texts: "Select the user (that) you want to change": transitive/intransitive?

texts:
Is the following an intransitive/transitive issue or something else? I'm trying to explain why including "that" in the sentence is critical to getting the correct meaning.

Select the user you want to change. (intransitive?)
Select the user that you want to change. (transitive?)

The first one sounds to me like the user will change by themselves, whereas really you (as an admin) want to change the user [settings].


texts: A word describing someone who no matter where he finds himself he always manages to get by and even thrive

texts:
I was wondering whether there is a single word that describes someone who no matter where he goes or where he finds himself (physically or situation-wise) manages to get by, survive, deal with problems and life and even thrive?

It should have the the same meaning as saying "Tom is like a cat, he always lands on his feet" like so "Tom is a _____, he always manages to get by".

Thanks


texts: Is the correct pronunciation of "Have you seen Mary's book" "Mary book"?

texts:
So there is this question about the pronunciation of the noun possessive inflection.

A certain text states that a zero allomorph is used by certain American English speakers for the noun possessive morpheme.

It says that that the [z] sound of the possessive suffix and the first consonant of the book create a situation in which possessive morpheme "may not be pronounced".

This is the quote from a text:

  Some speakers of American English have a zero allomorph of the possessive morpheme. They may indicate possession either by using the {-s2} versions we have noted or simply by juxtaposing the two nouns involved, as in Have you seen Mary book? As in the case of the zero allomorph of the present- and past-tense morphemes (in which John watches TV and John watched TV may be pronounced the same as John watch TV), the zero allomorph of the possessive tends to occur where two or more consonants come together. In Mary’s book, the [z] sound of the possessive suffix and initial consonant of book create the environment in which the possessive morpheme may not be pronounced. Such a pronunciation pattern is one of the many minor ways in which one dialect of English may differ from another without affecting meaning. Teachers of children who routinely use the zero allomorph of the possessive (Mary book) in speech may have to help them to become conscious of the correct _spelling- of the possessive, for they are likely, at least initially, to write possessive nouns as they pronounce them.
  Analyzing English Grammar by Thomas P. Klammer, Muriel R. Schulz, Angela Della Volpe

Thanks.


texts:
He is desperately, but unsuccessfully, trying to prove that he is
  perfect.

The part “desperately, but unsuccessfully,” does not read well. Is there a word that would combine both?

I am looking for:

  He is _____ trying to prove that he is perfect.


texts: "I don't understand you" vs. "I'm not understanding you"

texts:
Which sentence is correct?

What are you talking about? I don't understand you.

or

What are you talking about? I'm not understanding you.


texts: What is a word which means "un-deliberately uncooperative"? (originating back to at least the 17th-century)

texts:
I am looking for a word for the quality of being un-deliberately uncooperative?
So not the likes of "stubborn" which has a connotation of deliberate uncooperativeness to reason or what-have-you, but I am distinctly looking for a word that captures a much more sympathetic sense as to why one is not listening or giving in.
The word could have a connotation of "dim-wittedness".
I did find the word "pig-headed" which means "stupidly obstinate", but I am also looking for a word that would have existed in the 17th century, as the word is being used in a period-piece, and the before mentioned meaning is attested rom 1788, so there is no luck there.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.


texts:
To my knowledge the noun "nuance" is a count noun. I just lighted upon this sentence from an article by Anne McClintock. Is "nuance" ever a mass noun? Or should it simply be pinned on editing?

  Moreover, theory is thereby shifted from the binary axis of power (colonizer/colonized - itself inadequately nuanced, as in the case of women) to the binary axis of time, an axis even less productive of political nuance since it does not distinguish between the beneficiaries of colonialism (the ex-colonizers) and the casualties of colonialism (the ex-colonized).


texts: The difference between "the way" and "like"

texts:
What's the difference between these two sentences:

"He treated his children like an officer treats his soldiers"

"He treated his children the way an officer treats his soldiers"


texts: What were stalkers called before they were called "stalkers"?

texts:
A stalker is commonly referred to as:

a person who harasses another person, as a former lover, a famous person, etc., in an aggressive, often threatening and illegal manner:
Hollywood stars often have security guards to keep dangerous stalkers at bay.
(dictionary.reference.com)

Stalker with the above connotation is a relatively recent term:

Meaning "harass obsessively" first recorded 1991, probably from "pursue stealthily," Old English -stealcian, as in bestealcian "to steal along, walk warily," (etymonline)

The fact that the term usage  is quite recent  may be the consequence of a considerable  increase  of illegal harassment in the last couple of decades. I can imagine that stalkers, unluckily,  were around well before 1991.
Questions:
What was the  common term used to refer to them or to their  'activity' before the term came into use presumably replacing  previous definitions?
Were the terms stalker/stalking coined in a legal context (see the passing of anti-stalking laws below) or is there evidence that they were used in everyday language first?
Edit:
As shown by @kristina Lopez California was the first State to pass anti-stalking laws:

California's stalking laws are most commonly associated with celebrity cases. In fact, celebrity stalking is what prompted the California Legislature to enact anti-stalking laws back in 1990.

The first was the repeated stabbing of actress Theresa Saldana. The second was the murder of actress Rebecca Schaeffer. In both cases, the defendants were obsessed fans who stalked the actresses. As a result of these cases,5 California enacted Penal Code 646.9 in 1990.6


texts: I understand the scathing phrase 'You piece of garbage!' to be an Americanism. Is the phrase used fairly much in Britain, too?


texts:
I am bit confused on what to put - 'a' or 'the' before "better"

for example

better life
better job
better work


texts: Is "fillet" a different word in "salmon fillet" than in "leather fillet"

texts:
In the question "Is there a name for words which are pronounced differently depending on which definition is being used?" it was suggested by two people that when the word "fillet" is used to describe a thin strip of leather, it is a different word than when "fillet" is used to describe a thin strip of salmon, because the pronunciation differs.

The culinary pronunciation is "fil-AY," while the engineering pronunciation is "FILL-it."

This seems VERY strange to me.  Especially because the pronunciation apparently doesn't differ in British English, even though it does in American English.

Are the phrases "salmon fillet" and "leather fillet" using two different words to describe a thin strip of material, even though they mean the same thing, and have the same etymology?  It seems weird to think of a word essentially being a synonym to itself.

Also, if those two versions of "fillet" are different words, then are they the same word when they are being used by a British speaker?

This all seems very confusing.

Addendum:

In response to an email I sent to the editors of the online Mirriam-Webster Dictionary, I received the following reply (in part)

  In the case of "fillet", I would argue that those are actually two different words.  They may have the same etymology, but in current English they are homographs and heteronyms.

  Joshua S. Guenter, Ph.D.
  Editor of Pronunciation

Although it initially seemed strange to me, I think I'm getting my head around how the "thin strip of material" definition of fillet is in the process of, or has finished, evolving from one word into two different words.

Thank you to all of you.


texts:
Do you capitalize both parts of a hyphenated word in a title?

"My Ex-Wife Hates Me"

or

"My Ex-wife Hates Me"


texts: Is it possible to describe an event tensed ambiguously?

texts:
If an event will occur in the future I might say:

There will be an event and it will have a number of features.

If it occurs in the past I might say:

There was an event and it had a number of features.

If it is occurring now I might say:

There is an event and it has a number of features.

What if I dont yet know the time of the event relative to "now"? Alternatively, what if I do not want to reveal if the event has occurred yet, but I do want want to describe it?

If I want to remain ambiguous about gender I can use the neuter form. Is there something equivilent in tense, or is there a selection of tense neutral words I can use instead?


texts:
This is my thesis regarding the American Dream's unattainability.I need a fourth point at the end. Can somebody point me in the right direction?

In F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby," the American Dream is illustrated as unattainable by Gatsby's failure to recapture the love of Daisy Buchanan, his false satisfaction from money, inability to achieve higher social status, and ...


texts: Does ‘legit intel” pass as a usual English word?

texts:
I found the word, “legit intel” in the following sentence of Maureen Dowd’s article titled “Shadow of a Doubt” in today’s (September 3) New York Times.

  “Once more, we’re vociferously debating whether to slap down a murderous dictator who has gassed his own people, and whether we have the legit intel to prove he used W.M.D.

  Many around the president are making the case that if he doesn’t stand firm on his line in the sand, having gotten so far out on a limb, he’ll look weak and America will lose face and embolden its foes.”

Though Google Ngram shows no incidence of “legit intel,” I surmise it is an abbreviated form of legitimate intelligence from the context.

Does the phrase have currency?  If so, is it more common in writing or in day-to-day conversation?  If not, is it simply a part of Ms. Dowd's idiolect?


texts: What is the difference between institution and department?

texts: When I submitted manuscript to journal, I was asked to finish information on institution and/or department from, I'm a teacher of a college in an university, so, I filled the college in the institution column and university in the department column. it's right or not?


texts:
"Modish" appears as a derogatory word on Dictionary.com/Oxford website Lexico: https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/modish

Do you know why this is the case? Is the word often used in derogatory contexts?


texts: Why does my spellchecker vindicate "floccinaucinihilipilification"?

texts:
I have heard of this word as cited to contain the most i's of all English words.  I had never heard of it before, but when I copied and pasted it into my email program, lo and behold, the picky spellchecker didn't bat an eyelid!

Has anyone ever seriously used this word, or any other word of comparable length?  How in the world did my spellchecker know about a word nobody will ever use?


texts: Telling me what I know (before "it" has been established)

texts:
I heard it said just this morning on the radio by a well known public figure:

"this situation (whatever it was) is right, wrong, good, bad, etc.
I know it, you know it, we know it.

This statement was made in a public forum.
The words, "you know it" are what I am honing in on.
The person saying it doesn't know me or you personally, yet as part of their language or speech, they often make these sweeping generalizations.
As I hear it again and again coming from this particular person, I find myself more and more alarmed because it seems that the public has allowed or is allowing themselves to be told what they know or what they believe by the repeated use of these words or words like them.
I tried to look it up rhetorically but I'm not sure it falls under that umbrella (as a specific rhetorical device).
I know that years ago there were books out that were geared towards winning friends and wielding power or simply put, ways to get people to do what you want - they were titled as such. I think such simplistic devices may be part of that whole ideology (as it were).
I'm just wondering what such a rhetorical style is called?


texts: Is there a correct techincal term used to describe a phrase or name consisting of a pair or group of homonyms; i.e., "Spring Spring?"

texts: Is there a term to describe names or phrases consisting of two or more homonyms, such as "Spring Spring" or "Rock Rock?"


texts: Most fitting word for a time interval with specific start and end?

texts:
If I'm talking about an appointment of a specific time and duration, what's the most fitting word? "Time span", "time range", "time interval"? Anything else?

By "most fitting" I mean that it should suggest to the listener that I'm talking about the interval between specific dates, not about a duration or period.

Word for a moment in time defined with beginning and end only has a rather pragmatic answer concerning programming.

Online dictionaries give contradicting definitions, for example for "time interval":

http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/time%20interval "a definite length of time marked off by two instants."

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/time+interval "Duration of a segment of time without reference to when the time interval begins or ends."


texts: Why is it "on the inside" and not "in the inside"?

texts: The expression "in the inside" appears to be  logical (because insides are closed spaces with boundaries)  but the more common expression  is "on the inside." What’s the reason  behind this usage?


texts: What is the word for a new built property?

texts:
My native language is Swedish. And I work as a webdeveloper. And at the moment I am working on a real estate website written in English.

So I would like to know,

  what is the best word to use when describing a building that was just
  finished built, or is not finished yet but can still be bought right
  now?

Should I use "New Construction" (Google translate suggestion) or is there a better word to use, that describe this? I would like to know the prefered word in bouth US and Britian


texts: "Years of experience that keeps us safe." vs "Years of experience that keep us safe."

texts:
If you've ever seen Mythbusters, you know that all episodes contain at least one safety disclaimer. Having recently rewatched several episodes, I've noticed that some disclaimers have Adam saying, "Don't try this at home. We've got years of experience that keeps us safe."

That sounded a little funny to me, and I'm wondering whether that's grammatically correct. Shouldn't it be "years of experience that keep us safe"? Technically, it makes sense that it's the singular 'experience' that keeps the Mythbusters safe, but shouldn't the verb 'keep' be referring to the years of experience as a whole? I mean, it's the fact that they've got years, and not, say, minutes, that are keeping them safe. Right? Or is the sentence perfectly fine?

Update: I think part of the issue is the word 'experience' itself, which is singular regardless of how much there is of it. Words that come in discrete units (such as, say, 'blocks') are made plural when they're modified by multiple units ('5 blocks') — experience, however, remains singular. 'Much experience', 'experience', and 'no experience' are all singular.


texts: What does "length of the last" means refering to shoe size?

texts:
I think the title speak for itself, google translator was not very helpful since it understands the word last like "last place"

This is the part of the text

  In France, Germany, and most other European countries, the traditional shoe size is the length of the last, measured in Paris points


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  What is the plural form of “iPad 2”?
  When can an adjective be postposed?

I'm curious particularly with iPod Touch and iPad Mini

The plural would be iPod Touches and iPad Minis, or iPods Touch and iPads Mini


texts:
Is my grammar in the following sentence correct?

It should also be noted that the bigger the measured distances, the smaller the variability and the greater the accuracy.

Or should it be instead be written this way, with “extra” verbs:

It should also be noted that the bigger the measured distances are, the smaller the variability is and the greater the accuracy is.


texts:
Which is appropriate while addressing in-laws?

  My mother-in-law and father-in-law are visiting us this weekend.

Or:

  My mother and father-in-law are visiting us this weekend.


texts: Does an inverted protasis mean just plain “if”, or does it mean “even if”?

texts:
When the first part of a conditional’s if-clause is inverted and the if consequently dropped, is the missing if just a plain old “simple if”, or is it more of an “even if”?   For example, in this sentence the bold part is an inverted conditional:

  He could not believe that, had the Englishman known how much he was at risk, he would have hazarded his grandson.

I’m trying to figure out the exact meaning of the missing if through the context, but the example sentence consists of just the three pieces with two conjunctions (if-clause, that-clause) and there is no more, so I became confused as to which of these senses was intended:

If the Englishman had known how much he (=Englishman) was at risk, he would have hazarded his grandson.
Even if the Englishman had known how much he (=his grandson) was at risk, he would have hazarded his grandson.

Which of those two possibilities is the right one here, and in general, how is one to make that determination for any given situation like this one?

http://dictionary.reverso.net/english-synonyms/hazard


texts:
The following passage is quoted from the article titled Which Type of Exercise Is Best for the Brain? by Gretchen Reynolds in The New York Times. What does the word "resonantly" mean?

As I have often written, exercise changes the structure and function of the brain. Studies in animals and people have shown that physical activity generally increases brain volume and can reduce the number and size of age-related holes in the brain's white and gray matter.
Exercise also, and perhaps most resonantly, augments adult neurogenesis, which is the creation of new brain cells in an already mature brain.


texts:
In business English, what is the correct way to say:

  Price per 100 pieces?

the context is a table listing unit price when the overall quantity is of 100 pieces.

In short: if you buy 100 pieces, the price for every single piece is: [price here]


texts:
Which one should I use of the following:

  Compile Error

  Compiler Error

  Compilation Error

I think the "Compilation Error" is way too long for everyday use, even though it's the "correct" term. So, which one?


texts: In which cases is present perfect equal to simple past?

texts:
In which cases present perfect is equal (exactly or in common usage) to past tense? For example, these two questions have pretty much no difference in common usage (as far as I'm aware):

"Have I got it right?"

and

"Did I get it right?"

When grammar book teaches the rules of the English language it often explains the tenses by listing the kinds of actions or situations in which the tense is used. For example, the present perfect tense is used for actions completed in the very recent past, etc. This is the kind of answer I expect. But if you have another way to answer, please do it your way.


texts: The difference between "require digit", "requires a digit" and "requires digits"

texts:
For example, we have few addresses like:

"Box 111"
"Some Rd Suite 1"

And we also have addresses that without any number:

"Some Rd"

So to communicate that we prefer the address with numbers, what should we say?

"A valid mailing address requires":

digit
a digit
digits

Update:

Will there be any difference if we change "digit" to "number"?

"A valid mailing address requires":

number
a number
numbers

Update:

"contain digit/number" is a literal translate from Chinese. In Chinese, "digit/number" is used as an abstract concept here so no need to specify the quantity.

Are there the same thing for English, or we have to specify the quantity and modifiers to concrete it?


texts:
Need help on right usage of "keenly aware of", what are the similar expressions? Can I say: strongly aware of ?

thanks


texts: Is there a word which describes terms that are spelled like a particular pronunciation?

texts:
Some examples:
"never" might be written as "neva"
"I don't know" is sometimes written as "iono" or "I dunno" on various internet media.
My question is: is there a word for this particular technique of spelling a term in the way it is (sometimes) pronounced?


texts: Talking about a student who has been in exams

texts:
If a student has been appearing in exams for the last three days, what do we have to say?

  He has been taking exams for the last three days.

Or something else?


texts:
I want to display three levels in my game...but I don't know what the text should say.

easy -> Beginner

medium -> ?

hard -> Expert

Basically, I want the form that describes the person playing the game, instead of the game itself. What adjective is best?

I have considered adept.

I doubt my users will know what adept means. Also, I need something in between expert and beginner. Adept falls into the expert category. Is there anything more common that I can use, that has the same impact as the other two words I mentioned?

Proficient would work, theoretically, but in day-to-day term, the levels "beginner - proficient - expert" won't sound great.


texts:
Which of these sentences are correct?

Do you really want to know what is in my mind?
Do you really want to know what in my mind is?

I doubted it because people say: Do you know who I am? But if you follow up the same structure for the sentences above, it becomes rather weird! (or maybe I'm wrong?)


texts: What word can we use to refer to the dome-like street/road and bowl-like street?

texts:
I already did some research on google regarding this, but it doesn't seem to suit my expectations. I searched with the term "curved road", but it appears that it's just a road with a turning. I'm a bit confused about this.

The photos I have attached here are a dome-like road (white car) and bowl-like road photo (cycling man). Literally, I can't specify the exact shape of these two roads, but this is how they are alike.


texts: Is there a word that describes the need to form one's own opinion of someone new, rather than blindly accepting the opinion of a third party?

texts:
I had a hard time trying to word this and I hope I didn't over-think it and make a total mess of it.

I just can't think of a word even close and its driving me crazy. lol I'm interested to hear all opinions and suggestions.


texts: OUT OF or OUTSIDE my area of responsibility?

texts:
Do you think there any differences in meaning between the prepositions
  out of and outside when talking about 'no longer involved in something or not part of something'?

  If there are any, please tell me which preposition would you prefer to
  use?

... ... ...

These are some sentences that I can't see any difference in their meaning if they go with 'out of' or with 'outside'.

The matter is out of/outside my area of responsibility.
I'm afraid that would be out of/outside my job description.
I got out of/outside the habit of riding my bike to work.
Keep endangered young people out of/outside a life of crime.
You may do as you wish out of/outside working hours.


texts: Why is "medicine" pronounced differently?

texts:
British English drops the unstressed second syllable to make it sound like med-sin /ˈmɛd.sɪn/.

American English keeps it as a 3-syllable word meh-dee-sin /ˈmɛ.dɪ.sɪn/

In Australia I've only ever heard meh-dee-sin /ˈmɛ.dɪ.sɪn/ except by British ex-pats.

But I think globally every English speaker pronounces all the syllables in "medicinal". Well maybe not the Welsh (I can't find a Welsh pronunciation).

American pronunciation pre-dates a shift in sound of British English in the late-18th and early-to-mid 19th centuries. See Grammarphobia's When did those upper lips stiffen?

This applies to many words like secretary, inventory and accidentally - but reversed for caramel family, chocolate and camera where Americans seem to drop syllables.

I then realised that I've even used the British vs American answer here on accepted answers.

I've just found Why do North Americans pronounce "caramel" as "carmel"? where the accepted answer explains the phenomena well.

But why is there a difference?

Clarification: "Why?" as in, "how come?" or "most plausible". Otherwise  the correct answer is "because that's how it is".


texts: Why is the preposition "in" used twice in this sentence: In 1934, in February...?

texts:
This sentence is in the book pattern complete sentence is:

  In 1934, in February, when the dust was still so thick in the Minnesota air that my parents couldn't always see from the house to the barn, their fifth child – a fourth daughter – was born.  ― MY MOTHER NEVER WORKED, by Bonnie Smith-Yackel, page 2


texts: When incentives go against the good of the group they rely on

texts:
There's a social activity I do where someone sits out on purpose so new people will talk to him. He'll tell them how much he doesn't really enjoy it so he can convince them to go and do something "much more fun" with him. Then the new person never comes back.

Is there a phrase to point out that the incentives for this person are bad for the rest of the group?


texts:
Wikipedia says

  [...] Within the SCR catalyst, the NOx are catalytically reduced by the ammonia [...]

NO2 is nitrogen dioxide, which is singular. x can take any one of a range of values, so NOx means

  nitrous oxide or nitrogen dioxide or dinitrogen pentoxide or other alternatives

and so is, logically, singular. If we regard NOx as a chemical of variable composition then this makes sense. x cannot logically have different values at once, but I think NOx is being used in this sentence to mean

  nitrous oxide and nitrogen dioxide and dinitrogen pentoxide and other alternatives, all mixed together

It is possible the grammar is also influenced by NOx sounding plural as it is pronounced "knocks".

So can we say "The NOx are" or not?


texts: Why is it "rough-looking" instead of "roughly looking"?

texts:
I’ve noticed recently that certain constructions with present active participles (meaning, -ing forms acting adjectivally) prefer to be modified by adjectives rather than by adverbs.

For example, it sounds better to say:

a rough-looking neighborhood

than it does to say:

a *roughly looking neighborhood

even though rough, an adjective, is clearly modifying looking, another adjectival word.

Is there any rule that explains this?  Or is this just a strange corner case of English?


texts: 'Comes in' instead of 'is coming in' or 'came in'

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Why is the historical present tense used so often by sports broadcasters?

Yesterday I watched a basketball game. There was a substitution, and a commentator said “Vince Carter comes in”.

I've always  thought that in this situation it is better to say “Vince Carter is coming in”, because the action is happening at this moment, or “Vince Carter came in” if he already on the court. Why did he say it that way?


texts: Phrase origin: "You ain't got to go home but you got to get out of here."

texts:
You ain't got to go home but you got to get [the expletive] out of here.

Variations of the above phrase are very popular and a common cultural reference — seen in many movies, TV shows and music lyrics.

What is the origin of that phrase? Who was the first to use it and under what circumstances?


texts:
I am looking for the correct technical English terms for these German words like you would use them in a published paper:

Bahnhof → station (We are boarding at the station)

Zugstrecke → route, line, track (The route/line/track between London and Paris is very busy.)

Gleis → track, rail, platform (We board at platform 1. There are constructions on the track between city A and City B. The train runs on the rails.)
So here we have 3 different meanings of Gleis.

Zugfahrt → train ride (The train ride to London is very long.)

Teilfahrt → leg (The train was very slow on the leg between London and Cambridge, but the overall train ride was fine.)

Fahrzeit → travel time (The travel time from London to Paris was 3 hours.)

Zug fahren → run (The trains runs (along a rail track) from London to Paris.)

Sicherheitsabstand → safety distance (The minimum headway between two trains is 500 meters.)

Mindesthaltezeit → minimum dwell time (The minimum stopping time at the station London is 1 minute.)

Abfahrtszeit → departure time (The departure time of train A is at 10:30.)

Ankunftszeit → arrival time (The arrival time of train B is at 10:33.)

While it is very easy to find translation of these words, I would like to know which are the correct technical word choices and if any of my translations is informal or a word is better suited.
I already posted it on German SE, but they said it might better fit here.


texts:
"Enjoin" means to direct someone with emphasis and authority.
"Adjure" means to command in a serious manner.

Are the two words used in different contexts?


texts: what does "a real articulate fella." means?

texts:
I don't get understand the meaning of this sentence please help me. It seems to call for cultural knowledge that I don't have.
this sentence is for zootopia animation.

  I just wanna say you're a great dad and just a real articulate fella.

What does a real articulate fella mean?


texts: Is "going to get you" means "going to give you"?

texts:
Is it correct to say "this place must gonna get you some nice shots (pictures)?
And What is "it's not going to get you any far" means?


texts: The idiom skating on thin ice to express that a person is performing an action that has a great risk is commonplace. What are some good alternatives, both common and uncommon or possibly regional?


texts: What is the meaning of the phrase-"definitely ready to move up a notch on the totem pole"?

texts: The line is from Diary of a wimpy kid #2.


texts: What does "left the rest behind" mean in this sentence?

texts: Sonneti are now creating for customers who left the rest behind


texts: Does "keep one's cool" come from Beat slang?

texts:
According to Etymonline cool as a noun:

  meaning "one's self-control, composure" (the thing you either keep or lose) is from 1966.

Also Ngram appears to suggest that the expression is from the mid-'60s.

While other sources indicate that this usage dates back to the '50s, and is probably from Beat slang:

Keep one's cool:

  To retain one's composure; stay calm; cool it: We'd all better keep our cool and not provoke him (1950s+ Beat & cool talk)

(The Dictionary of American Slang,Fourth Edition by Barbara Ann Kipfer)

  Retain one's composure and poise, as in Billy keeps his cool, no matter what the situation . This slangy usage dates from the mid-1900s, as do the antonyms blow one's cool and lose one's cool , as in Try not to blow your cool in front of the team , or Dad lost his cool when he saw Jim playing with matches.

(AHD)

Questions:

Is there evidence that the expression is from the Beat slang.
What are its earliest usages?


texts: How can I tell about thing that it is started on the past, and we still doing it until now, and it we will continue do it

texts:
I want to shortly tell some one about a task, assigned to us as a team,
that we started doing the task, and yet we are doing it and will continue to it.

as example:

  The development started last week of June upto this moment, and will
  continue until end of august.

OR

  The development started last week of June, and will continue until
  next week.

OR

  The development started last week of June continuously until
  next week.

OR

  The development started last week of June until moment, and
  continuously  til end of august.

what would be the best short expressing sentence?


texts: How do native English speakers respond to "Thank you"?

texts:
In my school and university I was taught to say "Not at all" or "Don't mention it" in response to "Thank you!". Now I rarely hear these phrases used, but rather something like "You're welcome", "It's OK", "My pleasure", or "No problem".

My real life conversation experience is very poor. I often listen to some English learning podcasts, and watch some films in English. So I listen to dialogs, which are probably not from  the modern real life world.

How do native English speakers tend to respond to "Thank you!" now? What I should care about, when choosing from the available options?


texts: What is the cultural equivalent of anachronism?

texts: An anachronism is something that is out of place in time. What word do you use if it's something that is out of place in culture? For example a movie may use a kissing scene to depict intimacy even though the culture in which the plot is set does not have this practice.


texts:
I have always wondered whether "this morning" is present or past. Ofcourse I searched for the right tense and come across "have seen" is being used more.

So grammatically present perfect is appropriate but isn't "this morning" a completed period in the past ?

We ask "Have you had breakfast(morning) ?" when we are still in the morning
and ask "Did you have breakfast(morning) ?" after the morning time was over i.e., in the afternoon/evening.

So according to this, Isn't "I saw her this morning" (assuming I told this to my friend in the evening of the same day) the correct grammatical way to say ?


texts: Is there a convenient way to say "despite and (actually) because of" in English?

texts:
I am looking for the English version of a common phrase from intellectual German, where sentences sometimes begin with trotzdem und gerade weil which could be directly translated to despite and because of (or though and because of). This seemingly paradox phrase is used to express two different justifications (despite and because of) with a hidden critical objection on the first one.

Example: Despite and actually because of its unresolved questions, the work should be published.

Explanation: In this example, the speaker criticizes the usual practice that work which contains unresolved questions is less valuable for publication. The phrase first mimics somebody who shares this standpoint (despite), directly followed by it's critique (because of) generating a moment of surprise.


texts: A word that means that when two elements are mixed they become stronger

texts: I need it to use it in a speech as a metaphor for synergy or the ability to actually be stronger when using the capabilities of both sides.


texts:
i was reading this ancient Egyptian proverb the other day and found it hard to understand because the words "even that" seemed to throw me off. I couldn't really grasp the message the writer was trying to convey. well here it is. If you can explain what "even that" means in this context.
Well here is the quote:

The blessings of thy eternal part are health, vigor, and proportion. The greatest of these is health. What health is to the body, even that is honesty to the soul.


texts: Why do we say "your letters" and not "the letters"?

texts: So I was reading "A Game of Thrones" by George Martin and at one point one of the characters asked another: "Do you know your letters?" meaning "Can you read/write?". So I was wondering why does she said "your letters" not "the letters". I thought that the word "my" describes something that you own like "my car" or "my hand". And nobody owns letters, they just exist.


texts:
I think "a number of vendors are" is the right way, but "MS Word Grammar Check" suggested "a number of vendors is".
I need a clarification on this.


texts: Usage of "do" in "why do I want to do something"

texts:
Phrase:

  Maybe you'll ask why do I want to lift my keyboard off my desk.

Question:

Microsoft Word says that I should remove the "do". Why is that? I think the "do" should stay there.


texts:
Some people sometimes talk to themselves. That does not necessarily mean they are mad or mentally ill. But, interestingly, people don't do that in front of other people, they do that when they think nobody is around, because talking to oneself is considered a sign of madness!

  Anyway, the other day I was walking in the street and saw this guy talking to himself; he was ....

What verb should I put in the blank to mean talking to himself?

I just like to maintain that I am looking for a "verb", and that I am aware of the nouns for that kind of action, nouns such as "monologue" and "soliloquy". And, anyway, these two examples seem to mean rather long talking to oneself as in movies and theater, and thus they might not be good nouns for talking to oneself in the street, because such talking might consist in just one single sentence.


texts: Ancient greek philosophy - looking for a quotation of the kind: "I am scared for the future, I don't trust the youth of today"

texts:
I am looking for a famous quotation that was written by an ancient greek philosopher and that basically convey the following idea:

  I am scared for the future, I don't trust the youth of today

Do you know it?

If not, do you know any other famous quotation that convey a similar idea?


texts: Is there an idiom or slang word for "the last round of beer"?

texts:
I'm looking for a word or phrase that would fit here, where a few guys are drinking at a pub.

A. "I must be going now."
B. "Hey, wait, let's have ..............."

which would mean a final drink before driving home.


texts: What is the difference between Guise and Disguise? They sound like antonym word for each other, but they aren't!


texts: Scientific writing: how to say a factor two-three improvement

texts:
For a thesis, thus scientific writing, I want to say something similar to:

"There is a factor 2-3x improvement."

What is the correct formal writing style for this? I should not use numbers, I know, but I'm unsure due to the format.


texts: Verb agreement with nouns modified by numbers

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Is it “5-6 weeks are a lot of time” or “5-6 weeks is a lot of time”?

I am writing about a baseball player who has 33 at-bats in his career.

Which is correct:

  Yes, 33 career at-bats qualifies/qualify as a small sample size.

My guess is that it should be qualify because at-bats is the subject, but it sounds odd.


texts: Capitalization - Students with Disabilities

texts:
In a section, I am writing using statistics including Black, White, and Hispanic. In the same section, I also reference a statistic for Students with Disabilities.

Should Students with Disabilities be capitalized or not? In this context is it a proper noun?


texts: What is the difference between "happy to hear that" and "happy to hear this"?

texts:
Let's say I've sold a product to a customer.

A bit later the costumer tells me "wow, this is fantastic".

Now, do I better answer with "Thanks, I am glad to hear that" or "Thanks, I am glad to hear this"?

What's more correct?


texts: "Git 'er done"—use of "her" as dummy subject

texts:
This site has a number of questions and answers (e.g. this question) on the use of the third-person feminine pronoun ("she" or "her") as a substitute for specific things like ships and hurricanes and even whales ("thar she blows!").

In certain rural dialects in the United States, however, one hears the third-person feminine pronoun her used as what I believe to be a dummy subject, a general catch-all for something that may not be defined. Probably the most common example is an expression of resolve:

  Let's get her done.

This is heard most often as "Let's git 'er done."

In this case, her appears to be a substitute for it, because the it refers generally to a task or mission, some form of undertaking that must be completed satisfactorily. Yet whatever "her" refers to is not really as specific as a particular ship or whale or whatever. In any event, it's not something you can point to and say "There it is" or "There she is."

My question: Are these two usages ultimately the same, or is the the above-described usage a special case? If so, is it genuinely a substitute for the dummy subject it? If not, what is it?


texts: My job is to do something or doing something?

texts:
My job is to teach English.
My job is teaching English.

Which one is correct and why?


texts: differences between sentences with 'sorry'

texts:
What are the differences between the following sentences with 'sorry':

I'm sorry for disturbing you.
I'm sorry to disturb you.
I'm sorry to have disturbed you.
I'm sorry that I disturbed you.
I'm sorry that I have disturbed you.

Suppose: I've recently disturbed someone unknowingly, or I've realized that I'm disturbing someone, or I disturbed someone in the past and now realized my mistake. How should I apologize for my mistake? I also want to know which sentence is appropriate in which situation?


texts: Can't decide whether to use focus or focuses in this sentence

texts:
I feel like I should use "focuses" as using "focus" sounds weird in the following sentence.

Risks are not identified prospectively, i.e. this is a case of “Fighting the Last Battle” syndrome, whereby management focus most on risks that have occurred recently.

Are they both acceptable? I'm not big on the rules of the English language, I tend to just go by what sounds right in my head and here "focus" seems out of place.

I appreciate any feedback.


texts: the difference between "must have + (past participle)" and "should have + (past participle)"

texts:
The following is a question from the university entrance examination held in 2013 using the DNC Japan Test.
My brother (  ) have been very popular when he was a high school student.
He still gets lots of New Year's cards from his former classmates.
(1) must, (2) ought to, (3)should, (4) would
The correct answer is (1).
I wonder why (3)should can't be a correct answer.
If must is an answer, should must be another answer,
because both must and should have the meaning of necessity.


texts: What is the origin of the idiom "To Stand Someone Up"?

texts:
I was curious as to if anyone knew of the origins of the idiom "to stand someone up" in the sense of:

  My date stood me up.
  Do you think he'll stand us up again?
  She stood me up last night.

I did a quick search online, and I wasn't able to find an answer that was very satisfying. I did find a creative folk etymology or two, but there wasn't much to substantiate them.


texts: Word that describes a 'noun that can be used as an example'?

texts:
In my native language, there is a word that is usually said to exceptional people. It is an adjective that means, for example, that you are so great, you could be made an example for others.

To make it somewhat clear, if I were to make up an english word to match this definition, I would say something like "example-able". The reason I'd choose that is to match the logic of words like "wash-able" which means "something that can be washed."

Usage: "You are ________" or "He is an _______ person".


texts: What is the right term for a person who has the ability to put himself in other's shoes and understand their part?

texts:
I'm a person who understand things from multiple perceptive. Say you do something which seems wrong to other person. I kinda have the ability to imagine myself in your shoes and see if I would have done the same thing. I generally don't see people around me who understand things like this, they only think from their own perspective and don't usually have the ability to think from the other side. At times, this really helps me to stay neutral/unbiased.

I wanted to know about the term which can be used to refer this quality of mine. Is there any term?

Thanks.


texts:
Which of the two sentences is more grammatically correct? The sentence is following a paragraph that describes the narrators relationship with his neighbor.

Developing strong relationships such as with my neighbor is important to me.
Developing strong relationships such as that with my neighbor is important to me.


texts: What is a term for sentences that are grammatically correct but carry no meaning of their own?

texts: An example of a sentence like this would be "The bus will come when it comes." and others along the same line. Do these types of sentences have a special name?


texts: I'm sure this is silly and won't be terribly difficult to answer: can one climb atop a mountain or is it proper to say climb on top of. Or does it matter?  I'm thinking the latter is correct.


texts: How to punctuate a range of hyphenated numbers?

texts:
What is the best way to punctuate a range of hyphenated numbers, e.g., sections 12-3 through 12-7?

EDIT: Just to reply to those who marked this as a duplicate, I really fail to see how the post that this question purportedly duplicates is responsive my question. I'm not expressing a misunderstanding of en-dashes and hyphens, but rather asking a question about preferred usage. In fact, the top answer (which I think is correct) suggests not using a dash or a hyphen at all.


texts:
what is the part of speech of phrase 'enough is enough'?
what is part of speech is both enough?

I thought that the last enough is adjective.


texts:
A recent question on the phrase "take my word for it" sparked a tangential discussion about calling it an idiom. I disagreed with the word since "take my word for it" is not figurative.

Wikipedia summed up my idea of an idiom:

  An idiom [...] is a combination of words that have a figurative meaning owing to its common usage. An idiom's figurative meaning is separate from the literal meaning.

Dictionary.com went a bit further, allowing an idiom to consist of a set phrase featuring grammatical abnormality rather than metaphor, but this only muddies things more:

  an expression whose meaning is not predictable from the usual meanings of its constituent elements, as kick the bucket or hang one's head, or from the general grammatical rules of a language, as the table round for the round table, and that is not a constituent of a larger expression of like characteristics.

And finally, another commenter said the OED (which I do not have) has the following definition:

  Idiom: 3a ...a peculiarity of phraseology approved by the usage of a language, and often having a significance other than its grammatical or logical one [OED/Supplement; bolding his]

And further he showed that Cambridge Dictionaries Online calls "take my word for it" an idiom.

I suggested that this is possibly a clash between technical and colloquial usages of the term idiom, but if possible I would like an authoritative definition. Perhaps there are two distinct usages of idiom, or perhaps there is nothing authoritative - I'd just like to know.


texts: In Agatha Christie’s  Hercule Poirot detective stories, Poirot uses the phrase “if you please” a lot. Does this come from the French phrase “s’il vous plaît”?


texts:
I can say:
I live in Prague.
I live in a city called Prague.
I live in the city of Prague.

But, can I also say:
I live in the city Prague.
I live in a city Prague.

Is it possible to say these two last sentences? I presume it is not. But if so, what is exactly mean.


texts: What does the clause "when they tip the balance between two already available technologies" mean?

texts: Take carbon-pricing first. Long cherished by economists (and The Economist), such schemes use the power of the market to incentivise consumers and firms to cut their emissions, thus ensuring that the shift from carbon happens in the most efficient way possible. The timing is particularly propitious because such prices have the most immediate effects when they tip the balance between two already available technologies.


texts: Word for segment of the general population

texts:
Today I was searching for a word that I'm fairly certain exists, but I can't find evidence of anywhere. I wanted to refer to a segment of the population, and I used the word "constituency" to describe a specific group of people. Apparently, this word has a specifically political context, e.g. "The senator's constituency voted him back into office."

Is there a word, specifically a word that sounds like constituency or contingency, that describes what I'm looking for? That is to say, a word that describes a segment of the population sans a political context.


texts:
Which is correct?
A concrete example would be:

These processes (are run|are ran) within the context of this container.


texts: Is the term "wellington boots" commonly used in America?

texts: I cannot find anywhere if "wellington boots" is strictly British term or Americans also use it. Are they called "rubber boots," "wellington boots" or both in American English?


texts: Adjective or Noun for Describing a Written Entity Devoid of Meaning

texts: I wrote a blog post that was about pretty much nothing, but couldn’t come up with a good word to describe its lack of meaning. I was hoping for a more interesting word than just meaningless.


texts: Word for half-hemisphere / quarter-sphere?

texts:
A hemisphere is a half-sphere, for example, half the Earth: northern, southern, eastern, western hemisphere.

In a forum post related to a ESA satellite station in Argentina, I came across the phrase "having such an strategic and experienced partner on the South West hemisphere".

Now obviously, the South West hemisphere is not a hemisphere, but a half-hemisphere. Is there a word for a quarter-sphere, south as, in the geographical case, the north west, north east, south west, south east?

Maybe something like quadrasphere?


texts: How's "neither' more than just 'either' with a negative prefix?

texts:
Ayto doesn't expound why "neither is not just either with a negative prefix tacked on". How do their etymologies differ?

either [OE]

Either is the modern descendant of
an ancient Germanic phrase which meant
literally ‘always each of two’. Its constituents
were *aiwō, source of English aye ‘ever,
always’, (which was also one of the building
blocks of which each was made) and
*gikhwatharaz, ancestor of English whether. In
Old English this became lexicalized as the
compound ǣgehwæther, subsequently
contracted to ǣgther, from which developed
modern English either. Despite its similarity,
neither is more than just either with a negative
prefix tacked on: its history is parallel but
slightly different.

Word Origins (2005 2e) by John Ayto. p 187 Left column.

neither [13]

Despite the two words’ similarity,
neither is not just either with a negative prefix
tacked on. It comes ultimately from Old English
nāhwæther ‘neither’, a compound formed from
nā ‘not’ (which survives as no in modern English
‘whether or no’) and hwæther ‘which of two’
(ancestor of modern English whether). In the late
Old English period it was contracted to nawther,
and in Middle English, under the influence of
either, this became transformed into neither.

Op. cit. p 348 Left column


texts: What is the meaning of "I am humbled by XYZ"?

texts:
From a recent article on CNN:

  Aboukhadijeh, who is from Sacramento, California, said he’s been blown away by how quickly his tool went viral and is grateful for all the supportive feedback.

  “I’m amazed and humbled by all the attention it’s received. So thank you,” he said.

Using an entry derived from the American Heritage Dictionary for online reference, The Free Dictionary gives their definition of humbled as:

  humbled

  hum·ble (hŭm′bəl)

  adj. hum·bler, hum·blest

  Marked by meekness or modesty in behavior, attitude, or spirit; not arrogant or prideful.
  Showing deferential or submissive respect: a humble apology.
  Low in rank, quality, or station; unpretentious or lowly: a humble cottage.

  tr.v. hum·bled, hum·bling, hum·bles

  To cause to feel humble: “He was humbled by the lack of consolation in Kornblum’s expression” (Michael Chabon).
  To cause to have a lower condition or status; abase.

  [Middle English, from Old French, from Latin humilis, low, lowly, from
  humus, ground; see
  dhghem-
  in Indo-European roots.]

    CITATION: humbled. (n.d.) American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. (2011). Retrieved August 20 2017 from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/humbled

None of these definitions seems to apply:

Being the author of something that is widely appreciated would seem to be cause for pride, rather than to curtail or destroy it.
His “modesty” — or expectation that he would only have a small audience for his work — seems to be a pre-existing condition that is merely revealed by the event, not something that is caused by the event.
He created a tool that was rapidly used and appreciated by many, with the result being that he found himself in a higher condition or station than he was before.

Is there a subtlety I’m missing here?


texts:
Father bought a car which is BMW.

Is it right to say:

—> Father bought a BMW car

The apples that are lying on the table are bad.

Are these correct grammatically:

—> the apples lying on the table are bad.
—> the lying apples are on the table.


texts: What is it called when everyone confesses their guilt / involvement in solidarity, but there is only one confessing truthfully?

texts:
I am looking for the term {or would like suggestions for how to express this) for the event when one person in a group is to blame for an event and the whole group gives mainly false confessions, in solidarity.

An example: There are 10 people in a group, and Bill breaks something. The president says "Somebody broke this," and one by one each member of the group volunteers that they did it, so the expected consequences are nullified or spread out.


texts: Is "What you desire is what you get" a simple sentence?

texts:
"What you desire is what you get."
Is it a simple sentence?

My hunch is it's a simple sentence, although it only partially fits into Randolph Quirk's idea, stated in his A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language, of a simple sentence containing a subordinate clause. For Quirk, a simple sentence can contain a subordinate clause provided that clause functions not as a sentence element (S, O, C, A etc.) but as a clausal modifier of a head within a phrase. For example: "This is the car that Jack owns." In the original question, however, two subordinate clauses function as two sentence elements (Subject, Subject complement).


texts: How can I practice pronouncing "Coke" so it is not mistaken for another word?

texts:
I always fear my conversation sounds like this:

  — What would you like to drink, sir?
  — I will take some cock, thanks.
  — ROFL.

Any tips on how to pronounce Coke so it is not mistaken for anything? :)


texts:
Given this sentence:

  Its original manufacturer’s warranty, if any, still applies, with warranty details included in the item details.

Can I change “if any” in the above sentence to “if existing”?

  Its original manufacturer’s warranty, if existing, still applies, with warranty details included in the item details


texts: How did 'adumbrate' evolve to mean 'represent in outline'?

texts:
What's an intuitive derivation behind ODO's definition 1 that helps to remember its meaning?

  1. adumbrate = [with object]
  Represent in outline:

  Etymonline for adumbration: 1530s, from Latin adumbrationem (nominative adumbratio) "a sketch in shadow, sketch, outline," noun of action from past participle stem of adumbrare "to cast a shadow, overshadow, represent (a thing) in outline," from ad- "to" (see ad-) + umbrare "to cast in shadow," from PIE *andho- "blind, dark" (see umbrage).

My confusion arises from opposition between the clarity of an outline and haziness of a shadow. ODO's definitions 2 and 3 seem fitter, because they directly involve the idea of 'shadow'.


texts: What does it mean to be 'suspended from the service of the House'?

texts:
In the House of Commons, or in the Australian House of Representatives or the New Zealand Parliament, a Member can be 'named' (for committing some unparliamentary act e.g. calling a minister a liar), and if a vote is carried against them they are said to be suspended from the service of the House. It effectively means (in Britain at least) they cannot sit in the Chamber for 5 consecutive days and lose a corresponding amount of salary.

But to be suspended from the service of the House does not seem correct English. Does it mean the Member's service of the House? Or does it mean the House's service of the Member? If the former it would seem to me that of should be replaced with to, and the definite article removed - so that it becomes suspended from service to the House. If it is the latter it doesn't seem to make sense. How does the House serve the member?


texts:
Are "brim" and "rim" related in etymology?

I remember there are some other words which have similar meanings after adding "b-" in their fronts. It seems as if "b-" is a prefix.

But I can't recall them right now.


texts: A single word for "to paint and/or draw"?

texts:
Is there a single word for "to paint and/or draw"? If you talk to artists frequently, you find you want one.

Depict, portray and similar words work in a sentence like "The artist painted/drew a horse",  but I'm looking for something that works in a sentence like "Did you paint and/or draw today?"


texts:
today I got into a discussion with a colleague of mine about if it's correct to end a sentence with "however". Here's the case:

"I've attached the following document. I don't think it'll be useful, however".

Although I think the sentence could be better written, I don't think it's wrong to use "however" ending it.

My colleague's opinion is that it would be better to use "though" on it.

So, I have 2 questions:

1) Is it ok to use "however" in the end of a sentence, with the same meaning of "though" ?

2) Which one is better in this case, "however" or "though" ?

Thank you!


texts: I'm an American and I refer to a situation which is settled as "sorted out."  My English family would just say that it's "sorted".  Which is the earlier expression?  Did Americans add the preposition or did the English drop it?


texts:
The Q is: For them, the task was identified as being to talk to important (or knowledgeable) people and elicit information...

Can you explain me how does it mean and what is the structure for that part?


texts: "Exponent" and "proponent" seem to have (at least) overlapping definitions in the sense of "one who advocates". What distinguishes them?


texts:
Which is the correct preposition in the sentence below? Why?

  Participated in/on producing quality software solutions for leading global insurance and reinsurance companies.


texts: Can we say "Some things end good, some things end bad" in informal American/Britain English?

texts:
I have a question about this sentence:

Some things end good, some things end bad

Could it be safely written in poetry or in the lyrics of a song?
I know that there are the adverbs well and badly, but I also read that good and bad can be used as adverbs too in some cases, examples (taken from Google Translate):

My mother could never cook this good

He beat her up real bad

That said, could the above phrase still be considered correct in the context of a song?

Thank you very much for your attention!


texts:
Atheist Dan Barker said:

  Freethinkers reject faith as a valid tool of knowledge.

Taking it as it is, what would be the opposite of freethinker in the above context? Restricted-thinker, constrained-thinker, something else?


texts: Term for verb+adverb with distinct meaning

texts:
There are verbs that, when paired with certain adverbs, can have a distinctly different meaning.  For example,

  I looked up the word in the dictionary.

The phrase looked up functions as a verb with a distinct meaning than looked in a sentence like

  I looked ridiculous.

In all of these two-word verb examples I can think of, they become a single word when used as a noun or adjective:

  The software performs millions of lookups per second.

Is there a term for these verb+adverb pairs, and, if so, what is it?

Additional examples:  back up, run off, hang out

Once upon a time, I though these were called verbals, but that was wrong.  The term verb phrase is not quite right either; a verb phrase generally encompasses additional modifiers, objects, etc.


texts: When and by whom was “coronnial” coined?

texts:
The Cambridge Dictionary blog posted on May 11th, 2020 a new word:

Coronnial - noun [C]
(UK /kəˈrəʊ.ni.əl/ US /kəˈroʊ.ni.əl/)

  someone who was born around the time of the covid-19 pandemic

Apparently, only the earliest post about the term “coronnial” was made by the Urban Dictionary on March 14th:

Coronnials

  The babies conceived during the “Home Quarantine” practice linked to COVID19. The first wave of Coronnials will be born 9 months after the “Social Distancing” movement has taken hold in your community.

Both sources seem to refer to a very recent usage, possibly from newspapers or online sites, in which the term was actually coined.

Given the term refers to very recent events, can anyone provide  details about where the term was first used and by whom ?


texts:
I have been reviewing view proposals and I came across:

  We state that the Company has been trading successfully in its chosen
  markets for over twenty years.

What is the meaning of the above sentence?

Why do they say "Chosen Market"? Is there a hidden meaning behind this sentence?


texts: Do I update or renew my eyewear prescription?

texts: If I'm going to the optometrist to get a pair of new lenses with a new prescription for my glasses, do I say I'm going to renew, or I'm going to update my prescription?


texts:
Here's some context:

  The lift’s taking an eternity. A smidgeon of Mr Staffa’s exceedingly
  pure cocaine would score 180 right now – my tea-time Red Bull’s worn
  off – but a glug of Kilmagoon Special Reserve from my cunningly
  concealed hip-flask will have to suffice.

It's from Earth calling Taylor short story by David Mitchell.

Possibly, it's reference to Scrabble score for word "smidgeon" or something because earlier in this story characters are talking about Scrabble a bit. Since I'm not a scrabble player I'm not really sure.


texts:
From Nate Silver's "The signal and the noise:"

  The amount of information was increasing much more rapidly than our understanding of what to do with it, or our ability to differentiate the useful information from the mistruths.

Why is there a comma before or? Isn't the second clause dependent, since it refers to the increasing amount of information (so it's not self-contained)? If it is indeed independent, how exactly do you tell when a clause is dependent?


texts: Another way of expressing "morally wrong" ideas

texts:
In an article I'm writing, I have the following sentence:

  "It might be a bit of a moral gray area to..."

I go on to give an analogy to connect it to the topic I'm writing about, but I'm not liking the phrase "it might be a bit of a moral gray area." I'd like to re-phrase this sentence somehow, but I'm not sure how to express the idea of "a morally gray" area, if that makes sense. Something that... while it's not outright bad or illegal, it's also not ethically acceptable.... "or is it?" That's kind of where I'm stuck with phrasing. Any help, advice or ideas would greatly be appreciated.


texts:
"Meeting" (noun) sounds formal to me - correct?

"Meet-up" is defined as a informal meeting.

Is there a single word that can be used in both formal and informal situations?

e.g.

I'm having a [..] with a business partner.
I'm having a [..] with my friends.

Sorry if my question wasn't clear enough - I am looking for a noun.


texts: An error message should display or should 'be' displayed?

texts:
If the writer means to say that an error message should 'appear' can he phrase the sentence as 'When user clicks the button, an error message should display' or is it more correct to say 'When user clicks the button, an error message should BE displayed'?

English is not my native language and I don't know grammar much but I have a feeling that first sentence is wrong i.e. error message should display because 'display' is an action (verb) that has to be performed on an object. I've never seen the use of word display like this.

Can someone please point out to an article which supports the argument that we can not say 'error message should display' and it should rather be 'should be displayed'? provided my understanding is right. Please correct me if I'm wrong.


texts: Relative clause with "whose": is it misplaced?

texts:
I just read the following sentence in a short-biography: "Peter was born in England in 1982, whose parents were from Japan and India."
I think that the use of the relative pronoun "whose" is wrong here, it sounds as if the parents of the year 1982 were from Japan and India.
Am I right, or is this sentence correct?


texts:
What do you think, is it beautiful or not beautiful? –Sorry, I do not
  have strong feeling for it.

I doubt the use of “strong feeling” is not perfectly right here, because to have strong feeling for something is equal to “to like something very much”. Usually, people like beautiful things, and dislike ugly things, but to answer the question about whether it is beautiful or not with “I like it or not like it” is a little bit question-begging.


texts:
I wrote my bachelor's thesis, and just now I got a question in my head that should have been asked long time ago. Originally the thesis is written in Polish, but I'm also obligated to translate my topic to English.

So, is "Computer networks security threats analysis" correct? I can't change it any more, so I just want to know is this correct?

In my thesis I am analysing a few computer networks security threats. But I think it's obvious.


texts: 'Chargeable': Where else, besides Singapore, is this word commonly used in this particular context?

texts:
In Singapore, the word chargeable is used in the sense of it being something that can be charged for. Example:

Customer asks, "Is the green tea free?"
Waitress responds, "Sorry no, it is chargeable. $1 per person, free flow."

Another example is given by Singapore's tax authority, which refers to (chargeable income).
My question is: Is this commonly used anywhere else in the world?
And my follow-up question is: If I used this word in this context in the main Anglo-Saxon countries (US, UK, Canada, Australia, NZ), would I be readily understood?


texts: What is the proper way to alphabetize acronyms in an index. The particular words in question are: "U.S. Constitutional Law" and "urbanization." Which should be listed first?


texts: Alternative expression/term to trivial use of 'OCD'

texts:
After being reproved for doing so myself on SO yesterday. I realized that over the last couple of years the meaning of the expression OCD, seems to have deflated. Up to the point where people(read I) mostly associate it with pet peeves like the price of a fill up at a petrol station and the amount of litres, not both being round or misaligned street tiles.

It is obviously very useful since most of us can relate to this feeling to some degree. However, in a slightly more formal context like SE, this obviously is not an appropriate word to use since its trivialises a very serious affliction and therefore might be hurtful to people suffering from real OCD.

What would be a viable alternative in a context like this?


texts: In the dictionary reserved means - not revealing emotions and formal means - prim or stiff. I saw they were synonym in the Google dictionary. What makes these two words similar, I wonder?


texts: Meaning of "One day you'll lay an egg too many and it'll crack under you."

texts:
I'm reading a play and I cannot understand the meaning of this expression.
Somebody pulls a trick and laughs to himself. The other says, "One day you'll lay an egg too many and it'll crack under you."
What does he mean? Does he mean that one day the other party fails bad that he gets ashamed or something?


texts: When (if ever) is is acceptable to use an indefinite article immediately in front of an adjective?

texts:
What's the rule for using a/an before an adjective?

I am asking this question because my high school professor is teaching us that
we shouldn't use a/an before an adjective. With some 'exceptions' like "Picasso was a famous painter."

Now that sounds very strange to me because I am used to saying "It's a beautiful day.", not "It's beautiful day.", or "It's a small dog.", not "It's small dog". My professor also pointed out that "Picasso was a famous painter." was some kind of exception because "a" is used before an adjective. My professor also told me that this sentence is correct : "A mouse is an animal. It's small animal."

Like I said, for me, It's a very strange claim that we shouldn't use "a" or "an" before an adjective. What should I say to my professor? I would like your professional opinion about this.

Thanks.

Notice: This question isn't about 'a' vs 'an'. Read the question before marking it as a duplicate.


texts:
More specifically, I was wondering whether the schwa sound can predict which vowel to use in spelling?

For instance, does the schwa sound predict "a" spelling more than "e" spelling?
I noticed that some people often misspell the word "separate" as "seperate".

UPDATE: If there is a pattern, what are the numbers of the schwa sound being a specific vowel? (i.e. schwa --> e, schwa --> i, schwa --> o, schwa --> a, schwa --> u, schwa --> y).


texts: Is there one word or phrase that best describes the emotion of happiness when winning?

texts: Or potentially a word that is used in another language to describe this feeling?


texts: Order of words and punctuation in a sentence

texts:
I am writing a sentence whose word order and punctuation has put me in a fix. Can I get some opinions on whether the construction is correct, grammatically?

  Ask him what becomes of the dogs he claims to have rehabilitated on
  the show after the show ends and he leaves them in the hands of their
  ignorant owners.

The main problem I have with the sentence is that it a) doesn't sound natural and b) is too long, without any pause. If you could point out the mistakes or, better yet, improve the phrasing, I'd be very grateful.

Thanks.


texts: Is this grammatically correct- "My husband came running when he heard me call out for help."

texts:
"My husband came running when he heard me call out for help."

In the above sentence, should there be 'calling out' or simply 'call out' is fine.


texts: Is there a use for apostrophes aside from possession?

texts:
My teacher has said that the statement

  The working thesis statement reflects how the characters' help
  establish the religious allegory.

is 'grammatically' correct, with help acting as a verb, not a noun.
I have been taught that this is not the correct use of apostrophes, but he says that it is correct – that there is an alternate use of apostrophes that few people use. Is he correct?


texts: Can a prepositional phrase modify a noun when there is a verb between the noun and the prepositional phrase?

texts:
For example,

Forecasts have emerged of heavy rain.
A structurally sound argument was presented of the characteristics and implications of economic recessions.

Is the prepositional phrase modifying "forecasts" or is it actually modifying the verb? I've heard sentences like this used before, but are they grammatically correct?


texts: Is it ever correct to say "Me and Jon are going to the movies"?


texts: What term has replaced the term “microcomputing” from 1986?

texts:
Why has the term "microcomputing" been used less and less since 1986-87 (ngram)?

What term has replaced the term "microcomputing" since 1986?


texts: The backshift of the forms of infinitives with modal verbs

texts:
Must can be used in reported speech.

I told him that he must stay home.

However, what happens if we use other forms of the infinitive?

What is Jack doing?
He must be watching TV.

2)I said that Jack must be watching TV.
or I said that Jack must have
been watching TV.


texts: How does one parenthetically amend a noun in a sentence so that both the singular and plural form are included?

texts:
In a complex sentence with two subjects, each taking separate actions, the second subject is item (singular), which I want to amend to item(s) with a parenthetical s.

How do I direct the rest of the action? Do I say was (were), or do I just say one of them (either was or were), or what?

Here's the sentence I'm trying to write:

  Of the women who specified where their favorite item(s) was purchased.


texts: Difference between “laconic” and “concise”?

texts: Those two words both seem to be about using a few words/a few steps to do something.


texts: Should there be a comma in "The heading reads, 'a chart heading.'"?

texts:
I have a sentence along the lines of

  The heading reads, "a chart heading."

The comma seems a bit awkward to me, but I cannot seem to find any explicit guidance in the Chicago Manual of Style on whether or not it should be there, and a couple of searches of CMoS's Q&A find instances both with and without the comma (and a number of instances with a colon instead of the comma).

Is this better with or without the comma?  Why?


texts:
According to wikipedia, smalltalk is an informal type of discourse that does not cover any functional topics of conversation or any transactions that need to be addressed. For example:

William: Morning, Paul.
Paul: Oh, morning, William, how are you?
William: Fine, thanks. Have a good weekend?
Paul: Yes, thanks. Catch you later.
William: OK, see you.

I haven't found a word to describe the opposite: an informal type of discourse that DOES cover a functional topic of conversation or a transaction that need to be addressed.

Could we say "deep talk"? Maybe just "non-smalltalk" is the best option?


texts: I wanted to know if the term “Nail Spa” or “Nails Spa” is correct? I am opening a nail salon and would like to know which one would be correct. I know that Nail salon is correct not nails salon but referring to spa seems different to me and I cannot find an answer online about nail(s) with SPA


texts: The origin and meaning of the word "copacetic"

texts:
I looked up copacetic but it appears to have no official origin. Also, what exactly does the word mean, please use it in a sentence.

  1919, but it may have origins in 19c. U.S. Southern black speech. Origin unknown, suspects include Latin, Yiddish (Hebrew kol b'seder), Italian, Louisiana French (coupe-sétique), and Native American. None is considered convincing by linguists. (Etymonline)


texts: What are time words doing when they occur after a noun?

texts:
Examples:

People these days have it easy.
People back then didn't know about germs.
The news today makes up for the news yesterday.
The meeting Monday will complete the agenda from the meeting Friday.

In some cases it can be parsed as an adverb modifying the verb or whole sentence, but not always. And it often seems very tightly tied to the noun.
Since the times can usually be moved into a prepositional phrase (usually of/from), my best guess is a noun adjunct, but noun adjuncts that occur after the noun are supposed to be extremely rare (the only examples I've seen were all names).
I found this post but the only answers that make sense are downvoted.


texts: Which of the following is correct (or better): "Two Players" or "Two Player" as a game menu item?

texts:
I have published a simple game for two players, whose menu contains the following:

Single Player (human vs. computer)
Two Players (two players playing on the same device)
Bluetooth (two players on two different devices)

(Without the texts in parentheses.)

So, is it correct to say "two players" or "two player" (as in "a two-player game")? If both are correct, which one is better for this purpose?


texts: What is the common name/word for movies, games, songs, books etc?

texts:
English is not my main language. I am trying to find a word or a phrase (2 or 3(!) words maximum) to make a reference to these actions for an article.

What is the common name for these kind of actions:

playing video games
watching movies/series
reading books
listening songs
etc..

I came up with "having fun" but this seems too generic and the purpose of most of these actions are not just to have fun. I am looking at "hobby" but not all hobbies are bound to a product of some company/artist like movies/songs/games/books do.


texts: The names in this table are / is a list of attendances

texts:
Which sounds natural for you, native speakers of English?

The names in this table are a list of attendances.
The names in this table is a list of attendances.

Please answer with your choice. Also, add some reason if possible.


texts:
In low volume, a melody sad love song is playing in a mobile phone placed on the side table.

Do you see the three adjectives (melody sad love) together? Is that correct?


texts: "Dasometry": is this a common word in English? Is there more common alternative?

texts:
I am looking for a word that groups all measurements done in the trees or forest, like Tree height, Diameter at breast height, Basal Area, Volume, crown diameter, etc.

In Spanish we have the word "Dasometria" for that, and in English I only found the word "dasometry" in research papers written by Spanish or Portuguese speakers (probably influenced by our local definition) like these example and these search results. Although it is found in many scientific papers published in English journals, it does not appear in many English dictionaries (Cambridge,lexico, Collins, McMillan, wordreference).

I will use the word for a Masters research project in an Australian university, so here is my question:

Is it right to use the word "Dasometry" and "Dasometric"?

If not, what alternative word can I use to address the above definition?


texts: Name of a place at the end of a long journey

texts:
Whats a word for a PLACE for weary travelers, a PLACE you reach after a long, arduous journey.

Another name the for Destination, that really implies difficulty reaching it


texts: What is the difference between: "two-day" and "two days"

texts:
I would like to know which would be the correct form:

  a major two-day auction
  a major two days auction

The duration of the auction is two days. Which form is the right one to use?


texts:
The following dialog is an excerpt from Terry Pratchet's Making Money:

“Isn’t the fornication wonderful?”
After quite a lengthy pause, Moist ventured, “Is it?”
“Don’t you think so? There’s more here than anywhere else in the city,
I’m told.”
“Really?” said Moist, looking around nervously. “Er . . . do you have
to come down here at some special time?”
“Well, during banking hours usually, but we let groups in by
appointment.”
“You know,” said Moist, “I think this conversation has somehow got
away from me . . .”
Bent waved vaguely at the ceiling.
“I refer to the wonderful vaulting,” he said. “The word derives from
fornix, meaning ‘arch’.”
“Ah! Yes? Right!” said Moist. “You know, I wouldn’t be surprised if
not many people knew that.”

I do not dispute the origin of the word which is confirmed by this definition:

Sexual intercourse between partners who are not married to each other.
Word History: The word fornication had a lowly beginning suitable to what has long been the low moral status of the act to which it refers. The Latin word fornix, from which fornicti, the ancestor of fornication, is derived, meant "a vault, an arch." The term also referred to a vaulted cellar or similar place where prostitutes plied their trade. This sense of fornix in Late Latin yielded the verb fornicr, "to commit fornication," from which is derived fornicti, "whoredom, fornication." Our word is first recorded in Middle English about 1303.

My question is whether the word fornication ever actually meant vaulting in English as opposed to Latin. The definition above states that 'our' word first appeared in 1303 but did it carry both meanings or only the modern one? For that matter, does it carry both meanings today? None of the dictionaries I checked has that usage.


texts:
“While new census data reveals that unemployment numbers are more dire than was previously suspected, it is not clear that the forecast for American entrepreneurship is equally alarming. An article in a major national newspaper suggests that the contraction in hiring at
existing companies might result in more new companies being founded. College graduates, unable to find traditional jobs, instead opt to start their own businesses. Where a recession may seem an unpropitious time for such a historically risky endeavor, with no better options, would-be entrepreneurs have little to lose. ”

I don't get the last sentence "Where a recession
may seem an unpropitious time for such a historically risky endeavor, with no better options,
would-be entrepreneurs have little to lose. ” Can someone break the sentence structure and explain the meaning? Thanks.


texts: Is there a word for describing people who know many things but superficially?

texts: Is there an appropriate word for the antonym of "full-stack", as in programming? Someone who knows a lot of things just as a full-stack programmer, but without mastering them.


texts: Difference between the closely related prepositions for "excluding"

texts:
The following cited words suggest the same meaning, as "excluding" could:

  Apart from the last paragraph, the book is finished.
  Barring the last paragraph, the book is finished.
  Besides the last paragraph, the book is finished.
  Except the last paragraph, the book is finished.
  Except for the last paragraph, the book is finished.
  Excepting the last paragraph, the book is finished.
  Excluding the last paragraph, the book is finished.
  Other than the last paragraph, the book is finished.
  Save the last paragraph, the book is finished.
  Save for the last paragraph, the book is finished.
  Saving the last paragraph, the book is finished.

Nothing seems different in the meaning of the sentences mentioned above, but I don't know their subtle difference, informality and formality. I just know that excluding and excepting are the formal prepositions, but I don't know about the rest of the prepositions stated above.


texts: Why use "the" for oceans/seas/rivers etc. but not lakes?

texts:
Possibly two questions in here: Are these sentence constructions logical, and if they are, why are they different?

  I swam across the Ocmulgee River.
  I swam across the Pacific Ocean.
  I swam across the Red Sea.
  I swam across Lake Winnipeg.

I can't think of a way of phrasing the lake example while using an article with a proper noun. I thought at first it was because Lake Winnipeg is different; it's generic portion (the "Lake") comes first and the name of that body comes second, but I swam across Falls Lake is the same.

Yet the sentence I swam across the lake sounds right to me. ...Why?


texts:
Consider this example:

  A few strong branches over water reach for what they ought not reach.

Which of the meanings comes closest to “ought not” in this sentence?
Is it “doesn't have to”, “should not” or “must not”?


texts: How can you describe "percentage" in a sentence?

texts:
I need to compare two system and explain that one is faster than the other specifying the percentage, so is the following correct?

  in fact new system computes the whole dataset the 10% percent faster
  than the old one

Thanks for your advice.
Dom


texts: "Available to help" vs. "available for help"

texts: Which phrase is correct, "available to help" or "available for help"? I have mostly seen "available for help" but am confused which phrase to use.


texts: Adverb position: 'I have also been working" or 'I have been also working'?

texts:
I doubt about the place of the adverb 'also' in the following sentence:
'I work at the hospital, and for three years I have also been working for my PhD at the University.'
Should I say: 'I have been also working'?
Could you help me?
Best regards


texts:
In this sentence, can I omit "which was"?

"Leaning forward, he looked at his right hand, which was wrapped in thick, white bandages."


texts: Is there a word for a pie chart that is in the shape of a rectangle?

texts:
Normally, pie charts are circular and each piece of data is shown as a slice of a whole.

However, for some purposes, it makes more sense to display the same kind of data as a rectangle divided up with vertical lines, with each horizontal "slice" of the rectangle representing a piece of the data.

It would look like one rectangle cut into multiple slices along one dimension. For example, suppose my data was different types of transportation used in the United States, and the data was the following, then the plot might look like the ASCII depiction below the data.

Bicycle,25%
Plane,25%
Car,50%

________________________________________________
|_Bicycle__|____Plane___|_________Car___________|

Note that the intent of the above depiction is to have one long rectangle cut into 3 pieces. Two are 25% of the total rectangle and one is 50% of the rectangle.

Is there a word for this kind of "rectangular" pie chart?


texts:
Banks such as CaixaBank, Banco Sabadell and Catalunya Banc, which are based in Catalonia, would face serious problems and could go under if the northeastern region were to declare its independence from Spain, the governor of the Bank of Spain, Luis María Linde, said Monday.

Taken from here:
http://elpais.com/elpais/2013/11/25/inenglish/1385403030_514737.html

Would you say this is more formal than "said on Monday?"


texts: In what case should the subject of a gerund phrase be?

texts:
When given the following problem:

A) Bill took the money.

B) That shows his character.

Turn clause A into a nominal clause or phrase and make it the subject of b.

I came up with three grammatical possibilities:

1) That Bill took the money shows his character.

2) For Bill to take the money shows his character.

3) Bill's taking the money shows his character.

None sit well with me. One and two don't seem to work just 'cause I wouldn't say either. Number three, the one that turns clause A into a gerund phrase, is better except for it's possessive subject in bold.

Does the subject of a gerund phrase have to be in the possessive in standard English?

"Bill taking the money shows his character" sounds more natural to me.


texts: Difference between "synopsis" and "plot"

texts: After commenting on this question, I started wondering what the difference between a plot and a synopsis is, or if they are exactly the same. I'm mainly looking for common usage, but anything else (such as dictionation) is also welcome.


texts: Where does the word "scrub" come from as another word for "scroll"?

texts:
It seems like only within the last year I've noticed this usage, as a verb to view various parts of a digital resource. Dictionary.com does not have any definition for scrub that is similar to the verb form of scroll to view various parts of a digital resource.

Usage examples:

[A paraphrased tooltip on YouTube on mobile]
Swipe upward for fine-scrubbing
[In technical documentation for a video sequencer editor]
Scrub to the end of the sequence . . .


texts:
I found the words “soapbox-ready” in the following sentence of the New York Times’ (March 11) theater review of currently-playing Broadway show, “Death of a Salesman,” titled “American Dreamer, Ambushed by the Territory”:

“This is not a woman who has been worn down by cares; she’s a vigilant, fire-breathing watchdog of her husband’s ego. And when she erupts into anger with her grown sons, it’s as if that speech had been soapbox-ready for ages.”

From the combination of the words, I guess the word, ‘soapbox-ready’ here means something like “well rehearsed or practiced” to be ready for making a speech, or talk.

However, as I checked the meaning of “soapbox-ready” on Google to make it certain, I came across quite different usages from the above interpretation:

Delcam software leads to soapbox success. Using PowerMILL and PowerSHAPE speeded manufacturing. The finished soapbox ready to race. -  www.automotivecadcam.com/
International AVEW Stock Message: Town Crier getting his bell and Soapbox ready!! - investorshub.advfn.com/

What does “soapbox-ready” exactly mean?


texts:
Between Drupal Planet, and Planet Drupal, which one is correct?
I would think Planet Drupal is correct, in the same way Planet Earth is correct. Which one would be the interpretation of Drupal Planet?


texts: List with different last item with just one "and"

texts:
I have no idea how to describe this. I run into this usage all the time in English, and to me it seems wrong, but considering how common it is, I'm wondering if it's actually accepted. Consider the following sentence:

Roger installed windows in offices, lamps in apartments, doors in schools and repaired roofs.

This is a list of three items that Roger installed, and the last phrase ("and repaired roofs") does not belong in the list. As such it would seem that the word "and" is missing before "doors".

Is this wrong English usage? What would be the closest thing to this pattern that would make it correct?


texts: What does 'Roodow (wrongly spelled, only the sound)' mean?

texts: In Australia, I have met a lot of people saying a word (sound like) 'roudow' to respond (mostly to end, like 'alright' equivalent) a conversation. I have been searching around but haven't got any clue yet due to the spelling. Would you please kindly talk a bit about this for me?


texts:
I'm referring to: https://www.lexico.com/definition/only

Do I understand it correctly that the meaning of "only" for "not until" is only valid for past actions in relation to dates:

I can say (as stated on the website):

  A final report reached him only on January 15.

but I could not say:

*The final report will reach you only on January 15.

Instead, I would need to say one of the following:

The final report will reach you not before January 15.
The final report will each you on January 15.
The final report will reach you from January 15 (onwards).  or
The final report will each you as of/as from January 15.

Of course, which one is to be chosen will depend on the context.


texts:
Does the plural form of uh-oh and oh-no include an apostrophe? So is it "uh-oh's and oh-no's" or "uh-ohs and oh-nos"?

I've seen it both ways and cannot find a definitive answer anywhere.


texts: Why does 'continual' involve interruption, and 'continuous' none ?

texts:
Source: Continuous indicates duration without interruption. ...
Continual indicates duration that continues over a long period of time, but with intervals of interruption. ...
The adverbs continuously and continually preserve the same distinction:

I already understand, and so ask NOT, about the foregoing confusables.  Instead, my problem is: I always mistake one for the other. I heed the Etymological Fallacy,
but why does -ous => WITHOUT interruption, and -al => WITH interruption?
2. Is there a lesson in the big picture? What are some formal terms describing this issue?
Are there any other pairs of words with the same root, also liable to such a muddle?


texts: Is this sentence correct? ( adj+noun order)

texts:
"...possibly generated by the damages intensification of the hexagonal lattice caused by the repeated impact of the steel balls during the milling process."
First of all, from my point of view, damage is an uncountable word, so I don't know if damages is correct. I was wondering if one of these ways of rephrasing that sentence is more correct: “intensification of damage of the hexagonal lattice” or “intensified damage of the hexagonal lattice”. What do you think? Thank you very much indeed for your help.


texts: Is there a specific term that can be used for the people who do not drink tea or coffee like there is vegetarian in case of meat?


texts: When is first person okay in formal writing?

texts:
I read that in college applications some questions are fine to use first person. An example of a prompt that would use first person is here: to prevent dead links it follows this question. I have been told several times to never use first person in formal writing. Is it fine to use first person on formal essays where the prompt is about you?

  Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?


texts: What does "X is not a four-letter word" mean?

texts:
Once in a while I see phrases like "Think" is not a four-letter word and just about any word can be where "think" is.

I looked up the Wikipedia and looks like it says that "four-letter word" means slang words with mostly negative meaning.

What does "four-letter word" mean here? Does it mean something like "it's not that bad to think once in a while"?


texts: Were the verb forms / structures named after their most typical / common use?

texts:
A verb form like "went" is called a "past tense". However, it is not only used to talk about past events (e.g. We went to Morocco last January), but also about unreal or uncertain present or future events (e.g. It would be better if we went home now).

The verb form which is called the "present tense" can also refer to another time than the present time. For example, in the sentence "When he sees his car, he will be surprised" the verb form "sees" in the subordinate clause refers to a future time. But this verb form is called a "present tense" even though it can refer to a future time.

A structure like "I'm going" is called a "present progressive". It can refer to a present time like in "I'm going to work now" or to a future time like in "I'm going to London tomorrow".

Even though there is no "future tense" in English, a structure like "will be" is called a "(simple) future". It can refer to a future time like in "It will be cold in the winter" or to a presen time like in "That will be the postman".

I know that there is no one-to-one-relationship between tense and time in English, i.e. a verb form like "went", which is called a "past tense", does not always refer to a past time. In other words, time and tense don't correlate exactly in English.

So what was the reason for naming a verb form like "went" "past tense" even though it can refer to another time than a past time? Or more general, were the verb forms / structures named after their most typical / common use?

Naming a verb form / structure after what it is most often used for is a good reason. So my guess is that the verb forms were named after their most typical / common use, which is the past time for the "past tense", the present time for the "present tense" and so on. Would you agree?


texts:
I want to test your ability to explain.

I was thinking present, as in your ability to present — being able to give a good presentation.

That's the only choice I can think of, but I feel there's a better one. I googled it, but only received topics about improving how to explain thing.


texts: The British equivalent of a 'Home run' in terms of describing a successful outcome

texts:
I am looking for some examples of the British equivalent of the American term 'Home run', originally relating to baseball but used to describe an overall successful and highly favourable result.

For example usage in the sentence 'Make every morning a home run!'

All examples are appreciated!


texts: “She’s got a ticket to ride, but she don’t care” — why?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  The grammaticality of “that don't impress me much”

In the famous Beatles song Ticket to ride, it is said of the protagonist that “she don’t care”. Why isn’t that “she doesn’t care”? Is it 1960s slang, Liverpool slang, something specific to music? I welcome any hint…


texts: Proper usage of "passed" vs "passed away"

texts: The current popular verb for someone who has died is to say they "passed."  It sounds incorrect to me -- isn't the proper terminology "passed-away"?  I've noticed that people on TV and people under 30 tend to favor this usage.


texts: Grammar rule: ONE sentence; ONE subject, ONE predicate. Is it?

texts:
I just watched a video on grammar (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Drv6jD8xWdw) that states that English sentences can only have one subject. At first, I thought it was obvious, but then I thought of some exceptions.
"I found it strange being in her house"
"It is wonderfully beautiful, the chair"
"They’re very polite, your children."
Then I realized that they did actually have just one subject, even when the pronoun reiterates it. But then I came across a way more interesting example:
"Those kids work very hard, most of them".
Structurally, it is the same as "They’re very polite, your children", for example. But in this case, "most of them" is not an equivalent of "They". It is just a portion of the subject. So, I guess that it is to assume that "most of them" is the actual subject and "those kids" something different.
I am aware this sort of sentences tend to omit the pronoun, as in: Very polite, your children. But you can't really do that in this case without changing the whole order of the sentence.
What do you think? It really got me thinking. Does this have two subjects?
PS: Some other member suggests that this other post could solve the problem. I don't think it does, but I find it interesting and complementary.  Omitting "is", like in "I think it strange"


texts: Artist management company or artists management company?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Nouns of plural form preceding another noun

When talking about a company that guides professional career of artists (such as illustrators or photographers), helps them build their portfolio, promotes their services, would you refer to it as an "artist management" or "artists management" company?

Google results suggest that both are used: 626,000 results for "artists management" vs. 3.3 million for "artist management".

What's the difference?


texts: Should I write "soul deep" or "soul-deep" the following sentence?

texts:
They gave me plenty of letters. All of them heart-wrenching and
  soul-deep/soul deep.

I know you should use soul-deep in examples like soul-deep anguish or soul-deep love. But I'm not very sure in this particular case.

Google books shows both versions. So, I'm confused.