texts: What would you call a person who doesn't know what they like or will do with their life?

texts:
What would you call a person who would always response with 'I don't know' when thinking about their likes, favourite things, or their future (like plans for the next day or what they want their life to be like etc.)

I'm looking for a word describing a person who is and whose personality/ lifestyle is 'undefined'.

My candidate (not quite): the word impersonal

  (Merriam-Webster): not existing as a person : not having human qualities or characteristics

  (Dictionary.com) having no personality; devoid of human character or traits:
  an impersonal deity.

I'm not sure if it works here, as in a sentence

  '*He never knows what he wants/ needs, he feels like he has nothing going on,
  he's ________ [like a clean slate]. (=He would describe himself as impersonal*)'

I'd want that adjective to describe someone's void/ emptiness =the lack of fundamental qualities that makes person a person (not the words for simply not being interesting or being lifeless like dull or lacklustre)


texts:
Someone I know got a interview call letter part of which read as this:

  .. you are requested to appear for the ibid interview ..

What does ibid mean in this context?


texts:
Somebody please help me with this question. I know the answer but not sure why we have to use the definite article "the" here. The answer sheet says option "c" is the correct answer. But I am not sure why?

Q.Of my two daughters she is ———.

(A) elder (B) eldest (C) the elder (D) the eldest

Thanks.


texts: How to properly number paragraph according to APA style

texts:
If an article cites (Mara, 2010, “Mission,” para. 1) using APA style, does para.1 refer to first paragraph within

the "Mission" section?
or the whole page?


texts:
Where would you put the comma or comma's for a subordinating Conjunction comma?

When you finish vacuuming the rugs please mop the floor.
If you finish early we can go to the mall.

only after rugs?   and only after early?


texts: What is it called when authors lend citation to one another?

texts:
Citation is one metric of researchers. That is why some of them lend citation to one another. For example, A writes a paper and cites B's work in it, providing that B does the same for A.

Is there any word for such academic misconduct? I can think of "citation exchange", but I couldn't find any reference about it.


texts:
How do you pronounce double consonants in American English?

For example:

Daddy -  Do you say "Da-di", "Dad-di" or "Dad-i"?
Mommy - Do you say "Ma-mi", "Mam-mi" or "Mam-i"?
Swimming - "swi-ming", "swim-ming" or "swim-ing"?

I try to listen but I can’t catch it. Are there any rules to pronounce double consonants?

By the way, I'd to know more about syllabic-boundary of double consonants.
For example, I read two dictionaries online. For "Mommy" one pronounces "Ma-mi" and another one pronounces "Mam-i". It makes me confused. Can we say both?
But when I hear by myself it looks like "Mam-mi", can I say that too?

And about "butter" (it's interesting) which EnabledZombie wrote that it is pronounced "budder" (two Ds) but I saw in a dictionary, it wrote that it has to be pronounced "bud.er". There is only one D. How are they different? Or does it share "d" between 2 syllabics?


texts: Normally, Can we use -some after noun/adjectives for the meaning of tending to? such as mansome, girlsome, computersome.


texts: Has there been an interrogative word to ask for a quantity or amount?

texts: English uses how much/many to ask for an amount or a quantity. Has there been an interrogative word in Old, Middle, or Modern English to convey the meaning of how much/many (i.e., an equivalent to the Spanish cuánto or the French combien)?


texts: Why is a door prize called a "door prize"?

texts: I entirely understand what door prize means, but how did this name come about? Is this some kind of slang?


texts: Word that means I understand the words you are saying

texts:
Is there a word that means I understand what you're saying, but does not mean that I comprehend it?

For instance: "Given the big-O notation, we can calculate the approximate time the algorithm will take."

That is perfect English, and broken up word by word (Save "big-O"), it can be understood. However, the actual meaning of the sentence may not be.

So basically, is there a word that says I understand each word, while not doubling to mean I understand the idea?

Edit: I'm not looking to say I don't understand you, rather just one word that doesn't double to mean the other, and doesn't have a negative connotation. So expound, incomprehensible, and so on are not what I'm looking for.

J L V has put it the most elegant, "You're looking for a single word describing that while you both HEARD (audibility) and UNDERSTOOD (meaning) every single word in that sentence you still weren't able to get the 'big picture'."


texts: The nuances of Future Continuous vs Present Continuous

texts:
Consider the following:

I ran into a problem and will be staying here[in this house, this room, etc.] for a couple more days.
I ran into a problem and am staying here[in this house, this room, etc.] for a couple more days.

Now, when would one use one over the other?


texts: Is there an expression or word to describe a person who does something that is unnecessary?

texts:
Is there a single word or phrase that describes a person who:

Does something that is not important or is unnecessary AND
Does not do something that is important or necessary?

I would appreciate it if the word can be slotted into the following gap:

  Ali is a ____ person. He doesn't always get his priorities right. He
  always does things that are not important and forgets to do things
  that are important.

Thank you very much.


texts: I was told that saying Like I said isn't grammatically correct although it is used a lot. That we should use As I said instead. Is it true?


texts: Should the concept of a quantity of objects be considered singular or plural?

texts:
My gut says that

"Fifteen options is too many"

is more correct than

"Fifteen options are too many"

but I can't articulate why the subject feels like a singular concept.

Which is correct?


texts: Does "Please verify your address" mean what I think it means?

texts:
I have noticed that customer service reps often ask me to "verify my address" or "verify my date of birth".

I am not a native English speaker, but the way I understand the word "verify", I would then expect them to state the address they have on file for me, and I would verify or confirm whether the address they have is correct.

What they really want is for me to state my address/DOB.

Is my understanding of the word verify correct or incorrect? Am I splitting hairs?


texts: Where is the root morpheme in the Modern English word "absent"?

texts:
I can't say whether the root morpheme in "absent" is "ab-" or "abs-". (From an etymological point of view, ab- appears to be a negative prefix -- from M.Fr. absent (O.Fr. ausent), from L. absentem (nom. absens), prp. of abesse "be away from, be absent" -- from O.Fr. absence, from L. absentia, noun of state from absentem (nom. absens), prp. of abesse "be away from, be absent," from ab- "away" + esse "to be").

On the one hand, "absent" may be analyzed and compared with "present" (pre-/ ab- sent), but in this case it's clear that we can't consider -s- as a common root for those semantically related words, because it doesn't seem to be the lexical core of these words at all. On the other hand in the case of "abnormal" and "normal" this negative prefix ab- is easily identified.


texts: Difference between Authentication and Verification

texts:
What is the difference in meaning between authentication and verification? When would I use one over the other?

Dictionary definitions:

verification
ˌvɛrɪfɪˈkeɪʃ(ə)

noun: the process of establishing the truth, accuracy, or validity of something.

authentication
ɔːθɛntɪˈkeɪʃ(ə)

noun: authentication; plural noun: authentications
the process or action of proving or showing something to be true, genuine, or valid.


texts: Grammar of "with" in "We had no idea WITH what his purpose was"

texts:
"I have no idea 'WITH' something". Is it correct to use with as a proposition here?
A line in a high school text book I saw says "We had no idea WITH what his purpose was"


texts: The meaning of "Did you hear anything about his getting married?"

texts:
Did you hear anything about his getting married?

Is the above question the same as saying

  Did you know that he is going to get married?

or

  Did you know that he has got married?

or something else?


texts: Expressions about minimal cosmetics ingredients

texts:
I am making a cosmetics product. This product's concept is "minimum formula". Many cosmetics use over 30+ ingredients to 1 product, but this is made with just 10 ingredients.
I want to represent it with simple sentence
"Minimal formula of 10"
"Minimum formula of 10"
"10 Ingredients."
Do you think any proper sentence? I think aboves are all weird...


texts: How can a "noun suffix" be used for words that don't fit into the pattern i.e. "family"? Family-ness? Family-like? Familiality (made up word...)

texts: I am editing a document for someone and they used the word "familiness" to relate to the family-like nature of an organisation. Is there a better word to use than the phrase "family-like nature"?


texts: Looking for a formal equivalent phrase for "is considered below"

texts:
I like to know a formal equivalent phrase for "is considered below". I spoke with a friend from Ireland, and he said that phrase is not correct for a scientific paper. But, he could not help me with that.

An example is the following.

  "The solution of the problem ___________ [is considered below]"

Any suggestions?


texts:
What word describes karmic punishment of a sin committed? Divine punishment.

"Retribution" is close but is not "biblical enough".

"Penance" is close to what I'm looking for, but the punishment needs to be divine and from an external force.

I want to use it like:

  "I did nothing to deserve this divine retribution"

I know there is a specific word for this!


texts: How to use apostrophe properly in this sentence?

texts:
There's a person named Khushwant Singh in a story. He and his grandmother are friends.
There's a question asked in my book: What is the 'turning point' in the story?
And my answer begins something like this:
'The turning point' in the lesson refers to the turning point in Khushwant Singh's and his grandmother's friendship.
Now here's where I get confused. Did I use the apostrophes properly? If I didn't use it properly, how should I use it properly?


texts: In the dictionary, the meaning of "allowing for" is " In consideration of sth". So in this sentence, "Even allowing for his age, he still acts very immaturely". Can I change the word “ even" into "although"? Why or why not?


texts: What are the differences between rhetorical analysis and close reading?

texts: Can someone please explain the similarities and differences between rhetorical analysis and close reading?


texts:
I was looking up the etymology of the word snooze, and the Etymology Online suggested it was unknown.

  1789, cant word, of unknown origin, perhaps echoic of a snore. Related: Snoozed; snoozing. The noun meaning "a short nap" is from 1793. Snooze-alarm is from 1965.

I thought this was odd, because the verb to fall asleep in Czech is usnout, which is very similar. I was wondering if there is a connection via Proto Indo-European, like the connection between the PIE médʰu (honey wine) and the English mead (Honey Wine), the Czech med (honey) or the Iranian mei (wine). Anyone know the PIE reconstruction for sleep or related words?

Is there any connection between snooze and usnout?


texts: What did "John Boy" mean (as an insult) in New Zealand around 1977?

texts: According to the records of the New Zealand Parliament, "John Boy" was considered  unparliamentary language in 1977. What did the phrase mean though, back then, over there? Urban dictionary seems say it could be either a derogatory term for "white guy" or one for homosexual. I'm guessing it was probably the latter in 1977, but I'm not sure.


texts: Is it acceptable to use "math" in an admissions essay?

texts:
I am writing a college admissions essay and would like to get a professional opinion on whether it is acceptable to use the truncated and informal version of the word "mathematics" as "math". I ask this because my essay contains the word "mathematics" about fifteen or so times and would like to cut down on repetitiveness by using various versions of the word. I have included the word "maths" appropriately in my essay because I address my usage of it.

I think it is a creative idea (I think it might be a literary technique - don't know for sure, rusty English skills) to use all of "mathematics", "maths", and "math" in my essay but just want to make sure so I don't seem foolish!

Please add appropriate tags for this question. I am new to this SE site and am not familiar with the tags.


texts:
I know that I can use surficial related to describe concepts related to the surface of the earth (or a planet)... so surficial aquifers, surficial geology, surficial deposits and so on. All the time I have looked an a dictionary, these are the only exaples that I have found.

In some documents (written by non anglophone, probably) I have found however "surficial" used to describe something related to the surface of a material. For example "surficial coating" of a nanoparticle.

I would use "superficial" in this case, but it is possible that I haven't found more technical examples because they are very specific.

So how does it sound to a native speaker? Would you use "surficial" for a surface of a molecule, a nanomaterial, and so on? Thank you.


texts: When to spell out or when the acronym itself is sufficient

texts: When using an acronym for the first time, it must be spelled out. That's a given. However, if there is a "Definition" section where ALL acronyms that are going to be used in the document are defined and spelled out and this section precedes the rest of the document, do you need to use the full name and its associated acronym later in the document? Example: 1st paragraph of the document explains the document's purpose. In this paragraph, there is an acronym used as follows - "....Delegation Oversight (DO)..." "DO" is now identified as representing Delegation Oversight in the rest of the document. The next section of the document (which follows this first paragraph) provides definitions for all important words used in the document and provides their acronym (where applicable). Following this section is the rest of the document. Do we need to spell out each acronym or can we just use the acronym itself given that it is already defined? My thought is, if the acronym is already defined by the "Definition" section, it does not need to be redefined and spelled out at any point later in the document. Now, if this definition section was to be say on the last page of the document (like an index), then I would think that all acronyms would need to be spelled out the first time they are used in the document. Are these assumptions correct?


texts: Punctuating questions containing questions

texts:
For example,

‘Did you just ask, “Why me?”?’, Rita Queried

I know using two question marks is not right, but is this sentence right? Because both are questions.


texts:
I met an English sentence like below.

  After testing on multiple machines root configurations, I was able to notice that it happens only using homestead without nfs folder sync.

This sentence includes without nfs folder sync and I thought without requires noun after it.

But nfs folder is a noun and sync is a verb, this sentence seems to be wrong.

Is there a case we use a sentence after the word without?


texts: An adjective to describe a person who has come back from failure

texts:
I am attempting to find an adjective to describe someone who has rebounded from failure and come back even stronger.

  The  ___ man came back, worked harder, then succeeded after missing the game winning shot.


texts:
Is “There was not a problem” in common use?

Example:

  I tried to test the device and there was no problem with it.


texts:
Why would someone say "left for dead" but not "left to die" or "left for his/her death" ?

I'm not a native English speaker but I do understand the meaning of that phrase. From a grammatical point of view, why would we use an adjective here ?


texts:
To be specific, I am talking about "easily" as in requiring little effort. "Hardly" obviously has a meaning that's quite different from "with much effort", although quite often things that require much effort are also hardly doable, but there are differences, e.g.

  With much effort, they won.

seems, at least to me, to be quite different from

  They hardly won.

Is there a word that is an antonym of "easily", and means "with much effort" or "with difficulty"?


texts: When you have 5 instead of 4, what's the word instead of "quadrant"?

texts:
...or, to phrase it differently, like one of those silly SAT questions... please help me fill in this blank:

4 is to 5 as "quadrant" is to ????

(Does that make sense?)


texts: Phrasing that suggests one instance of an event is on a given topic

texts:
A colleague of mine is preparing certificates for participants in a two-week educational program. Just to be safe, I'll use fake details which are hopefully equivalent to the real ones: let's say this program is an annual event called the Harvard Sentence Construction School, but the exact subtopic changes each year. This year the subtopic is (again, fake detail) prepositional phrases.
We were trying to figure out a way to indicate on the certificate that this particular instance of the program is on the particular subtopic of prepositional phrases within the broader field of sentence construction, without implying that the school covers prepositional phrases every year. The current phrasing is

This certifies that [name] has completed
The 4th Harvard Sentence Construction School
on Prepositional Phrases

I (as a native speaker of English) couldn't come up with anything better, so I turn to you: is there a better way to give the implication we want?
For the certificate we need the text to fit on two lines, so we can't make it very long (actually the real name is shorter than the example I've used above).


texts:
I always try to remember to use "cannot" when applicable as in "I cannot take an umbrella" (because I do not have one).

I also thought that the problem with "I can not take an umbrella" was that it was ambiguous: it could also mean that I could decide not to take an umbrella. Trying to write unambiguously most of the time, I would therefore never use it.

Now I see it claimed that it is in fact not ambiguous, and only carries the second meaning. Usually I would accept such advice at face value and start using "can not" when the second meaning is unambiguously meant, but this comes from a style guide I have other reasons not to respect very much.

Does "can not" have a single unambiguous meaning?

(I have read Why is “cannot” spelled as one word? but my question is more about current usage. The length of the answer to that question does confirm my prejudice a bit, though)


texts: Does a phrase exist that one uses to another person who is about to sneeze?

texts: "Bless you" or "God bless you" are commonly used after a sneeze but does one exist (or was one once commonly used but no longer) when a person is obviously about to sneeze?


texts: How far can one go in creating new words?

texts:
Apparently the word disturbingly exists, but undisturbingly doesn't. However, I felt it better served to convey my meaning and was sure that any reader would understand what I mean. I also put it between inverted commas to indicate that I voluntarily used a non-existent word.
Is there a limit to creating such words in language that is not literature?


texts: Does "the weed" refer to tobacco or marijuana?

texts:
In The American Pageant by Thomas A. Bailey, the writer is using "weed" to rephrase "tobacco":

  By 1612 he had perfected methods of raising and curing the pungent
  weed, eliminating much of the bitter tang. ... Virginia’s prosperity
  was finally built on tobacco smoke. This “bewitching weed” played a
  vital role in putting the colony on firm economic foundations.

According to Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

  the weed
  informal cigarettes or tobacco

But "weed" nowadays is also closely associated with marijuana. If I am using "the weed" in my own writing, would native speakers take it to mean "tobacco"?


texts:
Is there another way of saying "to take refuge in alcohol"? something idiomatic or so?

For example, under the pressures of life, he took refuge in alcohol!


texts:
Is there a word meaning a place where pigeons are kept and held?
In the Middle East, some people have a place on their roof to keep pigeons. Sometimes, this place is like a big cage and sometimes it is made from other building materials such bricks, cement, etc.

A person that has made this place is called pigeon-fancier.

A literal rendering of this place is pigeon house.

Have you heard this word in English?
And is there another word for it?


texts: Can abide be extended to imply enforce or act?

texts:
In a legal document, such as a contract or agreement between two parties (where party refers to entities or individuals), what is the exact meaning of the word abide ?

The clause in question :

  I will abide by the then-current Terms of Service of <entity>, and other policies made available to me

Can abiding by a clause also imply that the individual is expected to act on or enforce the clause within the applicable domain of the contract?


texts:
One browses magazines and the Internet, or one can browse through them. Any dictionary will say as much.

On the same token one can browse through a shop.

However, an N-gram proves that you will more often browse in a shop rather than simply browse a shop. Why is that? Is there a change in meaning? After all, whether it's a magazine, the Internet or a shop, I'm still glancing at stuff (whether reading or looking at images/objects).


texts: What is a word that means "Appreciative of Creativity"?

texts:
I was trying to think of a word to replace "appreciative of creativity" in the sentence below:

  Hipsters are young, independent, deviant from social norms, and appreciative of creativity.

Please note that I am trying to distinguish that they may not possess any creativity, but they value it.


texts: What should be used 'related to' or 'related with' [cell programming]?

texts:
Full text:

Furthermore, genes related with cell reprogramming are activated and play an important role during the regeneration process after damage.

My issue: I consulted my urologist friend, he told me that in their medical books, "genes related with cell reprogramming" is mentioned. I think that the preposition "to" could be placed before cell reprogramming, but reading the sentence with "to" gives a mismatched sound and vibe to the sentence. Please help.


texts:
I just read about the symbol of Venice, the winged lion of Venice. As a German the German word die Schwingen for wings came to my mind. English has the word in the verb to swing.The connection between wings and to swing is obvious. By means of its wings a bird can swing up into the air.

To my amazement, etymonline does not see the connection of "wing" with "to swing" and German schwingen and the noun die Schwingen. In my view etymonline gets on a wrong track by trying to make a connection with wind.

I would like to hear other views.


texts: Is saying "I have checked futilely" correct?

texts:
For example:

  After checking a few stores futilely, I found a store with what i needed

Is that correct, or is there better phrasing?


texts: Can less be used without any comparison?

texts:
Can I use "less" in sentences like this:

1 Why do we have so less number of students for this class?
2 My song collection is very less.

"Small" sounds better in both examples, but I would like to know if using "less" in these sentences is correct?


texts:
Could somebody please tell me why the second adverb in the following sentence isn't a direct object? Thank you!
Luckily (ADV), no one (S) was hurt (V) in the accident (ADV)


texts: Help understanding this sentence structure: "many a congressman was"

texts:
Jawaharlal Nehru was the first prime minister of India. Below is a quote from his autobiography.

  Many a Congressman was a communalist under his national cloak

I am sure this sentence is grammatically correct but somehow I find it quite unnatural, particularly the "many a congressman was" part. Shouldn't this sentence be simply written as:

  Many congressmen were communalist under their national cloak

Can someone please explain the above quote and maybe give some common examples of similar usage?


texts: Why has the word "discombobulate" stuck around?

texts:
I was thinking of there being very silly sounding words. The first one that popped to mind was "discombobulated"... and then that was it.

Is it just me, or are silly words not really around anymore? I mean, I found some in Roald Dahl's books (particularly in his language, Gobblefunk) but those aren't really words (I was really looking for the word "bumfuzzled" in there... ok, silly words can remain silly, but let's not make this question silly.)

  Why does such a word like "discombobulate" continue to be used today?

Look, it has become a joke to use it, really, especially at school. But perhaps there are other silly words like it, and I just don't know of them. However this question is mainly focused on the word "discombobulate" and not so much on others, though you are welcome to comment some silly words like this you might know, if you want.

Two days ago, I asked my English teacher about any silly words she knew, and she replied with "extramundane". I don't think the word sounds too silly; as a matter of fact, it's meaning is pretty cool. But hey, I think talking about this word is rather extraneous ;)

Credit to this question for some background knowledge on "discombobulate" :D


texts:
"Water, Nuclear, and Oil & Gas Industries" or "water, nuclear, and oil & gas industries"

Hi, I've seen both instances been used, and I'm just looking for some clarity. Thank you.


texts: Use of the word "issue" as a euphemism for "problem"

texts:
I am submitting to a journal, and the guidelines require me to avoid use of the word "issue" as a euphemism for "problem". Thing is, as far as I know the two words are (or can be) synonyms:

problem 2a:  an intricate unsettled question
issue 6b (1):  a vital or unsettled matter (2):  concern, problem

I have frequently been constructing sentences like "An outstanding issue is...," and now I am confused whether that is a valid use of "issue" (at least according to the journal), or whether I should be using "problem" instead.
Could you make clear when to use "issue", and when to use "problem"? Or is there a third word I could use to avoid the issue problem question entirely? (Oh, wait, I think I just answered that last question myself.)


texts:
In the following sentence:

He wrote a book titled "Life and Death".

Can I omit "titled" to reduce the phrase to a book "Life and Death"?
I'm accustomed to the book "Life and Death", but when the is replaced by a, it sounds a little bit awkward to me.
Is it possible?


texts: "Mass communications shapes the world we live in"

texts:
I am editing a web page and came across this declaration:

Mass communications shapes the world we live in

It looks wrong to me, but I am wondering if it should be

Mass communication shapes the world we live in

or

Mass communications shape the world we live in

Any thoughts on this?


texts: "no license is defined ..." or "no licenses are defined ..."

texts:
Should I say "no license is defined for ..." or "no licenses are defined for ..."? If both are correct, which are preferable?

A quick internet search shows the former is used more frequently. Yet, perhaps, the latter better reflect the fact that a thing (e.g. a software package) can be covered by multiple licenses. For example, the same computer software is often distributed both under commercial and open-source licenses, where a commercial license might offers better support and accountability for damages.


texts: An English equivalent of 'intelligentsia'?

texts:
Webster says:

  Definition of INTELLIGENTSIA:

  intellectuals who form an artistic, social, or political vanguard or elite

  Origin of INTELLIGENTSIA

  Russian intelligentsiya, from Latin intelligentia intelligence

  First Known Use: 1907

What other word or (a group of words) would describe in English the same thing?


texts: Are 'dysfunction' and 'malfunction' complete synonyms?

texts: Dictionaries give both dysunction and malfunction the meaning 'failure to function properly'. Are they complete synonyms?


texts: A verb to describe the development of a wish

texts:
I am a non-native speaker.

Consider a couple whose wish to have children only recently has ...

Well, what?
What verb should I use to describe the development of a wish?

developed sounds to formal in my opinion.

I could think of emerged, too, but it just doesn't sound right as well.

A phrase would be fine, too. This is needed for a work of fiction.


texts: Five types of order vs Five types of orders?

texts:
I am a bit confused by the use of plurals.

Let's say in this situation, when I am telling a person that there are five types of 'order method' for purchasing Product A, should I say "five types of order" or "five types of orders"?


texts: What literary sound device/technique is expressed through the phrase "sudden departures", involving the articulation of the words? (alliteration, assonance, sibilance etc.)


texts: "Oh for cute" - grammatical interpretation?

texts:
So I'm from Minnesota, and while most of our English is fine, we're known for a few -- shall we call them -- adaptations.  One of these is the phrase "oh for <insert adjective here>".

It's used as an exclamation if I have my terminology down (which I might not).  For example, maybe I pull out my scarf (it's Minnesota, remember).  My grandma thinks it's a cute scarf, so she says, "oh for cute!"

Obviously it's a compliment (in this case), and the meaning is clear enough, but I'm wondering if (1) it's grammatically correct, and (if not), if there's a way to stretch the English language to make it not quite correct maybe, but almost fit in.


texts: what do you call an insult where the person is disappointed in themselves for expecting better out of the other party?

texts:
Person A says to B: "I thought you were smarter/stronger/better/more trustworthy than that. I should have known better."

I was thinking it would be termed passive aggressive, but after reading up on it, that doesn't seem right. I'm tripped up on how focused on the Person A the two sentences are. Typically an insult would be "You're not very smart" and that would be that. But this is "I'm disappointed in myself for thinking better of you."

Is there a good term for this sort of insult?


texts: Is there a formal term for "snail mail"?

texts:
Once "email"* entered the lexicon, we needed a term to differentiate it from what we can call regular, hand-delivered mail. One term in broad usage is "snail mail." But in a project I'm working on, we need a term that is more formal and businesslike.

As currently written, the copy reads: "Terrestrial mail."

I'm looking for a good term to replace "Terrestrial." Any ideas?

(*AP Stylebook has eliminated the hyphen.)


texts: What's meaning of "make (sth) of yourself"?

texts:
Could someone please explain the sentence for me? And any citation of such usage?

  You’ve heard about what you make of yourself when you assume things.

This is from the book Hacking for Dummies, 4th edition .


texts: What is the word for "saying a lot but unable to make a point or deliberately refrain from making a point"?


texts: Which is correct "started to change" or "is starting to change"?

texts:
I got a question on my mid-term exam and I got confused. Which answer is correct? The sentence was:

I believe that the weather ....... (start) to change. I felt rain drops on my hand a few minutes ago.

Would it be started or is starting?


texts: Word for stating "negative influence on other opinions"

texts:
What is the word for influencing others' decisions and opinions in a negative way?

In other words, what is the best choice to fill the blank in the following example:

  To avoid -----, the comments are not visible for the participants until the end of the session.


texts: What non-religious expressions can I use instead of "Thank God"?

texts:
I'll give an example to help:

  Someone suffered a car accident, but physically the person is OK. So I
  say, "Thank God, he/she is fine."


texts: I can't find it in my dictionary or on Google. What word do people normally use in place of "anxietizing"? For example, "I find sharks anxietizing." Am I just misspelling it?


texts:
I was reading this today:

We look forward to following your progress.

Am I correct in thinking that it is missing a be or that -ing should be removed?

So

We look forward to be following your progress.

or

We look forward to follow your progress.

Interestingly I get the same jarring feeling when reading the examples here
What's the difference between "I look forward to" and "I'm looking forward to"?


texts: Does the term 'master' in git (the VC system) refer to slavery?

texts:
I think it's a good idea to replace slavery terms with alternatives when they refer to something else, like a database master and slave.

Git is a software version control system with a branch concept. Per default there is a branch is called master. The usual work flow is to create a feature branch (usually named after the intended feature, eg. 'registration') from the master, implement a feature there and merge it back into master when completed.

Since there aren't any slave branches in common use, I was wondering whether the term master in this context actually refers to the slavery concept. Obviously there are lots of meanings referring to different contexts, like a Master of Arts, a masterpiece or the master plan.


texts: Term for inefficiency inherent in hierarchical allocation

texts:
Background

Some observations:

The internet has just about exhausted the IPv4 address space.
When I was ten years old, or so, I had to start dialing the area code for all outbound phone calls, even for numbers in my area code, whereas before I usually only had to dial 7 digits.

Now, 7 digits is enough to address ~107 (ten million) individual homes, which is several orders of magnitude larger than the population of my area code.

As of 2014, there are approximately 1010 (ten billion) devices connected to the internet, and only 232 (four billion) unique IPv4 addresses, but IPv4 exhaustion was a problem long before then.

The problem, in both cases, is that hierarchical allocation has built-in inefficiencies.

There are a number of meaningful advantages to hierarchical allocations (categorization and distribution of management chief among them), but it does have the major drawback of precluding 1:1 allocation of resources to consumers (or addresses to addressees, etc).

In fact, the inefficiency is exponential in the depth of the hierarchy, because trimming the tree at any level precludes assignment of that node and any of its children, down to the leaves (e.g. not permitting "911" to be an area code, or over-allocating large IPv4 blocks to individual institutions early on).

Questions

Is there a established term of art or industry which captures the inherent inefficiency of hierarchical allocation?
If not, how can I concisely describe it in a way that won't require further elaboration?

I'll upvote all useful answers; the answer which is best-recognized by the widest audience (for established terms) or requires the least elaboration (for novel coinings) will be accepted.

 Note: The term sought does not have to be technical in nature, and in fact I'd prefer something with greater currency or historical support.

I'm sure governments or large organizations which allocate budget to states or departments, whence to middle-managers or cities, whence to ... have noticed this issue as well, and in that context it may well-studied already.

Possibly it's well-known in a martial context as well (distributions of rations and materiel to battalions, platoons, companies, regiments, squads..).


texts: What disallows "fill" and "cover" to be used as "walked" and "asked" in these phrases?

texts:
I am trying to understand how some noun phrases can sometimes be sentences such as:

A box filled to the brim. (NP)

A child covered in glue. (NP)

vs:

A child walked in the street. (S or NP)

A child asked to leave. (S or NP)

The first class is clearly ONLY a noun-phrase, yet the second appears to also be a S. I conjecture the NP reading as a deletion of the passive voice, which is causing the NP reading to take the form of the S in the 'walked' example:

A box [that was] filled to the brim.

A child [that was] covered in glue.

A child [that was] walked in the street.

A child [that was] asked to leave

For the VP cases, I see a different deletion:

*A box [that] filled to the brim.

*A child [that] covered in glue.

A child [that] walked in the street.

A child [that] asked to leave.

But I don't understand what it is about the verbs "fill" and "cover", vs "walked" and "asked" that disallows these first two forms, yet accepts the latter.  Is my conjecture of the existence of these two types of deletion correct, and what is it that causes the (expanded) first two sentences to be incorrect?

Also of interest- are there any examples where the S reading is disallowed but the NP reading accepted?


texts: Is there a name/genre for books and documentaries like Super Size Me, Year of Living Biblically, etc..?

texts:
Is there a name for the non-fiction content in which the author tells the story by chronicling some journey they set out on for the purpose of writing, documenting their journey? Prominent examples that immediately come to mind for me are Super Size Me, The Year of Living Biblically, Kumaré and I know there have been many other authors, documentarians, journalists, etc. that have decided to tell stories by setting some challenge and documenting it.

The memoir genre seems too large to describe this form of storytelling although it does seem fitting to consider it a sub-genre of memoirs. I was thinking something along the lines of investigative memoir?

Anyway, does a name for this already exist? If not, what would you call it?


texts: One word that can be used to represent student and professional

texts:
I am having two options for users to select from, either they are a Student or they are a Professional. What one word can be used to represent both the names collectively? I tried a lot but couldn't  think of any.

The context is that i have a registration form for a test that has to be taken by a variety of people so i need to have a single word to represent student and professional.


texts:
I have often seen the expression maitre d' in English texts.
It obviously comes from the French maître d'hôtel, meaning more or less head waiter.
I can understand that the î in maître would be transformed into i in English texts for lack of the appropriate diacritic, but the transformation of d'hôtel  into the strangely dangling d' baffles me.
Also: I have the vague feeling,  that the expression maitre d' is rather modern in the sense that I see it on the Internet and not in the books I read (most of which, admittedly, were written several decades ago).
Could some anglophone enlighten a puzzled Frenchman?


texts: Immunizations are complete or immunizations are completed

texts:
I'm writing an email to a nurse, asking her if my kid's immunizations have been complete or not. I don't know which word I should use, complete or completed. And what tense should I use, present tense or present perfect tense?

The email I wrote like this:" Hixxx, I got the information that children without completed immunizations will not be able to start school. I'd like to know if my kid's immunizations are complete or not."

Please help with that. Many thanks!


texts: How to describe "working steadily and slowly is treated as stubborn"

texts: It is not uncommon that those who prefer to work or learn in a solid and therefore usually slow way are being called as stubborn, and those in a fast-pacing but non-solid way as smart. I wonder how you would express such phenomenon? Does English have some words and/or fixed phrases for this purpose? Thanks!


texts: Is "as" used correctly in this sentence?

texts:
Young, naive and trusting as I was, I
  believed every lying word he said.

From what I learned, "as" used the way here should mean "though". But if it means "though", the meaning of this sentence is wrong, and a correct sentence should be:

  Young, naive and trusting as I was, I
  didn't believe a single lying word he said.

or

  As I was young, naive and trusting, I
  believed every lying word he said.

Is my understanding right?


texts: Who is one who participates in skulduggery?

texts: Is there an English word for one who participates in skulduggery? The form I'm looking for is something like 'skuldugger', but I wasn't able to find that word anywhere in the OED. There are probably other options that I'm not thinking of.


texts: A Question on Adjective Order (Probable Exception?)

texts:
Most sources on adjective order (e.g. EF) mention that when ordering adjectives, Size comes before Shape. Example:

  The small round table

NOT

  *The round small table

However, what about the adjectives "little" and "flat"? A quick search online seems to favor e.g. "The flat little box" rather than "The little flat box". To my ears, both sound right.
Any opinions? I'm mostly interested in AmE, if applicable, but opinions from other variants also welcome.

EDIT:
Here's another example I just came across while trying to research this. Would you say "hot lazy afternoon" or "lazy hot afternoon"? Because the former seems to be used more, although the rule affirms that Quality/Opinion comes before Temperature


texts:
"And he is able to get experience some things that because I work and because my husband works, that we're not able to give it at home..."
"This was a goal, that once we reached retirement that we would find this farm."

The sentences above are from Young Students Plant, Harvest, Learn about Farm Life
Why there are two "that" in one clause? Or it's just because they're oral English?


texts:
OK, I searched on the Internet and found that online dictionaries give the following pronunciation of Thailand as /ˈtaɪ.lænd/.

Cambridge English Dictionary says

  noun /ˈtaɪ.lænd/

Oxford Dictionaries says:

  Pronunciation: /ˈtʌɪland/

However, based on the audio excerpts, I feel that Thailand should be pronounced as /ˈθaɪ.lænd/.

I managed to record myself pronouncing "Thailand" as:

/ˈtaɪ.lænd/ (you can hear the audio file here )
/ˈθaɪ.lænd/ (you can hear the audio file here )

I think some dictionaries do not have the correct pronunciation.

So, should "Thailand" be pronounced as /ˈtaɪ.lænd/ or /ˈθaɪ.lænd/?

Extra info: Now listen to this video and hear the difference between thigh /θʌɪ/ and  tie /tʌɪ/. See at 0:46 on YouTube


texts:
What do you call the latter part of the afternoon when parents are scrambling to pick up children, shop, clean up and cook?
In Danish we call it the hour of the wolf, knowing, that it also refers to the time between night and day (3pm to 5pm).
But what's the proper wording in English?


texts: Single word for people having romance over skin tone, fame and money?

texts: Except for "gold digger" or "friends with benefits", is there any single word to call people who want to have romance because of money, fame, skin tone, and citizenships ?


texts:
Consider the following two boxes with the provided dimensions:

A:

10 inches long
10 inches wide
10 inches tall

B:

11 inches long
12 inches wide
13 inches tall

I wish to communicate the side differences between these two boxes. When comparing B to A, this is easy:

B is 1 inch longer than A
B is 2 inches wider than A
B is 3 inches taller than A

However, when comparing A to B, these are the words I've come up with:

A is 1 inch shorter than B
A is 2 inches narrower than B
A is 3 inches shorter than B

Specifically, the word "shorter" seems to be the best fit for comparing both the length and the height of the two objects. Is there another word that I could use instead of one of these instances? If not, what is the best way to disambiguate whether I mean length or height?


texts: Mixing present and past tense in a report or public announcement

texts:
1) In the subordinate clause of the following sentence, what is the proper verb tense of to be?

  She made a statement that Michael is/was a suspect.

(When, in reality, Michael is not a suspect)

2) Will it be the same if the verb in main clause is in negative?

  She never made a statement that Michael is/was a suspect.


texts:
My wife and I recently had a conversion where I said "...but that was a few years ago now."
My meaning was it was 10-15 years ago, but wife translated as about 3 years ago, which led to a lot of confusion! (Since a few normally means around 3).
I can't find anywhere that suggests adding the "now" implies a longer time, but certainly when I read "a few years ago now." I'm thinking its a longer time than "just a few".
Note: I'm British and have lived in the US. I'd suspect this is more British than American. My wife's English is excellent, though not a native speaker.


texts: Which sentence is correct and why: agreement?

texts:
Please tell me which is correct and why:

My favorite thing to smell is flowers.

Or

My favorite things to smell are flowers.


texts: What is the meaning of this expression "in measure to"?

texts:
What is the meaning of this expression "in measure to" in such a sentence as:

"These acts of censorship were done in measure to government regulations."


texts: What's the difference in meaning? When should I use each one?


texts: What's it called when someone gets a job because they "bought" it?

texts: What is it called when someone gets a job because they "bought" it?


texts: "Standard compliance" vs. "standards compliance"

texts:
Searching the Internet I have found that both wordings "Social standard compliance" and "social standards compliance" (standard vs. standardS) are used frequently.

I suppose that the wording "standards" is correct, since it refers to a list of standards and not only one. But then, I've been told to use the singular "standard".

Which one is correct or are they both correct?


texts:
Please carefully read the text below:

  On 24 November, 1993, a meeting of Leftist intellectuals occurred in
  London under the auspices of the Institute for Public Policy
  Research (IPPR), which is a Labour-leaning think-tank.  A short document
  was circulated in advance of the said meeting to clarify its
  purpose.

  Among other things, the document declared that the task of the
  IPPR was: "To do what the Right did in the seventies, namely to break
  through the prevailing parameters of debate and offer a new
  perspective on contemporary British politics."
  The explanatory document also said, "Our concern is not to engage in a
  philosophical debate about foundations of socialism."

  If this meant that those foundations were not the appropriate thing to
  talk about at the 24 November meeting, then that might have been
  right; not every thing has to be discussed at every meeting.  But if
  what was meant was that discussion of philosophical foundations is not
  what the Left now needs, then I disagree, and if that indeed is what
  was meant, then it is curious that the breakthrough by the Right should
  have been invoked as an achievement for the left to emulate, for if
  there is a lesson for the Left in the Right's breakthrough, it is that
  the Left must repossess itself of its traditional foundations on
  pain of continuing along its present, politically feeble, reactive
  course.  If the Left turns its back on its foundations, it will be
  unable to make statements that are truly its own.

Since I've heard only one definition of the part identified in bold, I am at a dead end.  As you know, and according to Oxford's dictionary, the verb "repossess" means: To take back property or goods from SB who has arranged to buy them and can not pay.

Here, the object of verb is a thing not a person, but in the text, first,itself comes before of and its traditional foundations.
As a result, I thought that this phrase might be an idiom and so has a different meaning with the original verb.

Please explain the meaning of this phrase.


texts: Is the "How to ... ?" question phrase acceptable?

texts:
Is the following sentence acceptable in semi-formal or formal written speech?

  How to adopt a lifestyle that consumes less?

Or ought it be rephrased? For example, to the following?

  How do I adopt a lifestyle that consumes less?

Context.


texts: What is the difference between "little" and "a little"?

texts: I would like to know how these two words differ in usage. Which one is singular? Which one is plural? I would greatly appreciate if you could provide me with a sample usage of these phrases.


texts:
I am being happy.
This sentence belongs to present continuous tense.
Can we show duration or state in present continuous tense or no?
If we can?
By which structure?


texts: Word for the fear of learning something new and forgetting something you know

texts: Is there a word for the (probably irrational) fear of learning something new and maybe forgetting something you already know?1


texts: What's it called when someone is crafty and resourceful and creates a solution to a particular obstacle? I saw it somewhere online and blanked on it when I had a golden opportunity. Anyone got me?


texts: I understand that "Under the weather" means feeling sick.  I heard a rumor that this idiom may have nautical origins, but I don't know for sure.  Does anyone know more about the origin of this phrase, and when it entered common usage?


texts: Can the word “deceiving” stand for “positive”?

texts:
I was puzzled with the line “(President Lyndon Johnson’s) appearances can be deceiving,” in the Washington Post’s (April 2) article titled “President Lyndon Johnson did indeed attend an Easter Egg Roll” with a photograph showing President Johnson at an Easter event at the White House on May 7, 1964.

My confusion arose from the contradiction of the phrase, “Appearances (which can be taken as 'attendance') can be deceiving” and the picture evidencing the obvious appearance of President at the site.

  “A March 29 Loop post said it appeared that President Lyndon B.
  Johnson had not attended any of the White House Easter Egg Roll
  gatherings. But appearances can be deceiving. Marilynn Eaton,
  whose husband William Eaton covered the White House during the Johnson
  years for UPI, sent us a signed March 30, 1964 photo of Johnson and
  some kids, including her daughters Susan and Sally — seen sitting at
  the far right of the stage.”

Why is it “deceiving,” not “positive” or “obvious” when appearnce / presence / attendance of Jonson were evidenced by a photograph?


texts: Choice of relative pronouns: 'who' and/or 'that' for people?

texts:
Albert Einstein is a German-born theoretical physicist. He became world-famous for his general theory of relativity.

If you turn these two sentences into one, a main clause + a relative clause, you find yourself with three possible sentences:

Albert Einstein, WHO became world-famous for his general theory of relativity, is a German physicist.
Albert Einstein, WHO is a German-born physicist, became world-famous for his general theory of relativity.
Albert Einstein is the German-born theoretical physicist WHO/THAT became world-famous for his general theory of relativity.

Why is it possible to use both WHO or THAT in sentence 3, but only WHO in sentences 1 & 2?


texts:
This sentence below is using V-ing in two different ways. It says "population enjoying" and "standing at".

  The number of Internet users expanded nearly fivefold, with the
  proportion of the world's population enjoying Internet access now
  standing at nearly thirty per cent.

I'm so confused about the way this sentence is using V-ing.


texts:
I checked the sentences below for grammar issues at the Grammarly application. I got three notifications (two-word choice and passive voice misuse). I'm using the free version of the application and I didn't figure out the problem. Can you help me, please?

Two instructional videos about financial issues were selected from a public TV channel archive. The first one included on-screen texts located at the bottom of and the other one included on-screen texts located at the right part of the screen.


texts: Usage of an article when one adjective modifies two nouns

texts:
I want to say 'a specific method' and 'a specific parameter'.

I actually want to express

  I use a general method that can be determined by the operator instead of a specific annealing algorithm, and I use a general parameter that can be determined by the operator instead of a specific value.

When I combine these two sentenses,

  I use general method and parameter that can be determined by the operator instead of specific annealing algorithm and value.

I thought that "noun and noun" is not singular but plural, so I omit an article "a". Is it correct? Also, I am wondering if readers can misunderstand that "general" modifies only "method" or both "method" and "parameter". Is there any good sentence composition?


texts:
Sample Casebook #2 (2nd Edition) : Garratt v. Dailey, 279 P.2d 1091 | H2O

The cause is remanded for clarification, with instructions to make definite findings on the issue of whether Brian Dailey knew with substantial certainty that the plaintiff would attempt to sit down where the chair which he moved had been, and to change the judgment if the findings warrant it.
Costs on this appeal will abide the ultimate decision of the superior court. If a judgment is entered for the plaintiff, Ruth Garratt, appellant here, she shall be entitled to her costs on this appeal. If, however, the judgment of dismissal remains unchanged, the respondent will be entitled to recover his costs on this appeal.

I know "abide" can stand alone as verb, but this is a different case because "abide"  here has direct object. Why not "abide by" here?


texts: What is the difference between 'You want something' and 'You want something done'?

texts:
I exactly don't know the meaning of 'Something done'

Is it kind of passive?

If someone said "that means 'you want something done", What is that means?


texts: Interpreting a sentence with multiple commas and "and" conjunction

texts:
I am confused over the highlighted statement: and his 200,000-strong army composed of mostly Mongol soldiers at the second Battle of Ningyuan in the paragraph below.

  Yuan Chonghuan (6 June 1584 – 22 September 1630), courtesy name Yuansu
  or Ziru, was a politician, military general and writer who served
  under the Ming dynasty. Widely regarded as a patriot in Chinese
  culture, he is best known for defending Liaoning from Jurchen invaders
  during the Later Jin invasion of the Ming. As a general, Yuan
  Chonghuan excelled as a cannoneer and sought to incorporate European
  cannon designs into the Ming arsenal.

  Yuan's military career reached its height when he defeated the Jurchen
  ruler, Nurhaci, and his army in the first Battle of Ningyuan. Later
  on, Yuan also defeated Nurhaci's son and successor, Hong Taiji, and
  his 200,000-strong army composed of mostly Mongol soldiers at the
  second Battle of Ningyuan. Yuan met his end when he was arrested
  and executed by lingchi ("slow slicing") on the order of the Chongzhen
  Emperor under false charges of treason, which were believed to have
  been planted against him by the Jurchens.

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuan_Chonghuan

The 200,000 soldiers belong to Nurhaci, or Nurhaci's successor, or Yuan? How should I interpret this sentence and re-write this (if needed) to give better clarity.


texts: "I've been closer to you more today than I'd hoped to be in a life time."

texts:
I know the meaning of the sentence and the grammar that is applied here, but it just doesn't seem right to me. I would leave "more" out. Am I right or is that an acceptable thing to do informal speech?

Here it is in context:

  The two of them stumbled and fell onto the walkway, Mark on top.

  “Kid,” Alec said. “I’ve been closer to you more today than I’d hoped
  to be in a lifetime.”

Thank you in advance!


texts: Difference between "Better than" and "More than"

texts:
Is it always possible to use "better than" and "more than" interchangeably?

  Many users prefer the look and feel of A better than B.
  Many users prefer the look and feel of A more than B.

Edit: The above examples are quoted from here:

  Many users prefer the look and feel of GNOME 2 better than GNOME 3.
  Thankfully, a fellow by the name of Ron Yorston already created an
  extension pack that essentially transforms GNOME 3 into a logical
  upgrade of GNOME 2, instead of the complete departure that GNOME Shell
  is by default.


texts: Proper use of "out to lunch", "out for lunch" and "out at lunch"

texts: Recently a co-worker and I debated the proper use of "out to lunch". The argument stemmed from conversation over the appropriate preposition to use, and became particularly heated when we tried to determine if lunch was a verb, or was short for "luncheon" — or some other, older word. (Yes, he referenced "lunchentach".) Convention aside, what is the proper usage of the phrase?


texts:
The below sentence was given as an example in chapter 12, of the SC GMAT Strategy Guide.
"At current prices, oil in the Antarctic may be worth drilling for, if wells can be dug there and environmental concern addressed."
Unable to understand how parallelism is brought by using AND, because environmental is a adjective and wells is a noun.
"environmental concern addressed." where is auxiliary verb


texts: reduced causal adverbial clauses in the second part of a sentence

texts:
I should acknowledge that I asked this question in learner's site but I haven't got any helpful response; furthermore, I hold that this is a complex grammatical matter, so that is why I'm repeating this question Can we use a causal adverbial clause in the second part of a sentence? if so, I wonder if I want to use an adverbial clause of causality in the second part of a sentence, should I use a comma before the adverbial clause?
For instance, can contract this sentence

  Individuals sometimes find themselves drowned in a mountain of tasks since they procrastinate their non-essential yet needed-to-be-done-someday duties to the last minute.

to:

  Individuals sometimes find themselves drowned in a mountain of tasks procrastinating their non-essential yet needed-to-be-done-someday duties to the last minute.
  I would also really appreciate it if you could provide me with some explanation.


texts: "What's going on?" vs. "What's happening?"

texts: Is there a semantic difference between What's going on? and What's happening? Can they be used interchangeably?


texts:
I looked up the dictionary for "fall out". It means to have a fight with someone and then stop being friendly and stop talking to that person.

Sometimes, people tell you that they are not talking to you. For example, you have a spat with your girlfriend, and then she tells you she is not talking to you for 4 days.

Children also say this when you upset them.

I want to know what is the expression that can be used for this situation?

Example:
Girlfriend to boyfriend: Why did you forget my gift? I am falling out with you for a week. Please don't beg.

I know that fall out doesn't work. I know she can say I'm not talking to you.

But is there an idiom or expression that can be used for that situation?


texts: I have only ever seen the interrobang discussed as a novelty; I've never seen it used in context.  Is there a situation in which its use is acceptable?


texts: What are games with phrases used by English speaking people?

texts:
What are word-games used by English speaking people?

Mention any!
Links to online games or descriptions are welcome!

Context of question: something similar to How would an Englishman join “Awake and awkward” into one word?


texts: Using the definitive form of the verb for describing something that already happened

texts:
Is it wrong to use the infinitive form of a verb when listing things that already happened?
I seem to remember seeing this kind of usage, but I'm not sure it makes sense.
For example, sending an email updating on things that happened during the past week:
Updates:
- John to join the team.

When, in fact, John already joined during that passing week?


texts:
(1) Is your mobile number 12345?
(2) Is it your mobile number 12345?

Which one is the correct one or both are incorrect?


texts:
What is the proper word for increase in pain?

I want to let someone know if the pain increases then there would be consequences.

  However, for the worst case scenario if the pain .....

Thought of using

increases
rises
shoots up

etc.

Not able to figure out what would be appropriate here.

EDIT:

I am not just looking for which word is appropriate out of the three options I suggested. I am looking for any appropriate word.

I am looking for more appropriate/suitable word here, if any.


texts: Is the fixed phrase "belong WITH something" still in use?

texts:
As I was reading a myth, I bumped into a sentence like

  The creature does not belong with mankind

I am not sure if it is still possible to use this expression. Has it not been replaced totally with belong to?


texts:
What does "like" mean in this phrase?
For example: "Like I’m gonna lose you"


texts: Is there a word for the hatred or fear of androids?

texts:
I'm specifically thinking of an AI, robot or android with near-human intelligence. The kind that you'd expect to see as a major character on a sci-fi show, acting almost indistinguishably from the humans, except for being really good with computers, then in one episode having to argue that he/she (it?) should have the same basic rights as all the human characters.

So, is there a word for someone prejudiced against or afraid of non-organic beings such as androids?

P.S. The motivation was this SFF chat comment, which uses the term "racism" in reference to Data (from Star Trek: TNG) being passed up for promotion. That doesn't seem like the right term to me, but I can't think of a better one.


texts: Was this subject complement diagrammed correctly?

texts:
The sentence is the following. I'm focusing on the part in bold:

Feeding the goats is messy and time consuming.

It's in this book.
The author provides the following diagram:

And I think it should look like this, a present participle (curved line) modifying the noun time, both forming a compound adjective:


texts: What is the origin of the expression "legislate from the bench"?

texts:
What is the origin of the expression "legislate from the bench" used to describe "judicial activism" in the United States?  Do judges have different seating arrangements from congressmen?

In more detail, do legislators (congressmen) sit on different appliances as compared to judges? Why does "bench" imply the judicial branch more than the legislative branch? Do judges sit on benches while senators sit on armchairs?

In other words, what is the origin of describing the judges as sitting specifically on a "bench"? I assume what they sit on is padded just as much as your typical senator's seat.

Note1: @TimLymington pointed out in a comment that what is relevant is the length of the bench, with several judges sitting on it.  Meanwhile, members of other branches of goverment usually sit on individual seats.  This seems to be the explanation of the expression dating back to the 13th century.   TimLymington can format his comment as an answer so I could "accept" it.

Note 2: the comment at wiki that the bench is where the judges sit appears to be incorrect.  Rather the "bench" seems to refer to the table where they work.

Note 3. When a judge tells a barrister to "approach the bench", as in this post: https://xkcd.com/1153/ he typically does not mean to imply that the barrister should aim for the judge's seat, but rather the table/desk/bench.


texts: Are there any archaic words in older strands of English that approximate the modern term "badass"?

texts:
The reason I ask is that the feeling evoked by the term badass feels to me like a human universal, so ought to have synonyms in any era.  Trying to confirm my hypothesis, I hunted through the Online Etymology Dictionary, where I hoped to find archaic substitutes, which unforunately did not provide me a direct history for badass. Instead, it directed me toward "bad + ass", which feels sort of strange to me since I'm not sure you can get the feeling of this word by breaking it down into constituents -- one needs real-life examples, really.  The "bad" of badass seemed relevant towards the meaning, though, and here's what the Etymology Dictionary has to say:

  [Bad's] [i]ronic use as a word of approval is said to be at least since 1890s orally, originally in Black Eng., emerging in print 1928 in a jazz context. It might have emerged from the ambivalence of expressions like bad nigger, used as a term of reproach by whites, but among blacks sometimes representing one who stood up to injustice, but in the U.S. West bad man also had a certain ambivalence:

    These are the men who do most of the killing in frontier communities, yet it is a noteworthy fact that the men who are killed generally deserve their fate. [Farmer & Henley]

Right, so bad and hence badass is a modern term, with the former appearing no earlier than 1928, and the latter having a '70s era feel for me.  My question is, what were people using to describe badasses like William the Conqueror, William Wallace, and Samuel Whittemorein their time?


texts:
In the following sentence, what is the meaning of 'in the ether'?

  Rather than calling some function in the ether and passing arguments,
  we call a method on one particular object providing arguments for the
  other information.

I found the sentence in this article:

  http://martinfowler.com/articles/richardsonMaturityModel.html

It's an article on programming but I guess the meaning of it is general.


texts: Use of "the" with nationalities that have plural forms

texts:
Is the rule 7.8 here widely accepted in English?

  Rule 7.8: Use the definite article when referring to nationalities that do not have a plural form.

If it is, does it sound off when one says "'the American' ARE famous for loving sugar" to refer to the American nation as a whole in a collective or generic sense whereas "Americans / American people / the Americans / the American people / the people of America are famous for loving sugar" is okay? We all know that Americans have a demonym, "an American", but French people doesn't, which is the reason we say "a French person or a Frenchman/woman instead of "a French" and "the French" instead of "*the Frenches" as a people. Some native English speakers say it's okay, others don't. And I'm confused.


texts: 'for Verb-ing' followed by a preposition

texts:
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary gives the definition of sink as follows:

  a large open container [...] that you use for washing dishes in

My question is whether the preposition 'in' is necessary.

What about the following? Are the prepositions necessary?

  I bought a pair of chopsticks for eating rice with.
  I bought a pair of chopsticks to eat rice with.
  I bought a house to live in.


texts:
How do I describe a bad memory or flashback?

For example, when I've had a bad experience, and I'm in the same situation again (sort of like a negative déjà vu), I could say:

  Forcing myself to concentrate, I tried to ignore the *insert phrase here*.


texts: Which one is correct - "Committed to help .." or "Committed to helping .."?

texts: Consider "I'm committed to help somebody to do something/with something." vs. "I'm committed to helping somebody. to do something/with something."


texts:
Why /dʒ/ sound in engineer and job is so different.

The example for engineer, its sound likely  /ʒ/ than /dʒ/

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/engineer

The example for job

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/job


texts:
Is there a noun for a statement that is false, but only because of a single, or a few, counter-examples?

An example of such a statement would be "All primes are odd." as 2 is prime and even, but it is clearly the only one.


texts: Onomatopoeia in "O madness of discourse"

texts:
While writing a commentary for Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida, my classmate and I got into a small quarrel over the classification of an onomatopoeia.

We were wondering, for the line “O madness of discourse”, would O (which I guess is equivalent to the more modern Oh) be classified as an onomatopoeia? My classmate claims that it’s nothing more than repetition, but I still believe it’s the former.


texts: White-orange or orange-white? Which color comes first?

texts:
When referring to something, (electrical wires, in my case) and it is half white and half other color, do you put White or the other color first?

I want to describe the color of these wires as ONE word/phrase. They are all half white and half other color (orange, green, blue, brown, etc).

So would I say "Please grab that white-orange cable" or would I say "grab that orange-white cable"? I would imagine you put whichever color is more first, but the white and orange are equally divided. Not sure if what I'm saying makes sense...


texts: "in Starbucks at the mall" OR "at Starbucks in the mall"

texts:
Which one is correct in terms of the combination of two locations.

You work in Starbucks at the mall
You work at Starbucks in the mall
You work in Starbucks in the mall
You work at Starbucks at the mall

What is the rule behind the usage of at and in for this specific context?


texts: Which is more suitable/correct usage: "forget your password?" or "forgot your password?"

texts:
As a web developer, this is a question that has bugged me for some time: when providing a way for users to reset their password, which link wording is more suitable or is the "proper" use?

"Forget your password?" (as in, "Did you forget your password?")
"Forgot your password?" (as in, "Have you forgot(ten) your password?")

There is a nicely related post here (Is it correct to use 'Forgot password' or 'Forgotten password'), but that addresses "forgot" vs. "forgotten."

Thank you for your insight!


texts: Word for a yes/no question that's more to elicit a longer response

texts:
I'm looking for a word or idiomatic phrase to describe a question that can be answered by a "yes" or "no", but has a higher probability of getting a more open-ended response.

Indeed, without the "yes/no" requirement I'd describe what I'm looking for as an "open ended question", but the possibility to answer "yes/no" is key here.

An example question would be:

  Do you feel remorse for your affiliations with the Nazi party?

Although it doesn't have to be a loaded question, just something which you are reasonably sure is going to get the responder talking beyond the y/n


texts:
Which article should be used after 'my career as'?
I mainly find an indefinite article (my career as a software developer, my career as a neurologist, etc.), but is it correct to say:

  My career as (the) editor-in-chief ended after the attack.

or

  He started his career as (the) chief nurse in the local hospital.

(As there is only 1 editor-in-chief or chief nurse?)


texts: Usage, origin and the possible Hollywood influence on "terminate" meaning "to kill."

texts:
Terminate is an old  term,  but its connotation  meaning "to kill, assassinate" is quite recent ("to assassinate" is from 1975. ) unlike finish,  whose meaning "to kill"  is from 1755, according to etymonline.

To kill appears to be an obvious extension of the original meaning of terminate and its usage brings to  mind the most famous "The Terminator" which is from 1984.

Questions:

Is the early  usage of "terminate"  meaning "to kill"  AmE? Are its  early usages  mainly related to science fiction?
Has the Hollywood series of "Terminators" actually influenced the meaning and usage of the term? Is its usage mainly euphemistic as suggested by the ODO (while other dictionaries don't)?


texts:
I am doing research for my faulty, while that, I have stumbled upon the word "tooling" in a sentence, it seems to be similar to "tool".

Here is the sentence:

  Rapid tooling for sand casting using laminated object manufacturing process.

When to use each one in its context?


texts: A word of phrase for a letter that delivers an "opening charge"

texts:
What is a good word or phrase for a letter that issues an "opening charge" to a group of people.

In my specific case, I need word for a kind of letter that gives authority and encouragement to a group of people who will author a plan for a large organization.

I'm searching for word that is similar to “invocation”, except that it should issue authority rather than appeal to it.


texts:
English can use a lot of verbs in a reflexive context. Even ones that usually are used intransitively.

  I laugh myself silly.

However, it seems like there are very few – perhaps no – verbs that ONLY work in a reflexive context.

Are there any?


texts:
The following sentence is from a text extract:

  If necessary, I myself will put him off the train.

I am trying to analyse the sentence and identify it as being a simple, compound, complex or compound-complex sentence. However, I'm unsure of how to go about this, particularly due to the reflexive pronoun "myself"; the two objects, "him" and "train"; and the phrase "if necessary".

This is my analysis:

  If necessary [phrase], I [subject] myself will [verb] put [verb] him [indir. obj.] off the train [dir. obj.] = 1 CLAUSE = SIMPLE SENTENCE

Is it correct? Could it be broken down further?


texts:
Is it possible to use an -ing clause after "albeit"? Example:

We should praise the market's efficiency, albeit recognising the need for regulation.


texts: -ly adverb placement: "primarily consisted of [noun]" or "consisted primarily of [noun]"

texts:
I'm troubled by "primarily consisted of" versus "consisted primarily of."

To me, the former seems clumsy, and the latter seems smoother.

I'm American and live in the mid-west. Is the second construct more pleasing to me because of where I live (a regional "thing"), or is it actually the correct one?


texts:
Which of the following is correct:

'There are two types of girl' or 'there are two types of girls'?


texts: is it okay to start a paragraph with Due to?

texts: Due to the severe foot injury, I was recommended to stay on bed rest for three months and also attend physical therapy to heal completely


texts:
'It is bullying to mock a foreign speaker’s accent. No one deserves to be laughed at for their pronunciation.'
I　don't quite understand why bullying (present participle) is used. I don't think it is the present continuous tense. Or, is bullying a gerund here? Can someone help with it? Thank you.


texts: Question marks at the end of declarative sentences

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Is the question mark misused in affirmative sentences?

I often see declarative sentences ending with question marks, like these:

  I tried your solution but it didn't work?

or

  This seems to be easy but I'm out of ideas?

, assuming a request like "could you help me please?" or "what to do with it?" but not expressing it explicitly.

Is it standard English grammar?


texts: Term For Average Of Same Month Of Previous Years

texts: My spreadsheet displays an amount for a particular month, say March. What term would describe the average of all March entries over the past years for which I have data? Similar Months? Like Months? etc.


texts:
There is a response in Australian English that means "Yes I hear you and empathise with your situation, but no this course of action won't work for me." [Yeah-Nah]

I assumed this was a normal part of the English language, until I saw other discussions claiming this to be unique to Australian English. That didn't seem to hold water for me.

My question is: Is 'yeah-nah' a uniquely Australian idiom?


texts: Is "to practice volleyball requires stamina" grammatical?

texts:
Is the sentence "to practice volleyball requires stamina" grammatically correct? As opposed to the sentence "practicing volleyball requires stamina"?

Another example:

  To ensure safety requires strict observance of rules.
  Ensuring safety requires strict observance of rules.


texts: I was searching for an antonym to 'astute' and an antonym derived from the word itself seemed perfect in the context. Does such a word exist?


texts:
But that wasn't all. The father came home, right in the midst of it; the child was just buried, and he was beside himself. And -- he went on the track of his wife, and he found her, and he shot her dead; it was in all the papers at the time; then he disappeared. Nothing had been seen of him since. Mrs. Dennison said that she thought he had either made way with himself or got out of the country, nobody knew, but they did know there was something wrong with the house.

The extract is from "Lost Ghost" by Mary E.W. Freeman. (1893)

Is this a misspelling of "made away with", which means "steal or kill" in the dictionary?

In the story, the husband shot the wife, who had left their daughter to starve to death, so 'to take one's life' would be more natural to the flow of story, but there is no such meaning in 'make way with' in any dictionary.

Please advise me how to understand this usage of the expression.


texts: Works Cited multiple pages in powerpoint

texts:
I am making a powerpoint presentation and I have 3 slides that are for Works Cited.

I currently have it as
Works Cited (I)
Works Cited (II)
Works Cited (III)

for the titles of the slides.

Is this correct? Is there a better way to title?


texts: I wanted to say - time flies very fast with the usage of the idiom "in the blink of an eye".  The sentence goes like this - Time flies like in the blink of an eye. Is this the correct usage of the idiom?


texts: "Wanting" or "want"? (Stative verbs: participial clauses; present continuous usages?)

texts:
Lately I have noticed that a lot of people use "wanting" in sentences, or in books, but I don't get it because my English teachers have always said to me that with verbs like "love", "like", "want" etc. we can't write the verb ending "-ing". But how it is possible that it's in book then?

Some examples:

  She reached her hand out, wanting to touch him...

  Not wanting to talk about it, Clary turned...

  Actually, I’ve been wanting to ask you how...

I really want to know where I can use it and where I can't. It really drives me crazy that I don't know it.


texts:
I think the following clauses are equivalent, and yet I guess there must be some nuances that make them different.

In working with others, try to work as a team.
When working with others, try to work as a team.

Can one use them interchangeably without any slight difference in meaning?


texts: In American English, what term can be used to refer to the secretary of a department?

texts:
In American English, can both "departmental secretary" and "department secretary" be used to refer to the secretary of a particular department?

He was told to leave his papers with the departmental/department secretary.

She was the most hard-working departmental/department secretary he'd ever seen.


texts: I am struggling with the correct preposition going after guide. Which sentence is correct? "that dog served as a guide for blind people" or "that dog served as a guide of blind people".


texts: Is 'the most remarkable thing that can be readjusted by environmental cues is our body clocks' grammatical?

texts:
The most remarkable thing that can be readjusted by environmental cues is our body clocks

I think the subject and the compliment do not match and look awkward. What do you think?


texts: what does "The investment we brought up to have" mean

texts:
I am translating a book called Missing Out (https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Missing_Out/6sgL6iqrHZUC?hl=en&gbpv=0)
the book is about psychoanalysis and philosophy which is written not in direct and fluent language. in one of the sentences you can read:

Getting it, or not getting it - both the experience, which is acute,
and the phrase, which seems not to be - reminds us of the investment
we are brought up to have in understanding as a measure of intimacy
and competence;

what does "the investment we brought up to have" mean?  can someone rewrite it in a simpler form? is this a correct understanding: we are brought up in a way to have an investment in understanding ...


texts:
First, I check that my native language is not English, and the problem described below met on one of the exams.

With this sentence:

  "The most important news is that my parents [...] a new restaurant a few
  weeks ago."

Is the correct tense to use the Present Perfect (have opened) or Past Simple (opened)?

I know that the word "ago" but rather that time Past Simple, but is it also possible to use the present perfect in some cases?

I would be grateful for clarification.


texts: In the context of a grocery store's signage, which is correct - "Everyday" or "Every Day"?

texts:
Here is an illustrated example:

A grocer may print information pertaining to a low price deal, on the above pictured sign, and attach it to a shelf for customers to see.


texts: Need to learn to write by hand more neat and fast

texts:
I searched the internet for tips for writing both fast and neat for exams but only found a few tips on the internet, so I came here looking if anyone had any trade secrets they may be able to share.
If I can't achieve this VCAA (the marking agency for my final year) could deduct points from me solely on being unable to read my handwriting
I have to acquire this skill before 4 weeks are up at which time my exam period will start
Thanks for you help


texts: "Set of techniques"; singular or plural?

texts:
I have an English course book that contains this question:

Fill in the blank
"The book is a set of techniques that systematically __ the learner for interaction with target language speakers".
(A) prepare (B) preparing  (C) prepares (D) prepared."

The answer given in the book is A, but isn't C correct?
I used Google and found this example "DNA technology is a powerful set of techniques that ALLOWS scientists to examine, change, and create new genetic material"


texts:
My point in the quoted sentence is to introduce a new section where I will list all the machines that are currently available for a given task.

  Optional machines to work with

Is the sentence above conveying my point?
Secondly, is it idiomatic as written right now?


texts: Is there any difference between saying "I am not really sure where the noise is from" and "I am really not sure where the noise is from"? are they interchangeable?


texts:
I came across this in a novel “The fingers of my successor daily turned the handle of this door which opened now on the yellow flame of the gas-fire, pink-shaded lamps burning through the snow-grey afternoon, a waste of cretonne loose covers.”

Could anyone help clarify why “a waste of cretonne loose covers”? Covers mean curtains? The room is so well illuminated that it doesn’t need curtains?


texts: A Specific Word for a Replacement of a Lost Document?

texts:
I'm looking for a specific (legal) term to refer to a replica document that's issued by the relevant officials as a replacement for a legal document that one has lost.

I assume that replica is not the appropriate word, since it would refer to a fake document, rather than an official replacement, and googling, I didn't get anything more specific that just replacement, however I still wonder if there is such a word in English?

NOTE: The document in question is a fancy, embossed one, that just looks like an original, but with "REPLACEMENT" watermark in all its pages; rather than just a photocopy.


texts:
Are those sentences interchangeable? Personally I would like to use "the one who" to stay more gender-neutral. Would that be correct? Any help would be greatly appreciated :)

Every mile is long for the one who is tired.

or

Every mile is long for he who is tired.


texts:
I live in Germany where I often hear 'I gonna' or 'you gonna', in effect treating 'gonna' as a main verb and missing out the copula 'to be'. AAE also has a 'zero' copula. Perhaps this clitic will be dropped in all spoken Englishes in the future. For the moment, I was wondering where the confusion might lie.

1) Is there a phonological reason behind dropping the clitic?

2) Is this a German-speakers' phenomenon?

3) Are some forms (e.g. questions, 'you gonna come?') closer to a standard?


texts: Which preposition should I use? Studies(noun) about/in a subject

texts:
I am not sure which preposition should I use with study(n). I am closer to ''about'' but I wanted to make sure. For example:

The recent studies about war show that...
The recent studies in war show that...

Which is correct? Thanks already. I hope I do not violate the rules of this website.


texts: What are the components of a word called?

texts:
The etymology of the word parasol states that it arises "from para- (“to shield”) + sole (“sun”)". I would like to know what the two components, para and sole, are called in this example. Units/components might work. But, I suspect that there is a more fitting linguistic term for them ...

Also, would this term also be applicable for the components of words such as jaywalk which is a result of "jay + walk"?


texts:
I'm facing a difficulty about referring to previously mentioned words. It's something that bothers me a lot about the English language. Please consider

  Mathematicians can use these theorems to their advantage.

versus

  Mathematicians can, to their advantage, use these theorems.

Which is more correct? The first sounds more natural and most people would probably say it's correct.

However, I would think that technically the first is wrong and the second is correct, even though the second is a bit more unnatural. Why? Because in the first, their is referring to the last thing mentioned, namely these theorems, which is absurd. In the second, their actually refers to the mathematicians, as it should.

What do you think? If the first is (also) correct, my question is simply this: Since when can sentences be counted as being correct just because they happen to make sense from the context?


texts: What rhetorical gain is expected by saying “Do they really not understand why?” instead of “Don’t they really understand why?”

texts:
There was the following passage in the New York Times (August 14) article written by Paul Krugman under the title, “Bungling Beijing’s Stock Markets.”:

  These (occasional intervention to prop up asset prices) were
  short-lived actions, taken at times when markets seemed to have lost
  their bearings. Staffers at the Federal Reserve used to call these
  moves “slap in the face” interventions. That’s very different from the
  kind of sustained intervention and political dictation of prices China
  seems to imagine it can pull off. Do the country’s leaders really not
  understand why that won’t work?
  http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/14/opinion/paul-krugman-bungling-beijings-stock-marketshtml.html?action

Though it may sound very naïve, I’m curious to know what difference of nuance, or artfulness of statement comes up by bringing “not” later - Do the country’s leaders really not understand why? instead of earlier - Don’t the country’s leaders really understand why?”

Is there any difference of implication or tonality between two alternative lines, or they are exactly same, and it’s simply a matter of the writer's style / taste?


texts: What is the proper abbreviation for "version"? (in English and Japanese literature)

texts:
I see both (for example) "ProductName v1.0" and "ProductName ver 1.0" and wanted to know what was the proper use for technical/computer literature.

Bonus thanks if anyone knows the proper usage in Japanese of the same acronym, e.g. if its more proper to write "商品名バージョン1.0" as "商品名Ver1.0" vs. "商品名v1.0" in Japanese language literature.

Thank you.


texts: I am confused about the meaning of "use of internet" and "internet usage". Is there any difference between these two phrases? Does the phrase "use of internet" mean I utilize the internet or it means the benefit of using internet? And is it grammatically correct to use "usage of internet"?


texts:
When you hand something to someone, you say "Here you are."
I know this it a set phrase but it looks incomplete and doesn't make much sense to me. How can you paraphraze or complete the sentence?


texts: Idiom for choosing between two generally alike things that are dissimilar in their details

texts:
I am confused because I don't seem to find the right idiom, for example:

  I have to choose between two things that are generally alike but
  dissimilar with respect to details.

  I have to choose between two scientists (they are alike as they are
  both scientists) that worked on 2 different topics (thus making them
  dissimilar).

Which idiom do I use?
What I am looking for is an idiom that is the exact opposite of "between the devil and the deep sea."

It was on the tip of my tongue. Please help.


texts: Does the word zealous have an implicit religious connotation?

texts:
Earlier today I was describing someone to a friend. I said, "I never realized how zealous he was." I meant for the meaning of zealous here to be religiously zealous. Without an adverb, I would implicitly associate the word zealous with religion. But now I am thinking about it, and perhaps this is not the case.

So does the word zealous have an implicit religious connotation? Or is the object of zealousness too ambiguous without an adverb or other context?


texts: A single word for something that only knows of its own existence

texts: Is there a single word to describe something that knows only of its own existence? So it does not know there is anything else out there but itself, not even that there might be others like it.


texts: Why there are no article in the "Alert at time of event"

texts:
Here is the screenshot from the Apple Calendar event quick preview:

Why it is not a

  Alert at THE time of event

or

  Alert at time of THE event

or even

  Alert at THE time of THE event

I suppose there are definitely no place for "A" article in reason the subject of the question is specific and known - we know what is the time and the event.
But why there are no definite article?
And is it correct to say "Alert at time of event" in conversation?


texts: Hesitating between "as" and "than" to oppose two words

texts:
I am writing a letter and I am not sure about this sentence:

  Being a parent is as much of a choice than a responsibility.

On various translation tools, it is suggested to use "as" instead of "than" but I find its use strange in such context. Does someone know which word to use and why?


texts: In a title like "Peter the Great", what is the name for the "the Great" part?

texts: At first I was thinking sobriquet, but that is not quite the same. Is there a term for the "the " part of such titles?


texts: What's the other common expression for "You get what you pay for" in reference to high quality?

texts:
I’m looking for a familiar saying that I can use for If you pay more money, you get more quality.

Because Google has been giving me the same result — that the meaning of the saying You get what you pay for is that if you pay less money, and that stuff got broken too soon, then you deserved it. The cheaper, the poorer in quality.


texts: What does it mean to be "correct" in pronunciation or grammar?

texts:
(Preamble:  this post is literally about the meaning of the word “correct” in this context, but also, of course, overlaps with the philosophy of prescriptive perspectives in the process.  I hope that this is not considered off-topic, as I cannot think of a better group of people to ask. )

I do not understand the meaning of the word “correct” in this context, as I cannot think of any objective or meaningful standard that correctness could be derived from.

I understand the notion of clarity in pronunciation or grammar.  Pronouncing a word such that it might easily be confused with a different word is unclear.  Similarly impaired communication can occur as a result of using a word or grammatical structure in a way that is likely to be interpreted differently than intended.

But what miscommunication could occur by saying “Feb-u-ary” vs. “Feb-RU-ary” or by responding to “May I talk to Joan, please?” with “This is her,” vs. “This is she”?  There is a large set of “errors” that have no seeming impact on clarity.

So, “correct,” as it is generally used, does not exclusively mean “likely to be understood.”  But I don’t understand the notion of the word apart from that.

Language is a naturally evolving phenomenon.  It is a brilliant social tool that began to emerge millions of years, and has been evolving in the form of verbal grammar for at least fifty millennia, and likely much longer than that.  At some point very recently in development, scholars decided to document their languages, basically taking a descriptive snapshot of a moving force at a moment in time.  Are these documents considered the source of what is correct?  Or is there some other authority?  Regardless of the source, why impose a regressive authority on an inherently progressive phenomenon?

In brainstorming, I conjured a few possible reasons.

One reason is to intentionally prevent a natural evolution of language that might lead to a divergence of tongues.  By formally encouraging adherence to a linguistic standard, localized communities are in less danger (opportunity?) of evolving a divisive dialect.  However, with the prevalence of television alone, I don’t think we have much to worry about there.

The second reason is to create a badge of pedigree; a way to distinguish those who have been formally educated in a set of (arbitrary?) rules from those who haven’t.  Is this a worthy goal?

The third reason relates to the precision and artistry that come with mastery.  A deep understanding of the nuances of different word meanings and grammatical structures can allow ideas to be communicated more precisely, and can allow the words to sing rather than simply communicate.  However, this is mostly a case for learning word meanings, and doesn’t apply to unambiguous word “mispronunciations” or grammatical “errors.”

And so, I ask humbly, with a true desire to learn:  what does it mean to be correct in pronunciation or grammar?  If it is not the native speakers themselves, then who is the authority that can be appealed to?


texts: What word or expression can I use for a new employee?

texts:
What would be the best word, or expression, for a new employee who has just joined the organization?

Would 'joinee' be a suitable word that I can use?


texts: What is a person who participates in computer network chatting, called?

texts:
I just wrote the word “chatter”, but then, googling it, I found no definition in the direction of “one who participates in a computer based chat”. Can the role of such a person be called a “chatter”? If not, then what?

Example usage:

  With a Turing test anything that would place the computer at even more of a disadvantage than it already is, is strictly forbidden. Hence the text only chat communication with the skeptics/critics/judges (whatever). One doesn’t want an observant skeptic  noting, say, that one chatter is metallic with a lot of electric wires, while the other one looks and sounds very much like a human female, has a glass of water at her side, and even wears a nice perfume.


texts: Elision in the pronunciation of "probably"

texts:
A student of mine has pointed out that in casual speech, my tendency is to pronounce the word "probably" as something like prah-lee.

I am a native speaker of American English without a specific regional dialect, as I moved frequently when young, both within the country and abroad.

I'm curious as to how widespread this pronunciation is, or if it's merely an indication that I'm a lazy speaker. Is this a regionalism I've unknowingly picked up? There is a Wiktionary entry for prolly, which indicates that I'm not alone in this pronunciation, but there's no indication of how common it is or where it's most prevalent.

Note: I'm familiar with the common tendency to skip the ba portion of the word, pronouncing it prob-lee; I'm specifically curious about the elision of both of the b sounds and the vowel between them.

Edit: I've been repeating the word over and over to myself since asking this question and realized that in particularly quick speech I seem to elide the L-sound, as well: prah-ee.


texts:
I am writing the dedication section of a dissertation and wanted to write:

  To Bob and Joe, my inspiration and my muse.

Is using inspiration and muse redundant in that sentence? In the sense that am I saying

  To Bob and Joe, my inspiration and my inspiration.

A quick google of muse told me that inspiration was a synonym and now I am concerned.


texts: Is there a word or phrase when there occurs two sad events in tandem

texts:
Is there a word or phrase when there occurs two sad/traumatic  events in tandem; Like Double whammy is when two-fold blow or setback. But I think i cannot use double whammy. Like in this example:

Jill's father died in the month of June this year. And now i am hearing this news that his cousin sister passed away yesterday. That a ________ (double whammy)