texts: Specified time in the Past in the Reported Speech

texts: I am learning Reported Speech in the Past now. In my English textbook there is a rule: "When it is provided when exactly the action happened, you can leave the Past Simple as it is". I was looking it up on the internet, but I haven't found anything related to this yet. So, do I need to write an action with specified time in the Past Simple or do I need to use the rules to write actions in the Reported Speech? For example, do I need to write "He said that he finished writing the letter at 9 o'clock yesterday" or "He said that he had finished writing the letter at 9 o'clock yesterday"?


texts:
The beauty of fireflies, which are an indicator of environmental
  health, will overwhelm you.

It sounds fine when I say it, but not sure it is grammatically correct.
Does 'which' indicate the beauty of fireflies or the fireflies?
Can I say that what the 'which' indicates is depending on the verb after it?
(singular: the beauty of fireflies, plural: fireflies)

If it's wrong, is there any revision that I can make with the fewest changes?

Thank you!


texts: What does "Making rent" mean in this sentence?

texts: Whenever a friend comes into some money, you will have all the more difficulty making rent that same month.


texts: "Tonight let's go with the bottle of Cabernet *vs.* the Merlot."

texts:
(Note that the home wine rack has 10 different kinds of wine in it.)

I've been told now and again over the years that this kind of use of vs. (versus) is improper.  Apparently it's supposed to only be used in situations with combative opposites, where only two are contesting and only one expected to be victorious.  (e.g. Dodgers vs. Giants - - and I don't think this has anything to do with the abbreviation, so for the purposes of this post I'll assume the full word and abbreviation are one and the same.)

Perhaps clunky and less than optimal, but is the example improper use?  Or is it just a matter of style that irritates a select few who have well defined/informed opinions – or pedants – like using a serial comma can set-off someone on a passionate diatribe ridiculing the Strunk and White book.

Or maybe I'm missing here the specific faux pas people have mentioned.  Perhaps someone can gather and explain what it is and I'll change the post to reflect the “bad” use.


texts: What would an appropriate suffix be to mean "branch of magic"

texts:
I know "-mancy" already exists (like necromancy and pyromancy), but if you look into the root of the word, it acutally refers to divination, and not general magic powers

It could be easily argued that "-mancy" has taken on a new meaning in today's day, but something about it doesn't feel right

I've considered using "-ology", but that seems to be more for the study of a subject, rather than the practice (i.e. casting spells)

I could easily just come up with a gibberish word, but I was hoping to find something already in the English language, so it would sound more natural


texts: Would or will. A question is about a certain future event

texts:
Ohad knew he had a few hours before they will open
a wormhole to Mumbo Booboo. Or Ohad knew he had a few hours before they would open a wormhole to Mumbo Booboo.


texts:
What would be a single word to mean: "to do something positive to someone because they have done or said something positive to you", when you want to return the favour with something equal or better.

I Googled it and I found some odd results like "forgive" and "sympathize".


texts:
John said that he would be 15 by next year.
[ Past, Past]                 [Usage of would -  Indirect speech]
John says that he will be 15 by next year.
[ Present, Future]      [Usage of will - will indicates future tense]
John says that he would  be 15 by next year.
[ Present, Future]      [Usage of would – would indicates future tense ]

Is there any different between 2 and 3?

Does the first one conveys any different meaning than 2 or 3?


texts: "Name and I" or "name and me" when they are neither the object nor subject?

texts:
There have been many questions on this exchange about when to use phrases such as "John and I" vs. "John and me". The answer seems to be you that you use "John and I" when they are the subject of the verb and "John and me" when they are the object of the verb. However, sometimes it isn't so clear. For example, consider the following sentence

  "A collaboration, between John and I, would lead to
  close friendship"

In this sentence, I think the subject is the actual collaboration (not John and I) and the object is the friendship. So what is the proper usage in this case, where "John and I" is neither the subject nor the object?

Obviously this question is not a duplicate of any question asking about the use of "you" and "I" that doesn't contain rules for special prepositions such as "between".


texts: What's up with the expression "to reach out"?

texts:
After initiating correspondence with someone in an official capacity, I often receive replies nowadays that begin by thanking me for "reaching out."  This expression strikes me as inappropriate. To me, that phrase has an almost evangelical quality better suited to missionaries or other proselytizers who wish to establish some kind of rapport with potential recruits or converts. For run-of-the-mill correspondence, I would expect a simple "thank you for your letter /email of 3 February" or some equally polite but neutral reply.

Am I alone in feeling that way?


texts: Reason for pronunciation differences between different meanings of offense

texts:
At least in American English, the word offense has two different pronunciations used for two different meanings:

I took offense at his joke
The team's offense is quite good

How did this pronunciation difference come about? Are the etymologies of the words different? I read about https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Initial-stress-derived_noun and it seems not to quite fit this case. Some other words I thought of that seems to exhibit this phenomenon are defense and desert (this one seems different as its a noun vs a verb). I would be interested in any ideas.


texts: Does "miss the point" mean you missed completely or just partly?

texts:
Thank you for your answer, but you are missing the point of the
  question.

Does the above sentence mean that the respondent missed the question completely or just did not hit the nail on the head but still answered parts of it?

If partly: Is there consensus on how much he still hit? 20%, 50%, 80%? So If someone misses the point is it just slightly or there is barely something relevant?
If completely: Is there an alternative word or phrase to express a "partial miss"?

Example usage: I ask a travel question on stackexchange about how I can best travel through Thailand by car during monsoon season. I get a long and elaborate answer that describes the authors experiences with a motorbike during dry season. While I can use some of his recommendations, he forgot to read my whole question or just ignored my requirements and thus his answer does not really address my needs.


texts: What is the correct punctuation in this sentence?

texts:
Would someone please check and correct the following sentence for punctuation:

  A 9/11 widow psychiatrist, falls for a patient, who plans a similar attack to avenge his colleagues, annihilated in the false war that followed the 9/11.


texts: I heard someone use the term "dogs body" what does it mean?

texts: I heard someone use the British slang "dogs body".  What does it mean?


texts:
Basically, I'm looking for something similar to this:

"His reasoning was as clear as dirt."

Are there any other common expressions like that?


texts: What is the word describing impossible phenomenon such as "This page [is] intentionally left blank"?

texts:
You can find in book's pages a single sentence: This page intentionally left blank. It is interesting to note that this statement is false, since the page contains text.

Here are two (somewhat) similar examples: This is a secret encoded message which you cannot read, comprehend, or make of any sense! (You can read it, and it makes perfect sense); and This is a short description of the Fraser spiral illusion which, like as Zöllner's illusion and the café wall illusion are based on a principle, like many other visual effects, in which a sequence of tilted elements causes the eye to perceive phantom twists and deviation. (This is a lengthy description).

What is the word (maybe a collective noun?) describing such impossible claims/events/phenomena? The closest word I can think of is oxymoron:

  A figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in
  conjunction (e.g., faith unfaithful kept him falsely true).

However, the problem with oxymoron is that it somehow requires two terms to contradict with each other. Here the text contradicts with itself.

Well, I almost deleted my draft prior post, since it seemed plausible, that this is a self-contradiction:

  Inconsistency between aspects or parts of a whole.

However, this (somewhat lengthy) wikipedia talk page suggests that this is not a self-contradiction. A self-contradiction would be a sentence something like: Bob is a married bachelor.

Then what are these sentences called?


texts: "Pulling few hairs on your upper lip" meaning

texts:
The following sentence I've been reading in my book. A lady told her servant a fearful thing and the author says:

  The man pulled the few hairs on his upper lip.

I've found the meaning here.

But the question is have you heard this before? I didn't. Have you used it before? I didn't. The answer isn't satisfactory, so i'm hoping now to get a better answer.

Thanks


texts: How long can you say "the late so and so"?

texts:
When you refer to the deceased, you say "the late so and so."
How long can you say that? Is JFK referred to as the late John F. Kennedy?
How about Abraham Lincoln?


texts: Word for 'Bingo' without gambling assocations

texts:
I'm building a web application for a client, however the gambling associations with the word 'Bingo' are something we would like to avoid.

The game functions similar to traditional Bingo, with a grid of options that may or may not happen during the game.

Ideally the word would start with a B for alliteration.

Any ideas?


texts: Is the position of "everyone" in "time wears everyone down" correct?

texts:
I'm trying to write a quote that conveys that time wears down everyone (in that it spares none). In order to emphasise 'everyone' it seems it should come before 'down' (Ex. You let everyone down). However the phrase "Time wears everyone down" doesn't sound quite right.

My question is which of the following is both grammatically correct and correctly conveys what I want to -

Time wears everyone down.
Time wears down everyone.

Suggestions to put it in an alternate way are also welcome provided they're just as concise and include the verb "wear down".


texts: Is there another word for widely acknowledged? I'm writing a paper and I can't find a better word for widely acknowledged, but it is already used by my source


texts: Do I need a comma after "when in (%time)"?

texts:
The company had just started to make money when in 1914 the World War put an end to its aspirations.

OR:

  The company had just started to make money when in 1914, the World War put an end to its aspirations

?


texts: Is "ought to" still used in modern English? If yes, in what contexts is it used, and is it used more in formal or informal cases?


texts: What words describe a person whose thoughts can't easily be followed?

texts:
What words or phrases can I use?
I think "unpredictable" kinda works, but it's not accurate.
I'm not asking for derogatory terms; it's more like someone who is simple-minded and thinks for himself naturally, and doesn't notice that his thoughts jump around too quickly.


texts: Common modal verbs in a sentence with two different verbs

texts:
We streamlined our leisure hours for higher production, lived by the
clock even when time did not matter, standardized and mechanized our
homes, and sped the machinery of living so that we could go to the most
places and do the most things.

In this sentence, should I consider two verbs separately, one with a modal verb and the other one on its own, like 'could go to the most places' and 'do the most things', or should the modal verb be applied to both verbs?


texts: Where in the world does "a lift" mean "a ride in the car"?

texts:
In the United States and Canada, when someone asks you for "a lift" or you offer "a lift", you are speaking about riding in a car with them.

However, in England and other places, a "lift" is an elevator. "Taking a lift" means "taking an elevator".

Where else in the world does "a lift" not refer to, or cannot be construed as "a ride"?


texts: I'm confused about the name of one list in my to-do lists. In this list, I want to include important things that belong to quite different categories and happen irregularly or only once. For example, I may go to the supermarket this Saturday or Sunday, depending on when the rain stops. Also, I have to buy the laboratory a new table before the end of this semester. These things are not trivial and must be done sometime. But I'm not sure when I will do them, so I want to list them together and give them a name to remind myself. Are there any words or short phrases that fit them? Thanks!


texts:
Is "very well comparable" correct?
Example: In the short story character A is very well comparable with character B. because both of them have a similar lifestyle.

=> If it is correct, can you say "comparable to" as well?


texts: What's the word for the simpler version of something complex

texts:
At times we say this but just now it's completely blank. Say there's a complex definition for something, which we need to explain in simple words so that a person who's not an expert in that area can understand it, we would say:

  Give me the _____ version of this

(the same definition in simple easily understandable words)


texts: When a teacher is absent because of a sudden illness or something else that is unforeseen and children haven't got a lesson of some subject; is there a name for such a lesson?


texts: Different meaning of "looks good" vs. "looks well"

texts:
While I use "looks well" because of good being an adverb here, I mainly read "looks good" in the web.

I'm quite unsure about the ngrams chart, has the grammatically incorrect "looks good" simply superseded "looks well", as English became a world language? Or are there subtly (probably colloquial, slang) differences in meaning of both phrases?


texts: Is the sentence "the recipe requests to turn down the heat" correct?

texts: Someone said that the verb "to request" is incorrect. Is this true?  But then, what verb should be used instead? Does this sentence sound awkward to a native speaker? If so, why?


texts: An "iso-" word for a contour line that connects points of equal elevation

texts:
A contour line or isoline connects points on a map that are of equal value. Examples of contour lines or isolines are  isobars (pressure) and isotherms (temperature).

Perhaps the prototypical example of a contour line is that which connects points of equal elevation (that is, height above sea level). These are usually referred to simply as contour lines. Is there however an "iso-" name for such contour lines?

Wikipedia suggests isohypse. I don't know what exactly this is, but Wiktionary suggests that this is not quite correct--isohypse refers instead to "A line on a map connecting points of both equal height and equal barometric pressure".


texts: A word to describe a step in a process that you might or might not have to complete

texts:
I'm writing system documentation in English, and I've come to a part describing how a http request might have to pass a user rights filter, to access a page. This is my sentence:

  If the user passes the ______ filter...

In Norwegian we would say "Eventuell" which would directly google-translate to "possible". However, those two words do not have the same meaning in my opinion. "Possible" indicates too much randomness, I think. "Possible" does not translate back into "Eventuell" either. It translates back to "mulig" which can mean "you need to pass the filter some times, but other times not" without indicating a linked pattern between requests and the need for passing a filter. "Optional" works on another level, but then again indicates that the user can simply choose to execute the step or not. That is not the case either.

I realize that this is nitpicking, and no one would probably misunderstand if I chose "possible", but it does not feel  100% correct in this case.

Is there another word available? Or am I blinded by the fact that we have a separate word for this in my language, and that "possible" might have a wider meaning than I realize in English?


texts: What do we call the open part at the back of a snack pack?

texts: I'm writing a packing procedure report. And I don't know what the open part at the back of a pack should be called. Does anyone know this?


texts: What is the best word to describe a thing that is not clear to us?

texts:
I would like to say The search behaviour of the algorithm is not clear to us. I want to tell that we don't really know the search behaves. So far I only know the word unclear such that:

The search behaviour of the algorithm is unclear

I am not sure if there is a better word


texts: In search of an idiom expressing "To lay the grapes into somebody's mouth"

texts:
I am asking if there is a similar idiom like the German expression "Jemanden die Trauben in den Mund legen" - "to lay the grapes into somebody's mouth".

To say: You need to study that for yourself and should not expect that others always give you the fruits of effort.


texts: Understanding sentence starting with "were"

texts:
I am reading a economics book and the following sentence confuses me:

  Were such individuals to gain a lot of money, they would stop buying
  insurance.

It seems strange to me. What is the meaning of this sentence? What sentence pattern does it belong to?


texts: I wonder if the title phrase is ever used in a meaning different from the obvious one: cheating in a relationship? Can it refer to cheating in an exam or obtaining money in a dishonest way?


texts: Am I supposed to feel better if I had more time?

texts:
Did I mess up on the grammar somewhere?

Does the the first half of my sentence ("Am I supposed to...") describe a present situation, while the second half ("if we had...") not describe a present situation?

What's the correct way to phrase this sentence?


texts:
In the sentence "I went to the bank to ensure that I would have enough money for my trip," why  is "would have" used instead of "will have"?

"Would have" seems to be conveying the subjunctive mood, but if I went to the bank already, wouldn't I use "will have" to express certainty about having enough money?


texts: "Of which I am unaware of" & "I don't know", semantic difference

texts:
While reading first few chapters of fascinating book "On Writing Well", this doubt struck my mind:

  "There are many great English writings of which I am unaware of"

OR

  "There are many great English writings which I don't know"

What is the difference in meaning? Do they convey same meaning?

To me it doesn't feels the same. I would say, I am more inclined to express the first sentence as

  "There are many great English writings which I don't know as yet"

Please help!

Thanks a lot.


texts: "has been raised" or "was raised" in an academic journal

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Past simple and present perfect

The first line in my research is the following:

  Since the May 6, 2010 ``Flash Crash’’ event, the following question
  has been raised several times: Does High-Frequency Trading increase
  the likelihood of long tail and chaotic events in financial markets?

Should I say

  Since the May 6, 2010 ``Flash Crash’’ event, the following question
  was raised several times: Does High-Frequency Trading increase the
  likelihood of long tail and chaotic events in financial markets?

I have been told that I have to avoid "has been" and even "was" in academic journals. Is there a better way for me to improve my sentence?


texts:
In George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion, the notetaker quoted

"You see this creature with her kerbstone English: the English that will keep her in the gutter to the end of her days."

I understand that Eliza speaks with a Cockney accent typical of East-Londoners. However, what does 'kerbstone English' mean?

All Google searches come up with results that define 'kerbstone', but not 'kerbstone English' as a phrase.

Edit:

Most comments and answers are focusing on the literal meaning and connection between 'gutter' and 'kerbstone'. However, I want to know if 'kerbstone English' has a deeper meaning, such as being the name of an accent, Cockney, for example.


texts: Is there a wordplay on "bear-skin" in this sentence?

texts:
I have some trouble understanding the part in bold in the following passage from Daniel Defoe's Anatomy of Exchange-Alley, I would be unable to rephrase it.

  In a Word, having accepted them for Fifty Thousand Pounds more than he is able to pay, the Jobber has got an Estate, the Broker 2 or 300 Guineas, and the Esquire remains at Leisure to sell his Coach and Horses, his fine Seat and rich Furniture, to make good the Deficiency of his Bear-Skins, and at last, when all will not go through it, he must give them a Brush for the rest.

The complete book is here (see p. 5-6) : https://books.google.fr/books?id=M15jAAAAcAAJ

My feeling is that the author plays on "bear-skins" multiple meanings.

In OED we can indeed read:

  II. 8. Stock Exchange. A speculator for a fall; i.e. one who sells
  stock for delivery at a future date, in the expectation that meanwhile
  prices will fall, and he will be able to buy in at a lower rate what
  he has contracted to deliver at a higher. Formerly, The stock so
  contracted to be delivered, in the phrase 'to buy' or 'sell the bear;'
  ... [As applied to stock thus sold, bear appears early in 18th c., and
  was common at the time of the South Sea Bubble. The term 'bearskin
  jobber,' then applied to the dealer now called the 'bear,' makes it
  probable that the original phrase was `sell the bearskin,' and that it
  originated in the well-known proverb, 'to sell the bear's skin before
  one has caught the bear.' ...]

But I may overinterpret the text, which could explain my confusion.


texts: A word/phrase for something that is outwardly fearsome, but in reality is nothing to worry about

texts:
I'm trying to think of a word or phrase that refers to something that appears dangerous or intimidating but is actually insignificant. "Ostentatious" seems to go in the right direction,   (in the sense that it means "showy") but it doesn't have the connotations of "menacing". Is there such a word?

EDIT: Perhaps I should clarify; I was thinking more of occurrences that caused panic but in reality had little effect (eg. the Three Mile Island accident -- it was widely reported to be a horrific disaster, but it didn't release enough radioactive material to be linked to any cases of cancer.) In this question, I'm referring to the occurrence having earned a false reputation for being dangerous or fearsome.


texts: Which is correct: "this people" or "these people"?

texts:
This people or these people?

Different sources suggest different ways. What's the right way and why?


texts:
Not sure if I should use crime science or Crime Science throughout my essay.
When should I capitalize the term?


texts:
I sometimes encounter sentences that use "be able to," which sounds redundant or unnecessary to me. Here is an example:

  You have to find data, details, and testimonies that are able to
  support your arguments.

Personally, I would rewrite the sentence without that phrase since the resulting sentence will be shorter. The resulting sentence--at least from my perspective--means the same thing:

  You have to find data, details, and testimonies that support your
  arguments.

First, am I correct in assuming that they mean the same thing? I realize that the presence of "be able to" puts stress on ability, but for the purposes of limiting what kind of "testimonies" to look for, both sentences are helpful. It's just that one is longer (the one with "be able to").

Is it a matter of redundancy? As far as I understand the sentence, testimonies will either support an argument or not. Hence, saying that a testimony should have the ability to support the argument is already superfluous. If I'm mistaken, please let me know.

When should we not use "be able to" in constructions such as the sentence I presented above?

Is there a set of rules to consult for this kind of issue? Where can I find the rule(s)? I've been scouring books and the net, but I can't find anything about "be able to" and redundancy.

Thanks in advance for the answers!


texts:
There's a moderately popular fruit found in India known as panifal or singada in Hindi. The fruit comes from an aquatic plant that grows in stagnant or slow-moving water up to 10-15 foot deep. Here's what it looks like:

Searching online, I find the fruit has several names in English including water caltrop, water chestnut, buffalo nut, bat nut, devil pod, and ling nut. In China, the name is língjiǎo and in Japan, hishi. I want to know if the fruit is at all known in America. And if so, what's the name it goes by out there?


texts: Question about likely vulgar expressions

texts:
The terms "screw up" and "crap" are frequently used on American TV that I'm not sure whether they're euphemisms, my first assumption, or just vulgar.

I don't want to make mistakes, especially when speaking to children, but after doing some research, I found no definitive answer.

Are these terms euphemisms or just vulgar?

I found this explanations:

"screw up" is offensive in the UK, but just slang in the US. The translation in my language is vulgar or euphemistic, depending on whether they're being translated from  UK or US English.

"crap" is considered mildly offensive, but the translations are both euphemistic and very vulgar.

Can I use these terms when speaking with children or with, for example, my father-in-law?


texts: Is the infinitive form of verb a true verb?

texts:
My question is just as mentioned in the title of this post: Would you call an infinitive verb a true verb?

I can't find any direct mention of it anywhere on the web. The CMoS (2010) catalogs Infinitives under Verbs and defines it as follows:

  An infinitive verb, also called the verb's root or stem, is a verb
  that in its principal uninflected form may be preceded by to {to
  dance} {to dive}.

However, chompchomp.com mentions this about infinitive verbs:

  An infinitive will almost always begin with to followed by the simple
  form of the verb, like this:

  To + Verb = Infinitive

  Important Note: Because an infinitive is not a verb, you cannot add s,
  es, ed, or ing to the end. Ever!


texts: Is the objective of a verb 'dump' suitable for a waste(trash) which was thrown by a person?

texts:
According to Oxford, a verb 'dump' means

dump something to get rid of something you do not want, especially in a place that is not suitable

Too much toxic waste is being dumped at sea.

The dead body was just dumped by the roadside.

Any vessel dumping at sea without a licence will be prosecuted.

Reading the examples, I think that the objective of this verb should be large amount(or bulky volume) of waste.
Because, in general, 'toxic waste'  can be wasted by a factory or a company, not an individual in the 1st sentence.
and a 'vessel' might have thrown enoumous mount of garbage, not small-sized one.
Is it suitable to use this verb 'dump' for a case that an individual let a plastic bag filled with garbage on a street, or inside a park?
If not, would you recommend some alternatives?


texts: Word for something that is available/accessible all the time

texts: I was just wondering if there was a single word to represent the phrase "something that is available/accessible all the time". The context for this is a company that provides services related to information technology.


texts:
There is tympanic cavity but also intestinal tympany (distended bowel).
I cannot see relation.

What does tympany mean?


texts:
Many online news articles and blog posts begin with a large image at the very top of the article, usually showing the subject or something that causes association thereto if the subject is not tangible enough to be pictured.

What is such an introductory illustration called?


texts:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North%E2%80%93South_divide

In a context such as,

  The harsh realities as the result of the socioeconomic conditions plaguing the global south

Should it be "Global South"

or "global south"?


texts: What form of the verb is used with compound subjects containing "or"?

texts:
We always get work done, regardless of what mood Bill or I is/am/are in.

Which form of 'be' would be used here?


texts: Is using "he" for a gender-neutral third-person correct?

texts:
I know there are different opinions on this issue. My question: Is using "he" for a general, gender-neutral third person still in common use for formal writing? By common use I mean, can I expect my paper not to be penalised because I use "he" as pronoun for "a student", etc.?

I think "he/she" is too clumsy and I am not comfortable with singular they.


texts:
So from what I've gathered intensifiers intensify either adjectives (modifiers) or adverbs (or adverbial phrases) but can they intensify nouns? eg.

"A long time ago your heroic grandfathers helped build the city council"

In this declarative sentence if 'heroic' is an intensifier, then isn't it intensifying the noun? As there is a personal pronoun 'your' before heroic and grandfathers. Or is it just not an intensifier completely?


texts: What is the origin of "sleep till I wake him"?

texts: In King Lear, the phrase "If our father would sleep till I waked him" is used in Edmund's fake letter to Gloucester. Apparently it means "if our father were dead"[1][2]. What is the origin of the phrase? Why does "sleep till I waked him" mean dead?


texts:
I want to use a word/phrase/idiom etc. to describe someone action by which they try to stop another person talk or sharing their plans.

I want specifically to use it in following situation:

  During conversation with my uncle, he was telling me their future plans to sell house but my Aunt stopped him by secretly putting her finger on lips as a gesture to shut up.


texts: Plural of noun and concept takes singular verb?

texts:
Why does a pairing of a noun and phrase about it, specifically with a question word, take a singular verb?

Generically: [Noun] and [idea about noun] [singular verb].†
Example: Language and how we use it has always fascinated me.

Why is the verb singular? Because there are two subjects it would seem that the verb should be plural. If the second subject was another noun, the verb would certainly be plural: The bike and its evolution are interesting.
My best conjecture is that there is actually only one subject and that the second apparent subject actually just specifies the relevant aspect of the first subject. Perhaps better punctuation would be parentheses: The bicycle (and how it evolved) is interesting.
† Perhaps this construction is wrong and this whole question irrelevant. I am not claiming it is the cleanest expression of the idea, but only that it is a more valid construction than with a plural verb. I am relying on its sounding right, and a plural verb's sounding wrong. How something sounds to one person isn't sufficient evidence, but I haven't found a good way to search for examples of either.


texts: A Word that means to Have Multiple Powers?

texts: Would multipotent work for this since potent does mean power? A word that means to have great potential would be helpful also! It's relating to a person by the way.


texts:
Hello everyone - A woman used an Irish slang term for being drunk and I could not quite get what she said.

Does anyone understand what she says?

It is said at 1:18 in the following YouTube video

Thanks in advance.


texts:
The tidal field (of the Earth on the Moon, for example) is compressive in the two tangential directions, but stretching in the radial direction. I.e. it pulls at the Moon (towards Earth and in the opposite direction).

What is more appropriate/suitable than stretching here?

EDIT: an antonym for "compression" is "expansion", but is "expansive" appropriate?


texts: What is the origin of the expression "the big picture"?

texts:
The expression the big picture, meaning "the entire perspective on a situation or issue", is very common today.  Where does this phrase come from?  Was there a literal big picture that it once referred to?

The Merriam-Webster site claims that the first known use is from 1904, but doesn't give any more details.


texts: How can I say "the value some action has by having or not having the quality of virtue"? I want to say "virtual value" but that sounds like the value is not real. How else can I phrase this?


texts: A word to describe a person who is easily identified by an article of clothing

texts: I had a classmate who always wore a pirate hat to school. Another, was frequently spotted riding a very large unicycle. Without the hat or unicycle, you would never notice the person otherwise. What is a term for a person who intentionally allows their identity to be reduced to one simple association?


texts:
"Much as they had done with her..."

"Much like they had done with her..."

I was told that the use of "much like" in the second sentence is grammatically wrong. Any explanation is greatly appreciated.


texts: Neither before a plural or singular noun?

texts:
Below is a short passage from Harvard Law Review, Volume 66:

  However, with lower courts free to exercise their discretion, there is
  danger that they may in the same litigation reach opposite conclusions
  with the result that neither, or perhaps both, actions would be stayed
  or enjoined.

I am wondering if the writer has made a mistake in using "actions" instead of "action" after "neither". Is it because of "or perhaps both"? As far as I know, "neither" is used before a singular noun.


texts: another meaning of 'heat-seeking missile'

texts:
Well, Lindsay’s “M.O.” is to get her hooks into powerful, married men.
  Look. She’s a heat-seeking missile. And Eddie has no heat. Your
  friend, Alex, does.

FYI, Lindsay is a gold digger.

I googled 'heart-seeking missele' and it says it's a slang that describes male's genitals.
But I don't think that's not what the speaker wanted to say.

Is there another meaning of 'heart-seeking missele'?
Like a gold digger?
Or it's just figure of speech?

(My native language is not English. Please be kind to me. :-))


texts: Joining phrases, how to exactly use idioms like "with regard to", "as regard", "in respect"

texts:
My question may sound repetitive; I've been sifting through whole Internet and I haven't found a clear and comprehensive description about how to utilise idioms like:

Regarding
With regard to
In regard to
As regards
In respect to
As to
As for
Pertaining to
Concerning

and the differences in their usage.

I am even mostly correct on using them, but sometimes they still seem to be confusing! I need a once-for-all clarification.

  He is a great man in terms of morality.

(Sounds natural to me) It means he is great in morality as an aspect, right? In terms of here means to look at someone through their morality aspect, could it be replaced with "as regards"?

  "With respect to" many requests we have received "concerning" exams...

Could "with respect to" be replaced with "as regards to" since we are observing numerous requests received?

These are still vague to me in many situations.

Thanks!


texts: Comma between subject and predicate (when predicate is noun clause ending in verb)

texts:
Here are a few quotes that may or may not be faithful to their authors, in which the subject is a noun clause ending in a verb followed by a comma:

"What can be shown, cannot be said."

"What gets measured, gets managed."

"That knowledge which stops at what it does not know, is the highest knowledge."

However:

"To tell a woman what she may not do is to tell her what she can."

Using a comma seems like a courtesy, for it helps the reader parse the sentence. But it does not seem necessary.

What do the various style guides say about this? Have any linguists weighed in (eg, Pinker)?


texts: Why are the words “disposable” and “disable” syllabified differently?

texts:
Is there a rule or some reasonable explanation for why in the word “disposable” the /s/ in the prefix “dis-” belongs to the second syllable, but in the word “disable” the same prefix is intact?

Here are the IPAs from dictionary.com:

disposable /dɪˈspoʊ zə bəl/
disable /dɪsˈeɪ bəl/

Here are the links:
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/disposable?s=t
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/disable?s=t

Cambridge dictionary provides the same syllabification for these words (I'm interested in the US pronunciation variant only).


texts:
" the  rock  and  the ocean are revealed to be mere paper fictions" - On Evil, Terry Eagleton

The text refers to the book 'Pincher Martin'. The rock and the ocean turn out to be quite literally made of paper. But is'paper fiction' also a set expression meaning made-up things described in writing, or is it from 'newspaper fiction'? Just another way of saying 'pulp fiction'?


texts: Is there a word for "to make humble" with a positive connotation?

texts:
The word "humiliate" carries very negative connotations; is there a verb for "making someone humble" or "giving someone humility" in a positive way?

For instance, "Having children of my own humiliated me" isn't the best choice of words.


texts: Choosing between "everybody" and "everyone"

texts: When addressing a radio audience, is welcome everybody the appropriate word choice? Why not welcome everyone?


texts:
Both "gain" and "acquire" seem the same to me before I read this sentence in one of the ACCA exam questions. Here it is:

  The evaluation should analyse four specific scenarios (acquire and not gain licence; acquire and gain licence; bid directly and gain licence; bid directly and not gain licence).

Can you explain how these two words differ in this sentence?


texts: Which is better, "Information and Communication Technology (ICT) discipline" or "the discipline of Information and Communication Technology (ICT)"?

texts:
I'm not sure which of the sentences to use:

  The proposed research topic requires Information and Communication Technology (ICT) discipline to successfully complete the research.

OR

  The proposed research topic requires the discipline of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to successfully complete the research.


texts: Why is it impossible to put a preposition in front of the relative 'that'?

texts:
There are two sentences like below,

  I want to see the house in which you lived. (O)-correct
  I want to see the house in that you lived.  (X)-incorrect

We learned that we should not put a preposition in front of that (relative pronoun). But we don't know the reason why we should not put a preposition in front of that. I want to know the reason.


texts: Does anyone understand what "templed terraces" could mean?

texts: The full sentence is: "In the templed terraces of Zar lie all the dreams of beauty and thoughts of beauty that come to men once and are forgotten;" it's an excerpt from an adventure from Call of Cthulhu's Horror on the Orient Express Book, and I find it hard to grasp its meaning...


texts: Spelling of word meaning small bit of lint-like detritus

texts:
When I was younger, my parents would often describe small pieces (~1-3 mm diameter) of lint-like detritus as something whose IPA spelling is approximately pɐ'n(j)uʒɐ, or puh-NEW-zhuh (I hope I have the IPA right). I have tried Googling various English spelling and have failed to come up with anything, and my best guesses are panusia or pinusia. I am beginning to think it is a made-up word, though I quite like it.

Edit for demographic/geographical information:

Both of my parents are approximately 70, both grew up in and around SF Bay Area, CA, as did I. All of my grandparents grew up and lived in the United States. All of my parents and grandparents speak/spoke English as a primary language, and have/had no proficiency in other languages beyond elementary grade school courses, that I am aware of. Our ancestors immigrated a very long time ago, more than three generations, and virtually all of my ancestry is British and central European (Germanic), as far as I am aware. Both of my grandfathers served in the Western theatre during World War II, in case it might be derived or corrupted from an Eastern Asian language. I don't know where either were stationed.

My father has/had several friends of Italian ancestry. He would also use interesting phrases and slang such as padiddle to describe a car with one headlight out. He also enjoyed saying a variant of this interesting chant/song.


texts: Are there any English expressions that mean 'to lie a lot', and that include a 'that--clause' in their structure?

texts:
I'd like to find an English expression, which is synonymous to, e.g., 'lie like a trooper', but with a that-clause in its structure i.e., he lies (so much) that + idiomatic expression. For example, in German, a corresponding expression with a dass-clause is 'lügen, dass sich die Balken biegen'
"Er lügt, dass sich die Balken biegen" ("Er lügt sehr")

Note: 'that' is not necessarily overt. An expression with a similar structure is '(that) one could cut it with a knife', as in 'The smoke was so thick (that) you could cut it with a knife.', to imply a very thick smoke).


texts: What is the difference in usage between "lethal" and "fatal"?

texts:
This cropped up when I was in a conversation with a friend. I guess fatal must talk of something which has necessarily resulted in death, while lethality is more about potential to cause death. Yet I am not convinced by this explanation, because lethality is associated with specific agents of death, like injection, dosage of medicine, weapons, etc.

Could someone pin the exact difference in usage between these words? Are the following sentences alright, for instance?

He has been diagnosed with a lethal type of cancer.
He died after getting hit by the fatal weapon.


texts:
I am having difficulty deciding which of the following is correct:

  Politics both fascinates and repulses him.
  Politics both fascinate and repulse him.

I think, in part, this is because I am unsure if 'politics' is the subject.


texts:
Entomology is the study of insects, which can informally include minibeasts that aren't scientifically classified as insects. Professional and amateur entomologists sometimes maintain bug collections.

Is there a single word for such a collection - a curated assortment of various species of bugs? Kind of how:

a beekeeper keeps bees in an apiary
animals of various sorts are kept in a menagerie or zoo
taxidermalogical mounts might be presented in a diorama
a philatelist collects stamps in an album

So, an entomologist keeps bugs in a(n) __________ .

Notes:

Implying that the insects are living or dead isn't required. (Either implication is fine.)
Implying professional or amateur interest isn't required. (Either implication is fine.)
A phrase is fine, as long as it doesn't include the synonyms of "insect/bug/minibeast" or "collection". Because then "bug collection" would do :)


texts: Word for a desire that you can not do anything about

texts: I'm looking for a word that means a desire/wish that is improbable to be fulfilled ( and you can not do anything to change it).


texts:
What is the linguistic meaning of this sentence?

  Vowels are always voiced, and have no attack of their own.


texts:
Which is correct?

  Can you please fax me the document?
  May you please fax me the document?


texts: Which way do you prefer to say this sentence: "inaccurate pruning makes the trees out of shape" or "inaccurate pruning puts the trees into deformed shape"?


texts: Is the structure of this sentence correct? "She was awarded with a medal and a trophy, giving her the rights to brag."

texts:
"She was awarded with a medal and a trophy, giving her the rights to brag."

Often when I use Microsoft word, I get a squiggly line if I wrote sentence structures like the example given. The program recommended that I added 'and' before 'giving' which did not sound right to me. I've seen similar structures when reading novels and I wonder if this kind of structure has some grammatical restrictions?


texts: Do the Eskimo/Inuit languages really have more words for snow than English

texts: I've read in some sources that there are more words in the Eskimo/Inuit language to describe types of snow that have arisen out of necessity.  I've also read in other sources that this is just urban legend and that they really don't have any more words for snow.  What is the correct metric used to measure if they have more words (for example do we count only single words such as snow, sleet, powder and not include compound words like snow-drift)? Do they actually have more words for snow?


texts: What grammar is used in "are there" for not a question & "is a compromise view" without a subject?

texts:
I have found 2 sentences in a law book, but I cannot figure out what grammar rules are used in them. Please advise.

1.) In no state, however, are there [what rule, why such order of the words?] specific guidelines as to what constitutes participation in another business . . .

The above sentence is not a question, so why is there subject-auxiliary verb inversion?

In the following example, why is there no subject?

2.) Between these two extremes, however, is a compromise view. [no subject? What rule is this?], which seems . . .


texts: Why is “Sticky palm” a “Fear factor” to the progress of Gens and DNA, and “Sweat and tears” to the progress of Quantum mechanics theory?

texts:
This refers to a bit old archive from Financial Times Magazine titled “The ten things everyone should know about science”.

The article provides explanations of the 10 key scientific concepts starting from 1. Evolution, 2.Gens and DNA, 3. Big bang, 4. Relativity to 8. Molecules and Chemical reactions, 9. Digital Data, 10. Statistic Significance, with comments on “Why does it matter?” “What’s next (stage)?” and “Fear factor.”

It cites:

Sticky palms to Evolution
Mild tremors to Genes and DNA
Queasiness to Big ban
Palpitations to Relativity
Sweet and tears to Quantum mechanics
Knocking knees to Radiation
Dry mouth to Atom and nuclear reactions
Chattering teeth to Molecules and chemical reactions
Dilated pupils to Digital data
Nervous twitching to Statistical significance as “the Fear factors.”

I cannot relate “Sticky palms” to “Evolution,” “Mild tremors” to Genes and DNA,
and none of the rest of Fear Factor description to individual scientific theory, even by revving up all my brains to the top gear. Only I could find was that all "Fear factors" are related with bodily symptoms.

What on earth does “Fear Factor” mean? Fear of “what” is it? Can you give me a hint to link “Sticky palms” to Evolution theory, “Dry mouth” to atom fusion and fission, and so on?


texts:
Is the following sentence correct? Can I use both linking words separated only with a comma?

  Additionally, although the quality is...


texts: What do you say when you want to ask cashier if something cost money?

texts:
Let's say you're at a store and cashier is ringing you up. The cashier asks you if you need a bag. And you want to ask if you have to pay for it. In this situation, normally what do you say?
These are some questions I came up with.

  Do I have to pay for it?
  Does it cost any?
  Do you charge for it?
  Is it free?

I want to know what is the most natural way to say it. And please let me know if you have any suggestions.
Thank you in advance.


texts: Using "compared with", "in comparison with" or "than" to compare

texts:
Which one of the following sentences is correct and more appropriate? Please let me know.

  The configuration-A produces higher error-rate compared with the
  configuration-B.

  The configuration-A produces higher error-rate in comparison with the
  configuration-B.

  The configuration-A produces higher error-rate than [does] the
  configuration-B.


texts: What is the meaning of "too much was at stake"?

texts:
What is the meaning of "too much was at stake" in this sentence:

  He agonized over the question of whether he should visit Greece - an obvious destination, given his long obsession with its temples, its rocky outcrops, and its Heraclitus and Parmenides. But that was why he was nervous: too much was at stake


texts:
Can you please fill in the blank?

Hot is to heat as cold is to....

In other words, what is the noun for "cold"?


texts: Provide to somebody to do/doing or Provide for somebody to do/doing?

texts:
I'm writing a letter to my teacher to thank her for letting me put on a party, but I'm confused by these:

I would like to thank somebody for your support, guidance and
encouragement, and for the opportunities provided to me to organize
this event.
I would like to thank somebody for your support, guidance and
encouragement, and for the opportunities provided to me to organizing
this event.
I would like to thank somebody for your support, guidance and
encouragement, and for the opportunities provided for me to organize
this event.
I would like to thank somebody for your support, guidance and
encouragement, and for the opportunities provided for me to organizing
this event.

Which one should I use?


texts: What is a writing that writes down every single word what one is thinking, called?

texts:
I remember that there was one technique of English writing that writes down
every single word what one thinks. I forgot what this type of writing is called, does anyone knows the word?

"umm, I think yesterday was raining, eh.. but oh wait, no, It's incorrect. It was cloudy......."


texts: "One thing to note" or "One thing to be noted"?

texts: Just stumbled which to use when I was writing something. "One thing to note" seems to be used much more often, but clarifications from experts would be helpful.


texts: Why do we pluralize 'heads' on a coin flip?

texts: I've seen a question here about the origin of heads or tails but no explanation of why they're plural. If coins were black- and white-sided I doubt we'd be asked to call 'blacks or whites' on a coin flip. Is there a known reason for this? Or some interesting speculation? (-:


texts:
Here, you may find a call to arms of sorts by the Swedish most prominent telco. I was born Russian, and I live in Sweden, so English is just about my third language. And so the following line does not sound right in my head:

  Leadership is our drive. What's your?

Well, I want to say, what's yours? but that doesn't seem to go with implied drive. But for some reason it sounds really wrong to me. I think it's idiomatic in inspiro-speak to leave out the drive-part, so I'm not complaining about omitted subjects and fragmentation.

So is this wrong? And if it's not — why do I feel like ending the punchline with what's your? sounds much worse than ending it with what's yours? ..?


texts: Terms to apply to something that leaves strong memory

texts:
Do the following terms have positive, neutral or negative meaning?

memorable
impressive
remarkable

What are other similar terms that are used for positive, neutral and negative intention?


texts:
What is the difference between the adjectives close and near? Are they totally synonymous? Is there some nuance that I'm missing?

As a native speaker of Spanish, I can't see any difference, since both are translated to cercano.


texts: Centennial and a half? SemiBiCentennial?

texts: Considering that "semicentennial" refers to 50 years and "centennial" refers to 100 years and "bicentennial" refers to 200 years, what similar word is appropriate for 150 years?


texts: What are the different names of "canvas chair"?

texts:
I call chairs like this

"canvas chairs".

But I'm not sure if this is the proper name.

Are there other names for this type of chair in America, Britain, and other English-speaking countries?


texts: Is there a regional preference for accenting the first syllable in "finance" vs. the second syllable?

texts:
I accent the first syllable in "finance", but I have a colleague who accents the second syllable. The debate in my office (which is strictly American) now falls between people who say accenting the second syllable is "the British way" and those who says it's the "hillbilly way".

I've seen this question (UK emphasis on the second syllable vs US emphasis on the first) that seems to indicate that "the British way" might be to accent the second syllable, and I saw that in this question too (First or second syllable accent for "detail"?).

Is there a regional distribution of these pronunciations? Is accenting the first syllable considered "American" and accenting the second syllable considered "British" or is it more nuanced than that? I only see the first pronunciation in MW. I think it's the first one at any rate, but dictionary.com appears to list both, with the version accented on the second syllable listed first.


texts: Is there a word for a place you've already been?

texts: Is there a particular word (slang or not) or perhaps a phrase that describes a location or place you've already visited?


texts: How is "Scope of Work" pluralized: "Scopes of Work" or "Scope of Works"?

texts:
If a title of a thing has a prepositional phrase in it, does the plural form pluralize the subject or the object of the preposition, i.e. 'Scope of Work', is the plural form 'Scopes of Work', or 'Scope of Works'?

Edit: Or is it 'Statements of Work', or 'Statement of Works'?


texts: What is the nature of, and syntactic distinction between, modifier and complement?

texts:
I am struggling to understand the syntactic relevance of the distinction between complement and modifier in theories such as the one presented in the Cambridge Grammar of the English Language by Huddleston and Pullum (henceforth CaGel).

Specifically, I'd like to know

(i) Is there a concise, precise definition of each of these functions, saying exactly what it means to be a modifier and a complement respectively (according to the theory presented in CaGel)? There are obviously lots of examples with extensive discussion, but no matter how much I've searched, I haven't been able to find actual, concise definitions.

(ii) What is the syntactic relevance of the distinction between complement and modifier? That is, what general syntactic phenomenon or phenomena does this distinction explain?

(iii) Are there any reliable syntactic tests for making the distinction, and, if so: what are they? I know of two tests:

the substitution test, which involves substituting the head of a phrase containing a dependent with a head that unequivocally doesn't license complements, to see if the dependent still "works" – in which case it would be a modifier
the omission test, which involves omitting a dependent to see if the result is still grammatical – which may imply that the dependent in question is a modifier.

However, neither of these tests seem reliable to me – the substitution test seems unreliable for reasons discussed here, and the omission test is unreliable because complements can sometimes be omitted without rendering the result ungrammatical – as in e.g. She stayed in her room/She stayed) – which means that it only works in cases where omission renders the result ungrammatical.

Finally, I'm asking you please not to mark this as a duplicate of this question, because it's not. In that other question I'm asking specific questions about the substitution test; here I'm asking whether there are any other tests to distinguish between complements and modifiers, and this is furthermore just one of the questions I pose here.

Thank you!


texts:
In this sentence:

  We saw Paul coming

I don't understand if the verb coming is a present participle.
Thank you!


texts:
Which is the correct sentence:
"I like living by ocean" , "I like living by the ocean" or "I like living by the sea"?

I want to say I love ocean and I like staying nearby ocean.

Update:

I had been living in east coast cities of North America. Now I live in a west coast city of North America. I would love telling people I always living nearby ocean because I love staying nearby ocean.


texts: Where does the "headhunter" recruiter come from?

texts:
In the following question OED Appeals: Antedatings of “headhunter” ELU users did a good job finding evidence about early usages of "headhunter" in the recruiting sense.

Etymonline as well as other sources suggest that the current usage is from the '60s, but earlier usages appear to date back to the mid-'40s.

What strikes me is the direct jump from the original meaning of the practice of hunting down and decapitating victims, preserving their heads as trophies to the more urban practice of recruiting.

Though the "macabre" metaphor is quite clear I wonder if there was some intermediate passage in usage  of the term headhunter with a different and less violent connotation that lead to its current and more common usage.

The only reference I could find was this entry Green’s Dictionary of Slang which suggests an intermediate usage between the meaning of decapitation and recruitment.

  [1920s] (US) a person who tracks down wanted criminals.

Questions:

Is this AmE police slang usage the origin of headhunting meaning recruiting or are there other earlier or later meanings in which the term was used that likely lead to the current sense?

Edit:  the supposed duplicate doesn't answer my question. I think the user didn't read all through both posts.


texts: Meaning of "they were become traditional"

texts:
From Byron's Don Juan:

  And if your quarrels should rip up old stories,
       And help them with a lie or two additional,
  I'm not to blame, as you well know—no more is
       Any one else—they were become traditional;
  Besides, their resurrection aids our glories
       By contrast, which is what we just were wishing all:
  And science profits by this resurrection—
  Dead scandals form good subjects for dissection.

What became traditional - stories or "any one else"? And what does that mean? Since the stories are so old, they have become traditional, which means they are passed from generation to generation by tradition?

I can't wrap my mind around this. I'm not asking for literary criticism, just the basic description of what is being told here.

As an aside, does "were become" mean "had become"? Is it in line with early 19th century grammar?


texts: What's the proper way to handwrite a lowercase letter A?

texts:
There were two ways of writing the letter A, as seen in figure 1 and figure 2. I'm a non-native English speaker and I was explicitly taught to write figure 2 by my Irish teacher. However, on computers and fonts, I've almost never seen figure 2 actually used. In real life I notice about 75% of people use figure 2.

I tried to google more on the subject, but google never understands my search properly, like "correct way of writing lowercase letter a"

So is there a correct way to write lowercase A? Which one is it? Which version do they teach in schools in English countries? What about non-English countries who teach English as a second language? How did such a large difference even develop?


texts: onomatopoeia for taking a deep breath before speaking

texts:
I'm writing a comic, and a character is about to ask another character for help, but it's taken her a lot of effort to be able to ask for help. So, before she finally asks she takes a deep breath and inhales before speaking. And I cannot think of what kind of Onomatopoeia you would use for taking a deep breath other than just writing deep breath. And that seems so lame.

Does anyone have any advice on how I could handle this problem?


texts: Is there a term to describe the relationship between both of my brothers in law?

texts:
Is there an easier way of describing the relationship of my spouses brother to my sisters spouse?
I am Rob, my wife is Sophie and her brother is Will. My sister is Rebecca and her husband is Tom. What is Toms relationship (if any) to Will other than his "brother in laws brother in law"?


texts: Does "awe" have a colloquial meaning (similar to "awesome")?

texts:
The meaning of awe is given in dictionaries as "an emotion variously combining dread, veneration, and wonder that is inspired by authority or by the sacred or sublime" (this definition is from Merriam-Webster, the meaning in the OED is more expansive but basically the same).

Awesome, the adjective derived from the noun, means, in its old and literary sense, "full of awe" or "inspiring awe". But awesome has a colloquial and slang usage and meaning as well:

  "It is one [of] the three words which make up most American sentances [sic].
  The American vocabulary consists of just three words: Omygod, awesome and shit." (Urban Dictionary; similarly, though less profane, in the OED)

Does awe have a colloquial or slang usage as well? And if not, does the common colloquial use of awesome influence the meaning that native speakers of American English understand when they encounter the word awe?


texts:
When do we use each of the following?

  I don't want to ...

  I won't want to ...

  I wouldn't want to ...


texts:
Time magazine (March 5th) carries the article titled, “Ukraine, not the Ukraine: The significance of three little letters,” in which the following comment of William Taylor, who served as the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine from 2006 to 2009 was quoted:

  “Ukraine is a country. The Ukraine is the way the Russians referred to
  that part of the country during Soviet times … Now that it is a
  country, a nation, and a recognized state, it is just Ukraine. And it
  is incorrect to refer to the Ukraine, even though a lot of people do
  it.”

http://time.com/12597/the-ukraine-or-ukraine/

What is the difference between Ukraine and the Ukraine? Does the Ukraine mean Ukrainians or Ukrainian district (of Russia)?

Most of all newspapers call Ukraine Ukraine. Are there a lot of people who call the country “the Ukraine,” Really?


texts: " ‘A cynic’ is what an idealist calls a realist." vs. "A cynic is what an idealist calls a realist."

texts:
The first sentence is unambiguous. Is it correct or incorrect to interpret the second sentence the same way as the first? Put another way, does the structure of the second sentence allow for a description of the term a cynic without the quotation marks to make it clear?

One may read the second sentence and assume the writer is defining a cynic incorrectly, and should have written: "A realist is what an idealist calls a cynic". But is the second sentence wrong or just unclear as written?


texts: Word (or expression) meaning to reply without answering

texts:
Every now and again I ask a question to someone and while they provide a response, they fail to actually answer my question.  A few examples are as follows:

Q: What does HR do?
A: HR stuff.
Q: What's the biggest herbivore?
A: It's the herbivore that's bigger than all of the other herbivores.
Q: What does 'broil' do on the oven?
A: It broils the food.
etc.

In each of these cases, it's clear that the person has heard at least part of the question, and replied with some level understanding, however they have failed to actually add any new information to the conversation.
I've been calling these a 'non-answers', but I am wondering if there is a word or phrase or expression which describes these answers.  Specifically I would like to be able to respond to one of these answers with something along the lines of:

Excuse me, but that was a [insert-word/phrase/expression-here]; can you please clarify?

Edit:  This question was flagged as a duplicate (see comments).  I'm not sure if it necessarily is or not (although if the community thinks this is a duplicate, I would accept that).  Additionally, my question is looking for the word that describes the quality of the answer, the linked question is referring to the behaviour of the person answering.  For example, in the linked question, the user has a question:

Q: Why is the sky blue?
A: Because God made it that way.

In this case, God making the sky could be the most fundamental answer that the answer-er is capable of giving, and is therefore a full and complete (if potentially unsatisfying) answer.  My question is more along the lines of how to deal with:

Q: Why is the sky blue?
A: It's blue because it's colour is blue.


texts: Word for using a child spokesman rather than an adult because opponents won't attack a child

texts:
I'm looking for a word that I remember reading. The word was describing a child that was being used as a unattackable front-man because attacking the beliefs expressed by the child would not be seen as attacking the belief but rather as attacking the child. Since adults attacking children is taboo, this makes trying to debate the child to express alternate beliefs very difficult.

update 4/20/2020

All I can specifically remember about the article in which I read the word is:

The article was about Greta Thunberg
I remember looking the word up in some on-line dictionary.

I haven't cleared my Google search history but can't find the word that way.
I have scoured my history but I can't find the article or word. :-(

After scouring my browser for the umpteenth time I finally found the word, actually a phrase cat's paw.

Very sorry, but I conflated the word with the context in which it was used in an article about Greta Thunberg. I have not been trying to deceive anyone but I felt that I needed to be honest and explain the mistake. I spent 15-20 hours looking for the word too.

cat's paw @ Marion-Webster - one used by another as a tool

cat's paw @ Collins -  a person used by another to do dangerous, distasteful, or unlawful work; dupe; from the tale of the monkey who used the cat's foot to rake the chestnuts out of the fire

So I read the word in the context that I described, but gave the wrong meaning. :-(


texts: "They wouldn’t give me my money back.".What is the meaning of 'would' in this sentence?

texts:
I am learning model verb 'would'. And one of the sentences I am not being able to understand. Here is the sentence
"The CD wasn’t working so I brought it back to the shop but they wouldn’t give me my money back because they said the box had already been opened."
What is the meaning of would in this sentence.


texts: Verb meaning "enters/affects/holds relevance within each part of my life"

texts:
I want to say something along the lines of: "It's remarkable how [a philosophy/way of thinking] seems to _______________ (in/to) all aspects of my life."

I think the word may end in -ize, but I'm really not sure. What is an appropriate verb in a statement like the one above?


texts:
I carry out a marketing survey about a new service, and I wonder what is the most appropriate expression (for a british public) :

"The use intention" OR "The intention of use" ?

The question was "Do you intend to use this service".

I have the same issue with this expression :

"Equipments purchase intention" OR "Purchase intention of equipments" OR "Equipments intention of purchase" ?

These expressions refer to a rate. In my power point document, I have a slide with this sentence : 83% of respondents intend to use the service.

And I need to choose the right expression to illustrate (for the title) this sentence : is it "The use intention" or "The intention of use" ?

Thanks a lot


texts: Is it correct to say divorce decree of my previous marriage?

texts: Would it be correct to say "I have attached the divorce decree of my previous marriage"?


texts: Word, Phrase or Idiom for a lack of confidence by-proxy

texts:
I am looking for a word, phrase, or idiom to express when a person has a lack of confidence in others based on their own personal self-confidence issues. The situation often arises where a decision is made by Manager because he doesn't feel his team can deliver the more appropirate alternative. Not because of a demonstrated inability on their [the team] behalf, but by projecting his own inabilities on others. Does such a word or snappy(ier) phrase exist?
Similar to the beautiful Schopenhauer phrase "Every man takes the limits of his own field of vision for the limits of the world."


texts: What is the meaning of "she can be obtuse"?

texts:
A friend of mine once described a mutual acquaintance in this way:

  She can be obtuse.

The dictionary definition of "obtuse" seems to suggest a "lack of intellect or intelligence". However, this really seems to be unlikely to be what she meant, since it seems a very harsh way to speak about anyone. And also it does not describe the acquaintance whatsover, since she is a very smart woman.

The context of the sentence would seem to imply that it had something to do with stubbornness. Is that a possible interpretation?


texts:
In the following sentence I was asked to identify the sentence constituents: subject, verb, objects, complement and adverbial/adverb.

I really love dogs, but my wife loves cats.

I=subject, love=verb, dogs=object, really=adverb, my wife=subject, loves=verb and cats=object.
My question is: what is the function of the conjunction but in terms of the constituents listed above. My teacher says it acts as an adverb , but how?


texts: Gerund, participle, or present continuous verb

texts:
In the following sentence,

I did quite well in the examination, without having to burn the midnight oil.

What is "having" -- a gerund, a participle, or just a present continuous verb?

I tried Wren & Martin, but without luck.


texts: When to use "once-in-a-lifetime" and when to use "once in a lifetime"?

texts: The first one has - connected and the others do not have, this two seem to have the same meaning but my teacher say not, what is the difference between them?


texts: Another way of saying "accompanied by family members"?

texts:
I'm writing a sign-up form for an event. The form has a checkbox, where people can indicate if they are bringing family members.

Currently I have the field labeled:

  Accompanied by family members

Is this the appropriate way of saying this? Will it be clear to all readers? Or is there another expression I can use?


texts: Meaning of "to achieve the setup of a disaster recovery plan" (business language)

texts:
From a document I'm translating:

Business Continuity
A. Managers shall ensure that procedures within their area of responsibility are carried out correctly to achieve the setup of a disaster recovery plan.
B. There shall be a documented and appropriate method to determine the impact of a disruption of the production and services of the organization following a disaster.
C. The organization shall document and implement procedures to respond to a disaster in order to recover or maintain its activities to a predetermined level.

What is the meaning of to achieve the setup of? Does it mean "in case of a disaster, managers should act properly to create the initial conditions necessary for the implementation of a (previously detailed) disaster recovery plan)"?


texts:
What does "I can run flat out for a half mile before my hands start shaking" mean?

It was said in The Bourne Identity.

I am not a native English speaker. I know the meaning of the individual words, but have never heard the expression "run flat out" before.


texts: What are "drop-in activities"? I often run across this phrase while reading about museums, recreation centers etc.


texts: word for describing people favoring silence about injustice

texts:
I'm looking for a word or phrase for describing people who favor silence about injustice, because of their dishonesty. I want to translate a phrase which literally translates to worshippers of silence:

Those cruel people were ____ , and suppressed any voice of justice.


texts: 'decrease in custom' vs 'decrease in sales'

texts:
Would anyone be able to explain the difference between 'decrease in custom' and 'decrease in sales'.
For example, what would one make of reading:

  'There's a decrease in custom in our region.'

or

  'There's a decrease of sales in our region.'?

Thanks to everyone for their replies,

Still hoping of being more helpful to people who'd like to help I'm suppling the context of the phrases in question:

Company directors of a UK energy company are discussing the company's sales figures:

They aknowledge that 'sales figures in their region are down', then ask the Customer Service director:

-(Managing Director): Do you have any ideas why this downturn in sales is happening?

-(C.S. Director): It's true, we're seeing a decrease in custom in our region. There's also an increase in customers cancelling new contracts.

-(Colleague): But do you know why? Do the customers say why they don't like our offers?

Could the phrase 'decrease in custom' be used because the company deal with energy contracts? Could it be because it doesn't refer to the specific company's custom but the region's in general?....


texts: What does "If you're gonna get up in my face you'd better be ready to back it up!" mean?

texts:
I just read the following expression: I have a vague idea what it means but please could a native speaker comment:

"If you're gonna get up in my face you'd better be ready to back it up!"


texts: What are word combinations similar to the effect of "Sofa King" called?

texts: Is there a name for word combination structures that embed other words within them (both verbal or written)? (Any less rude example would be appreciated.)


texts: Is it correct to say, "an example for this is . . .".?

texts:
I'd like to find out if the phrase "an example for this" is English usage.  More specifically, I'd like to know if the preposition "for" is correct. The sentence was written by a German person.

I'm an American and know most of the differences between BrE and AmE, but had to pause and consider this one because I've never heard it said like that.  I've always said it with the preposition "of":  an example of this is . . . .

I inquired on Google, using various questions, but without success.

Is this another British versus American English difference?  Or is it, as I suppose, a direct translation from German?


texts: Why in many newspaper name, word "TIMES" is there?

texts: I was wondering that whenever I pick a newspaper I found either it is the Times of America, Times of India ,Hindustan Times and lot more  so why there is always a word times in newspaper name . Is it a culture or a style.


texts: When to use "compatible", when "incompatible"

texts:
Reworded as requested.

I am confused about when one uses the term “incompatible” and when “compatible”.

Is it sometimes believed that compatibility is about “working” and incompatibility about “not working”.  However, consider the following two statements:

Printer X is incompatible with the latest version of windows –does
not work
Grenade X is incompatible with normal handling – works    (detonates)

Apparently incompatible can mean both not to work and to work”.  Perhaps it is about something being “suitable”?

Vending machine X is incompatible with the new currency – does not
work, not suitable
Vending machine X is incompatible with foreign coins – does not work,
suitable

It seems that incompatibility can mean to be not suitable and suitable!

So, is there an easy way of explaining when to use the word compatible and when incompatible?


texts: Word for a product that is instantly usable

texts:
I'm looking for a word to describe products that can be used out of the box with minimal configuration.

In my tip of the tongue memory this word may contain keychain as a subword or else something involving the metaphor of plugging a key into a socket and then the product just runs. Unfortunately, my memory is failing me now.


texts: Which syllable is stressed in 'meeker'? I have looked in the dictionary, and just found the transcription of 'meek'.


texts: Is there a distinct term for acronyms with multi-letter parts?

texts:
Is there a distinct term for acronyms with multi-letter parts, particularly in title case?

My motivating examples are:

Conventions: BlizzCon, NyCon II, WonderCon (nee Wonderful World of Comics Convention),  etc.
National * Months: NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), NaBloPoMo, NaSoAlMo, and other timed artistic challenges.

Technical linguistic terms like "clipping compounds" are acceptable parts of answers, but I think this has already been covered on ELU[1][2], and I'm not really looking for the linguistics answer. I'm really interested in popular jargons or slangs for this kind of naming from any groups (current or historical) that have done it. For example, in computer programming culture the jargon for the similar practice of textWithCapsAndNoSpaces is called "camel case."

Both "_Con" and "Na__Mo" seem to be meme-like, almost like snoclone "phrasal templates." They both use the same partial-word, initial caps (ParWorInCap!) style of abbreviation.

Does this style of naming itself have a name?

Research:

I know that abbreviations, contractions, acronyms, and initialisms are already much discussed on ELU and elsewhere, and (non)distinctions are sometimes contested. To sum up common distinctions:

abbreviations are any shortening of a word
(Dr. <- Doctor)

contractions are abbreviations that combine words by ommitting first/last
(don't <- do not)
apocopations are abbreviations that drop the end from a single word or separate words in a phrase [*]
(photo <- photograph)
(po-mo <- post-modern)
acronyms are abbreviations from each initial letter or letters

...each initial letter:
(NASA <- National Aeronautics and Space Administration)

initialisms are acronyms in which letters are pronounced:
(NSA <- National Security Agency)

...initial letter groups, sometimes called clipping compounds [*][**]:
(Nabisco <- National Biscuit Company)
(ampersand <- and per se and)


texts: "A rumor circulated [that the queen had eaten her own child]" Is this extraposition?

texts:
A rumor began circulating among the people that the queen was an ogress and had eaten her own child.

The bold subordinate clause modifies "a rumor", but is this considered extraposition? Normally, extraposition involves a dummy pronoun as the subject.


texts: What is the verb for receiving a licence?

texts:
The verb for granting someone a license (such as a copyright license) seems to be "license", as in "we licensed the software to Foo".

What is the verb for receiving a license?  Also "license"?  As in "we licensed the software from Foo"?

If so, I find the ambiguity of "we licensed the software" irritating, as it does not convey whether we granted or received the license without adding a "to" or "from".


texts: How is the phrase ”out of all relation" used differently in these two sentences?

texts:
The village enjoys a notability out of all relation to its size.
Investors have been selling out of all relation to what we know.


texts:
I commonly use the verb "CC" (carbon copy). I know I could use the word "copy" instead, but I prefer to say "CC" (pronounced see-see).  For example, I might say (and have told my co-workers):

  I will CC you on that email.

But what's the past tense of the verb CC? Is it "CCed" (which seems strange)? I find that to be strange, so I usually apostrophe it to "CC'd" (which draws more attention to the strangeness).

And no, I don't want to say "copied."

Please provide proof in the form of a similar case with a different strange verb (eg. google => googled).


texts:
Can I write "0.5% milk" or "27% cream cheese" to indicate the fat content?

Edit: just to make things clearer - it will be used in the list of ingredients of a recipe

Edit 2: here's a picture of a milk which containts 1.5% of fat
http://www.mlekarna-kunin.cz/media/cache/d2/f9/d2f9e86fec4c615ff41005c97d317f07.png
I need to know If I can say "1.5% milk" in English because semi skimmed (1.7%) nor reduced-fat (2%) source: https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skimmed_milk does not express 1.5%.
Here's the text

Ingredients:
200 ml 1.5% milk
10 g vanilla pudding
5 g vanilla sugar
120 g raspberries

I hope my question is clear now :)


texts: What does this sentence in a paragraph about the Notre Dame Fire mean?

texts:
A 2017 Time article discussing the crumbling, wearing out, and water damage of France's Notre Dame Cathedral prior to the 2019 fire writes (emphasis added to the part I would like clarification on):

  Notre Dame, which looms over the capital from an island in the center of the city, is a constant reminder of Paris’ history. It has seen more than its share of epic dramas, including the French Revolution and two world wars. But now there is another challenge. Some 854 years after construction began, one of Europe’s most visited sites, with about 12 million tourists a year, is in dire need of repairs. Centuries of weather have worn away at the stone. The fumes from decades of gridlock have only worsened the damage. “Pollution is the biggest culprit,” says Philippe Villeneuve, architect in chief of historic monuments in France. “We need to replace the ruined stones. We need to replace the joints with traditional materials. This is going to be extensive.”

Another SE user (smci on Skeptics) wrote:

  The quote was ambiguous at best: "The fumes from decades of gridlock have only worsened the damage... “Pollution is the biggest culprit"' : culprit of what? of the fumes? (Clearly not "of the damage" since they only "worsened" it). Don't ask us to guess what the journalist was thinking. There's no point constructing an entire question around one sloppy journalistic sentence.

My interpretation is:

  I assume that "The fumes from decades of gridlock have only worsened the damage." is a very simple sentence. It's a way to say that pollution has damaged the cathedral. I don't see why you interpret it as pollution is the culprit of the fumes. The fumes are polllution. As for worsened vs. damaged, the sentence is using "worsened the damage" as a synonym for "damaged."

Am I interpreting things correctly?
What is Villeneuve saying? (i.e. what does his quote mean?) Is the quote by Philippe Villeneuve saying that pollution is the biggest reason for the damage?


texts:
I am not an native English speaker and I would like to know if the use of the word "vacuous" is offensive.

I am writing a reply to a request where I am asked to do something that has no sense at all in a mathematical context. Basically, I was requested to do some calculations on a mathematical object that is provably nonexistent. In my reply I want to be direct and say that trying to do so is useless. Then, I was planning to say that this is vacuous. I also want to be as polite as possible, then my hesitation on using this word. Any pointers to a more suitable word would also be appreciated.


texts: Word for "Deconstructing Something Past Recognition"

texts:
Is there a word or term for deconstructing something so much that it becomes unrecognizable? or breaking something down so far that it cannot be built back up again?

To give an example, I sometimes think of the atom, which is "the smallest constituent unit of matter".

  If you break something down past the atomic level, it becomes ___.

The context I would use this term would be more figurative or linguistic than scientific.

EDIT:
I think by giving the scientific example above, I'm giving people the wrong impression.

To give another example:

  if you take a house made of lego blocks and decontruct it down to each individual lego block, you can still sort of "see" the house, and it is still able to be rebuilt. But if you then start cutting up or melting down the lego blocks then the essence of the house is lost and you can no longer rebuilt it again.

I'm looking for a term that describes this process.

I believe I've heard a term for this before, though I may be mistaken. I may just need to settle for one of the answers already given (dissolves seems to be closest to the idea I'm trying to describe).


texts:
Some words or phrases have 'special' meaning beyond the combination of constituent parts.

For example:

'White House' is the white house where the US president lives.
'black board' is where you draw on with chalk at school [actually more recently a green board and in the past 20 years a 'white board' (which is white)].

Negative examples (phrases or constructions that are not examples of the concept):

'quasi-' anything: (I find) is -not- a 'special thing' for me, it is not a new word with a meaning all its own, 'quasi' is just a productive modifier that doesn't mean anything more than itself and the new word it makes can be judged simply as 'almost like an X'
colors usually (with some example exceptions above) don't make anything 'new' - a 'red door' is just a door colored red. If it took on some cultural connection, then it might need an additional dictionary specification for that term 'red door'.

I'm not talking about the figurative (non-literal, metaphorical)  uses of such terms, but certainly metaphor ("White House' as the seat of American government), and idiom ('raining cats and dogs') are examples of the idea 'a set phrase'. When a neologism or coinage becomes an accepted item.

For example, if you look at a list of words that begin with the prefix 'quasi-', almost entirely, these words are not special or used ever again, or if they're used again it is simply out of logical need of the construction. They don't describe a recognizably repeatable 'thing'.

What I'm looking for is the appropriate way to designate a locution that is more than the sum of its parts.

I've been using the bland term 'set phrase' to call this phenomenon. It itself is not particularly evocative of the 'noncompositional' aspect of some phrases.

Is set phrase the best way to name this phenomenon? or is there another?


texts:
In the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary application I searched the word "disappearance" and it showed the word as:

dis.ap.pear.ance

I think it decomposed the word to dis+ap+pear+ance
I know "dis" is a prefix that means opposite of something and "ance" is a suffix that means "in the action of something"
But what is the meaning of "ap" and "pear" in the word disappearance?


texts: What is the meaning of "public sphere" and "public space"?

texts:
Civic humanism is generally taken as an equivalent or as a particular
  variant of republicanism, meaning a conception of politics in which
  government is in principle the common business of the citizens. The
  “city” provides the environment ——a public space——for human
  fulfillment.
  http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/humanism-civic/

Can “public space” be replaced by “public sphere”
here? It seems to me the latter is too general here, whereas the former is more specific and concrete, therefore, here better to use “public space”. But in their essence, there is no substantial difference between them, they both mean a place in which the social members work together, discussing and solving mutual problems.


texts:
I came across an odd-looking usage in the paper today...

  The wife of President Assad listens to her husband yesterday with her two younger children

The sentence suggests that she has some other children somewhere, as otherwise it would just have referred to "her children". But if there are three or more children, ought not the two on show be the youngest? But the youngest should only be one child; more than one can't be the youngest? Or are they younger because they are a group, and there may only be one other?

Can anyone help me out with this?


texts: Is 'president' in 'run for president' a bare role NP?

texts:
A Student's Introduction to English Grammar says:

A bare role NP is a singular NP that is ‘bare’ in the sense of lacking the determiner which would elsewhere be required, and that denotes some kind of role, office, or position. A PC can have the form of a bare role NP, but an O can’t:
i a. She became [the treasurer]. [NP] = PC
i b. She knew [the treasurer]. [NP] = O
ii a. She became [treasurer]. [NP] = PC
ii b. *She knew [treasurer]. [NP] = O
• In [i] both the [a] and [b] examples are fine because an ordinary NP like the treasurer can be either a PC or an O.
• In [ii], treasurer is a bare role NP, so it is permitted with become, which takes a PC, but not with know, which takes an object.

Where PC stands for 'predicative complement' and O 'object'.
Now, in the following sentence, does [NP] qualify as a bare role NP as defined above?

c. He's running for [president].

If it is a bare role NP, then how about [NP] in the following sentence?

d. The film's competing for [best picture].

While it can be said that president denotes a role/office/position in (c), I don't believe the same can be said about best picture in (d). But these two sentences are strikingly similar in syntax, so if president is a bare role NP in (c), I believe so should best picture be in (d), except it apparently isn't.
So something must have gone awry in this line of analysis. In order to fix this apparent incongruity, we need to say either that (1) president of (c) is not a bare role NP defined above or that (2) there's no such thing as a bare "role" NP in the first place but there's only a bare NP.
Is there any other alternative analysis to (1) and (2)? If not, which of the two analyses is logically correct?


texts: Synonym for "controls" meaning switches and buttons etc

texts:
Talking about a control panel with multiple switches, dials, knobs, lights and buttons, I am looking for a synonym for "controls" (and the singular "control").  I have "instrument panel" or "dashboard" as synonyms for "control panel", but nothing else that exactly seems to cover the collection itself.

"Instruments" is the closest I can find, but to me that implies larger items such as a speedometer that can include multiple dials and buttons, rather than just the buttons or switches themselves.  So it works in the second example, less well in the first and not in the third.

Example uses:

"All the "x" on the dashboard had been set to their emergency positions"

"George swept his hand over the "x" rapidly preparing for liftoff."

"This "x" was a three-way switch instead of the usual button."


texts: How did "next day" come to mean "day of next week"?

texts:
This question touched on the confusion of the common usage of "next Tuesday" to really mean "Tuesday of next week", as opposed to the "soonest upcoming Tuesday". When one considers the actual definition of next, this phrasing is simply wrong. I'm rather baffled how this phrasing came about. To make things stranger, this is the only instance in which next is used with this definition.

How did next come to mean the Tuesday of next week when used in sentences such as "What are we doing next Tuesday?"


texts: How can I express in a sentence something that happened in the past but that has an impact on the present?

texts:
Given that English is not my first language, I was wondering how to express a verb that started and ended in the past but that has a repercussion in the present moment...
Is it correct to say “spent my life developing the perfect recipe only managed to keep me away from my passion”?
(The sentence is just an example, but I hope it is sufficiently explanatory)


texts: A word/characteristic for "all bark and no bite"?

texts:
I'm looking for a word or a characteristic to describe someone that is "All bark and no bite"?

Describes someone who often says cutting remarks, but actually has a soft personality underneath.

  Its okay, I know that Danny is a little mean, but he's all bark and no bite.


texts:
There is this phrase that comes up in song lyrics every now and then. It has some kind of romantic flavour to it, but I don't know it's meaning: 'Chasing the Sinking Sun'

Shout Out Louds - Chasing the Sinking Sun @ Youtube: (https://youtu.be/k3puu5yKw_g)


texts:
I came across this sentence but can't understand the grammatical structure.

Despite there being a blizzard in the area, business remained open as usual.

In the phrase "Despite there being a blizzard," I can tell "there being" is an absolute phrase. Then why "despite" is used? Can an absolute phrase function as a noun phrase?
Or is "there being" not an absolute phrase but a gerund? But if it is a gerund, that doesn't make sense in terms of grammatical structure.

Why and how "despite" can be used with an absolute phrase?


texts: Term encompassing thread, string, lanyard, and wire

texts: Looking for a general term for things one would store on a spool -- thread, string, lanyard, wire, that sort of thing.  Things that occur in long lines and will get tangled up if you don't organize them properly.


texts: How to describe the dish is of little amount

texts:
Is there any fixed usage to describe that the food's amount is too little (far less than expectation).

For example, one scenario would be :

  That restaurant's food tastes good, but (food/dish's amount is too little)


texts: Is "hanging bats" a participial phrase, gerund phrase, or simple noun phrase?

texts:
In the sentence "Hanging bats populate most of the caves in North America," what is the role of "hanging bats"?  I believe it is a simple noun phrase containing the participle "hanging" (which modifies "bats"), while another individual referred to it as a gerund phrase.

I should mention that the quiz question is "What kind of phrase is underlined?"


texts:
I'm writing a math paper and want to say that two quantities, a*b and (a-b), cannot  be ranked in a unique way. Depending on the values a and b, either can be higher.

My idea is to say "either value can be higher" or "either of the two values can be higher".

As a non-native speaker, I check my ideas with google - whether I get many hits when search for  the exact sentences. Surprisingly, though both sentences above seem very normal to me, and it seems the point I'm trying to make  ("either can be higher") should  arise in many contexts, I get zero hits with both above sentences.

So, what's the succinct way of saying that "For some values a and b, a*b higher that (a-b), and for some values, the reverse inequality is true".

Thanks a lot!


texts: Difference between "picture" and "photo"


texts: Which to be verb do you use when listing items?

texts:
I'm confused about what "to be verb" to use when you create a list of items.

I mean when you talk about 3 or 4 items. What "to be verb" goes after "how much"? I read that "how much" always goes with uncountable nouns. So I would use "is" instead of "are"?

For example:

How much is a dictionary, a stapler, and three pairs of scissors?
How much are a dictionary, a stapler, and three pairs of scissors?

Does it have to do with proximity of the countable noun or uncountable noun?


texts: Is it ever more appropriate to use "cognizant" over "aware"?

texts:
In every sentence I have ever read that uses the word "cognizant," the word could easily be replaced by "aware." On top of that, "aware" sounds much less pretentious and to-the-point.

Are there situations or contexts which lend themselves more to "cognizant"?


texts: Is there an accepted rule for naming all of our various distant relatives (kinship terms)?

texts:
I’m going to the christening of my cousin’s first son soon. What is the proper name for his relation to me?

Second nephew? Nephew once removed? Nothing?

Looking at the overall picture, what's the accepted rule for the naming of all of our various relations?


texts: A full two years? What does "a full" mean?

texts:
"The project is slated to be complete by end of year, a full two
  years ahead of schedule."

What does "a full" mean? Is there any difference between just "two years" and "a full two years"?


texts:
If the police conclude that the person died by accident, should I say 'The police concluded in an accident' ?

To me, this sounds like they finish the story by having an accident.


texts: Formal word when someone goes on the attack

texts:
This question arises from an interesting answer to a recent question I asked.

You know the phrase "The best defense is a good offense"?  It works well in sports and war.  But in my impartial hearing, where I was the complainant (~offense) and the school district was the respondent (~defense), the district decided to go on the offense, and made up wild accusations about us parents.  I need a word or phrase for this approach.

Clarification: I could understand attacks that say things that are true (e.g. if I had screamed and pounded the table, it would be fair for them to say that).  I wouldn't mind attacks pointing to parents taking an unreasonable stance (e.g. asking them to create a spot in a competitive sports team, only because of the child's disability).

Somehow I need to convey the idea that the attack was unfair and uncalled for.


texts: Does "Lucid Interval" immediately bring to mind medical disorder?  I would like to use it as the title for a blog and I don't want people to be put off.


texts: Why are "put" and "but" different in their pronunciation?

texts: "Put" and "but" both end in the same letters, so why don't they rhyme? Did they start out with the same sound, and then one of them changed? Or did they start out with different sounds, and just got spelled with the same letter because there weren't enough vowel letters to represent all of the vowel sounds in English?


texts: A more formal word for "tech-savvy", relating to IT technologists in particular

texts:
Good morning. I'm struggling with formalizing this sentence:

  Online password managers are popular among tech-savvies.

This is too casual--I would like a better word for tech-savvies, preferably describing someone knowledgeable about IT/computers, i.e. a power user of sorts.


texts: Is there a word for women who use prostitutes?

texts: Men who use prostitutes are colloquially called johns.  Is there a specific word for women who use prostitutes?


texts:
How common is the insult "cretin" in US English? What minimum age and level of education do users of the word typically have?

Would you say that "cretin" is much less common than "imbecile" in US English? Which one is more offensive?


texts: Is the construction "most + singular noun + singular verb-form" acceptable?

texts:
I'm studying grammar, and this sentence is worrying me:

  Most lightning occurs within the cloud or between the cloud and ground.

I thought that the allowed construction is "most + plural noun + plural verb-form"

  for example "Most students like [games]".

But "Most lightning occurs" is of the form  "most + singular-form noun + singular verb-form"

Is this also grammatical?

Is it an ellipsis:

  Most [of the] lightning occurs ... ?