texts: Using ‘first’ pre-verbally: ‘When I first wake up, I...’, ‘When we first saw them, we...’

texts: Sorry, I don't have a clear question so much as I'm just looking for info on this construction. I just realised how odd this construction is to think about, even though it feels perfectly idiomatic. It seems to refer simply to the first thing one does on realising the verb in the statement (as though it could essentially be rephrased, ‘when I wake up, the first thing I do is...’). Do we know where/when that construction originated? I was trying to translate a piece of text into German and just suddenly realised the oddity of this! I'm just generally curious about this phrasing, so any thoughts or info on it would be greatly appreciated.


texts: I was criticized the other day for using this word. It never occurred to me that it was offensive, but Wikipedia says it "may" be derogatory. Given Vancouver's hockey team, I tend to think it's benign, but I wouldn't want to get William Shatner angry. Please help me oot.


texts: Word for "referring to common but not universal attributes of a group of people"?

texts:
I was recently out with friends and also with someone I didn't know too well. At some point during the night, I was imitating English spoken with a Mandarin speaker's accent for humorous effect, and the individual I didn't know went off on me, calling me racist.

Now,  I know perfectly well that finding humor in an accent or in grammatical mistakes is not in fact racist. That was never in question.

What is in question for me is whether there is in fact a word for this, making light of commonly true things about a group of people, like Australians saying mate or cat owners thinking their cat is really unique and unlike every other cat ever.

Is there a word aside from stereotyping? Which doesn't seem accurate to me, since it suggests I'm implying these things are true of all people in that group or even a majority, which isn't the case.


texts: "In your session" or "during your session"

texts:
I have the following sentence but I am confused if it is correct or not.

"I was your student in NTHP Student session"
Or
"I was your student during NTHP Student session"


texts: Derivation of the phrase "what the dickens"?

texts:
What is the derivation of "what the dickens"?
It features in the Merry Wives of Windsor "I cannot tell what the dickens his name is."  So the meaning doesn't seem to have changed ie synonymous with "what on earth".


texts: how to explain the word "that" used in this sentence

texts: Only, she began to be afraid of the ghastly white tombstones, that peculiar loathsome whiteness of carrara marble, detestable as false teeth, which stuck up on the hillside under tevershall church, and which she saw with such grim painfulness from the park.


texts:
I'm wondering why I always hear "some" in questions, although according to English grammar there should always be "any". At least the one I'm looking at uses "some". For example:

  Why are some organizations using X?
  Are there any organizations using X?

Is it due to the different nature of these questions? Open-ended vs. closed-ended?


texts: Is this a quote: "Everyone is special, but not everyone is equal, vs everyone is equal, but not everyone is special"?

texts:
I heard a friend use the sentence to describe the contrast between personal world-views, or even political parties:

  In their world, everyone is special but not everyone is equal. In our world, everyone is equal, but not everyone is special.

My question is: is this a quote, if so what is the origin:  "Everyone is special, but not everyone is equal, vs everyone is equal, but not everyone is special"?**


texts: correct interpretation/understanding of this sentence

texts:
I have the following 2 sentences:

1- I did not see any other classmates, except/but Michael.

2- I did not see any classmates, except/but Michael

For the first sentence can we understand that the word other converts the expression in inclusive meaning that Michael is a classmate too?

For the second sentence, since the word other is missing, then does it mean that Michael is not a classmate?

Thanks in advance for any help.


texts: In Baseball, is there a specific term for the team that bats second?

texts:
I am studying the similarities between Cricket and Baseball.
I understood that every Baseball game consists of a series of innings (7-9 depending on the league) where one team tries to score as much as possible. Similarly in cricket, every game has 2 innings{1} where one team bats and the other bowls/fields.
Now, in Cricket, the team batting second is most often called the "chasing team". The chasing team has to get past the score set by the other team.
According to the Wikipedia article on Baseball,

One team—customarily the visiting team—bats in the top, or first half, of every inning. The other team—customarily the home team—bats in the bottom, or second half, of every inning...

That brings me to my question:

Can I call the team that bats in the "bottom" or "second half" in a Baseball game as a team that "chases"?

Or is there any other term to indicate the team batting second? (barring "home team")

Consider an example sentence,

Very similar to Cricket, the chasing team must try to score as many runs as possible in their innings. The only difference is that baseball players run around in counter-clockwise circles instead of running in straight lines along the pitch.

Native speakers might not appreciate the wording but if I tell this to someone from the Indian subcontinent, they'll understand instantly! Since most of my audience is cricket-loving, I want to make it easier for them to correlate.
{1} - With the exception of Test Cricket where every game can have up to 4 innings, 2 innings a side each


texts: Preposition - "build by" or "build from"

texts:
I have a 'statement' and I build a package according to the statement.

Which one is correct (for a function name (programing)) ?

"build package by statement"

"build package from statement"


texts: Difference between lexicon and dictionary

texts:
What is the difference between a lexicon and a dictionary?

Is a lexicon just an über-big dictionary?


texts:
We are preparing an ad for pictures, and we would like to write that we have certificates of authenticity for the pictures. What would be the best way to write it?

My suggestion is to use passive (but feel free to suggest your own way), but I'm not sure about the 'to be' verb:

The pictures are issued with an international certificate of authenticity.
The pictures were issued with an international certificate of authenticity.
The pictures have been issued with an international certificate of authenticity.

Also, should I prefer 'certificate of authenticity' or 'authenticity certificate' in the given sentence?

Thank you :)


texts:
Free hand [countable; singular]
 Unrestricted freedom or
authority: They gave the director a free hand to cut the budget
wherever she wanted
https://www.wordreference.com/definition/free%20hand

However, the Random House Learner's Dictionary explains the NOUN GRAMMAR CODES as follows

[count] it can be counted and has a plural. It can be used with the word a or an before it.
[singular] only used in the singular with a singular verb. It can be
used with a or an before it.

Therefore, isn't adding both codes in the same word contradictory?


texts: By some counts, only 600 of the 6,000 or ___ languages in the world are “safe” from the threat of extinction

texts:
On my exam I had this sentence:

  By some counts, only 600 of the 6,000 or _________ languages in the world are “safe” from the threat of extinction.

The answer (fill in the blank) is "so", which I believe might be replaced with "less" or "more", since all 3 make sense. Can someone confirm this?


texts:
This is from a song by Garth Brooks called The Cowboy Song:

  Pushing horns weren't easy like the movie said it was
  And I don't recall no dance hall girls
  Or hotel rooms with rugs
  You worked hot and tired and nasty
  Rode your pony's head too low
  There were all the nights you couldn't sleep
  'Cause it was too damn cold
  And you'd sing "Strawberry Roan" and "Little Joe"

Can anybody tell me what "pushing horns" refers to, and possibly the name of the movie in question as well?


texts:
Is there a word for a picture of a picture? Had a search on onelook but couldn't find anything...

edit: sorry maybe I wasn't that clear the first time -- I mean like a photograph of a photograph...


texts:
The question I am asking is about the -rrh sequence at the end of the word. About that 'h' especially.

The word is of Semitic origin but entered Latin (and then English) via Greek (according to Wiktionary). As far as I am aware, Greek alphabet does not have a distinct letter for 'h'. I know that 'h's in ph, ch, and th are due to aspirate stops that were once in Greek but, what about 'h's in words such as Helium, hibiscus, rhyme and myrrh? And what about words such as Mary/Maria which entered Latin via Greek according to Wiktionary? Why no 'h'?

I initially hypothesized that this 'h' "placement" has to do with Greek accent marks, but alas, the vowel after -rrh in the word myrrh (which seems to have a final vowel in almost every language, including Greek) does not have an accent mark.


texts: Substitution for : Spearheaded a project which was was never been done in the organization / is been done for the first time in the organization

texts:
Substitution for: Spearheaded a project which was never been done in the organization / is been done for the first time in the organization

I am looking for a substitute in the form of
Spearheaded a _______ project
the blank can be filled with a short phrase

Background: I was the lead engineer in a project. I worked for an automotive company & the project was an IT / Data collection related project.
Such a thing was never attempted within the organization because no one had the expertise.

I am looking for a terse substitute.


texts: Differentiating between verb-ing and gerunds

texts: In sentences like, "I'm dying to get to you and "I'm learning to live again" and "i was preparing to go for surgery when you called" what are "dying", "learning" and "preparing" functioning as? Are they verb(ing) or are they gerunds.


texts: Some words “want” to be plural and some other ones “want” to be singular. Why?

texts:
This question is for people who write documents related to computer programming.

I am currently working on a style guide related to one programming language. There are a lot of examples and descriptions. Of course, I am trying to be consistent in all possible aspects.

One of these aspects is pluralization.

As I discovered, when I write about things like "ternary operator", "LF" (line feed, U+000A character), or the empty string, it is more natural to use singular form. That is, when I talk e.g. about the empty string or a ternary operator, I refer to the Platonic entity instead of its instances.

I write this:

  Don't use the ternary operator. It's too confusing for novice developers in your team.

Not this:

  Don't use ternary operators. They are too confusing for novice developers in your team.

On the other hand, when I write about things like spaces between words, commas, dots/periods, it's more natural to use plural form.

I write this:

  Use spaces the same way as in normal writing. For example, don't add a space before a comma, but add it after.

Not this:

  Use the space the same way as in normal writing. For example, don't add a space before a comma, but add it after.

For what reason I write it so? Is it something very personal (and other people would not probably say it in such a way) or there are some real reasons for it which I follow instinctively?


texts: What is candlebox? No info in the dictionaries

texts:
Joseph Conrad, "Youth":

  In two days it blew a gale. The Judea, hove to, wallowed on the Atlantic like an old candle-box.

It might appear to be a strange question, but see for yourself:

no results in Oxford 1, 2 and Webster 1, 2. A strange band in the Free Dictionary. No results in other dictionaries as far as I got. No results in Google except for the band even with "-band" function and other similar functions.

Would you please point out to me what "candle-box" means?


texts: Word or phrase that means correct, but difficult to interpret - the opposite of expressive?

texts:
I'm critiquing code that runs perfectly, but which is difficult for people to read, understand, and interpret.
Code which is pleasant to read and is relatively easy for people to interpret is often deemed 'expressive', in that it conveys the ideas to humans well.
What is the right way to describe something (code, or technical writing, or anything else really) that is not incorrect in any way, but which fails to easily communicate with at least one part of its intended audience?
I've considered:

expressionless
inexpressive

I wonder if there are other words (or perhaps phrases) that can describe the property of being technically correct, but not easily understood or interpreted?


texts: What is the term used to define an answer which does not offend anyone?

texts:
For instance - I do not want to take anyone's side in a debate and when asked about my point of view, I end up giving a smart answer which does not offend anyone of them.
What is the word for that kind of answer?


texts: What does "what will you" mean in Agatha Christie's The Mystery of the Blue Train?

texts: I couldn't find any similar usage. Could it be a sheer mistake, or is there more to it?


texts: What is the difference between "palazzo" and "palace"?

texts:
I have noticed that palazzo is used not only in Italian but in English too.

So what is the difference between palazzo, and palace (in English)?


texts: "A is the property of a system that regulates" or "A is the property of system by which it regulates"

texts:
Let a system S has a property A. I want to say something like this,

A is the property of a system that regulates the concentration of Sodium ions.
Or,
A is the property of system which regulates the concentration of Sodium ions.

I think it says that A is found in a systems which regulates the concentration of Sodium ion. I am OK with it, but not happy. I thought following would better for it emphasizes A.

A is the property of a system by which it regulates the concentration of Sodium ions.

One of my friend (not a native speaker) thinks that both sentences are equivalent and the former has the advantage of using less word to convey the same. I think that second one has different meaning.


texts:
I encounter the phrase "I will appreciate your help" from time to time and it doesn't sound too honest to me. To be more specific, I don't have a problem with this phrase coming from a friend, because he will appreciate my help by "owing me one". But a stranger from the Internet, that's different, methinks.

"How will you appreciate it?" pops in my mind every time I see it, because to me, appreciation equals reward and, well, you can't reward people over the internet much. It is quite possible that I am just wrong and this is a perfectly fine figure of speech.


texts: Can anyone explain why is it grammatically correct to say "off you go"? Well, it seems really strange to me.


texts: What do you call a person who behaves in an overly familiar way, taking too many liberties, saying things that only someone with a closer relationship with  you would normally say?


texts:
Why don't we use at when we use home? For example:

  I arrived home
  vs.
  I arrived at home

or

  I am home
  vs.
  I am at home


texts: Is it appropriate to put a comma before "which"?

texts:
On Server Fault, we were discussing this question in chat. There are non-native speakers in the chat and somehow we got on the topic of grammar and proper use of commas.

The sentence of interest:

  I have just got a new Ubuntu LAMP VPS server, which I am trying to configure.

Some people thought that the comma was superfluous. Others did not.

When is it appropriate for a comma to preceed the word which, and is the example sentence above correct?

Also, before you vote to close this question as a dupe of this, please consider the differences between the two questions and ignore the similarity of the titles. The OP's example sentence was restructured in that question instead of addressing the proper use of commas.


texts:
Which sounds more natural?

  The closest date is ...

or

  The nearest date is ...

Context: It is a variable name in a software application I rewrite, which - in short - expresses the most close date to a given date.

closest date yields 55k results of Google, vs 33k for nearest date.


texts:
Today I came across this NY Times' article, where it's written:

  Talking to people at newspapers makes it seem as if the future of
  comments is all social log-ins and filtering algorithms.

But I didn't quite understand why it says "it seem" instead of "it seems".

Can anybody explain it to me?

Thanks a bunch.


texts: Meaning of the proverb: "No man is an island entire of itself"

texts: What's the meaning of the proverb "No man is an island entire of itself" by John Donne?


texts:
I've been doing some research and experiment with Microsoft software such as SQL Server 2010, SharePoint 2010 and Exchange 2010. Now I have to write a report on what I've done.

I need a proper name to refer to such software as a whole. The first one coming to my mind is production tools. I decide to use this one if no one could come up with a better one for me.


texts: Version control "in revision" vs. "at revision"

texts:
Should a programmer use in or at as a preposition when referring to the version-control revision number?

Example: Which is correct, fixed in revision 12345 or fixed at revision 12345?

The Googlefight result is almost equal.


texts: I'd been sent to kill him / I was sent to kill him. etc..?

texts:
When do I use had and when can I leave out had? or use was instead of had

This is the context it was used in:

With the Reds and the Germans knocking seven shades of shit each other back at Museum Island, I'd bought myself some time. I headed for Opernplats, where Schwaiger was being held. I'd been sent to kill him, but now I was trying to save his ass. Funny how some days turn out

Words in bold are the ones I don't understand.

Can't I use ''I bought myself some time''   instead of ''I'd''...
Or use: ''I was sent to kill him'', instead of I'd been...

thanks


texts:
You don't like our teacher , do you ?
  A Yes, He is terrible
  B No, his way of teaching is wonderful
  C Yes, He is a good teacher
  D No, He teaches well

I was wondering which one to choose. The negative and positive tags confuse me. I chose A because I think the question can be interpreted in this way

  Do you don't like our teacher?

So the answer must be yes and the reason is why that person dislike the teacher. But my teacher told me the correct choice is C. So can somebody explain to me more clearly? My teacher just said that it is the way to go so I don't understand a thing


texts: What is the distinction between notion and idea

texts:
This is my first post ever. I am currently working hard on expending my English vocabulary as well as my spelling abilities.

There is a word that is causing me trouble at this time. The word is notion.

I would like to know what is the distinction between the following words:

notion,
idea,
belief,
and conception

Some people say notion means a loose concept or a loose idea. I mainly use the Oxford dictionary.Here are some definitions and examples from the oxford dictionary of English.

  Origin: Late Middle English: from Latin notio(n-) 'idea', from notus
  'known', past participle of noscere.

  There are 3 definition for notion;nevertheless, I am concerned with
  merely one of them.

  def1:  (noun) conception of or belief about something: children have
  different notions about the roles of their parents. I had no notion of
  what her words meant.

for the above example, I feel that I could say:

I had no idea of what her words meant.

The meaning would be the same, right?

  example 1: Though the concept of beauty is timeless, notions of what
  constitutes the perfect physical form have changed over time.

I feel that I don't understand the use of "notion" in this sentence.

  example 2: There are different notions of what public opinion is.

 This could be replaced with 'idea' or 'belief' or 'conception' right ?

  example 3: Chinese people seem to have more affection for, and put
  more belief in, Western notions and practices.

 This looks like an example I would use.
 I feel that I would have replaced notions with concepts or ideas.

Here are definition of the other words I am comparing notions to.

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/idea

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/belief

Merriam Webster definition for conception is "an idea or opinion"

  full definition:

  an individual's conception or impression of something known, experienced, or imagined
  an inclusive general concept
  a theory or belief held by a person or group

So opinion and impression is part of the merriam webster's definition.

The contexts in which I will use this word, I think is for everyday talk. I do work a customer service job where I troubleshoot mobile phones. I do want to write sociology and philosophy papers.


texts: Etymology of “that” as both pronoun and conjunction

texts:
“That” can be used both as a pronoun and as a conjunction. For example,

I know that it is raining.

Give me that.

This is unique to English as far as I know. In French and Spanish, for example, the two uses of “that” are distinct (c.f. “que” vs. “ça”). Looking online, this is true for non-romance languages as well.
Is there evidence that English originally had two words for “that”, depending on its context, but the words eventually merged? Wiktionary suggests such a merger would have occurred before the development of Old English.


texts:
What does "drop and give me zen" mean?

Maybe it's some kind of idiom. Can you explain it to me?


texts: The only exception is Bob and Jim. Or, The only exception are Bob and Jim. Which is correct please?

texts: which is correct please. The only exception is Bob and Jim. Or, the only exception are Bob and Jim? Thank you.


texts: Is the phrase "please kindly" redundant?

texts: The colleagues in my office often send email starting with "Please kindly". Are the two phrases a bit redundant?


texts:
I believe the following is a correct sentence:

  The grocery store has standard butter, but it will soon be substituted for organic butter.

which suggests that standard butter will be taken off the shelves.

But if the second part is rewritten in active voice, the sentence should become:

  The grocery store has standard butter, but it will soon substitute standard butter for organic butter

which suggests organic butter will be taken off the shelves.

Why is there a discrepancy? The two mean completely the opposite.


texts: What is the difference between "patronize" and "infantilize"?

texts:
Are they synonymous or do they have different meanings?

What would be the differences, however slight?

Here are the dictionary definitions:

infantilize

verb (used with object)

  to keep in or reduce to an infantile state;
  to treat or regard as infantile or immature;

patronize
verb

  to behave in an offensively condescending manner toward


texts:
I was just wondering how to punctuate this sentence properly.

'They were, after all, merely extraneous extras - fighting a battle already lost.'

And if anyone has a better expression for 'fighting a battle already lost,' that would be extremely helpful too! Thank you!


texts:
Should one say:

  "turn out good" or "turn out well"

I have always preferred the latter, but found the form "turn out good" in the book by Raymond Murphy: "English Grammar in use".


texts: Alternatives to "to be a(n, sic) own +noun"

texts:
In a sister site there is this question.

Complete question here: https://softwareengineering.stackexchange.com/questions/352727/is-actor-a-own-class

The person is asking whether or not the "actor" (little stick man, in this case "customer" that interacts with the system) in the diagram can or should be considered a class (a software component) in the design or a software product.

But the phrasing looks a little odd to me.

I've considering editing the answer to improve the title but the following alternatives that have come to my mind don't convey the meaning exactly as they somehow have the additional meaning of "alone, separated, without help":

Is the actor a class on its own?
Is the actor a class in its own right?
Is the actor a class in and of itself?

In the other hand the following sounds weirdly informal to me:

Is the actor its own class?

Questions

What would be a phrasing that would convey the perceived intention of the question being asked?
Ultimately, is the original phrase in the title proper english?


texts: Correct name designation for Road Lanes going in the same direction

texts:
Let's say that there are 5 lanes of the road. The two lanes on the left side are both going left, and the two lanes on the right side are both going right.

How can I differentiate them from each other? In other words, what should I call each road?

Update: Also, the reason why I'm asking this is because my brother drives me around sometimes and we both don't know which lane is called what.

Update 2: We would call them (from left to right), outer-left, inner-left, inner-right, and outer-right.  Are these the correct terms???

Sorry about the confusion and thank you for taking the time to help me!

Update 3: I finally drew a picture because I left everyone even more confused!

What do I call lanes A, B, D, and E?

Yup, these are how our roads are constructed in California.


texts: Excesive instances of citing or making reference to something

texts: What is the word for the act of repetitively making ad nauseam reference to something, or citing it to the point that either it annoys or it becomes trite?


texts:
In the short story, The Last Cruise of the Judas Iscariot by Edward Page Mitchel, which tells the story of Captain Cram, a sailor in Main, who builds a schooner with three masts, which was considered by the people of his town as extraordinary and a bad omen. Later, the schooner runs into several accidents every time it sets to sail that Captain Cram decides to give it the name of Judas the Iscariot to describe its demonic nature. People are unable to understand its behavior, for it has no defects in its structure. The narrator discusses this matter saying:

  A board of nautical experts sat upon the Judas Iscariot, but could
  find nothing the matter with her, physically. The lines of her hull
  were all right, she was properly planked and ceiled and calked, her
  spars were of good Oregon pine, she was rigged taut and trustworthy,
  and her canvas had been cut and stitched by a God-fearing sailmaker.
  According to all theory, she ought to have been perfectly
  responsible as to her keel.

My question is about the meaning of "responsible as to her keel". Shouldn't he say "responsible for"? But again what would it mean?


texts: Why is "hyperbole" pronounced so differently from its spelling?

texts: I've often heard people say "hyperbole" exactly as it is written, "hi-per-bole", instead of how it is actually pronounced: "hi-pear-bow-lee". How did it get such an unusually different pronunciation from such a simple spelling?


texts: Meaning of "surrealistically" in an NYT article

texts:
I was reading this article from the New York Times and I came across the word surrealistically. I know surreal means something resembling a dream. But I am not sure what is it that the author wants to express.

Here is the context:

  In any breakup, there is this moment when a person who was a part of you just an instant ago becomes a surrealistically familiar stranger.

Can someone please enlighten me?


texts: Why Should One Capitalize Titles When Publishing?

texts: What is the motivation behind capitalizing the first letter of each word except prepositions in news, articles and blog post titles?


texts: It is a compound invented by the TV show "The Colbert Report". You can find the context here. (the Mexi- of course stand for mexican)


texts: "School Students" — what, like there's any other kind of student?

texts:
I think this might be a Pennsylvania thing: every so often, you'll see a van or small bus labeled, not "School Bus" or anything sane normal like that, but "School Students".

Whenever I see a van like that, I find myself wondering, school students? Is that as opposed to... ... uh... nursing home students? Courthouse students? Bacon students? I mean, what other kind of student is there?

Can anyone shed some light on this tautology? Is it a tautology? Does it sound normal to anyone who didn't grow up in Pennsylvania?

[Aside: Lord help me, I'm using the meaning tag...]


texts: Is "Law of Leaky Abstractions" a proper noun?

texts:
From Leaky abstraction (Wikipedia),

  As coined by Spolsky, the Law of Leaky Abstractions states "All non-trivial abstractions, to some degree, are leaky."

I am not sure if Law of Leaky Abstractions is correct. Which of the following statements are correct (if any)?

Law of Leaky Abstractions is a proper noun. It is correct as is.
Leaky Abstractions is a proper noun, and it should be law of Leaky Abstractions
It should be law of leaky abstractions (as in several places in the original source). No proper nouns or capitalisation. Law of Leaky Abstractions is an example of willy-nilly capitalisation of words.


texts: "The program is functional, fast, and finds a solution..."

texts:
This triple appears wrong to me:

  The demonstrations show that
  program A is functional, fast, and finds a
  solution that program B misses.

Because functional and fast are adjectives and both depend on is, while finds a  solution does not. Of course, I could say,

  The demonstrations show that
  program A is functional, fast, and capable of finding a solution that program B misses.

But, I feel, this is clumsy and conveys a slightly different meaning. Yet another solution would be

  The demonstrations show that
  program A functions, is fast, and finds a solution that program B misses.

But I am not sure if functions can/should be used like this. Finally, there is

  The demonstrations show that
  program A is functional and fast and finds a solution that program B misses.

Which is also not very nice. I am not a native speaker. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

EDIT: I also thought of

  The demonstrations show that program
  A is both functional and fast
  and finds a solution that program B
  misses.


texts: Can I drop the second "having" in this sentence?

texts:
Can I drop the second having in this sentence? :

  So, having looked through your posts and having read all the materials that you referred me to, I came to the conclusion...


texts: Does 'I have a crush on you' always imply romantic emotion?

texts: English is not my native language, but I want to know if "I’ve always had a bit of a crush on you" always implies romantic emotion. Is it something friends may say to each other?


texts: Is it okay to ignore putting periods between initials?

texts:
My name is Venkatesh MG. M stands for the name of my birth place, which begins with M, and G is an initial derived from my father's name.

Since school, I have been using only these two variations of my names:

Venkatesh MG (Almost all the time)
Venkatesh M G (rarely)

But recently, I've been told that the general style rule is to use periods between the initials: Venkatesh M.G.

I am about to publish a children's book. I'd like to use my name without the periods, as I want it that way. I also like the style where there is no periods between the initials.

Is it okay if I continue using Venkatesh MG as my name?


texts:
"Yes, I suppose we'll have to get down to work soon, though I dont know how we'll able to, packed into that little space."

In the sentence above, I don't get it why it has a comma after 'able to' and why 'pack' is added with 'ed'. Please, help me know it clearly. Thanks in advance.


texts:
Which is the correct capitalization of the word milliseconds in a table?

3.14 Milliseconds

or

3.14 milliseconds


texts:
Some languages (Aramaic and Arabic for instance) have a word for someone who's an only child. Does English have a word for it? Perhaps it's obscure or "extinct"?

"Sole child" and "sibling-less" are not what I'm looking for. :)


texts: Is there a verb that means "to return from a digression"?  The best I can think of is a phrase like "Getting back on topic, . . ."


texts: Difference between "couldn't" and "wasn't able to"

texts:
I don't quite understand a difference between "couldn't" and
"wasn't able to". Someone suggested that we use "wasn't able to" when we talk about one action in the past and "couldn't" when repeated actions in the past. Is that the case?

For example,

  I wasn't able to sleep last night
  I wasn't able to fall asleep last night

  I couldn't sleep last night
  I couldn't fall asleep last night

Which ones are right ?


texts: I'm keenly aware of the feeling - the anger or shortened fuse that comes with lack of sleep. I can't figure out a word for expressing it though... Any suggestions?


texts: To tell the name of a person I met in the past

texts:
I have a basic grammar question about the past tense. If I met a guy yesterday, which tense should I use about his name today?

For example,

  "Yesterday I met a guy, his name is/was John."


texts:
My topic is money, budgeting and public finance(s?).

Do you say public finance or public finances? (like in http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8573128.stm)
Budget has two sides, spending and receipts? Why is one singular and second plural?


texts: Do I capitalize "gulf" when referring to the Gulf of Mexico?

texts:
In referring to the Gulf of Mexico as "the gulf," do I capitalize "gulf?"
Example: "We're going to the gulf (or Gulf) in August." I'm using the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed., but can't find a clear answer.


texts:
"Crossing the valley of death"

I heard this expression in a conference, while the speaker was talking about the path he had taken to commercialize his scientific research...

I was not sure what he meant, so, I googled it. Seems like this expression is used in different scenarios under different conditions (??!).

Could somebody please elaborate it? What does it mean and when/how should it be used?


texts: A single word which refers to "a very important and irrecoverable moment"

texts: If there is a very important and irrecoverable moment which you have to make a vital decision, what do you call that moment in a single word?


texts: I have seen this phrasing used for a movie, a book. How can a narrative have ethics? Is this a shorthand for the ethics of the author of X?


texts: Is there a formal name for a "wrong question"?

texts: For example, if someone asked "Why is the sky green?", you would not even be able to answer it because the question itself is wrong (edit: assuming that the sky was in fact blue). Is there a formal name for this kind of phrase/question?


texts: Obscenities considered less obscene in compounds? [NSFW]

texts:
There are at least a few cases in which a compound word or phrase, transparently containing an obscene word, seems to be considered less obscene (in some dialect/registers/circumstances) than the word itself.  The two examples on which I’m fairly sure of this are:

clusterfuck
bullshit

Unfortunately I have no hard references beyond my own experience here: I’ve heard people use these whom I’ve never heard swear otherwise, and heard clusterfuck on the radio in programmes where I’d be amazed to hear fuck.  But I recall also seing this mentioned somewhere online — a comment on Language Log, or similar — though I can’t now track that down.

So… is this phenomenon documented?  well-known?  quantified?  And are there other notable examples?   The other potential example I can think of is motherfucker — it has I think become partially decoupled from fuck in its level of obscenity, but in the circles I know, it’s typically considered more not less obscene.

(Since I don’t have any references, I'm open to the suggestion that I’m imagining this phenomenon, over-extrapolating from a few unusual occurrences.)


texts:
What does the word quote mean here?

When adding customer information, Waitlist Me allows users the option to quote a time or ETA and add future reservations that show up automatically in the system on the selected day.

I couldn't find a relevant meaning here http://www.thefreedictionary.com/quote or here http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quote


texts: Is "intrigued" an adjective or past participle in "I was intrigued when you called me"?

texts:
I've found dictionary entries supporting both situations:
for adjective: http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/intrigued
for verb: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/intrigue

I'd go with past participle form of the verb "to intrigue" in the passive voice, used as an adjective in this sentence. Does that make sense?

Thank you!


texts: What does "sectarian" mean on this train poster?

texts:
I was astonished to learn that in Britain you can be sentenced to five years in prison for using the technical jargon of a particular religious denomination in public. This is based on this poster:

To my understanding of the word "sectarian", this means that if a Catholic mentions the sacrament of reconciliation, a Jew speaks of a bar mitzvah, a Muslim discusses the sevenfold circumambulation of the Kaaba, a Lutheran talks about the ninety-five theses, or a member of the Church of England wonders who will be the next archbishop of Canterbury, that's a criminal offence if done while the speaker is a passenger on a train.

This makes me wonder if in Britain the word sectarian means something very different from what I've always thought it meant. Then I found this Wikipedia article, which says:

  Sectarianism is a form of bigotry, discrimination, or hatred arising from attaching relations of inferiority and superiority to differences between subdivisions within a group. Common examples are denominations of a religion, ethnic identity, class, or region for citizens of a state and factions of a political movement.

I would never have guessed that that's what anyone means by that word. I live in Minnesota, a state whose constitution forbids the use of taxpayers' money for the support of "sectarian schools", and that simply means schools with a particular religious affiliation.

Should this usage be classified as a regionalism?


texts:
My motherlanguage is german, in german there are several words for slightly different meanings of the term number, or do I just not know their english counterparts?

Examples:

German term Ziffer:

Ziffer is a single numeral digit (In deceimal numberation 0-9)
It's, so to say, a numeral letter.

German term Zahl:

This is, what I guess, the german counterpart to number.
It's 1-(n) numeral digits wich displays an value that you can increment, operate with and wich tells you the value of something.

German term Nummer

A number, it sounds like number without a b but a longer m, is something like an index, wich you may can, but maybe not, increment.
It doesn't necessarily holds an value, but refers to something. Like every page on a book as a number, also the license plate on your car has a number on it. Even if there are letters, not only numeral digits, its a Nummer.
You may can, but in most cases it does not provide logic output to do arithmetic operations on these numbers.

The Question now:

Are there english counterparts to these meanings in of the german terms?


texts:
Future simple :
We will finish the project by next year

Future perfect :
We will have finished the project by next year

I've been told that Future perfect must be used when 'by' exists. But for some reason, future perfect doesn't seem natural to use here. Perhaps due to my years of bad spoken english experience. May I ask which tense to use when somebody asks about the time it takes to finish a project ?


texts: What did “eating 'mad cow'” mean in the 1800's?

texts:
In the December 1885 Lippincott's Magazine article  COOKHAM DEAN, about an artistic area 40 miles up the Thames from London, Margaret Bertha Wright (an American author) wrote:

  Probably nine-tenths of the Continental artists who are not entirely beyond the dread of yet eating "mad cow" travel third-class. But Dean artists, however they may travel when out of England, generally slip quietly away from the sight of their acquaintances when their tickets are other than at least second. Our Bohemian was once presented with a second-class ticket to London. As he scrambled in upon the unwonted luxury of cushioned seats, he saw familiar faces blushing furiously.

  "The first time we ever travelled second-class in our lives," murmured Materfamilias.

  "I too," responded the cheeky Bohemian.

I'm having trouble understanding the meaning of

  not entirely beyond the dread of yet eating "mad cow"

The overall meaning may be something along the lines that 90% of Continental artists who aren't rich travel third-class, but that those residing at Cookham Dean are less oblivious to social scorn and don't willingly travel so.  Such a meaning would fit into the context of the article.

Can someone who is actually familiar with what eating “mad cow” meant in 1885 please properly construe the sentence?


texts: What's the difference between 'china' and 'porcelain'?


texts: Redirecting attention to important things?

texts:
What would be the phrase to use in case somebody complains about minor fluff while most important thing is in place? In Russian you would use "Вам шашечки или ехать?" which literally means "Do you want a cab sign (or lights) or do you want a taxi?".

Thanks!

Farid.


texts: The meaning of ''in the middle of nowhere''

texts:
Please tell me the meaning of this phrase:'In the middle of nowhere'.

I've found its meaning in Cambridge dictionary and The free dictionary by Farlex, but still, I can't understand.


texts:
I'm translating a text, and came across the following definition:

security printer: producer of printed documents or products of value or entitlement, ID documents or security foils (3.25) which are physically protected against forgery, counterfeit  and alteration by security features (3.26).

What is the difference between forgery and counterfeit in the context of security printing?
I googled for definitions but found no difference, they seem to be synonymous. In Russian, there is only one word, подделка (poddelka) for both these senses, and I'm at a loss on how to translate this.


texts: Past-tense verb + that clause: clause has to use past tense?

texts:
I am writing a subordinate clause in the "Related Work" section of my academic paper. Which is correct?

  In [1], Smith et al. pointed out that the solution is feasible.

OR

  In [1], Smith et al. pointed out that the solution was feasible.

I am quite confused.

On the one hand, I remember clearly the verb tense in the "that" clause should follow that of the verb in the main sentence. Hence, "was" should be used, following "pointed".

On the other hand, Smith's work is always there and always thinks that the solution is feasible. Hence, the present tense should be used.

Which reasoning is correct?

(NOTE: The OP is asking if it is obligatory that the "is" verb is backshifted into "was", or if backshifting is not allowed, or if backshifting is optional. -- F.E.)


texts: Is there a term for a story without mythological / religious roots?

texts:
There is the philosophical question whether there is such thing as a story without a reference to a religious or mythological teaching.  That is a question for another SE or group.

My question is:

Is there a term for a story, poem or written art that has no mythological / religious roots.

The question is not about whether it can exist, but is there a phrase to describe this situation.

[background - this is for a presentation, which aims to state, 'while it seems that all stories have a connection to mythology or religion, some believe that ____ is/are an exception.']


texts: Word for discrete time-segments of a user's activity (can't use 'session')

texts:
I am looking for a word that describes a clump of user actions, such as clicking a link or downloading a file.  Previously, the word session was used, but that is already used by business partners to refer to a distinct grouping of actions.

  Most users' ____________ are 8-9 minutes long, but some users have ____________ that are 6 hours long.

I would prefer a word that specifically refers to people doing stuff, but otherwise could settle for a generic globbing word like interval, cluster, or series.


texts: Difference between a sweater and a sweatshirt

texts: Many clothing websites use distinct categories for both sweaters and sweatshirts. But what is the difference?


texts:
How do American people usually pronounce Cristóvão Colombo's name?

For example, do Americans say "Cristopher"? Is that a correct version of this?

Or do they pronounce it like in my country (Brazil, by the way)? Do the names of people ever change?


texts: What word to use when you don't want to eat more food?

texts: Which word to use when you don't want to eat more food even though you are not full yet, because the food is too oily and fatty.


texts:
What is the difference(s) between "poisoned with" and "poisoned by"?

Example sentence:

This song is poisoned by unoriginal lyrics.

vs.

This song is poisoned with unoriginal lyrics/


texts:
I am writing about an analogy that is made in a text that I am reading between a substance that blends in to the point of being incapable of being identified as a distinct object (like a certain type of flour into another, when they are mixed) and an object that remains a distinct object, even when blended with other like objects (like, say, a marble).

Is there a single word for the type of substance that blends (the flour)? It's not exactly dissoluble (flour doesn't dissolve)...

The sentence is:

  Whether the item is _____ is one of the factors that determines whether it corrupts the mass into which it is blended.


texts:
Years ago, I saw a discussion about a writer who had, allegedly without humorous intent, injected some surprising atmosphere into a story by saying that "moonlight raked the lawn".

The contributors to the discussion all recognised the silliness of the metaphor, and vigorously tried to analyse the nature of this gaffe — without, it must be said, achieving any great insight.

In the process, what became clear is that few people could invent other metaphors that produced the same type of comic effect. I find myself still interested whether there's a concise name for a metaphor with this type of failing. More interesting for me, how can a linguistic trick whose humour is so intuitively understood have so few ready examples?


texts: Can something be described as having particular advantages, without (explicit or implied) comparison to something else which lacks these?

texts:
Context

During class in my current university course we are often asked to give advantages and disadvantages of certain scientific methods.

When asked the question "What are the advantages of X?", I sought clarification: "In comparison to what?"

I thought this was a reasonable question, and still do, as there were multiple other methods with against which X could be compared, each with different attributes.

However my teacher (a fluent but non-native english speaker) disagreed, essentially asserting that advantages can be a property of a method/thing in isolation, with no comparison required.

This seems logically problematic to me. To exemplify: Method A is cheaper than almost all other methods, and so one might be tempted to claim that an advantage of A is that it is cheap, period. However in a situation where an even cheaper method "B" has already been mentioned, it seems foolish to still describe A as having an absolute advantage: cheapness.

Research

I decided to check if dictionary definitions of an advantage indicate that it must be presented as an advantage of something over something else.

Merriam Webster online

Definition of advantage
1: superiority of position or condition

Higher ground gave the enemy the advantage.

2: a factor or circumstance of benefit to its possessor

lacked the advantages of an education

3a: benefit, gain; especially : benefit resulting from some course of action

a mistake which turned out to our advantage

To me, these examples all have clear implied comparisons: e.g. the enemy has the advantage of higher ground, over us, on our lower ground

The advantages of an education are not detailed, but clearly are advantages over people who lack an education

So...

Could anyone enlighten me, perhaps with examples of absolute advantages or disadvantages that do not imply a defined comparison, or otherwise are intrinsic attributes of an object/method/etc. in isolation?


texts:
Is there a single word to describe the belief that one's actions can affect unrelated outcomes, especially relating to luck.

e.g. Every time I bet against Team A, they win.

Or

If I wear my blue socks, it'll rain.


texts: I was reading Anthony Trollope's The Way We Live Now.  A character calls an old man, "an old hunx" during an argument.  I was wondering if Trollope was writing in an accent or if hunx was an old slang word.  I tried Googling it, but only found websites relating to "Hunx and His Punx." The reference can be viewed here on Project Gutenberg.


texts: Can a comma be used to REPLACE a subordinating conjunction?

texts:
I am aware that the formulas for complex sentences are ID and D,I (I=independent and D=dependent), but I have a sentence that has an I and D but adding a subordinate conjunction sounds weird.
"He woke from the best sleep of his life, feeling well rested"
As you can see, this is and I,D (which is wrong). However, all I did was add a comma where the subordinate conjunction was supposed to be. Is this grammatically correct?


texts: What's the meaning of the phrase "play the wit"

texts:
I was reading 'The Little Prince' by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. I came across this phrase at the beginning of Chapter 17. Here's the full context:- "When one wishes to play the wit, he sometimes wanders a little from the truth. I have not been altogether honest in what I have told you about the lamplighters. And I realise……"

Can someone explain the meaning of this phrase?


texts: What is the difference between "anyone" and "everyone" in this context

texts:
What is the difference between "anyone" and "everyone" in the following context?

For example,

  Anyone is welcome to do such and such.

and

  Everyone is welcome to do such and such.

mean exactly the same thing to me. But since I am not a native speaker, I guess there might be some subtle differences. Can anyone explain?


texts:
Which is the correct sentence.
1. I could spend hours and hours in painting.
2. I could spend hours and hours on painting.


texts: Which analogies can be used in a hyperbole?

texts:
I want to ask if we can use any kind of analogies when using an hyperbole in a sentence?
For example, are these acceptable examples of hyperbole?

He changed his decision faster than a pion could decay.
She reached the place faster than light could.
His screams echoed throughout India.
She was done even before an electron flipped its spin.

Please feel free to edit the question to make it better and add/replace tags.


texts: "The other way around" or "the other way round"

texts: I see both phrases the other way around and the other way round very often. Which is correct? Please provide usage examples.


texts: When did "creep" get associated with computer controlled units in games?

texts:
I first saw this term in use for neutral units in Warcraft 3 (released 2002), and then that got carried through derivatives such as Dota (2003).

Was Warcraft 3 the first time creep was used as a reference for this class of units or was it in use prior?

Example usage from Defense of the Ancients 2 (2010) wiki:

  Creeps are a type of unit within Dota 2 that heroes can interact with, but do not have direct control over by default (see Chen, Enchantress and Helm of the Dominator). There are two types of creeps: lane creeps and neutral creeps. Both types of creeps can be killed by players for gold and experience.

Example usage form League of Legends (2009) wiki:

  Minions, also known as creeps, are expendable allied units that are generated automatically to charge into battle with the purpose of attacking enemy units in the lanes they are assigned.


texts:
Is there an English word describing the action hitting something with your head?
For example: to hit someone with your head; the action of goats hitting each other with their heads.


texts:
Is the following sentence correct?

  I still remembered that the school manager in the seminar talked really sweetly about how bright future it is if a student could finish their courses.

Clearly, the school manager talked in the past.

Do I need to change to it was?

  I still remembered that the school manager in the seminar talked really sweetly about how bright future it was if a student could finish their courses.


texts:
Do you find this construction acceptable?

1) I wish that you find a magic sword for me. (A queen's desire)

2) I wish that he bring me a new book. (from regular life)

I think that they mean: I want you to find... and I want him to bring...

However, some native speakers express a concern in regard to the correctness and idiomaticity of the two. I know that:

3) "I hope you find a magic sword for me." sounds correct. But it seems to me that 1) and 3) don't mean the same though they express alike ideas. What would you say?


texts: "Machine" as a 1920s American term for "car"

texts:
I've recently been reading some of the short stories of Dashiell Hammett featuring the Continental Op.  These stories were written in the 1920s and are about a detective investigating crime in and around contemporary San Francisco.

I noticed that the characters frequently use the word machine to mean an automobile, and I wondered whether this was common usage for the time and place.  I had not heard it before.  To a modern reader, it has an archaic sound, as if the car were such a new development that there was not yet a specific word for it.  But of course by the 1920s cars were very common, so this does not make sense.  It may also be slang; given their criminal associations, Hammett's characters tend to speak mostly in slang.

Does anyone have more information about this usage and its history?


texts:
Here is a quote from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner:

  And I had done a hellish thing,
  And it would work 'em woe:
  For all averred, I had killed the bird
  That made the breeze to blow.
  Ah wretch! said they, the bird to slay,
  That made the breeze to blow!

As far as I understand, the bird to slay means an act of slaying the bird, am I correct?

Are Noun + Infinitive and Gerund + Noun constructions  interchangeable and if yes, then how do they stylistically differ?
Does the wording from the verse sound archaic and poetic and should it be avoided in everyday's speech?


texts: Does the word "combats" refer to clothes as a whole or just the trousers of the particular kind?

texts:
I'd like to use this word correctly but the two dictionaries are saying two different things.

According to Cambridge Dictionary, combats (in British English) means

  combat trousers/pants. Another word from British English would be
  cargo pants.

However, Macmillan Dictionary offers a different meaning. According to them, combats are

  clothes with a military style that are worn by ordinary people.

I know that the Macmillan D. focuses on American English therefore I want to ask the natives which ways they've come across while using this word.

I focus more on British English so I'd like to know whether people from the UK would understand me if I said combats referring to the meaning of Macmillan Dictionary.

Thank you for your responses.


texts: While recently reading an article I stumbled upon this phrase. From the context of the article, I cannot find the definition of this phrase as most results are irrelevant. Answers?


texts: Heady - Does this word mean what I think it means?

texts:
When I look up the word "heady" in the dictionary, it seems that the main definition is "tending to intoxicate." Farther down, "having an exhilarating effect" and "intellectually demanding" are also definitions.

For some reason, when I have heard this word used, I have associated it with meaning something like "too intellectual or philosophical; not practical enough" or "too much thinking and not enough practical application."

My questions are: 1) does anyone else understand this word like I do? and 2) if not, what are some similar terms that I could use instead?


texts: Need an example of "lengthened, curtailed, and altered forms of words."

texts:
The perfection of Diction is for it to be at once clear and not mean. The clearest indeed is that made up of the ordinary words for things, but it is mean... A certain admixture, accordingly, of unfamiliar terms is necessary. These, the strange word, the metaphor, the ornamental equivalent, etc., will save the language from seeming mean and prosaic, while the ordinary words in it will secure the requisite clearness. What helps most, however, to render the Diction at once clear and non-prosaic is the use of the lengthened, curtailed, and altered forms of words.

This extract is from Aristotle's Poetics and as you may have noticed they articulate his idea of an ideal Poetic Diction. I am having trouble understanding the last line and would greatly benefit if one could give an example of pairs of words that have opposing attributes (the attributes being lengthened and curtailed).


texts:
what is the one word substitute for"he or she is the wrong actor for that part or role?

Does misfit or unfit suit the purpose?
 I would like to know the noun for the sentence


texts:
Merriam Webster does not have "stateful" listed as a word. Within the computer science field, stateful is used as the opposite of stateless:

  Stateful means the computer or program keeps track of the state of
  interaction, usually by setting values in a storage field designated
  for that purpose. Stateless means there is no record of previous
  interactions and each interaction request has to be handled based
  entirely on information that comes with it.

Is there an alternative word or phrase that communicates the concept of something having state? An analogous concept would be software controlling colors of a traffic light, for example, the traffic light software has a state where "the light is green."


texts: Possessive for Name Ending in Apostrophe

texts: One of my colleagues has a name that ends in an apostrophe, namely Faee'. Recently when sending an email I realized I wasn't sure how to refer to something that belongs to them using the typical " 's " possessive structure and ended up rewriting my sentence to avoid this. My question is whether I am safe to just use " 's " in the future or if I should be doing something different.


texts:
“Outside, he saw the VonBraun-wheel-designed space station orbiting the Earth.”

(As a side note, I do not study the English language, I'm merely an amateur writer)

A “VonBraun wheel” is an idea, and thus a noun, except, it is also two nouns combined together to create a new noun with a different meaning. I'm trying to say that something is noun-verbed, denoting that connection with a hyphen (as taught in HS). Examples being black-colored, water-washed, etc.

I'm arguing with myself whether it should be as it is, or:
“... VonBraun wheel-designed ...”
or
“... VonBraun wheel designed ...”
or
“... VonBraun-wheel designed ...”


texts: Is there a term for an unrelated word that has evolved to describe something else? EX: saying "pigs" to describe "police officers"

texts:
Is there a term for a word or expression that is used as a substitute for something else? Ex: using guns in place of biceps or pigs instead of police officers.

I thought it was a Metonym, but the definition is "a word, name, or expression used as a substitute for something else with which it is closely associated". A metonym uses a closely associated word, but I am looking for one that is not necessarily closely associated.


texts: Help me check the accuracy of an Ielts Reading question

texts:
Hope you guys having a good day. I am on the other hand, not so much. I came accoss this Ielts question and it reads:

Michael Owens was hired by a large US company to design a fully-automated bottle manufacturing machine for them.

Is this true, false or not given?

TRUE = if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE = if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN = if there is no information on this

And here is the information from the essay:

From 1887 onwards, glass making developed from traditional mouth-blowing to a semi-automatic process, after factory- owner HM Ashley introduced a machine capable of producing 200 bottles per hour in Castleford, Yorkshire, England - more than three times quicker than any previous production method. Then in 1907, the first fully automated machine was developed in the USA by Michael Owens - founder of the Owens Bottle Machine Company (later the major manufacturers Owens- Illinois) - and installed in its factory. Owens’ invention could produce an impressive 2,500 bottles per hour.

Source
I chose "Not Given", my logic is that while he did create the first automated machine, we can't be sure whether he was hired by a company before/after that to create a different machine. But the key said "False"
Say, if I replaced Michael Owens with Mark Zuckerberg and automated machine with Facebook, then the answer would be "True", since he was hired by Winklevoss twins to make a social network similar to Facebook, whom later he put aside and secretly developed his own project. People who don't know this are likely to choose "False" as well. The point is, though, that because it was not specified in the text, the answer shouldn't be "False".
However, I think if they add one word to the question, that is "first": Michael Owens was hired by a large US company to design a first fully-automated bottle manufacturing machine for them. Then maybe I would be more okay with "False".
Every opinion is appreciated, thanks.
Update: I could not comment due to the character limit so i write it here.
First of all i want to thank you all for your comments.
While I do acknowledge that Michael founded his company and created the first machine for it, my approach was from a different angle.
My interpretation of the statement:
"Michael Owens was hired by a large US company to design a fully-automatic bottle manufacturing machine for them"
that is: given any time in his entire life, was he hired by a US company to make an automated machine, regardless of whether he did a similiar one in the past or would make one in the future, then the statement can be True. That's why i included the "Mark Zuckerberg" example, who indeed was hired to do the "product" but then quit the job to create his own similiar version of the "product" under his name. From the perspective of an Ielts taker who has no knowledge about Michael Owens, Not Given for me was the most suitable.
Please help me find the flaws in my argument / logic.
Appreciate every opinion.


texts:
Should the single word onto or the two words on to be used here?

  She held onto the cushion instead of holding onto the metal frame.
  She was grabbing onto the seat cushion.
  There's nothing saying what hand to use to hold onto any portion of the helicopter, and what part of the helicopter not to hold onto while getting in.


texts:
During my seminar when my teacher asked a question, rather than saying that "I am not able to understand what you are asking", I said

  "I don't know what you are saying"

due to anxiety of being on stage. Was I totally offensive?


texts: What are "good men that do nothing" called?

texts:
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
-Edmund Burke

Is there an idiom, phrase or preferably a single word that we can call people that could have helped but didn't? Bystanders don't necessarily have help to give. Cowards aren't particularly helpful either.

Addendum:

For example, once EMS has arrived on scene, bystanders are encouraged not to try to help, unless they're a nurse and therefore have the necessary skills to, and sometimes even then so. If in The Service, I would not want a coward (a liability) next me holding the line. Not to take anything away from these great answers, or to insist on a non-militaristic point of view, I would like to veer into the commercial or civilian realm in which I find this quote most often alluded to, E.G., "If we all gave 5 cents we could cure cancer tomorrow." Pretend most of us did give 5 cents and we did cure cancer, but you didn't give. You are now a(n) ____?... yes, I know what we call them, but what is their proper designation?


texts: What does “Anyone who is married” mean in “Anyone who is married should know that facts and logic are not always helpful to one’s cause”?

texts:
I’m drawn to the phrase, “anyone who is married” taken from Benn Steil's recently published book, The Battle of Bretton Woods that deals with the battle engaged by Maynard Keynes and Harry White, each championing British and U.S. governments’ financial platforms in Bretton Woods 70 years ago.

  “What was Keyne’s substantive role in the creation of the Lend-Lease
  Agreement? It is hard to imagine that anyone could have better
  identified and articulated the huge risks that Morgenthau, White,
  Hull, and Welles’s demands posed for Britain’s postwar solvency. But
  anyone who is married, as Keynes was, should know that facts and logic
  are not always helpful to one’s cause. - page 123.

What does “anyone who is married (should know something)” mean?
To me, being married or unmarried has nothing to do with having judgement, intelligence or wisdom.  Why then should it be followed by the words “as Keynes was,” when it’s nothing special to readers?

Is it a figurative expression for any worldly, sensible person? Is anyone who is unmarried unworldly and insensible? As Japanese people, we have no notion similar to this. Indeed there are many wise men and women who are single. I don't understand the  phrase even it is a joke. Is this a usual phrasal expression, one that is politically incorrect?


texts: ".txt file" or "txt file" or "*.txt file"?

texts:
What is the correct form to address all files having the same extension? For example, files a.txt &  b.txt.

I found these forms used:

  .txt files
  txt files
  *.txt files

Context: I am writing a user manual for software. There is a lot about file structures, so I need a brief form of "all files with the extension txt" in expressions like:

  Copy all *.txt files from folder A to folder B

  Each object is stored in 5 different *.txt files


texts: Racist and offensive term for a black person during the Civil War

texts: Is there a word like "colored" or "darkie" that would be offensive to a white southerner during the Civil War? I don't think the N word would work here. I'm working on a screenplay and want a southern mom to be offended when someone calls her slave a "darkie," but, sadly, I don't think anyone white would have found this word offensive at the time--so I'm looking for a different word.


texts: "I will write about stress" and why not "I will write about THE stress"

texts: Why can't I use THE here?.And does it differ in meaning if I use THE?


texts: How should proper nouns using stylized case (e.g.: ownCloud) be treated in formal writing?

texts: Many companies are now using stylized case for their names. When writing formal documents, how should these names be written? Assuming that the case they've chosen should be honored, how should they be treated at the beginning of a sentence?


texts: What are the differences between "When did she move in?" & "When has she moved in?"

texts:
I am a bit confused!

I am not sure whether the native English speakers choose to use "When did she move in?" or "When has she moved in?".

If we use simple past tense, we imply that the specific time in the past is important. For example, "She moved in 2 months ago"

If we use present perfect tense, we imply that the specific time in the past is not important or we don't need a specific time. For example, "She has moved in recently".

So, my question is

when you the native speakers say "When has she moved in?" meaning that you don't care about specific time or you don't need an answer with a specific time?

when you the native speakers say "When did she move in?" meaning that you care about specific time or you need an answer with a specific time?


texts: ...gave me (the) strength and inspiration to

texts:
In this sentence like:

His support gave me strength and inspiration to continue my campaign without wavering.

Should there be the before strength?

His support gave me the strength and inspiration to continue my campaign without wavering.

If both are correct, is there any difference in meaning between the two?


texts:
My dictionary reports that aren't is also an abbreviation for am not, when used in questions.

Is this use of aren't common? If it is common, are there any differences between the different English dialects?

  Why aren't I being given a pay raise?


texts: Is there a specific term for humourous repetition where the repeated thing is only funny through context?

texts:
I've tried searching for terms relating to humourous repetition, but the only term I can find is "repetition". And that's absolutely fine, I don't mind referring to it as such if necessary, but I feel that this particular device is specific enough that it needs something more specific to describe it.
As an example, let's say someone makes a list of top 5 characters they don't like in World of Warcraft, and they say

Garrosh. 2. Garrosh. 3. Garrosh. 4. Garrosh. 5. Garrosh

The humour lies in the fact that Garrosh is a recognisably-terrible character to the majority of WoW players for several reasons. The repetition itself isn't funny, but the context of what is being repeated renders it humourous to people who understand the context.
Another example, from Alestorm's song "Mexico":

The wenches they are plenty, the alcohol is free
The party lasts all through the night and the alcohol is free

The humour lying in the fact that he's listing reasons the place he goes is fun and mentions the alcohol being free twice because, well, he's a pirate. Of course that's going to be a selling point worth mentioning more than once.
But other than repetition, does anyone know of a term that describes this kind of device?


texts:
My high school chemistry textbook contained the following passage (the emphasis is mine):-

  The correlation between the structure and properties helps in
  discovering new materials such as high temperature superconductors,
  biocompliant polymers for packaging, ...

I wanted to know what biocomplaint meant. So I googled it and Google displayed a 'did you mean bio-complaint' suggestion. Is there any difference between the biocompliant or bio-compliant?


texts:
A recent question on Skeptics SE, brought up an interesting debate on the origin of this proverb.

Particularly, in the comments to this answer we were wondering whether apple really refers to the specific fruit of Malus domestica or it indicates a generic fruit/vegetable.

The OED and various Google searches seem to indicate that apple was used to generically indicate any round fruit, and that is unsurprising, seen its symbolic meaning.

The discussion came from the fact that the Italian version of the proverb, una mela al giorno leva il medico di torno, also refers to an apple (mela), although in Italian -at least to my knowledge- mela does not generally refer to a round fruit (there is a term, pomo, which has that meaning, but it is not used in the proverb).

Moreover, the first report of this proverb in English seems to date back to the mid 19th century, although some (rather dubious, if you ask me) Wikipedia page refers to a XII century medical conference in Salerno as a possible source.

Anyone can shine some light on the matter? Which version came first? What does apple mean in this case?

Bonus question: is there a reliable source for looking at the meaning/derivation of proverbs?


texts: Is there a word in logic, or science, that means getting the right conclusion from the wrong set of presumptions? Or alternatively, something is correct, but the explanation of why is incorrect. Is there any term from formal logic or science to describe when this happens?


texts:
Is there a noun that denotes "things which exist"?  The only noun form of existence that I can find/think of is "existence" which is the condition of existing, not the things which do.

It's to summarize the tools for a given task that already exist, in a presentation outline (so it needs to be a single word, but I can't give an example sentence!).  The other headings are RCA/Techniques/Lacunae.

ETA: Beings implies a certain amount of animacy, which these things definitely don't have.


texts: Phrase where you flip it and it means something else

texts:
In high school a while ago, I learned a bunch of random terms for words and phrases: synecdoche, antonym, oxymoron, palindrome, etc. There's one term that escapes me but I can give examples of it.

  I don't love my wife because she is beautiful but she is beautiful
  because I love her.

  We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.

What is the name of this term? Thanks in advance, it's killing me not being able to remember.


texts: "Huge potential profit" vs. "huge profit potential"

texts: What is the proper usage — "huge potential profit" or "huge profit potential"?


texts: Root pronunciation change when adding suffix

texts:
Can someone provide the proper academic terms and explanations for why we pronounce the roots of the following words differently:

  sociopath vs. sociopathy

  telepath vs. telepathy

  biographic vs. biography

And along the same lines, is it related in anyway to the same change that occurs in

  athlete vs. athletic

  episode vs. episodic

I was explaining the concept to my daughter and realized I had no backing other than "it sounds nicer" (which certainly they do) and would like something a little more solid.

EDIT: This is not merely asking why certain words are stressed where they are, but why suffixes and variations cause the pronunciation of certain words to change almost completely. So not simply the shift from U-ni-verse to to u-ni-VERS-i-ty, but the shift from tuh-LEH-puh-THY to TEL-uh-PATH.

I've updated the title to reflect it's the change in pronunciation not simply the change in stress that I'm interested in.


texts:
Is there a structure as

It was [some adjective, usually negative] of [someone].

in the English Language?
I often find myself writing things like

It was quite bold of him.

I agree—it was pretty pedantic of me.

I'm not even sure this is completely grammatical, but I have seen "too foolish of [...]" being used a couple of times here and there. I can't find solid evidence that this can be extended to all kinds of adjectives to describe someone, in general.
I strongly believe it was somewhere in SE I first encountered this sort of phrasing and am pretty confident it had been used with "pedantic".
The only place I found a reference to this structure after googling all possible configurations is some site called Ludwig. Here, there's a good many examples of "foolish of [...]" being used in trusted sources.
EDIT
The reason why I asked this question is...
I wrote:

This might come off as quite idiotic of me, but I don't [...]

But it doesn't sound right to me, whereas using it in the usual way with a be-verb before it doesn't.
Should I have written

This might come off as being quite idiotic of me.

instead?
This makes me wonder if there are certain limitations on how and where this structure can be used.


texts: Using "And" at the beginning of a sentence

texts:
Since I first learned English, I have been holding this understanding that "and", as a conj. but unlike "but",  can only connect two clauses, not two sentences ended with periods.

But recently, I have seen so many prints, either in entertainment or in academia, where "And" is popularly used in the beginning of a sentence. It seems like the author is trying to connect the sentence just right before and the sentence following "And" in some intended meaning which I don't quite get.

I was wondering if I have been wrong all the time, or if there is a new trend that I fail to understand and accept? How to understand such usage of "and" in rigorous English grammar? If I am right, why it is used differently from "but" in terms of what I mentioned at the beginning of this post?


texts: Term for "Ultimate Parent" or "Ultimate Ancestor"

texts:
I am looking for a term that means ultimate parent, in the context of the last in a line of parent-of parent-of parent-of a subject.  An example sentence this word or phrase would be used:

  Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, Jacob begot Judah and so on, but the _____________ of all of them is Adam.

I could make something up like ultimate ancestor or root ancestor, borrowing the latter term from OS filesystem nomenclature, but I'd prefer a word that already exists for this purpose.


texts:
What verb could be used to describe when country A, which has implemented tariffs on country B, ends/removes/discontinues these tariffs?

e.g. After the incident, America [X]ed the tariffs.


texts:
Extinct is to Extant; as Extinction is to ____________?

The root words, extinct & extant, are basically polar opposites.

The correct answer would be a technical term that indicates the polar opposite of extinction, and follows the same kind of semantic or etymological pattern.

Despite it's ugliness, something like extantion would fit the bill, but I can't find any evidence of such a word.

It's possible the word I'm looking for simply doesn't exist, but that seems kind of bizarre considering the amount of scientific literature devoted and/or related to the concept.


texts: What is the rule that describes the usage of "or" between multiple adjectives describing the same noun?

texts:
What is the rule that describes the use of "or" in these sentences?

"Do you want strawberry or grape jelly?"

"Can I drive the red, blue, or green car?"


texts: When and why has "bike" developed from "bicycle"?

texts: It's not obvious for me why and when bike developed as short form from bicycle. Could you explain that, please? And is it odd to say mountain bicycle or motor-bicycle?


texts: How to use the word "draped" and "wrapped"?

texts: Should I say that she "draped over the towel on her hair" or " draped on the towel on her hairs"? or should I use wrapped instead of draped?


texts: "Close call" can basically be translated as "narrow escape", however, I couldn't find a definition of "call" that would be suitable for this situation. Does "call" (noun) have a meaning of "escape" or something similar? Feels very unintuitive to me as a non-native speaker.


texts: Pronunciation of the word 'negotiate' with an /s/

texts:
So, I've heard this one a couple of times so far, especially in formal contexts on BBC Radio 4 and other tv/radio stations. OED states you can only say it this way —  /nɪˈgəʊʃɪeɪt/, providing no other options. However, it's rather popular to say it with an /s/ sound. Since I'm not a native speaker, I wonder why it's so. Is this some kind of a dialect or...I don't know.
Also, there's a similar issue with the word 'issue', yet of slightly different genesis. Somehow, people like MPs and Theresa May have got an odd way of pronouncing it like /isju:/ and /iʃu:/ from time to time, shifting their articulation depending on whatever reason there is. Like, if Theresa May gives a speech in the Parliament, she goes /isju:/, and then, immediately outside the building, she answers to a reporter with /iʃu:/. What's the reason behind?


texts: Single word for creating changes in the composition of a group

texts:
A team has 10 people working in it. Management isn't satisfied with the team and is considering making changes.

I need a general word which describes any of the following situations:

Each of the team members is given an independent position.
One team member is given an independent position.
Four/Five of the team members are given independent positions.

What is this called, in the following format?

  Management decided to __________ the team.

(This is an example I made up which represents the behavior of the software I'm documenting. So please try not to give employee/industry specific answers.)

Split seems like a good word but I don't think it accurately describes #2, even #3 (because of the lack of proportion in the split).


texts: What does "be composed entirely out of A and B" mean?

texts:
Does it mean being composed of "both A and B" or "neither A nor B" or anything else?

Where to affect "out"?

My concern is this sentence:

  A combinator (or supercombinator) is a function which is composed entirely out of bound variables and other (super)combinators.
  A Gentle Introduction to Parsec ¶ blog.barrucadu

(p.s. I would appreciate it if you could correct my poor English)


texts: comparative adjectives without reference to another term

texts:
The fact that children's ideas about science form part of a larger framework of ideas mean that it is easier to change them.

(This sentence is Question 4 from Link

I found the similar questions to this. Link

However, I still have difficulties to clearly understand the sentence.

What's the exact meaning of "larger" and "easier"?
Why did he use the comparative forms instead of adjectives such as "large" and "easy"?
Plus, Is "them" "children's ideas"? If so, "it is easier to change them" = "To change children's ideas is easier", right?


texts:
What is the difference between pick up and pick up on?

The phrases for consideration (from a book):

  our brains pick up on the underlying patterns
  I can pick up the telltale signs
  you start picking up hints about people

The meaning is the same (notice, catch), but in the first phrase "on" is used.


texts: Meaning of “Great is the weapon that cuts on its own”

texts:
Great is the weapon that cuts on its own.

I recently came across this quote from a game, and as non-native English speaker I have some trouble fully understanding it.
First I thought that it means that a
weapon, which is so well made that you don't have to put any wielding skill into it, is great since it cuts on its own.
After giving some more thought I have had a doubt in my first conclusion, and had thought it might mean that great(ness) is the weapon, that cuts on its own. Meaning that if you are great at something it comes as a second nature.
My question is that which one of these is the correct meaning of the quote.
Could the quote be interpreted both ways since their meanings are on the opposite side of the spectrum?


texts:
These bold words are from Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats:

  Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum,
    Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat,
    Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum-
    Names that never belong to more than one cat.

See also the Wiki entry "Munkustrap".


texts: What's happening in this sentence using "far away"?

texts:
"David and Emma live far away in the mountains."

What grammatical role do the words "far" and "away" have in that sentence?

I realize that "far away" must be an adverbial, that can be both a complement and an adjunct, when I consider the following sentences.
David and Emma live far away.
David and Emma are far away.

However, I'm looking for more details about the syntax within the phrase "far away". What other phrases exist with the same syntax and function? Is there a technical term here?

I'm asking in case there is something worth teaching here to my ESL students.


texts: Term for the category which contains Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, etc?

texts: Is there a specific word or term for the group of mythical holiday characters such as Santa Claus, the Easter bunny, Cupid, etc?


texts: Is there a difference between "geographic" and "geographical"?

texts:
I am wondering if there is a difference between "geographic" and "geographical". My colleague, although not a native English speaker, informed me that there is a difference between "historic" and "historical", such as described here: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/usage/historic-or-historical, and that could extend to other terms.

The context is corporate diversification, where firms that are active in different countries are said to engage in "geographic" or "geographical diversification".

To clarify the difference to the existing question:

Furthermore:
If there is a difference and I should use one, but not the other term, then how does that apply to "industrial diversification"? Would this become "industry diversification"?

More generally, are such differences between words as with "historic" and "historical" existing for all adjectives, or only a small number of them? How can these be recognized and constructed?


texts: Adjective or noun for a personality trait of someone who is considerate of those weaker than themselves

texts: I’m wondering if anyone can help me with a word that means a person who is considerate of the opinions of others particularly those weaker than them? I have in the back of my mind it begins with the letter P


texts: What is the difference between "super" and "superb"?

texts:
I have seen usage of both super and superb.
I also searched for meaning of these two words and found they are almost identical.

Example sentences -

She is a super girl.
His performance in the last game was superb.

Use of any of those two words doesn't change the meaning of those above sentences either.
Need suggestion of proper usage of these two words. When to use and why?


texts: Word for the best way to move from point A to B?

texts:
Is there a word for the action of moving through the easiest path?  I've found "desire path" or "trail blazing", which comes close to the concept I'm looking for, but it lacks any amount of poetry.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

To give context, I'm a physicist working with my team on publishing work that strongly revolves around paths of least resistance. None of us are necessarily experts in the field of English and are hoping to describe new principles in a way that doesn't require saying "the path of least resistance transition principle" or "the path of least resistance gravitation principle."


texts:
I’m wondering which one of the sentences is grammatically correct:

  Having taken into account both sides of the argument, I conclude that alternative therapies deserve continuous research funding.
  Having taken into account both sides of the argument, I concluded that alternative therapies deserve continuous research funding.

This is going to be part of the end for my essay and I was told that I’m supposed to use present tense whenever I present my conclusion. But I figured by writing “having taken into account both sides of the argument”, I would essentially imply that I have already done something in the past, so I’m not sure if that means my conclusion was made in the past (concluded) as opposite to as I’m writing (conclude.)


texts:
In computer programming "legacy" usually means some older version of something, that is still there for compatibility reasons.

Is there any other technical word to describe something even older and still there for compatibility?


texts: British English equivalent of American English Internship

texts:
I've been trying to think of a good British English term for a summer job, the equivalent of American English Internship.

I'm sure that when I've worked with students my company had hired over the summer holidays, we used to the the term studentship, but researching a little further this seems to more correctly apply to a PhD scholarship in British English parlance.

I'm not specifically looking for a term which has connotations of either paid or unpaid work, but if the term has one of those connotations it would be useful for it to be mentioned.

Incidentally, it was my understanding that in American English, internship implied unpaid, but could nevertheless be qualified with either paid or unpaid. As @Martha points out however, it seems that limited duration is a more appropriate qualifier for the word.


texts: I am pregnant "for" or "with" my second child?

texts:
Which of these is the correct phrasing ?

  "I am pregnant for my second child"

or

  "I am pregnant with my second child"


texts: Does the currency sign (¤) go before, or after the amount?

texts:
Should the currency sign (¤) come before, or after the amount of money?
Should it be "¤ 1.00", or "1.00 ¤"?
Should there be a space between ¤ and the amount?


texts: interchanged lens or interchanging lens?

texts:
I was wondering what the right word to describe a camera lens that is replaced with another lens.

As I prefer to use the term "interchange", I put "interchanged lens" to refer to the lens replaced with the other lens. Then, can I say "interchanging lens" to refer to the other lens that is now in place of the lens that was originally attached to the camera?


texts: Can I always use "can/could" instead of "may/might" in informal language? Or there are sentences that can sound weirdly?


texts: usage of "very much " in reference to place

texts:
I am very much in town.

Is this expression correct as an answer to the question whether the person is out on leave or in town?


texts: What do you call an asset (e.g. of a hotel) that can't be controlled or owned?

texts:
For example, for a hotel room:

Assets:

Beautiful italian marble floors
2 beds
A 5-star rated customer service
Situated in the center of Londen

_____:

Amazing view
Usually 30 degrees celcius between May and June
Fish market within 5km open on most Wednesdays
Friendly local community
Easy to get a taxi

From the standpoint of a hotel manager, the first few examples would all be in his or her control. But the second list would not (e.g. someone could block the amazing view, or there could be a taxi-strike). The best I could come up with is something like "public resources" or "unreliable assets". Would there be a better word?


texts: First use of "jack-o'-Lantern” in reference to the Carved-Pumpkin?

texts:
According to OED the etymology of "Jack'o'-Lantern" (as a name for the carved pumpkin) dates to 1834:

Jack-o'-lantern: also jack-o-lantern, jack-a-lantern, jackolantern, 1660s, "night-watchman;" (...)The extension to carved pumpkin lanterns is attested by 1834 in American English.

Of course the practice of carving out vegtables during the harvest seasons is much older then that. As seen in this A&E Television History article:

People have been making jack-o’-lanterns at Halloween for centuries. The practice originated from an Irish myth about a man nicknamed “Stingy Jack.”

Furthermore, as put in this Matt Soniak {MentalFloss} article:

(in the 1670s) it(jack-o'-lantern) began to be used to refer to the mysterious lights sometimes seen at night over bogs, swamps, and marshes.
These ghost lights—variously called  jack-o’-lanterns, hinkypunks,
hobby lanterns, corpse candles, fairy lights, will-o'-the-wisps, and
fool's fire—are created when gases from decomposing plant matter
ignite as they come into contact with electricity or heat or as they
oxidize. For centuries before this scientific explanation was known,
people told stories to explain the mysterious lights. In Ireland,
dating as far back as the 1500s, those stories often revolved around a
guy named Jack. (SEE ABOVE)

Thus, one may assume to the late 17th-century English tongue the name "jack-o'-lantern" already had a connotation to the "Ghoulish". And it may be safely assumed by the early 1900s and latter-late 1800s the image of the jack-O'-Lantern was quite widespread, as those are the years where most of the german die-cuts and American postcards begin getting produced extensively.

I have two questions: what is the earliest English appearance of "jack-o'-lantern" being used in direct reference to a carved-up pumpkin?
Were there any other names our English tongue came up with in reference to the all-Hallow's-Eve classic prior or even after? (and are there any references to it (even without the direct use of the name "jack-o'-lantern" in early-modern-English?)
--For example in Henry the 4th part 2, I found a delightful and reminiscent description of a vegetable with a carved-out face spoken by the fat old knight, Sir John Falstaff:

when a'
was naked, he was, for all the world, like a forked
radish, with a head fantastically carved upon it
with a knife: (...)the whores called him mandrake:


texts: Sounds which seem to express a particular quality in whatever words they appear

texts:
I noticed that in the English language words ending in "ip" often suggest a brisk, quick movement, as with clip, flip, skip and tip. In other terms, the closing part of these words seems to be suggestive of the meaning itself. Presumably, that circumstance helps advertisers in promoting their products, as, for example, one can see in the picture below.

I'm wondering if there is a name for sounds, like the above mentioned, which seem to express a particular quality whatever words they appear.

Obviously, there are a lot of other cases.

For example, it seems as if "sk" at the start of words such as scoot, skip, scuttle expresses the quick movement implied in all of them, while "sl" suggests either a falling or sliding in movement as in slip, slither, slouch, or something slimy or slushy, as in those words and in sludge, slobber, and slobby.


texts: Do you use a comma before "rather than"?

texts:
For example:

  "The author of this story tries to express the feeling of the hunted, rather than the hunter"

Should the comma go  before "rather than" or not?

Another example:

  "Game refers to the sport of hunting in general, rather than the just the competition"


texts: What is the difference between "at this time", "on this time" and "at the moment"?

texts:
For example:

  Mike isn't at home at the moment.

Can I use "at this time" or "on this time" in this situation?

What is the difference between them?


texts: An expression for not giving up when you know you should

texts:
Is there an idiom or expression that describes a situation where one knows they need to stop doing something that's not working, but they don't want to because of all the effort they've already put into the project?

For example, what might I say to a person who needs to scrap the project they've been working on for years because it's just not working and there are outside options that work better?

It seems similar to "throwing good money after bad" or "reinventing the wheel" but I feel like there is a more specific phrase out there.


texts: how can you say 'the person I'm talking with' with one word?

texts: For example, instead of saying 'you have to listen to the person you are talking with',  I want to say: 'You have to listen to your ___________'


texts:
Is the saying "It's not that big of a deal" incorrect?
I would really like an answer to this as my children think it is correct.


texts: What is a location people only pass through?

texts:
I recall hearing of a word that described those strange locations, along the highway, in the middle of nowhere perhaps, where people don't ever live, or truly think about, but yet (as least in the U.S.) are a strong memory for anyone who travels. Highway stops, gas-stations, pit-stops, rest areas... I feel that the word applies strongly to the geography surrounding highways; the landscapes people travel across, but would never think to stop at for a lengthy time, let alone live in.

Does this word exist? I hope someone out there may have an answer!


texts: How to emphasize being complimented professionally?

texts:
I would like to say something along the lines that "I am honored to accept... (job, award, etc)" but without using the term honored as I find it more dramatic sounding (purely my subjective sentiment only) than I would like for my professional context, as wouldn't, for example,flattered be very suitable either, for similar reasons.

What is a less emotional (now I know this is subjective) way to emphasize that you feel complimented by the circumstances from the context more suitable for professional communication?


texts: word/phrase for items added to an active contract

texts:
Background: A contract between Mr. X and company Y includes a list of tasks that the company needs to complete. In the middle of the project company Y discovers that a few more tasks are needed, that are not included in the original contract. I'm looking for the word that describes these tasks, and implies that they were deemed necessary after the contract was closed.

These are my options so far, and my reservations about them:

Addition(al) - doesn't convey the nature of these tasks, too generic.
Exception - essentially they are not any different from the original tasks, had they been included in the contract on time.
Extra - they are not extra, rather part of the necessary work scope.

Searches for each of these in M-W didn't provide me with something that hit the spot.

Example sentence

  The Contract contains 10 tasks and 3 ___________ tasks.

Extra points if someone knows the construction industry term.

UPDATE: What I'm looking to describe is different from a Change Order or modification of existing tasks. It's something that wasn't considered in the original agreement. So far I feel amendment is the best option offered.


texts:
When I want to refer to a (rural) vacation home, what would be the most appropriate term in BrE? I know in American English cabin and camp are used for those, but what would correspond to those in British English? What I've come up with are summer house or summer cottage, but I want to avoid the connotation of those small buildings in gardens.

For visual reference, this would be something I'm after here.
http://cedarcottagebc.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/cedar_cottage_exterior.jpg

edit: I got the term wrong, thank you for making me realize it!