ear? What would you say in that situation?
Thanks a lot in advance!


texts:
He will stay here for a week .

He will be staying here for a week.

I will be staying here till he comes back.

I will stay here till he comes back.

Are the above written sentences correct? And, when do we use will stay and will be staying.


texts:
I am having some issues with using the right verb (go, play, do) with the following activities:

to do boxing or to go boxing;
to do archery;
to do high jump;
to do javelin;
to do or to go bungee jumping;
to go hang gliding;
to go scuba diving;
to do rock climbing;
to go snowboarding;
to go windsurfing

Thank you


texts: English pronunciation of "charade" as in Pink Floyd song Pigs

texts:
I was recently listening to the Pink Floyd song "Pigs (Three different ones)" and a line in the chorus goes,

  Ha ha, charade you are!

In the context of the song I am nearly sure that the word charade is intended to mean something or someone that is a fake.  What interests me is the way that the word is pronounced.

It is being pronounced Sha-r-ahhh-d (Not sure how to convey a long ah accent but that is the intent.  As an American, I have only ever heard this word pronounced more like Sha-r-AID.

My question is, is there a single correct pronunciation of the word, or is this simply pronounced differently in England as compared to America (US, Canada)?  Or... is this simply just a poetic pronunciation of the word in the song for effect and uniqueness?


texts: How should I write long numbers in comma separated lists or parenthetical phrases?

texts:
In writing out a sentence with a parenthetical number, it occurred to me that it is a bit difficult to read. Is there a better way? (Yes, this is a bit of a contrived example and yes, I realize it could be reworded to take away the awkwardness, but it illustrates my question)

  The database contains a lot of records, nearly 300,000, per month.

When I read this sentence, my eyes do a double-take at the end of "300,000," to comprehend the meaning because with the comma I'm expecting another triplet of digits.


texts: How do you refer to a member of a biological taxon in the singular?

texts:
If I wish to refer to, say, an Owl in the more generic form as a member of the biological order Strigiformes, what is the correct modification of the apparently plural word into a singular form?

For instance:

  Upon entering the forest, Jonothan was immediately assaulted by an angry [singular strigiformes].

Or:

  The Manduca Sexta is a [singular lepidoptera] which feeds on a [singular solanaceae] during the larval phase, normally a Tobacco plant.


texts: Is there an idiom or word to describe the action of individuals who verbally tease another person?

texts: I have seen some young kids like to tease somebody and laugh at the person and think this is a lots of fun for them, I would like to know if there is any word or idiom  that explains their action.


texts:
I was recently proofreading an ESL textbook and came across a photo of a woman.  She had a surprised look on her face.  Underneath were four options that the student was to pick.  One of them was: "The woman is looking surprised." The other options were not possible choices.

I can't cite a general rule why this option is incorrect other than I have never seen or heard "look" used in this way.  I asked someone else, and they said it sounded weird but didn't violate any rules of grammar.  I feel it should be "The woman looks surprised." in the same way that we say "I know something," and not "I am knowing something."

Is the option "The woman is looking surprised." incorrect?


texts:
I understand that at which point is completely grammatical and I know how and when to use it, but it just now struck me as an odd phrase.

What exactly is which doing here? How does it make the phrase make sense?

  Example:
  I ran ten miles without stopping, at which point I felt sick.

I want to think which is being used in the usual sense referring to a selection (e.g., which of these), but I'm not quite sure.


texts: X, along with Y and others, "were" or "was"?

texts:
There is an earlier exchange on this, but one that does not include "and others" and that uses only the verb "to be." My question:

What if it were "Joan, along with Jake and others" and the verb were not "to be," but a regular transitive verb? For example, "bake": Joan, along with Jake and others, bake/s cakes every Saturday. Would the singular still be absolutely necessary, or would plural be acceptable usage as well?


texts:
Can i use an adjective after an object and verb?
If yes, can i use participle adjectives or simple adjectives or both?

He came running.
He came wounded.
He came happy.
I saw the man sad.
She lies smiling.
I saw her wounded.
He lies dead.

Which of these sentences are grammatically correct?
Thanks in advance.


texts: Common root of "practice," "practical," and "practicum"

texts:
When someone practices something, they do it often/as a habit. When someone says something is practical, they usually mean it is pragmatic/sensible/applicable, yet not necessarily practiced.  And my teachers have used practicum to refer to a test, which is an examination, not an instance of practice.

What is the common root of these words, what does it mean, and why do these words seem to mean different things?


texts: Looking for an English word to explain a certain business situation

texts:
I am looking for an English word to explain the following business situation.

A new product or service is offered to the market. There are many small companies that start to provide this service or product. After a while, only a few of them survives. Other companies are either bought out or closed down. The market has xyz.

What is the best word to use here in the place of xyz?

The first word that pops up in my mind is to converge, but I believe that there is a better word. However, I cannot remember it at the moment.


texts:
I would like to know if the two sentences in the title mean the same thing.

This is the stone where I carved my name=This is the stone into which I carved my name.


texts: "Per documentation:" vs. "Per the documentation:"

texts:
I often quote the documentation of the software I am writing about on StackOverflow. Typically, I use the short phrase:

  Per documentation:

Also serving as deep link to the quoted passage, followed by the quote.

Recently somebody edited a post of mine to make this:

  Per the documentation:

Not the most important detail, but now I wonder which is more correct. I like to be brief, so if either is correct my preference is obvious.

I am typically referring to the official documentation of the project, not just some documentation, if that should matter.


texts: In reference to the size of a class. Could you say "we were like ten people" or would it be "there were like ten people"? What is the difference between using we and there in this context?


texts: Why put a comma before "too" when meaning "as well" but not before words that can be used in place of "too?"

texts:
"If I were to go to the market, would you like to come, too?"
How is it that that is correct, while replacing "too" with "as well" would not warrant the same comma before it? They mean the same thing, so why aren't they treated like it?


texts: What does the word very mean in the phrase "Until this very day"?

texts: What does the word "very" mean in the phrase "Until this very day"? I always thought very is an intensifier, but it doesn't seem to be doing that here.


texts: Word for "Someone who seeks investment for a company"

texts:
What is a word for someone who tries to get investment for a company? This may be someone who works for the company or who doesn't work for the company...

Thanks a lot.


texts:
It's pretty clear that using do/did we can emphasise a verb. Such as

I do recommend reading that book.

or

I did enjoy the movie.

But the question is, how to emphasise sentences like

I am keen to work with you.


texts: Word for eerily quiet manner when plotting something/scheming

texts: I remember seeing a word that defined someone's creepy manner or eery quietness when having plotted against or going to plot against someone/thing. If not that, just the quietness associated with psychopathic tendencies (think of a creepy kid in class that's smiling to himself after the class discovery of his murdering of the pet guinea pig.)


texts:
Someone told me that once a week is the least so there won't be such a thing like "less than once a week" but twice or once a month is less than "once a week" am I wrong?

Is this usage incorrect?


texts: Quotation marks vs Italics for sourcing articles

texts:
I wanted to source an online article (just a regular one, not part of a longer work) and was unsure whether to use quotation marks or italics. I know that it is generally advised to use quotation marks for shorter sources, but I have heard conflicting thoughts. Also, I should not use a comma in front of the title right?
Without Comma: I read an article titled "Climate Change".
With Comma: I read an article titled, "Climate Change".
I would assume the first one is better because it the title is an essential phrase


texts: Is there any difference(s) between the two phrases "set in" and "kick in"?

texts:
When I checked up in the dictionary, they both have the meaning of "start" or "happen", or "come into effect"

  If you get bitten by a dog, you have to make sure the wound is cleaned well, or an infection could set in.

Above is an example sentence from the Cambridge Dictionary. It basically means "an infection would happen"

An example sentence for "kick in" would be:

  It takes half an hour for the medication to kick in.

It basically means the medication starts.

I don't quite get the subtle differences in meaning between the two words.


texts: If you want to end the conversation politely, how do you say it?

texts:
If you want to end the conversation politely, especially when you are aware others are busy, what do you say? Something like:

  I will leave you alone?

Is there any better way to say that?


texts: What comes after the ducentiquinquagintasexions?

texts:
Hypercomplex numbers that use the Cayley-Dickson construction seem to follow a Latin naming convention related to the size of the algebra (which is always a power of two). As an English.SE question, I'm interested in the larger names that I haven't been able to find on the web. Here is what I know:

Quaternions (4-ions)
Octonions (8-ions)
Sedenions (16-ions)
Trigintaduonions (32-ions)
Sexagintaquatronions (64-ions)
Centumduodetrigintanions (128-ions)
Ducentiquinquagintasexions (256-ions)

What would the next higher orders be following this naming scheme?

??? (512-ions)
??? (1024-ions)
??? (2048-ions)
??? (4096-ions)


texts: Please explain the meaning of "otherwise than" in this sentence

texts:
Please explain the meaning of the second part and explain "otherwise than" in part b

  a person’s UK property business consists of:

  (a) every business which the person carries on for generating income from land in the United Kingdom; and

  (b) every transaction which the person enters into for that purpose otherwise than in the course of such a business.


texts: Looking for a word that implies another person's presumed experience

texts: When there is a decision that needs to be made between you and another person. It would be good if it has connotations of a presumed expertise. For example, if you and another person were looking for an answer to a complex problem, either party could make the decision but you believe their decision would be best. Something like "I defer to you for this decision", or "I concede the decision to you". Neither of the words are what I believe I'm looking for.


texts: Why does "defenestrate" mean "throw someone out a window" and not "remove a window"?

texts:
When I fenestrate something I put a window into it.  But when I defenestrate I throw someone out of a window.  Why does defenestrate not mean "remove a window"?

As examples - when someone has a detox they remove toxins.  When someone de-clutters they remove clutter.


texts: "To have a dinner" vs "to have dinner": which one is correct?

texts: Does one need to use the article in this case?


texts: What is the name for the favor which goes against your best interest?

texts:
Many languages have this expression but I am not sure how it is expressed in English.

Its example would be:

  I helped him cheat his way through college, now he has no job. I did
  him ____ favor.

Hope it makes sense, and thanks for your help in advance.


texts:
I was wondering when and how the expression "Whatever floats your boat", meaning "What makes you happy; what stimulates you" (Wiktionary) came to be.

My research hasn't yielded anything which could be described as objective. Thus, I'll leave the urban dictionary and reddit assumptions aside. The ngram shows a steep rise starting in the early 80s. However, I was not able to pinpoint a definite source.

Can anyone shed light on this issue?


texts: What is the rule for duplicating the last letter when adding "-ed"?

texts:
I wonder if there is any rule for doubling the p at the end of a stem. For example:

  stop — stopped

but

  help — helped


texts:
I am wondering which of the below sentence is correct...
(if there are other errors, please point them out as well)

It is because of these experiences that make me who I am today, a leader who is nominated not only for his impact in his community, but also for his excellence in sports.
It is because of these experiences that make me who I am today, a leader who is nominated not only for my impact in my community, but also for my excellence in sports.


texts: Looking for an idiom meaning "this is not relevant to you"

texts:
I'm looking for an idiom which is the opposite of "falls under your umbrella" or "up your ally".
For example:

I noticed you are the head of IT at ACME. Until recently, I would have thought that reducing manufacturing cost operations is _____ [idiom for "not relevant for a person at your position"].


texts: What is the proper way to ask two questions in one sentence?

texts:
Every now and again I find myself writing a sentence like this:

  INPUT in LPINPUT is some data structure I can identify — what does LP mean, array?

I don't know what to call this type of sentence but the general format is that I ask a question and then list one or more possible answers.

Now in the quote above I used a comma to separate the original question and my supposed answer but would it not be correct to use two question marks? Like so:

  INPUT in LPINPUT is some data structure I can identify — what does LP mean?
  array?

Because the way I see it, I'm asking two questions.


texts: Is the verb "hustle" used mostly positively or negatively these days?

texts:
I am confused about the uses of the word hustle. According to the dictionary, to hustle means a lot of negative things, like:

force (someone) to move hurriedly or unceremoniously in a specified direction.
obtain by forceful action or persuasion.
coerce or pressure someone into doing or choosing something
sell aggressively
obtain by illicit action; swindle; cheat.

However, it is used in positive inspirational quotes, such as:

“Good things happen to those who hustle.” - Anaïs Nin
"What you lack in talent can be made up with desire, hustle and giving 110 percent all the time." - Don Zimmer
“Good things come to those who wait, but only the things left over by those who hustle.” – Abraham Lincoln

Why are the dictionary definitions so negative? There is not a single positive mention of the word in there, isn't that deflecting the reality?


texts: What’s the origin of the phrase “pay attention”? Did one have to pay monies for this historically?

texts: Does the phrase “pay attention” imply there used to be a fee for performing said action? If so, how would this be collected? In other words is “paying attention” objectively observable and therefore taxable? I suspect this phrase dates backs to Stalinist Russia, but I could be wrong.


texts: Some confusion in conversation, need clarification

texts:
I applied for a job today (online). The conversation I had with HR is below.

Me:

  Since I'm from India so could you please let me know whether you'll be
  providing H1B-Visa or not?

HR:

  This position does not merit an H-1B. The job requires training in the
  US for about 2.5 months and then deployment to Antarctica. When we
  have an international hire we get a short term J-1 visa for the
  training period only. There is no visa requirement for Antarctica.

I'm not getting him completely. Does the above means I am allowed to get training in US or I must have a VISA which they are not ready to provide?


texts: Is the phrase 'request you to send the copy' correct?

texts: I read in this website that request should be with that and a clause, not the one with a to-infinitive. In that sense the phrase Request you to send the copy seems to be wrong. If its wrong what would be correct way?


texts:
I thought "commit to" should be followed by "-ing", but the following article uses infinitive form of verb, as in the following sentence:

"Under its contract with Pfizer, the Trump administration committed to buy an initial 100 million doses, with an option to purchase as many as five times more."

Does this occasion have a reason for such use, or it's simply a typo?


texts: How to explain to an ESL student the use and grammar behind 'very' and 'really'

texts:
I was just correcting an Italki student's short article; Chinese speakers often use 'very' when we require 'really', and it was very/really difficult to explain why. It seems 'really' can also modify/intensify a verb, but 'very' cannot. The Chinese use zhen 真。 The student example was 'very enjoyed' - I cannot think of a case where very can modify a verb.

Here's how I tried to explain:
'very' and 'really' are intensifiers corresponding to zhen 真。They are used in combination with adjectives or adverbs. Really can be used exactly like 真 in the sentences Really? Really! 真的吗？ 真的！Zhende ma? Zhende! but 'very' needs to have an associated adjective or adverb. Was it very hot that day? Very! (hot is understood). It seems 'really' can also be used to intensify a verb 'really enjoyed' but 'very' cannot.

Did I do enough, and was it near enough?


texts:
Is it right to say far from the end in the following example?

  Researches on the exploitation of the DAS method are far from the end.


texts: is the phrase "please clarify" a command?

texts:
I wrote an e-mail:

  Attached is the Report, received a short while ago, submitted by Peter Pringle:

  What did his colleague tell you should be entered under section titled: Total Project Expenditure for the month? No total Project expenditure or Labor expenditure has been indicated at any time on the Peter Pringle report.
  Why does Peter's report have permanent staff shown under the labor force [as opposed to my instruction to include only casual labor]?

  Please clarify.

to my line manager regarding what I saw as a conflict between the instruction I had been given by him and the example that had been submitted to me by the client (Peter Pringle) as a template for my submission. My manager responded by e-mailing me

  Let’s get one thing straight, you do not delegate to me(CLARIFY).

Was his response justifiable?


texts: Synonym or short phrase for 'entablature'

texts:
I am not sure if this word has multiple meanings, but I am using it in an architectural context.  Classical orders have distinctive columns with distinctive capitals.  However, when I say each style also has a distinctive entablature, I am guessing many readers won't know what what the word entablature means (I didn't). So next to the word 'entablature', I would like to put in parentheses a synonym or very short phrase that defines the word 'entablature'.

Essentially, my question boils down to:  What is a synonym or very-short phrase for the word 'entablature'?


texts:
I sometimes see this kind of usage of "like so much":

  Her flawlessly crafted facade hides a real person that's usually breaking like so much fine china in order to keep up the deception.

Similarly:

  In staking out the line between poem and prose, [Danielewski] treats our traditional lexis like so much Silly Putty.

Seems kind of archaic / quaint to me. What does it mean exactly?


texts: In a list, does 'counting from' an item includes the item itself?

texts:
I googled this up and although I found references to counting in general, not even one specifically answering this question.
The reason I ask is because my Adobe PDF Printer is mysteriously gone. I followed some instructions in Adobe's website on how to recover it, and at some point I'm faced with a list of printer drivers, all named exactly the same.
At that point, the instructions say:

You see many Adobe PDF Converters on the list. Count six down from the top and select the printer.

I became a little confused, as I realised I simply don't know (duh!, how dumb) if  counting from includes or skips the 1st item.
Turns out I tried skipping or including it and none worked, so I used another PDF software altogether.
Still I think something can be learnt from this.


texts: How does one properly write the end quotation marks for a quote, within a quote, within a quote --a triple quotation?ation

texts: How do I properly write the end quotation marks for a quote, within a quote, within a quote --A triple quotation?


texts: Do native speakers understand all the words in songs?

texts:
I'm wondering if native speakers understand all the words in songs. For me it is very very difficult, as I can usually understand only 30% of words and phrases in songs. While listening to people's conversations (e.g. podcasts) I understand much more, perhaps about 80%.

This was the first part of the question. The second part involves an example. Listen to this great song from Nick Cave. Do native speakers really understand all the words in this song? I mean without looking at the lyrics. Is it possible? He sings very fast and there are no spaces or pauses between the words, so I mostly "hear" isolated words, and the rest of the song is just some kind of gobbledegook.

Update

Let me explain why this question is not off-topic. It's closely related to English because in my native language (which is Russian) we always understand all the words in songs, I mean we understand more than 99% of words all the time. And I was wondering who's to blame. Is my English so poor that I can't fully understand all the words? Or is it just a feature of the English language, particularly in songs?


texts: Which antecedent does "them" refer to in this sentence?

texts:
He knew people as only people of great sensitivity are able to know them, as somebody who is alone and sees people almost prophetically, from one flash of a face.
(Jana Cerna, Milena Jesenska; from Jasenska's obituary of Kafka in Kafka's Milena, 1993)

What does the phrase "He knew... know them" mean?
I think that  the "them" in the excerpt above is referring to  "beautiful people" and the "such persons" in the longer excerpt below. But I'm still not sure how to fully interpret it.

He was too clear-sighted and too wise to be able to live; he was too weak to fight, he had that weakness of noble, beautiful people who are not able to do battle against the fear of misunderstandings, unkindness, or intellectual lies. Such persons know beforehand that they are powerless and go down in defeat in such a way that they shame the victor. He knew people as only people of great sensitivity are able to know them, as somebody who is alone and sees people almost prophetically, from one flash of a face. He was himself a deep and extraordinary world.


texts:
Sorry, if this question is naive.

If someone asks me,

  "You didn't go to school today, right?"

If I did not, should I answer,  Yes or No?

Similarly,

  "You do not like eating fish, do you?"

If I do not like eating fish, should I say Yes or No?


texts:
Apologies if this question is off-topic. I've checked the FAQs for topics that are acceptable and 'word choice and usage' appears in the list.

I'm working on a website redesign and would like to display a section for each of our branches. When the branches are open, a simple note displays saying "We are open" followed by "Call us on ...".

I have also added a note when the branches are closed; "We are currently closed".

A few people on my team believe that this could be misinterpreted to mean that the branch is closed permanently. Although I don't agree, I do agree that there is likely a better phrase available.

I wondered if anyone had any thoughts on this. Is this one of those occasions when we over think things? Would you take "We are currently closed" to mean that the branch has closed down?


texts: Is there a word for the moment before something irreversible happens?

texts: Imagine you are about to do something that will impact you greatly, for better or worse. is there a word that captures the feeling, of being at the cusp of a great event that is not necessarily good or bad?


texts: What is the meaning of that sentence ? Sentence is "At the start of the year unemployment was plumbing new lows."

texts: Can you explain why plumbing is used and what "new lows" mean ? Thanks.


texts:
There is a latin sequence of terms that refer to order from last:

ultimate, last
penultimate, second from last
antepenultimate, third from last
preantepenultimate, forth from last
propreantepenultimate, fifth from last
xxxpropreantepenultimate, sixth from last?

Has the final word ever been used or coined anywhere?


texts: Use of "yet another" in the middle of a sentence

texts:
Is the usage of yet another correct in the following sentence?

  This sentence might need yet another piece of work for you!

Where can I place yet another in a sentence?


texts: It's really nice seeing you. Do native speakers often use this phrase?

texts:
My teacher told us that if you want to start a conversation or greeting in a not necessarily formal way you should say the phrase "it's really nice seeing you" after saying hello.

Do native English speakers use it in real life with their friends or family members?


texts: A word/phrase for when an icon means something other than it's actual depiction

texts:
A few years ago at my company, for various reasons if you performed a dangerous action you had to hold a large doll while doing it. This is no longer necessary and the doll is now gone from the office.

Today I posted  on slack to show I was doing this action and a coworker joked that the icon was now so stylised and turnover had been so high that most people who worked at the company had no idea what it meant - but everyone still used it to mean "I'm performing [ACTION]".
He then asked if there was a word for it, mentioning the "save icon" he used as a coaster on his desk.

I suggested cargo-culting but that doesn't really seem to fit. Equally linguistic drift applies to words rather than symbols.

My various google searches have turned up articles about how millennials don't know what the voicemail icon means and essays on how people read different things from emoji, but nothing useful.


texts: Etymology of 'ends' or 'the ends' and other current British/London slang

texts:
I'd like to know more about how 'ends' came to mean 'hometown' in current London slang. I have heard it used to mean money, which is an extension of mainstream use - means to an end, for one's own ends etc. Can anyone enlighten me?

Also, is there are decent source of general etymological information on current slang words? I know a lot come from Caribbean words and American hip-hop but a central source would be great.


texts: Phrase for the sickness experienced when once a most favorite perfume or song or food desired feel disgusting after repetitive use/listening

texts:
What is common phrase or word for the sickness / queasiness we have when once a most favorite perfume we ached for to use or food we long to eat or song we desired to listen to, again and again is lost due to its repetition (repetitive consumption).
While I read about olfactory fatigue but it seems to define as a temporary effect, while the above is more a long term effect. Moreover even if olfactory fatigue is used as long-term term, still there is no common word for such a phenomenon that I know of. The closest term I can come up with is "Repetitive consumption fatigue" but is there any already phrase in use especially when this is a common phenomenon.


texts:
Below are two sentences for the discussion:

There may be few if any other plumbers working in Moore's town. (Source: from an LSAT)

There may be few, if any, other plumbers working in Moore's town. (This is my own adaptation by adding commas)

If I understood correctly, few means a very small amount of number. Also, By MW, "few if any" means not very many or none at all.
So is it correct to say: 1. expresses two possible scenarios: 1-2 other plumbers and none; whereas, 2. only mention the scenario of 1-2 other plumbers?
Thank you for the help.


texts:
I have difficulty understanding the following sentence from President Barack Obama's 2009 inaugural address.

For as much as government can do, and must do, it is ultimately the
faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation
relies.

I am facing two comprehension problems on this sentence:
(1) What does the "as much as" section mean and grammatically function?
According to my English usage book, "as" and "though (mostly British usage)" can be used in a special structure after a noun, both denoting "although"--therefore this section could be virtually the same with "much as government can do..." And it says that "as...as" is common in American English.
As such, I have assumed this section means "although government can do and must do much." Is this understanding right?

(2) Is the main clause "it is...upon which..." considered as a cleft sentence?
According to the usage book, the structure "it is (the words to be emphasized) that..." is used to make a cleft sentence.
Excluding the emphasis placed, the main clause seems to mean "this nation ultimately relies upon the faith and determination of the American people." So, I guess this is a cleft sentence, although I am quite unsure whether "it is...upon which..." can ever be used in producing a cleft sentence.
For a non-native speaker, it is very challenging to fully comprehend such a sophisticated and complicated sentence.
Thank you for your invaluable knowledge.


texts: Word/phrase like Schadenfreude, but a feeling of comfort or satisfaction?

texts: I am looking for a word or excellent, catchy description for a situation in which a person (A) feels a sense of satisfaction at another (B) having to obey the same rules as them, and the suffering that this causes, as well as feeling a corresponding discomfort or jealousy over the possibility of B not obeying/suffering in the same way as A.


texts: Can I use the verb "attached" for a piece of information supplied in the email body?

texts:
Please find attached the detail for my application.

Is this sentence correct if I supply the detail in the email body, not in a separately attached file?


texts:
On Wikipedia we read:

  dirty money: (idiomatic) Money that is illegally gained, illegally
  transferred or illegally utilized. Especially money gained through
  forgery, bribery, or thievery.

Is there a precise origin of the idiom "dirty money"? Why has the word "dirty" replaced "illegal"? (perhaps because an author has used it an important novel?)


texts:
In this sentence, is "declining" an adverb? Gerund (noun that uses a verb + ing form)? Or adjective?

  The university's board of trustees, being worried over declining
  student enrollments and their failing to secure additional funding
  from the state, has formed a committee to determine what cuts need to
  be made to staff and programs.

Is there a parallelism error here between "declining student enrollments" and "their failing to secure...". How would you fix it?


texts: What does "Infertile, Offspring Viable," mean? How does that work?

texts:
Yesterday I saw the sentence "Infertile, Offspring Viable"

What does that even mean?

If the parents are infertile, then they can't have produced children in the first place.
Does this have a different meaning in English?

Thank you. :)


texts: Physically at the center of the universe looking out--Particular kind of existential angst?

texts:
I know I'm not the center of the universe. But physically, I am the center, from purely my own perspective, looking out at the world and all other beings. The occasional angst I get is: Why am I the person who is physically at the center looking out? Is this about the "meaning of life"? I don't care about the meaning of life. I only wonder why I'm at the physical center of it, looking out. Do others feel that way?
Is there a specific term for this?


texts: What word or term describes a wire which is rigid, like a very thin rod?

texts:
The word wire usually describes a flexible strand of metal used to conduct electricity. However, there is a kind of non-flexible wire which can be used to transfer mechanical motion. I guess "rod" wouldn't accentuate how thin it is, especially if a device has a rod providing one type of motion, and a very thin, but very rigid "wire" providing a different one.

"Solid wire" just means that instead of many thin strands there is just one thicker piece of wire in the core.

The wire which I'm talking about doesn't have any insulator around, and it is rigid and elastic like a rod, just very, very thin.


texts: "How-to" or "how to" in reference to tutorial

texts: Should I refer to a tutorial as a how-to or a how to? Is there a grammatical rule for this?


texts: Non-vulgar way to express that you "f-word love" something

texts:
So I wanted to say that I really love some web service, (I could pretty much say this about stack exchange too!) and I wanted to keep the power of my words, but I have a bad habit of using f-word in english more than I want, since English is not my native tongue and it makes it easier, when you lack rich vocabulary. I heard that usage of f word has a strong connotation and is generally perceived badly. I am not sure how to replace such an expression. There is the "God, I love something something", but I would also like to avoid using the word "God".

There surely are common ways to express such a thing, but I cannot come up with anything. Would you suggest some ways, please?


texts:
I have want to improve my writing. Mastering grammar and spelling are building blocks of writing. Therefore I concentrate on grammar first. The books I use are:
- Oxford A-Z of Grammar and Punctuation
- Oxford Essential Writer's Reference
- My Grammar and I

These books are very useful, but I am missing exercises. The grammar exercise books I found on Amazon the are of a lower level, and they seem not to have a solid structure like my books. Instead they are are littered with colours and pictures.

Can anyone recommend no-nonsense exercise books or websites that match with the books I use?


texts: What is the etymology of "flabbergasted"?

texts: Online Etymology dictionary suggests it's "likely an arbitrary formation from flabby or flapper and aghast". I'm wondering if anyone has any more insight.


texts: Is it "the policy is a predicable" or "the policy is predicable"?


texts: Which is the correct spelling: “fairy” or “faerie”?

texts: Fairy vs. faerie — which is the correct spelling?


texts: What does 'this measure' mean in the passage?

texts:
In the history of sports and in our ‘winning is everything’ culture, I’m not aware of anyone who ever won every game, or every event, or every championship they competed for. Roger Federer, the great tennis player who some call the greatest of all time, has won a record seventeen Grand Slam titles. Yet, he has competed in more than sixty Grand Slam events. Thus, perhaps the greatest tennis player ever failed more than two-thirds of the time. While we don’t think of him as a failure, but rather as a champion, the plain fact is, he failed much more than he succeeded on this measure, and that’s generally the way things are for anyone. Failure precedes success. Simply accept that failure is part of the process and get on with it."

  — Identity Design: Design the Identity You Need to get the Life You Want
  By Judge Frank Szymanski

I assume it refers to 'the greatest tennis player ever failed more than two-thirds of the time' but what does 'measure' mean? Does it mean 'a measured quantity'?


texts: Is there the word "ideotechnical" in English?

texts:
There's a word that I don’t understand the meaning of even in my mother tongue and cannot find in any dictionary — ideotechnical/idiotechnical — not even sure which one.
I would appreciate it if someone read the background and suggested a proper translation of the word.
Does the text look as if written by an English-speaking person?

Annotation.The article covers the description of the Arabic and Russian anthroponymy systems.As the information of linguistic and extralinguistic anthroponymy planes  is multidimentional, not only idiotechnical and universal features of national anthroponymy systems are illustrated by modelling configurations,but also an attempt has been made to offer a complex analysis of the materials investigated.
keywords: onomastics,proper name,Arabic anthroponymy model,Russian anthroponymy model,name,surname,middle name.


texts: A word for the unpleasant taste in the mouth after sleeping uncomfortably

texts:
When I wake up after sleeping on a train or a bus or in the back of a car, I often find an incredibly unpleasant taste in my mouth. It seems as though a few people get this - google has various results for a "metallic taste after waking up" - but I've not heard any word to specifically describe this taste, as in:

  I'm just going fetch a drink - I slept on the way down here and my mouth tastes of something

Of course, "my mouth tastes of crap" would get the point across handily, but I'd like a word that literally refers to this specific sensation. Phrases are also welcome. British english is preferred, but I'd happily borrow from other dialects.


texts: Should I capitalise the first letter when a sentence starts with a number?

texts:
When starting a sentence with a number, should the first letter be capitalised?

For example,

  96% Real meat.

or

  96% real meat.


texts: Is there a term for saying 'all countries outside the United States' without using the word 'foreign'? (used with international audience)

texts:
I have to come up with a short description/label/identifier to describe two geographical groups:

United States
All countries except the United States

The description would be read by a global audience so the term foreign won't work. It must be short since it will be need to be displayed on reports that don't allow for long descriptions. Currently US & EX-US is being used but that doesn't feel right to me. There has to be a term or a way to label this, right?


texts: What's it called when a compound word can be split up in diff ways to present alt meanings?

texts:
For instance, is the pet store PETSMART meant to be Pets Mart, or Pet Smart? That's not actually my question, as I'm pretty sure it's Pet Smart. I'm just asking what it's called when a word either CAN be split into multiple ways to present alternative meanings, or WAS MEANT TO be able to be interpreted two or more different ways through this method.

If you're wondering the source of the question, there is a game on Kickstarter right now called PooPride featuring human waste as protagonists. And given that it's a racing game, I imagine the name is meant to have a second meaning as Poop Ride.


texts: Do native speakers pronounce all words with æ always in a similar way?

texts:
In online dictionaries, I can hear different pronunciations for different words with æ. Does a specific person pronounce all words with æ in a similar way or there can be a difference in pronunciation for different words for the same person? I'm interested in only American pronunciation now.

Here are several examples:

thanks - american pronunciation is more close to [ə] sound
cat - american pronunciation is more close to [ə] sound
hat - american pronunciation is more close to [ə] sound
flash - american pronunciation is more close to [a] sound
fact - american pronunciation is more close to [a] sound

If would one american speaker pronounce all words in this list than all of them were sound close to one sound (either [ə] sound or [a] sound)?


texts: Is "go to the hospital" used even when referring to multiple hospitals? [AmE]

texts:
It's well known the British go to hospital while the Americans go to the hospital.
But I wonder Americans really use go to the hospital in the completely same way as Britons do with the zero article hospital.
I have come across the following sentence, a bit modified for removing distractions, from a New York Times article.

Police officers fired rubber bullets and stun grenades at citizens,
sending hundreds of people to the hospital by the afternoon.

It's unlikely that all of the hundreds of people mentioned above were taken to a single hospital, I believe. This begs the question--whether Americans use the phrase to the hospital even when people go to or are sent to multiple hospitals.
In British English, the phrase to the hospital in the quoted sentence above should be rewritten as to hospital, with no information on which hospital or hospitals they were admitted to, much the way phrases such as to school and to church have no interest in the physical place when they mean abstractly the purpose they are designed for.
With the phrase to the hospital, do Americans recognize abstractly and not care about the physical place, so to the hospital is used even when multiple hospitals are involved?
I appreciate any suggestions or explanations.


texts: What is the recipient of a question called?

texts:
When I ask you a question I am the inquisitor or or the inquirer. But what are you, the one to whom I'm asking the question?
Here's the example I'm working with: the children's book "Are you My Mother?"...the hatchling asks that question to many things (animals, objects); I'd love to have one word to describe those animals and things he's posing the question to...the object of the inquirer.


texts: Difference of "I am just an ABC" vs "I am but a XYZ"

texts:
As far as I (non-native speaker) can tell, these two sentences have the same meaning:

I'm just a humble merchant
I'm but a humble merchant

However I wonder if there is some subtle difference between those two variants I am missing. From the contexts I found the variants in, the one using but seems to be a bit more anachronistic and - when used in a modern setting - seems to have a hint of irony/sarcasm to it? Is there any modern context in which one would use but instead of just for other reasons (maybe indicate belonging to a special social group)?


texts:
What is the origin of the word earthling?
Are there other words with a similar meaning (marsling, venusling)?


texts: Using a slash (/) between multi-word phrases

texts:
How would you suggest using a forward slash (/) between multi-word phrases? Should a slash be even used between multi-word phrases?

For example -

  Following are the open/in progress issues.

or

  Following are the open/ in progress issues.

or

  Following are the open/in-progress issues.

P.S. - The example sentence is just for explaining the problem, I'm not necessarily looking for an alternate way to put the same point forward.


texts: When could you take the "Urban Dictionary" seriously?

texts:
I have always had a serious problem with Urban Dictionary as I do not know when to take it seriously and when not! Sometimes it seems very useful to me to understand what ordinary people on the street, teenagers and jerks are talking about, but sometimes I find it like a joke! An out of control joker laughing at everything with bold sexist and chauvinist phrases, expressions, slang and definitions though, doesn't give you enough trust to believe it.

Now, the question is: Is there any method or solution to find which definitions in the Urban Dictionary are false and doubtful and which definitions are correct and according to the reality which is going on on the street, in culture and the language of the masses in English language countries?

As a non native who has never lived in these countries I don't have the ability to find out it by myself.


texts: Term for a person that is "highly influenced by marketing"

texts:
Some people in our lives are more influenced by marketing techniques then others.  What is a term for someone who gives in to the the powers of persuasion issued by the marketeers?

For example, a woman who must buy everything peddled by a Kardashian.  Or a man that must own a new full size truck despite not having professional need for one in order to be a "real man".

Oftentimes I observe people engaging in this behavior to the detriment to their own and their family's finances.


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

texts:
I have heard the verb "shanked" use to mean pulling down someone's pants, and the noun "shank" to mean stabbing someone. What is the etymology of "shanked"?

From researching online, it appears that the word has some Dutch roots with leg, but both of these slang definitions I've mentioned above do not show up much in definitions for the word. I am curious how it has gained such different meanings in common vernacular.


texts: You won't catch the train if you don't/won't leave in time

texts:
You won't catch the train if you don't leave in time
  You won't catch the train if you won't leave in time

I'm pretty sure the correct version is "You won't catch the train if you don't leave in time", but I'm trying to explain it to someone and I don't know how to explain it. I also don't know how to google it.

Can you please help me with a simple explanation or a link that explains it?


texts: Is there a word for "sympathy, but not support"?

texts:
Some time ago, I watched a video appeal, and while I definitely felt sympathy for the speaker, I cannot say that when pressed to make a decision about his cause I would support it.
I understand why the position that is opposite to the speaker's exists, and it makes more sense to me logically.

Is there a single word that can capture the essence of the "I know why you feel X, and I'd feel X in your place, but I support opposite of X."?


texts:
I am working on a website and I want to have a category for people like George RR Martin and Agatha Christie.

I want to choose a name for this category but don't know which one fits the best for a not very formal website? Book Writer, Novelist or Author?


texts: Where does the -ive suffix come from in 'restive'?

texts:
I saw a headline today about the volcano near Manila in the Philippines.

Restive Philippine volcano prompts evacuation

MSN News 12th January 2020
I was  not familiar with the word 'restive' and thought it meant 'dormant',  but it means the opposite :

Characterized by erratic or adverse behaviour arising from discontent, disquiet, etc.

Oxford English Dictionary - requires subscription or library card

1: stubbornly resisting control : BALKY
2: marked by impatience or uneasiness : FIDGETY

Merriam Webster
So, it has the meaning 'restless'.
Where is the -ive suffix from ? I cannot think of another similar word.
How does that suffix give the word the same meaning as 'restless' ?


texts: What is the difference between sapience and sophonce?

texts:
The words sentient and sapient have fairly clear meanings, but the neologism sophont appears to be a synonym of sapient. Yet in a number of fiction a kind of hierarchy is made between the three.

In a fair amount of science fiction, the word sentient is misused as a synonym of sapient. In fiction such as Star Wars, this is further mangled into a distinction between "non-sentient" or "sub-sentient," "semi-sentient" and "fully sentient."

Initially I thought the sentient, sapient and sophont distinction was just a semantically correct version of the Star Wars-style of terminology. Yet fiction that uses this "correct" terminology, such as Orion's Arm or The Eldraeverse, often has dramatically different definitions and ideas about cognition (such as sapience without sentience, which I have difficulty imagining).

Even sentience may even be quantified as a "sentience quotient," unrelated to sapience or sophone, on which both plants and animals are measured. I don't know where I heard the idea, but I was initially under the impressions that plants were not sentient at all (by lacking nervous systems) until the quotient measured their sentience as much lower than animals.

I have no idea which distinction between sapient and sophont is correct, if any.


texts: What is the word for stories/movies/poems that have a moral lesson

texts:
I am reading this book - and I have been trying to remember the word but it's eluding me.

  What is the word for stories/movies/poems that provide a moral lesson.


texts:
In this sentence:

  We seek to provide a platform through social media and gallery showings that enhances the visibility of our members and the collective.

Shouldn’t it be “enhance” without the s?


texts: What is the proper usage of "not only... but also"?

texts:
I'm trying to figure out how to use "not only... but also" properly. Basically, my goal is to combine two clauses by using "not only".

For negations, I've figured out two styles that both sound correct:

He knew that if he fractures his finger, not only would he not be able to compete in the water polo tournament, he would not be able to take the SAT on Monday, either.
He knew that if he fractures his finger, neither would he be able to compete in the water polo tournament, nor would he be able to take the SAT on Monday.

However, I don't know how to form a sentence that does not include a negation while using "not only". Here are a few possibilities that I've considered:

Thanks to his remarkable performance on the SAT, not only was he accepted into Harvard, but he was also given a full scholarship.
Thanks to his remarkable performance on the SAT, not only was he accepted into Harvard, but he was given a full scholarship.
Thanks to his remarkable performance on the SAT, not only was he accepted into Harvard, he was given a full scholarship.
Thanks to his remarkable performance on the SAT, not only was he accepted into Harvard, he was also given a full scholarship.

In those four possibilities, I'm varying the usage of "but" and "also" in the last clause.

What is the proper usage of "not only"?


texts: Appending a suffix to a term which consists of multiple words

texts:
I would like to express the circumstance that a device is something like a cash register, but not quite the same.
I would like to append the suffix '-like' to do so.

However, I am unsure how to write this down correctly, for 'cash register' are actually two words.

Would I write

  a cash-register-like device.

or rather

  a cash register-like device.

Or neither of them?


texts:
I'm working on a project trying to define the relation between languages and countries. A detail on that is specifying the status of a language in a particular country. I defined four-level classification and named three of them. Probably due to being the most "neutral" of statuses, I'm having a hard time naming the third one. They are:

Official: The language is formally accepted and used for the functioning of the national state/government organs.
Recognized: Formal education and services are available in the language. Local/regional governments use it as an additional official language.
[Something]: The language is used in daily life and private education & services are provided in it. The state/government is mostly uninvolved.
Suppressed: The state or general public covertly or overtly adopts a negative stance against use of the language. Users may be derided, harassed or prosecuted.

I need a single-word name for the third status in there, in line with the others. Terms like "Neutral" seemed weak among the other three, as well as negated terms (non-x, un-x).

Another criterion is that this term should not imply the size of population using the language, so terms like minority and common don't work well either.


texts: Second conditional when making plans for the future: "If it rained tomorrow, I would go to the cinema."

texts:
If it rained tomorrow, I would go to the cinema.
  If it didn't rain tomorrow, I would go to school.

Which conditional is the best for this use case? Is it correct to use the Second Conditional or do I have to use the First? ("If it rains tomorrow, I will go to the cinema.")


texts: Please untangle the logic of this for me

texts:
Could someone please rephrase this for me, because every time I read it I get tangled up:

  According to the Second Circuit, there is no principle of administrative law which, absent a disagreement between a hearing officer and reviewing agency over demeanor evidence, obviates the need for deference to an agency's final decision where such deference is otherwise appropriate. (http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-9th-circuit/1214593.html)

I don't need you to explain the technical terms, just simplify the text around the technical terms.  Let's start with getting rid of "absent."


texts: Origin of irregular ending "-ught" for past simple and participle

texts:
There is a little group of irregular verbs in English that follow a similar pattern, having "-ught" as their ending for past simple and for participle.

These verbs are among the group of most used verbs in the language, so one gets the impression that they could be the vestige of some ancient feature of English.

Among these verbs, these can be listed:

Bring   →   brought
Buy   →  bought
Catch   →  caught
Fight   →  fought
Seek   →  sought
Teach   →  taught
Think   →  thought

Another feature, common to all of the verbs above, is that they don't have different forms for past simple and participle.

Is there any reason for these verbs to "behave" this way?

P.S. One can go even further, and notice that the characters just before this ending, can be either a or o.


texts: Is it possible to use had to + past participle?

texts:
I always think that the proper use of this construction is, for example: 'After the death of her grandfather, she had to take over his duties on the farm'.
This is a sentence from my paper, which returned corrected 'she had to took over'.

And I'm confused, because I was taught that the rule is: had to + infinitive. But on the other hand, my teacher is a native speaker and I found it hard to believe that he could make a mistake.

Is there some kind of rule that I don't know?


texts: Adjective for 'being able to use magic' or 'being able to cast spells'

texts:
Playing a German pen & paper RPG I noticed that they are using an adjective 'zaubermächtig' for which I could not find an appropriate English equivalent. The best I could come up with is being able to use magic, which does not sound as elegant as the German word.

The German word is a compound of the noun 'Zauber' which could be translated as spell, magic or enchantment and the adjective 'mächtig', in this case comparable to the English -able with a connotation of being competent.

Is there an adjective for this in English?

Examples

Kreuvf is zaubermächtig.
I didn't know that <presumably normal person without magic powers> is actually zaubermächtig.


texts:
Do you hit someone (or get hit) in the head (leg, arm, etc) or on the head?

  Did you hit yourself in the head?
  Did you hit yourself on the head?

Would other expressions be more appropriate, when the poor kid bumps his head against something?


texts: Prepositions to use when indicating locations

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  When should I use “in” or “on”?

I am always confused with the prepositions to use when indicating an event happening at a place. Should I use "at" or "in" or "on"?

For example:

  We had our dinner at the McDonalds at/in the shopping centre at/on Sixth
  Avenue.

The McDonalds restaurant is in the shopping centre. The shopping centre is located at Sixth Avenue. So am I right to say "the McDonalds in the shopping centre at Sixth Avenue"?

Now, what if it was a street instead of an avenue? Say for example:

  We had our dinner at the McDonalds at/in the shopping centre at/on Coral Street.

Here, somehow, I find it natural to say "the McDonalds at the shopping centre on Coral Street".

How do I determine the right prepositions to use? And how would the different prepositions give different meanings to the sentence?


texts: Clarity on the definition of the word "predict"

texts:
When someone says "I look forward to your predictable path" and "please continue down your very tired and predictable path" and "your arguments are right out of a playbook", what's the meaning of 'predictable' in this context?

Is it that they know what someone will say specifically before they say it, or they can estimate future actions or statements?

In case this saves a click, this was my understanding of the definition of the word before this question came about.

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/predict


texts: I've heard a lot of Americans pronounce abbreviations like GUI as goo-ey. Is this the same with British English, or is it more common to spell out the word, like gee-you-eye?


texts: Why is the word "pepper" used for both capsicum (e.g. bell pepper) and piper (e.g. black pepper)?

texts: They clearly look different and they don't have that much in common. Taxonomically, they also belong to different families


texts:
"Bit" and "byte" are monosyllabic and therefore short enough to throw around.

"Kilobyte" is expressed as "K".

"Megabyte" turns to "meg", and "gigabyte" to "gig".

Is there a convenient/conventional abbreviation for "terabyte" and up? The pace of storage and transfer rate increases has already begun to necessitate such terms, but I am unaware of existing ones.

(The question is also relevant to units of speed, since the above abbreviations are used commonly for words ending in "-hertz" as well.)


texts: The meaning of mathematics from an etymological point of view

texts:
I study mathematics and I wonder what mathematics means. I've been searching for the definition and until now I haven't found something clear, so I decided to begin from the start. On Wikipedia I found this:

  Mathematics (from Greek μάθημα máthēma, "knowledge, study, learning") includes the study of such topics as quantity, structure, space, and change.

What do you think was the meaning of mathematics for ancients? If you have a definition that one can tell to a person that is not in math, please share it.


texts: Question about a single event with a plural ending

texts:
Let's take the Golden Globes for example. Which of these is correct?

  The Golden Globes are getting a lot of attention.

vs.

  The Golden Globes is getting a lot of attention.

As a single event, my brain tells me it's the latter. The former sounds so much better though. Which is it?


texts: has vs have on a singular noun that represents a plural idea

texts:
In the sentence:

  I suspect 99% of the world’s population has never even heard of the term ‘Deep Learning’.

is the 'has' correct, or should it be 'have'?


texts: The film was disappointing. I expected it to be much better. OR The film wasn't as good as we had expected

texts:
I was reading the book Intermediate English Grammar by Raymond Murphy, and I found these two examples in the same unit.

  The film was disappointing. I expected it to be much better.
  The film wasn't as good as we had expected.

I know the difference between simple past and past perfect but these two examples are difficult for me because in the first example it's past tense in both the sentences but in the second example it's simple past and past perfect. How is that possible?


texts: Why do British people say Van Gough different than American people?

texts: Americans say Van Go but British say it Van Goff


texts:
I just want to say, the letter already send to our head office yesterday. Please advise the correct usage

letter has been sent to office by yesterday - this usage is correct or not? please advise


texts: "A teaching assistant in/of/for Applied Quantitative Methods"

texts:
I am a Teaching Assistant in/of/for Applied Quantitative Methods

Which preposition is correct this context? And why?


texts:
I'm in trouble to compare the following two sentences in view of flow. The first one uses negative present participle (which is my favorite):

  all subsystems not belonging to the currently-active configuration
  should have been deactivated.

But I'm wondering whether this sentence sounds awkward or not.

The second one is the same sentence rewritten with a relative clause:

  all subsystems which don't belong to the currently-active
  configuration should have been deactivated.

I'm so thankful if a native speaker give me some advice about the better option.


texts: What's the adjective to describe fish having strong taste and/or smell?

texts:
I know that for meat, it's "gamy"/"gamey". What about for fish?

I'm looking for an adjective other than "fishy" as it causes repetition. One sounds silly saying "this fish is very fishy".

Also, I am not talking about rotten fish, but about fish that's perfectly fit for consumption, but naturally has a strong taste and/or smell.


texts:
In Spanish there's a word "integral" which, when used as an adjective, means something like "it includes everything".

When we say "servicio integral" we mean that the service includes all aspects related to it. For example, an "integral" service of ecommerce includes consulting, design, coding/development, integration and deployment.

Is there a word in English to describe this kind of service?


texts:
Pudget Systems has a computer called Genesis:

  A cutting edge, highly reliable workstation optimized for
  post-production and design.

What exactly does post-production mean in this sentence?


texts: What does "professional grade" really mean?

texts:
When something is labeled as "professional grade" should we take it to mean there is some classification or ranking system in place? Or might this label simply mean the product is good enough to meet the needs of a pro?

How strict is the definition of "grade" here?

I'm trying to understand whether this a fact-based term or an opinion-based term.


texts: What is the difference between "active research" and "research"?

texts:
I saw the phrase “active research” in the second-to-last paragraph of this essay on AdmissionTable.com:

  From where I stand now, I see myself engaged, in the long term, in a career devoted to active research in microelectronics. It is with this objective in mind that I want to pursue an M.S. at Stanford University. However, my ultimate degree objective would be a Ph.D. at Stanford University after having carefully examined the faculty and the available infrastructure.

Why did its author choose “active research” instead of just plain “research”?

I tried to find an answer on the internet, but found two terms and their definitions, traditional research and action research (not active). I don't think these terms have to do anything with my question.


texts: Is respect awarded, accorded or afforded?

texts:
I was revising a colleague's work, and saw the phrase "awarded the respect it deserves". This struck me as incorrect, but I was struck harder still by an uncertainty as to whether it actually is, compounded by an inability to choose between "accorded" and "afforded" as a replacement.
Google searching implies that "awarded" is largely out of use, but "accorded" and "afforded" each appear at comparable frequency, changing depending on the context.
I can't help but feel that there's some eggcorning going on here. Does anybody have an inside track on whether either or both (or all three, why not?) are correct?


texts: Origin, history and precise meaning of "banger" in the US music industry

texts:
I recently heard the word banger used by a young man in Chicago to describe a catchy, up-beat song.  Checking Green's Dictionary of Slang, I found a definition attested in 2016 that to my mind seems a bit too broad:

4. (US black) an outstanding success.

However, a combination of googling the term and looking at the specific citation used in GDoS seems to confirm to me that the term refers specifically to songs that are excellent or outstanding, especially in hip-hop.
The citation in GDoS:

Even though it might not be a club banger. Or it might not be a radio banger or none of that shit. It’s going to set a tone.

2016 - Jeezy annotation to ‘Let Em Know’ on genius.com [Internet]

On another thread on Genius.com, the term is discussed.  It looks like this thread appeared in 2015:

What Makes a Song a Banger?
I’ve seen that on this site a bunch of people are obsessed with bangers. I made a thread a while back asking for people to show me some bangers, and I got a wide range of songs. They didn’t sound alike obviously, but I wanted to know what makes a song a banger?

The consensus in the answers on that thread is that a "banger" is just a great song.
So is the slang definition in GDoS too broad, is the meaning of "banger" in this slang sense specific to outstanding songs?  Is it even more particularly limited to hip-hop music?  When did this particular slang sense of the word start getting traction?

Sometimes questions about recent slang are met with skepticism on this site, so here are some cited uses from the past year:

2017 is halfway done, which means hip-hop has been blessing us with bangers for six months straight. Rappers are having a great year, coming up off a single track more than ever.

XXL Magazine online (July 18, 2017)

Here's some of the current bangers from the last 1-2 months that I've seen work at the club, along with some that are on the bubble and might get big

Serato DJing Discussion forum


texts: Is there any meaningful difference between a "figure of speech" and a "figure of thought". Searching for a definition of "figure of thought" leads to many esoteric discussions relating to ancient rhetoric and philosophy. How can I tell a figure of speech apart from a figure of thought, and why would it be worth distinguishing between the two?


texts:
What is difference between lure and allure ? Dictionaries refer that both words convey message to attract. However I found that lure is often used to attract through false or exaggerated promises or persuasion. Is it right or not ?

For instance :

  He lured both girls into his car under the guise he was a punter and then drove them several miles away.

Is it appropriate to use lure only in false promising manner and allure in contrast ?

For instance:

  I am allured by the a dramatic landscape of magnificent mountains.

Is it correct ?

Or both words can be used interchangeably as there is no difference ? I can't distinguish the usage of these words. Please help me.


texts:
I've just come across some sentences with the word asterisk used in a way I don't understand.  None of the dictionary definitions or the list of usages in Wiki were applicable, and I couldn't find anything here to help me, either.  Here are the sentences:

  The other let’s call the no-asterisks standard...to go forward with the nomination only if he can prevail with no asterisks. But the last thing the court needs right now is asterisks.


texts:
In Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë writes:

. . . I ventured the request: "Would she give me a roll for this handkerchief?"
She looked at me with evident suspicion: "Nay, she never sold stuff i' that way."

I doubt she actually looks at the shopkeeper in the face and says, "Would she give me a roll for this handkerchief?"  However, the words are in quotation marks, and I always thought that that meant it signified direct discourse, that is, a true quotation without paraphrasing.
Is Brontë just weird?  Wants to show that Jane Eyre is uneducated?  This is very confusing.
EDIT: For clarification, in the context, Jane Eyre is asking the shopkeeper for a roll — there is no third person being referenced.


texts:
Sodom and Gomorrah are two cities in the Abrahamic religions that were destroyed by brimstone and fire for their sins. Even though English speakers use both cities historically as metaphors for sin and homosexuality, only one of these cities has other words derived from it. We have sodomy and sodomites, but I haven't seen an equivalent for Gomorrah.
ELU has looked into the question about the usage of the word sodomy and this other question about words derived from the name Gomorrah. I'm more interested in the history that explains why one city has words derived from it, and the other doesn't?
This question was posed before on Reddit with no satisfying answer. Other media also implies this question:

The web cartoon The God and Devil Show had the Devil whisper the definition of "gomorrahmy" into Marilyn Manson's ear, playing on the common gag where one brings up Sodom and Gomorrah, mentions "sodomy", and then implies "gomorrahmy" was even worse.

From TV Tropes


texts: 'An historically accurate claim 'vs. 'a historically accurate claim'

texts:
'An historically accurate claim ' OR 'a historically accurate claim'

Which of these is grammatically correct if either one of them. They both sound incorrect to me


texts:
I'm not sure whether this sentence can be interpreted differently depending on the interpretation of "when" in this context:

  Organizations employ regular marketing when they decide to cut prices
  during a season.

I'd like to know if this sentence can be glossed as approximatelly: It is considered to be a "regular marketing" when organizations cut prices during a season (as opposed to, e.g. extreme marketing which consists of different kinds of measures).

Or the only available interpretation is the one where "when" is interpreted as "at the time when" or "in situations when" or similar, and this sentence is to be understood as: Cutting prices during a season is performed by employing regular marketing techniques.


texts: Describe the two parts of a 'T' shaped intersection

texts:
I have architectural drawings that contains numerous instances of intersecting walls that form a 'T' shape. To state the obvious, a capital 'T' has two parts:

the top line
a vertical line that buts up against the T's top

What might each of these two connected walls or segments be called?

I am asking for word suggestions. The words may or may not be math-based.  Short words (short number of characters) that most people understand are preferred over obscure words that few people understand.

Edit:
I'm currently using 'T-Top' for one. That's okay I guess, but I couldn't think of anything short for the vertical piece.


texts: Is "As a member of a rescue team" a dependent clause and does it therefore warrant a comma after it?

texts:
I want to know whether the sentence

  As a member of the rescue team, I had a terrifying experience.

is correct with the comma after the "as"-clause.

From my understanding it boils down to the question whether the phrase "As a member of the rescue team" is a dependent clause. Other questions tackle other clauses (like "in"- or "for"-phrases), but I want to know whether "as"-clauses are dependent

If so, rule 2 from COMMA SUTRA: 13 rules for using commas applies and the comma is correct.


texts:
"I absolutely must see him, however painful it may be for me."
I feel like this version makes more sense.
"I absolutely must see him regardless of the pain."
If I'm wrong, can you explain how the first version makes sense. I thought however shows contradiction. I don't see the contradiction.
"My grandfather will certainly let me buy German clothes because he thinks it is longest-lasting. However, my grandmother will certainly let me buy French clothes because she thinks it is the most beautiful."
For this example, I don't feel like however is used properly either.


texts:
I was listening to Moonshine a Kill the Vultures tune.
I'm not sure about the meaning of:

it's good for your dime

Does he mean it is cheap?
complete sentence:

I got moonshine
Drink it all the time
Goes down rough but it's good for your dime


texts: Word meaning communication that is received and understood

texts:
Communication seems to focus on the act of delivering information but not on whether it was received or understood. Oxford dictionary has only a sub-note referring to the success of communication and Webster's has no mention at all! Successful communication also does not necessarily require information to have been received but only that it be well delivered.

I want a word that means the successful transmission, reception and understanding of an idea by means of communication.

This isn't my particular usage case but the right word could summarize the idea that were everyone in the world to communicate in such a way that they fully understood each other's ideas then there would be no war. e.g.

"If everyone blank, there'd be no war."

The word communication falls miserably short in this context because obviously there is a lot of communication happening but there's insufficient reception and understanding of what has been communicated, even among speakers of a common language because of varying backgrounds, regional word connotations, idiolects and a whole slew of other problems.

This question went kind of the right direction but didn't get where I want to go: What is the difference between interaction, communication, conversation, and discussion?

Whatever this word is, it's key to the success of any and every relationship. Maybe relationships fail because we don't have a word that describes what we're lacking.. (not an invitation for migration to philosophy.stackexchange!)


texts:
Nana travels to America to have a surgery done. One that could put an
  end to her life-long affliction. But is her problem exclusive of her
  body? Or is rather a condition more related to her soul?

What word could I use to replace "more related" in the passage above? I think the phrase more related won't have much impact in the reader.

(By the way, is but necessary in the second last sentence)?


texts: I get a weird twinge in my stomach whenever I have the urge to write "Needless to say." If it's needless to say, it would seem stupid to say it. Am I right? Am I wrong?


texts:
Students' misbehaviour has/have worsened in the past few years.

Is it has or have? Or can both be correct with "has" referring to "misbehaviour" and "have" referring to students?

I'm inclined towards "has".


texts:
I was trying to say this in a sentence:
-I'm only available from Monday to Tuesday 2pm to 4pm. Please come during that time/during those times/in those time window.
But I feel I'm missing something. Which one is the proper way to say it?
I'm looking for a native/natural way to convey this. Context : Someone wants to meet me next week at my place but I'm only available on Monday and Tuesday and at 2pm to 4pm strictly. I would like to tell that person to please come only when I'm available at that specific time window. I had an idea of the sentence like above but I felt like it's inadequate or unnatural especially the <during that time/during those times/in those time window> part.


texts: A term that describes people who easily connect formally, but not emotionally?

texts: Is there a term that describes two individuals who easily connect to each other on a formal level, so, related to intellect, facts and formalities, but who hardly connect on an emotional and personal level to each other?


texts:
I'm working on a product where you can enable an upload user (or uploaduser?) which is a special user that has upload privileges.

I'm not a native english speaker and I cannot figure out whether it should be written as one or two words. In my language it would be one word.

I found this article where I learned that compound words in english can actually be two words (open compounds): https://www.grammarly.com/blog/open-and-closed-compound-words/

But since the word "superuser" is written in one word I feel like uploaduser should as well as they are analogue in terms of what they do and how they are used. But I suppose superuser is more common and has had time to be adopted into becoming a closed compound? But that's introduces an annoying inconsistency if I want to ask whether to apply "superuser" or "upload user" privileges to a user.


texts:
Is the expression shockingly enough an understatement?

I've heard of oddly enough and took it to mean to some extent, it's odd, but the combination of shockingly and enough sounds like you are trying to convey an understatement, or what one would use in the negative, like

  It's not shocking enough to merit any interest.


texts: Meaning of ' as long as you fed him, he would be cooperative'

texts:
About the meaning of the sentence 'as long as you fed him, he would be cooperative':

(1) The clause 'as long as you fed him' is about past or present one?

(2) Depending on the above, the 'would' at the last clause is of conditional mood or

past of 'will'?

Could you kind of explain the meaning of the sentence as clarifying?


texts: What is a adjective to describe someone stereotyping on a specific person?

texts: I've been wondering about this for a while, and the question didn't really come out right. The word, "stereotypical", i have been wanting to use for someone who often stereotypes someone. Let me give you an example. If someone was to say, "All boys are uneducated"(which they aren't, by the way), then my response would be, "That is very stereotypical of you", but of course that is not the right way to use this word. I know the word stereotypical means, (according to google) "relating to a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing" but i thought it meant a word to describe some one making generalizations or stereotypes on a specific person.


texts: Rules about prepositions and duplicating 'to'

texts:
On occasion, I end up writing sentences that contain a duplicate word, often what is probably a preposition (or better yet, an adposition). The specific example that I just ran into involves a duplicate 'to' in this sentence:

  I think we really ought to leave that up to the people we're assigning the label to to judge.

Is this proper grammar? If it is so technically, is it proper style to leave it like that, or should it be rephrased, so one doesn't stumble over it when reading?

Should there be a comma between the two?


texts: "An" or "A" with acronyms which sound like they start with a vowel?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Do you use “a” or “an” before acronyms?

Should you use "a"n or "a" with acronyms which sound like they start with a vowel when read literally?

...is covered in an FAQ located at....

or

...is covered in a FAQ located at...

When I read the sentence I pronounce eff-eh-queue but I'm not sure if most people do that.


texts: Is it informal to omit the word "that" when it's optional?

texts:
I know there have been many questions about omitting "that" or not, but none of them addressed formality. I am writing a thesis in Romania and my supervisor gave me some feedback in which, among other things, he added "that" in many places where it was omitted. I didn't understand why so I asked him, and he said it's informal to omit "that", and that a thesis shouldn't be in such informal language. I was a bit perplexed because I have never heard such a thing. I looked online and couldn't find any source confirming his point. In my view, his inclination to always make "that" explicit is a result of his being a native speaker of Romanian, which doesn't have the option of omitting the equivalent word, but I could be wrong. I am not a native English speaker either so I cannot settle the dispute. Does anybody have information on this? Is it really informal to omit "that"? I would be particularly interested in answers that either cite sources or are the opinion of native speakers.

For reference, the first sentence he corrected was:

  However, to dismiss the broader idea that we must respect certain criteria in order to be entitled to claim [that] our statements are meaningful is also an equally absurd position.


texts: Alternatives to "then", "next" (at the beginning of the phrase) in formal text (for Academic papers)

texts:
I am writing an academic paper and, at a certain point, I want to write: "Firstly,... Then, ... Next, ... Lastly...."

However, "Then" and "Next" at the beginning of phrases sound like very INFORMAL English. I need FORMAL alternatives. What do you suggest/use?

I know this article suggesting "First... Second... Third... Lastly...":
First, Second, Third, and Finally
But I already used this structure somewhere else in the text, so I want to avoid repetition.

Thank you.


texts: Why is the "goes" form used in this sentence?

texts: There is a sentence: "Microsoft says it's because 40% of search queries on their competitor's site goes unanswered - something they can improve on"


texts: Phrase to describe a moving goal that is forever just out of reach

texts:
Ironically, the phrase I am trying to recall is just out of reach, so perhaps someone can help me with a phrase that describes a moving goal that is forever just out of reach.

I will try to provide some additional context on how I intend to use it. I am currently responsible for the rewrite of a large piece of software that needs to be supported in the interim. My experience in the industry tells me that if we were to release the new software only when it was a complete replacement for the old software, we would never actually release it. The correct approach is to release a functionally complete, but feature reduced product which can then be iterated upon.


texts:
If I recall correctly, the Académie française states that, for French, quantities comprised within [-1,1] are singular, and anything else is plural. This means, for instance, that we should say (in French) 0.3722 apple, instead of 0.3722 apples.

I know the plurality for 1 and -1 in English, but what is the plurality of real numbers between them?


texts: What do we call the machine used in shops through which we swipe our Debit/Credit card to pay for something?

texts: When you shop for things in a supermarket, clothing shop, restaurant, etc., and you want to use your card to pay, you slide your Debit/Credit card through a machine. What is that machine called in English?


texts: Is the sentence "horse meat is dog meat" a contradiction?

texts:
Other compounds reveal other meaning relations between the parts,
    which are not entirely consistent because many compounds are idiomatic
    ... a magnifying glass is a glass that magnifies;
    but a looking glass is not a glass that looks, nor is an eating apple an apple
    that eats, and laughing gas does not laugh. Peanut oil and olive oil are oils
    made from something, but what about baby oil? And is this a contradiction:  "horse meat is dog meat"? Not at all, since the first is meat from horses and the other is meat for dogs.

This is an excerpt from the linguistic book named "An introduction to Linguistics" written by "Fromkin V. Rodman R., Hyams N.". I am wondering if "dog meat" really means "meat for dog" or "dog food" in idiomatic English. It seems to me that "dog meat" only means "meat from dogs".


texts:
What is the proper usage of the word thunk? According to Merriam-Webster, it is

  dialect past and past participle of think

Can it be used in a formal context? Is "Who would have thunk?" different than "Who would have thought?"

Any examples from news, literature or other known references is welcome.


texts: We can say "The add function is applied to values 1 and 2". Can we say equivalently "The values 1 and 2 are supplied to the add function"?


texts: What is the difference between "match" ,"suit" and "fit"

texts: Could you tell me what is the difference between match, suit and fit. I know their usage for clothes (color,size e.t.c.), but I'm wondering about other cases. For example: When your skills don't (match/suit/fit) the vacancy or when I want to take back something to the shop because it doesn't (match/suit/fit). Thank you!


texts: What should we call language that intentionally conveys the opposite of the literal meaning?

texts:
This seems to me to be a kind of rhetorical figure, but I cannot find a classical term for it in Silva Rhetoricae. Examples include the following from Tristram Shandy (Vol. 2 Chap. 24):

  I define a nose, as follows,—intreating only beforehand, and beseeching my readers, both male and female, of what age, complexion, and condition soever, for the love of God and their own souls, to guard against the temptations and suggestions of the devil, and suffer him by no art or wile to put any other ideas into their minds, than what I put into my definition.—For by the word Nose, throughout all this long chapter of noses, and in every other part of my work, where the word Nose occurs,—I declare, by that word I mean a Nose, and nothing more, or less.

This of course makes it quite impossible not to read nose in the book as also referring to penis.

Another example is an advertisement for Joyce’s Ulysses in America, citing the 1933 decision of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York that the book was not obscene—which advertisement boils down to “Hey, Buddy, wanna buy a dirty book?”

Yet another is the line “this is not an offer of prostitution” on Web sites, which is an almost infallible indicator that the exact opposite is the case. (For a g-rated account of the use of this line, see Knoxville News-Sentinel story about Craigslist.)

And finally, though it is perhaps not quite exactly the same thing, I would point to the classic device of humorous fiction—dating back all the way back to Cervantes and also seen in Mark Twain and Jerome K. Jerome—of insisting that it is not fiction but rather literal truth, which insistence goes on safely within the fictional compact by which readers agree to be entertainingly lied to.

What can we call this figure? Simply terming such usage facetious or disingenuous seems to fall short of designating such flat opposition between the literal and the intentionally conveyed meaning.


texts: Are people, who are working on physical fitness, exercisers?

texts:
Is there an overarching term that designates people who are involved in physical fitness and therapeutic endeavors (includes athletes, physical therapy patients, gym-goers, and physical yoga practitioners)?
I think it might be exerciser, which can refer to "one who exercises" or "a machine that exercises".
Is it the repetition of the "er" sounds, or the vagueness of the designation–or both–that makes it such an awkward word?
Other terms that come to mind are anatomy, movement, and physical activist. Also this thread of "word for physical exercises" popped up.


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Which style of Latin plurals should I use?
  Is “data” considered singular or plural?
  Where are the "data"? I only have one "datum".

Listening to Radio 4's Today programme this morning I was struck by how the journalists, commentators, politicians and other obviously very well educated people are happy to use referendums as the plural of referendum. This grates on me - I was always told such Latin words, when pluralised, ended in 'a' and, being working-class, I tend to regard these kinds of people as models of good behaviour and speech (yes I know). Other usages that grate are referenda, data (plural of datum) and, in our football-obsessed times, the ubiquitous stadia (plural of stadium) and many, many more.

Should I just accept the fact that the world is changing and embrace what to me are very ugly examples of modern English or are these people, in the strictest sense wrong?


texts: Stop engaging in "eating disorder behaviors" or "eating disordered behaviors"?

texts:
Which sentence is more grammatically correct?

We'd like you to refrain from engaging in eating disorder behaviors this week.

We'd like you to refrain from engaging in eating disordered behaviors this week.

A bit of context:
We consider an "eating disorder" to be an entity. We would say for example "this person has an eating disorder" or "this is an eating disorder behavior". An eating disorder behavior could be something like vomiting or over-exercising.
I am not referring to disordered eating here. For example, overexercising, use of laxatives, or use of drugs to control shape and weight and considered "eating disorder behaviours" and certainly are not "disordered eating". This is common nomenclature in my area.
What would be the grammatical justification for deciding on one of these sentences?


texts: Is there a familiar phrase for spending too much time on something?

texts:
We all know that "a stitch in time saves nine" and "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure", but sometimes the opposite is true.  A stitch before its time is a waste of time and thread.  If you wash your car right before you go off-roading, you're basically throwing soap away.

I've heard the phrase "you ain't gonna need it" in software development circles related to this sort of situation, but I'm looking for a more mainstream idiom, proverb, or cliché, if there is one.

The situation would be someone who is expending a lot of time or resources on something that might in some situations be a good investment, or even seems like a good investment at the time, but ultimately it doesn't pay off.


texts: How did screaming as loud as you can become screaming "at the top of your lungs"?

texts: What is it about the top of one's lungs that has to do with especially loud screaming? Every time I hear this idiom I imagine a little man screaming atop a giant lung.


texts: Why is the BrE “petrol” called "gas" in AmE?

texts:
One of the most conspicuous differences in AmE vs BrE usage is probably that of  gasoline (gas) vs petrol to refer to:

  a light fuel oil that is obtained by distilling petroleum and used in internal-combustion engines. (ODO)

From the oxforddictionaries.com blog, Gasoline:

  Gasolene was first used in an advert in the British newspaper, the Hampshire Telegraph & Sussex Chronicle in 1863. The first use of gasoline to be found in America is in an 1864 Act of Congress which declared a tax on the oil. Channels between Ireland and America were then, as they are now, numerous, broad, and free flowing.
  Whether the word was independently invented in America or whether it travelled there from Dublin we cannot yet say but we are left admiring the creativity, if not the honesty, of the first man to utter our word gasoline.

I couldn't find any, but is there a historical, possibly etymological reason for the difference in usage of such common terms?