texts: Metaphor for activity like writing a text with much devotion and stressfully

texts:
I am looking for an interesting metaphor (well adapted if possible) to describe activities similar to writing an article in stressful conditions, but with much devotion. Such writing could then result in a text that is like "hard boiled", but that's just an approximate, incorrect description, as the idiom refers to a person. I am thinking about "frying text". The metaphor could be used in following example situation: someone who worked for multiple hours late at night on an article meets a colleague, and he asks him:

So did you fry a good text?
Yeah I fried a piece, really good for the front page.

Just to make the situation complete, the text could be about a recent event that required immediate reaction from a newspaper, e.g. a train catastrophe or other serious event, and a devoted employee decided to quickly "fry" an article.


texts: Why do programmers say: "Did you meet the Spartans?"

texts:
English is not my maternal language and on development/IT forums, I've found the expressions "Did you meet the spartans?" or "I've met the spartans?". To set the context, they are speaking about a new computer language or technology and the difficulties they've faced.

I've done some research. Apparently, it refers to a movie which seems to be a torture to watch. Can anyone confirm or explain?


texts: What was the command of "Fire at will" before gunpowder?

texts:
I've seen some discussions about the command of "fire" before gunpowder was invented. That may be "shoot", "loose", "throw" etc. But what was the command of "fire at will"?  Are there any clues?

Update:
  "Fire at will" is a tactic which has long existed in history. After the invention of gunpowder, we call it "fire at will". Before gunpowder, what did we call this tactic? Was there a common used phrase or not?


texts: I have this sentence: I fell in love with coding, but still I was not able to decide whether it is something possible as a career. Is the structure correct?


texts:
On these first two examples of dependent clauses within the sentence.
 Where is the main clause if you remove the dependent clause?

What the girl did was not very helpful.

The trophy goes to whoever wins the race.

You may play outside/ until the street lights come on.  (This works on it's own logically followed by a dependent clause).

You could be told ''You may play outside''.  But not ''the trophy goes to'' without saying who it goes to.

What do we call this contrast between these sentences. The first two require the dependent clause but the last example could work either way.


texts: Is there a verb that reverses the source and the result of rendering (e.g. rendering a document from a template)?

texts:
Suppose I have a template for creating documents, and I want to render a document from the template.  It would be grammatically correct to call this action "rendering a document" or "rendering a document from a template," but calling it "rendering a template" or "template rendering" would be grammatically incorrect, because the template isn't the object that's being produced -- it is the source from which the document is being produced.

Is there a verb that represents the action being done to the template when the document is rendered from it?


texts: How to name a person from the same country as speaker?

texts:
My Slavic language (Slovak) uses the word krajan, speaker can in this way name another person whose origin lies in the same country/land/area/region.

English translations I have found:

compatriot
(fellow) countryman
homeboy

I realize I could use all of them, but still what are slight differences, and, more importantly, which one is more common? I would like to know also about UK and US difference.

Feel free to include also alternative vocabulary.


texts: "receive" is to "send" what "???" is to "scatter"

texts:
I am looking for a word in English that is a synonym for receive but is specific for the process of another scattering something to many rather than  just sending individually.

If one entity sends something, another entity receives that something.
If one entity scatters something, other entities individually ... ??? ... (parts of) that something.

Possible near options are:

collect/gather, but that sounds more to me that many are sending to one (many-to-one instead of one-to-many). As "the state collects taxes from individials".
catch, seems more like a random process. As "one scatters coins, others catch these coins"

I am using the word scatter in the distribute sense, so if it helps we can work with:

If one entity distributes something, other entities individually ... ??? ... (parts of) that something.


texts: What is the name of the sign indicating positive or negative numbers

texts:
I want to describe patterns where there are numbers in pairs like these:
-1 and +1, -944 and +944.

Now I want to write a sentence that someone should "look for equal numbers just with opposite X". What is an appropriate word to fill in for X.


texts: Is it grammatically correct for a pilot or airline cabin crew to say "welcome on board", rather than "welcome aboard?" Is there a difference?


texts: Non-sexual meaning of "to have a hard-on for someone"

texts: What does it mean to "have a hard-on for someone" in a non-sexual sense? I've heard it used in contexts that make it seem like the subject is acting aggressive or belligerent toward "someone". Is that right?


texts:
What does "the dynamic would surely be altered" mean in the following context?

  If I wish, I may effectively restart the pilgrimage into the unknown,
  though, with no necessary end in sight this time, the dynamic would
  surely be altered. Turning back, on the other hand, would in the
  meantime be going over old ground.


texts: Would you say 'Google is' or 'Google are'?

texts: Would you use the third person singular or third person plural when referring to an organisation like Google?


texts:
I came across the sentence:

  The foundations of democracy are being vanished.

I hadn't seen the verb being used in this way before, is it proper English?


texts: "Plead" has lots of meanings, and one of them is to beg someone, so why is it necessary to use the preposition "with" with it? For example: Lend me your car please! I am pleading with you!


texts: Have unnecessary quotation marks evolved?

texts:
Salutations, EL&U folks. I came across a curiosity this morning and I'm wondering if anyone can shed some light on the issue. The introduction is long, but here is a summary:

  Can or should quotation marks be applied around company and product names?  Has this practice fallen out of favor or merely evolved?

(thanks, David M)

For a some time, I've had an odd fascination with commercial supply branding. It's always intrigued me that you can usually find some mark from the company who makes commercial-grade door hardware, for example. When I was in grade school, this fascination revolved around the idea of getting commercial-grade things at home so they would be more durable.

Judge me not, dear reader.

One specific subset of this interest is in plumbing fixtures. In the United States, I suspect you'd recognize brand names like Mansfield, Crane, or American Standard, but might have trouble naming what those companies do without prompting. I find that fascinating.

This morning, I was visiting a restroom at an educational institution (the remaining context is superfluous) and was, as is common for me when bored, passively noting the logos around me. What caught my eye is that the positively ancient commode wore the "Standard" logo, and the quotes were included. Here's an example.

Curious! These quotes would seem to be improperly placed, but the fact that the plumbing hardware and other advertisements from that period in the company's history were so dated led me to hypothesize that perhaps there was another use of quotation marks, like this example, that I didn't know about.

First, I looked at the company itself. "Standard" is a shortened version of Standard Manufacturing Company, which, through a company juggling routine, is now part of American Standard. Standard Manufacturing Company was founded in 1875, confirming my suspicion that this company is old.

Next, I looked for other companies with similarly quoted names.

There are plenty of standard usages as well.

With thanks to Allan Peters for his awesome Badge Hunting project.

I also found this idea behind what the author calls "Decorative Quotation Marks."

Then, I found another well-known company that appears to be giving the exact same treatment to quotation marks.

These observations led me to a couple of ideas.

"Jiffy" and "Standard" are intended as very brief quotations, for example, of customer testimonials. "The toilet is standard" could be shortened to "It's standard" and then to just "Standard." In this way, the adjective becomes the brand name and the company is pivoted to embody that word. "Jiffy" is fast, "Standard" is universal.
This is an appropriate but dated use of quotations for emphasis.
The company name is intended to be both a brand name and a slogan, or tag line.

Does anyone know if one of these ideas is correct? If not, what do you think?

Thanks, all.


texts: Is there a term for feeling satisfied with other people's improvement?

texts:
I don't really know why, and I don't see it as a bad thing, but I was just curious as to whether there is a word or phrase for feeling satisfied with other people's improvement. I like watching people improve, be it through their own efforts or with my assistance.
Is there a word for this?


texts:
I know boring means uninteresting or dull, and annoying means irritating or bothering, for me they are totally different, so I was surprised to see "bore" being translated as "使厌烦"(which means annoying somebody) in most English-Chinese bilingual dictionaries(Oxford, Cambridge, Longman etc.).

I wonder if they are synonyms.


texts: Is “Something in the sand” a popular English phrase?

texts:
I’m interested in the line, “Raising tax rates on the wealthy is Obama’s line in the sand” in the following lead-copy of Washington Post’s (December 4) article titled “President Obama’s tough time taking a hard line on the fiscal cliff.”

  “The president has done something that could make negotiations far
  more difficult. He has made it clear that raising tax rates on the
  wealthy is his line in the sand.”

I see the idiom, “Bury your head in the sand” in Cambridge online dictionary, and “Head in the sand” in Merriam-Webster online dictionary, but I cannot find “in the sand” as an idiom in both dictionaries. Oxford online dictionary registers only “the sands (of time) are running out” as a sand-related phrase.

On the other hand, Google Ngram shows consistent incidences of “in the sand” since cir 1840.
I guess “his line in the sand” means “his statement (promise) unachievable like “a castle in the air.”
Is “something (letter, record, plan, promise, structure) in the sand” a popular expression? If so, why isn’t it registered in major dictionaries as a simile of fragility, ephemerality, or easy-erasable like the title of Japanese popular song, "A love-letter writen on the sand"?


texts: Term for taking an authorized brief leave from work to do a personal errand

texts:
What do you call when you take a short leave from your workplace (like forty minutes or a couple, of hours) with from your boss' permission, to do a personal errand, like picking up an urgent parcel or something of the like, at any given time during the workday (not necessarily at noon) and then return to your workplace.

Is it a "short leave",  a "time off", "a break"?

A break is for relaxing, and both "short leave" and "time off" sound more like a matter of days than of hours to me.


texts: What is the difference in meaning between "complacent" and "complaisant"

texts:
They are both derived from the French world complaire, which means "pleased"

According to this source, "the two words overlapped in meaning until the middle of the 19th century."

How do they differ in meaning today, and why did they deviate? My understanding is that one refers to "not knowing" (something bad), while the other refers to "not wanting to know" it.
Is this correct? Or are they still different spellings of the same word (which have been the case at one time?


texts:
I'm investigating a Tom'n'Jerry sketch for cartoonists, containing basic graphics and tips how to draw the characters right. Unfortunately I don't have a digital version.

So the problem is with the phrase: "Think flow when connecting ear to head". I can't figure out what "flow" or "think flow" means in this context. The surrounding graphics is just general character view (full-body and head-only) and most of the other tips just describe graphical details (such as number of whiskers or toes etc.).

Does anyone get it?


texts: "A cup of hot coffee" or "A hot cup of coffee"

texts:
I once had an argument with someone about this.

Is the meaning of "A cup of hot coffee" the same as "A hot cup of coffee"?

Surprisingly I've often heard people utter either of the two, but not being a native speaker I cannot tell for sure if they are the same. Are there any grammatical problems with either?


texts:
I have just come across the following sentence in Advanced Grammar in Use by Martin Hewings:

I know you haven't got much time, but if I were you I'd have breakfast before you leave.

Is it only me who feel this sentence is weird? It seems to me that the second "you" in the sentence should be "I":

I know you haven't got much time, but if I were you I'd have breakfast before I leave.

I'd appreciate it if you could share your thoughts on this.
Thank you for your time in advance.


texts: Need for, or alternative to, 'factual' in the phrase 'factual findings'

texts:
I recently encountered the term factual findings, with factual defined as "based on research and analysis". I have seen findings of fact and fact finding many times, but never factual findings.
Questions raised by the use of factual findings include:

Are there findings that are not factual?

Are there findings not "based on research and analysis"? Is this side definition really necessary?

Bottom line: Is the word factual necessary? If an adjective such as factual is necessary to distinguish between different kinds of findings (I'm ruling out preliminary findings here), does it require a side definition? If factual does require a side definition, is there a single-word alternative whose meaning is so obvious that it doesn't require a side definition?


texts: Everything shimmered "through" the heat haze OR Everything shimmered "in" the heat haze

texts:
Which is correct?

  Everything shimmered through the heat haze
  OR
  Everything shimmered in the heat haze


texts: Is 'I am glad to hear that' very formal or informal phrase?

texts: I said this to one professor when she expressed about her current research work. Later, I realized that that phrase could be very informal.


texts: Why is letter "z" the last letter of alphabet?

texts: it's been on my mind for sometime, why is Z last letter of alphabet, why is A the first, why is D the 4th letter, are these letters just based randomly then people agreed on them, therefore creating the "alphabetic order" or were they based on something more logical, scientific, such as syllable and the way each are pronounced.


texts:
I am very confused of the grammars behind the phrases or words like problem finding, problem solving and pain killing.

I feel that rather than present participle, past participles should be used because the proposed nouns, like problem and pain, are the objectives of the verbs, like find and kill.

This is a pain killing pills./pain-killed?
This work is time-consuming. /time-consumed?
He has good skills in problem finding and problem solving / problem found and problem solved?


texts: When to use commas (if at all) with subordinate clauses?

texts:
I'm finding conflicting guidelines about the use of commas with subordinate clauses. What are the rules?

Also, which of the following is correct, and why?

  Some of what Mike did needs to be adjusted.
  Some of what Mike did, needs to be adjusted.


texts: Difference between "fun" and "interesting"

texts:
In Japanese, there is no difference in definition between fun and interesting in their adjective forms. I know that fun also has a noun and verb form in English, but I am wondering is there any difference between "fun" (adjective definition) and "interesting"?

In all honesty, they appear to mean the same thing. Is there a time when you can replace one word with the other to have a completely different meaning?

EDIT: To explain myself a little bit more, interesting is defined as attracting your attention in Merriam Webster. When can something be fun and not attract your attention? In this sense, I feel as if fun encompasses interesting.


texts: What does "a public much less given to trust than once it was" mean?

texts:
I am reading the Economist and have a question about this fragment:
a public much less given to trust than once it was.

The entire sentence is as follows (emphasis mine):

  Helped by new technology, a deluge of facts and a public much less given to trust than once it was, some politicians are getting away with a depth and pervasiveness of falsehood.

In my opinion, according to the context, this means that people are more prone to trust others and hence such politicians can immune from punishment. However, one of my friends said it means, on the contrary, that people are less likely to trust others than they were.


texts: What is the meaning of "They are more often a lump than a sum"?

texts:
So I was watching a TV show called Hannibal. I was on the last episode of season three, called "The Wrath of the Lamb".

So Will Graham (a character from the show) was having a talk with psychiatrist Bedelia Du Maurier (another character).

Their disscussion:

  Bedelia Du Maurier: "We assign a moment to decision. What you propose is so thoughtless, I find difficult to imagine that moment exists."

  Will Graham: "Decisions are made of kneaded feelings. They are more often a lump than a sum."

I can't really understand Will Graham's statement. I understand the part "Decisions are made of kneaded feelings" but I can't understand the other part. What is meant by "lump than a sum"?

Is it some kind of idiom? I have searched, but I couldn't find it.


texts: Can this sentence be ordered differently?

texts:
John and Tom, working together effectively, were gathered in the basement.

I don't believe there's a problem with this.  But what if you change the order to:

  The ones gathered in the basement were John and Tom, working together effectively.

In this case, I am hoping to begin the sentence with "The ones..."


texts: For a field in a computer program, I am looking for a word to describe the absolute difference between two numbers. In mathematics we would call this a delta, in English we might call it an increment or a decrement. What is a good term that a layman would understand?


texts: meaning of "consists of doing all that one ought to want to do and not being forced to do what one ought not want to do"

texts:
what's the meaning of this phrase

"liberty consists of doing all that one ought to want to do and not being forced to do what one ought not want to do"


texts:
propagatable vs propagable

Which one is correct? I've seen both in usage.


texts: Using "had" more than once in a sentence

texts:
Can I use "had" the way I have in the first sentence? Or is the second sentence correct?

(1) By the time he had descended the tree and brought the cat up, the squirrel had made a wall of acorns, and the bird had fled the scene.

(2) By the time he had descended the tree and brought the cat up, the squirrel made a wall of acorns, and the bird fled the scene.

Thanks.


texts: "Shore of another world" vs "shores of another world."

texts:
The lights of Tokyo were visible on the other side of the river. For an instant,
  I felt as if the city was an unreachable land; a place that existed on
  the shore(s) of another world.

Should I say shore or shores in the passage above?


texts: Why do we use the phrase 'Across the pond'?

texts: Why do we use the phrase Across the pond to refer to the opposite side of the Atlantic Ocean? Considering the size of the Atlantic Ocean is vast, is it suggesting the ocean is only a small hindrance? Considering that in the modern world it has become easier to communicate and travel?


texts: What do you call someone who is good at everything?

texts: Is there a single word to describe someone who is good at everything? From a full variety of things... athletics, academics, even crafts & mechanics... one of those people who seems to have natural talent and drive for everything & almost seams to have the Midas touch?


texts: Place interrogation mark within question with "dashed"-comment

texts:
I'm trying to figure out where should I place an iterrogation mark in the sentence below. First, what I want to say:

Does X mean X, or does it mean Y? As we talked before about X meaning Y.

And here is the way I'd like to write it:

Does X mean X, or does it mean Y -- as we talked before?

Although I write things that way very often, I'm not sure this grammatical construction is allowed. Is the ? correctly placed (gramatically, I mean), or should I write it differently? This way looks very strange to me:

Does X mean X, or does it mean Y? -- as we talked before.

but sometimes seems more correct than the first one. Any references on where to place an interrogation mark while writing a question with a dashed-comment?

P.S.: I'm not a native english speaker, yet I actually do not know the answer for this question neither in english nor in portuguese (my native language).


texts:
A Korean software engineer wrote the following sentence.

  There are several algorithms commonly used by software developers.

But his native English-speaking teacher corrected it by inserting "which are" between "algorithms" and "commonly" as following.

  There are several algorithms which are commonly used by software developers.

He failed to ask the teacher why at that moment, but he, as well as I, is still wondering why.
Is there any difference between using "which are" and omitting it?


texts:
Can I use Al as a reduction of the name Alexander?

Is this reduction clear to native English speakers?


texts:
What does get a grip mean and where does it come from? I think it is usually addressed to someone who doesn't understand the obvious, like in the third paragraph of this book review:

  I am amazed at the 1-star ratings by "intellectuals" who charge that this book stands on very shaky philosophic ground, and that it does not live up to the high caliber of true scientific studies into communication fundamentals and/or gender differences. Get a grip! That's not the purpose of the book!


texts: Should repeated words after an ellipsis be capitalized?

texts:
I've searched everywhere, including questions about whether to capitalize after a stutter (no), capitalize after an ellipsis (no if it's a continuation of a sentence, yes if it's a new sentence), but they don't really answer my question exactly.

Let's say I have this line of dialogue "What... what happened?!"

Should the second "what" be capitalized? Technically, it's a full sentence by itself, but it's also a repetition of the previous "What." So should it be capitalized?


texts: I can't understand what your point is or I can't understand what is your point?

texts:
What is correct way to say:

  I can't understand what your point is?

or

  I can't understand what is your point?


texts: Using "so" and "very" for ungradable adjectives

texts:
We generally use modifiers such as "so" and "very" for gradable/normal adjectives (water can be quite/so/very HOT, but not quite/so/very BOILING (an ungradable/extreme adjective). Yet would you say the following sentences--which, I'd say, are quite commonplace in colloquial speech--are grammatically incorrect?

You told the teacher I'd been cheating? You're SO dead! ("Dead", obviously, is ungradable.)
Simon Cowell was seen with his VERY pregnant girlfriend. (A woman is either pregnant or not--it can't be graded.)


texts: Verb agreement in "[adjective] and [adjective] [noun]" constructions

texts:
Context: I am writing a short text to explain the main differences between Spanish passive sentences with "ser" and "estar", one of which is verb choice: sometimes the adjectival form should be chosen, and sometimes the participle form should. Those are generally the same, but sometimes they differ. The problematic sentence goes like:

  Some examples where the participle and the adjectival form differ are: [and a list follows]

In a previous post, it was explained that the noun (form) can be either in singular or plural. Because the noun was a general thing, I decided to go with the singular form, but then a verb followed (differ). Now, my question is:

Should the verb be conjugated in third person singular (differs) or plural (differ)?

Common sense tells me that it should be a plural (since there are two forms), but "differ" after "form" doesn't sound right (or does it?). I know I could just change form to forms, but I would like to keep it singular. Besides, I really am interested in knowing how the verb should be conjugated in this kind of phrases when the noun is to be kept in singular.


texts: "can't it at least be over a real problem?"?

texts:
In the following text, what does it mean by "can't it at least be over a real problem?"

  Climate change. Most scientists — and nations — see it as the mother of all crises. Mr. Trump’s approach thus far: champion fossil fuels and, when the weather gets chilly, tweet a joke about how the nation could use more global warming. Compromise on how to address the climate crisis will be hard to come by. But if the nation’s leaders are going to have a showdown, can’t it at least be over a real problem?

My translation: If leaders are committed to tackle climate change, it can be over a real problem.


texts: Is there a convention for the spelling of the name of the main page of a website? Should it be home page, with a space between the two words; or homepage, all one word?


texts: "Welcome to the Jones__": Plural or Plural Possessive?

texts: When making a welcome sign, what form of the name Jones would you use?  ("Welcome to the Jones__")


texts:
Does subsequent mean immediately after or just after?
Dictionary definition says "happening after something else" but not if its immediate or any future occurrence
Thanks


texts: Word for something indicating the importance of guarding it properly

texts:
Is there a good word for something to indicate its importance as something that would be dangerous or harmful if it were compromised or leaked? I'm thinking of something like a social security number.

Calling it dangerous or risky seems inappropriate: it isn't inherently harmful. It isn't a bomb. And if protected properly, it poses no threat.
Calling it confidential or secret doesn't have the right ring to it, for reasons I can't quite articulate.
Calling it valuable or precious also misses the point, as it doesn't have any large value to its owner if it isn't leaked (or at least, that isn't the point).

Yet in a way, I'm looking for a word that in the right way captures all three of those words. A word that says that about something relatively innocuous that there is a risk associated with it being stolen, and that it is therefore important to guard it well.


texts: Better wording for "Among other [stuff]"

texts:
I have the following problem. I need to say

Among other information, [the message] will contain information about the following...

I don't like the repetition of "information" here. I thought of

Among other stuff, [the message] will contain information about the following...

I don't like the non-technical "stuff" here.
I also tried

Among everything else, [the message] will contain information about the following...
Among other things, [the message] will contain information about the following...

I don't like these either, perhaps because the message contains only information, so other things or everything else actually means other information, but using that leads to repetition (see first example).
There is a noun in Russian - прочее - which means other things, other stuff. So in Russian, I would be able to say Среди прочего [ = among other, ...]. Unfortunately, in English I can't say

Among other, [the message] will contain information about the following...

When I think about it, it seems that part of the problem is that information is uncountable. If there was a countable noun instead, I'd write, for example,

Among others, the following animals are kept in our zoo.

meaning

Among other animals...

But with information it doesn't work this well. So can you help me express what I want to express (which I hopefully made clear)?.


texts: What are the different ways of highlighting (or emphasising) words in English typography?

texts:
I know the following techniques are used for words in print :

Italics, Underline, Bold, ALL-CAPS, Change-Of-Font, Enclosing-In-Single-Quotes, Enclosing-In-Double-Quotes, Change-Of-Colour, & Letter-Spacing.

Additionally, for sentences, we have Indentation.

Other languages may have other techniques (eg Over-Lining for Arabic & Emphasis-Dots for Chinese & Japanese), but are there any other (historical or current) techniques for English ?

Reference : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emphasis_%28typography%29

Here I'm not much interested in web or electronic media, where Blinking-Text & Moving-Text might be used.


texts:
Is it grammatically correct to say "at the steering committee meeting after next"?

The idea is that there are meetings every two weeks, but the intention is for something to be presented not at the next steering committee (i.e. in two weeks), but at the following one (i.e. in four weeks).


texts:
What's the meaning of "on bequest of" in this phrase

Context: Democracy and the Limits of Self-Government
 By Adam Przeworski

  We are ruled by others, and the only authority that justifies this fact is that the rulers act on bequest of “the people” expressed in elections

Does it mean "at the request of"?


texts:
What are the similarities and differences, for example, between "they are agreed" vs "they've agreed." Also, is there a formal grammatical term for the construct "they are agreed" ?

http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/threads/96405-We-are-agreed claims no differences:

  In agreement is simply a phrase that means having the same opinion.
  Agree, as you use it, is an intransitive verb meaning to be in accord or having the same opinion.

  So, they are structurally different, but almost semantically the same. That is, they have the same meaning.
  Yes, consensus has almost the same meaning, but its used in formal contexts.

Per contra, this DOES claim a difference:

  They "are" agreed is stative, they are in a state of agreement, and this doesn't necessarily mean that they spoke to each other and made the agreement, it might simply mean that they have all taken the same position independently. But when you say "they have agreed" it does imply that they have got together and agreed a position.

I'm contending against this latter argument. If they have all taken the same position independently, then haven't they agreed? Does it matter whether they acted alone or conferred?

2 more examples here.


texts: Is "as unlikely as" used correctly here?

texts:
"The possibility is just as unlikely as your dog coming back."
Does it mean that the possibility of whatever that's being stated is not possible just as his dog not coming back?


texts:
What does the phrase "accept this intimation" mean in the context of a funeral notice?

Is it appropriate to use when announcing the consecration (Unveiling in the Jewish ritual) of a tombstone?


texts: Using "Generation" to describe a process of generating

texts:
Is is acceptable to use the word generation in the following context:

  The password generation process

Even if it is technically correct, is the word used like this contemporarily?


texts: what are some phrases for "doing something evil in order to stop someone evil"

texts: An example in real life would be killing a terrorist to stop him/her taking more innocent lives. What are some phrases that describe this situation?


texts:
I'm a software developer working some instructions for a web form. The client has requested a special input for their users to fill out if their business is "more chaotic" long story short its a scheduling component.

The detail that matters to you and this question is we're trying to communicate to the user to fill this input out if their employees and business are "chaotic" and basically do not have a rigid schedule. My client thinks chaotic is too harsh a word and is looking for something that won't turn off their users.

So TL;DR whats a softer/more professional synonym for chaotic/turbulent/disorganized ?


texts: What is the proper use of the word "state of the art"?

texts:
I am a bit confused with using the phrase state of the art. Is the following usage correct?

  My motivation relies on the fact, discussed above, that there is little global
       state of the art evaluation of this product.


texts: What is the best dictionary for learning a contemporary American accent?

texts: I’m using the Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary (18th edition, 2011). I know how IPA phonemes work and can also fathom American notations. So, which dictionary would best help a rookie to learn a contemporary American accent? Don’t suggest age-old dictionaries.


texts: Identifying Errors Quiz: "The thin Francisan, understanding the Dominican smile, decided to intervene and stop the argument"

texts:
In the sentence,
"The thin (Franciscan,) (understanding) the Dominican smile, (decided) to intervene  and stop the argument." (No error),
we were asked to identify the error.
Those that are in the parenthesis were the given choices. I was told that there is no error in sentence; however, i am not convinced. This is because of the words -- "understanding", "decided" and "stop" in the sentence is not coherent in form. Please explain. I'm confused :(


texts: Accomplishment vs. Achievement in résumé/CV application

texts:
I'm curious to know which word is more suitable for the résumé/CV context: accomplishment or achievement?

For instance:

My accomplishments on this job positions are…
Key achievements are…


texts: What does "to claw back proceeds from TV rights" mean?

texts:
From here:

But Lamberth's decision also keeps alive major risks for Bolton, such as the administration's effort to claw back proceeds from the book, including from any movie and TV rights, and other consequences for disclosing classified information.

My first question is about usage of claw back in this context. Clawing back involves recovering and getting back money the government somehow disbursed.
But since the administration has never funded/spent money on this book in the first place how does clawing back money from proceeds make any sense?
I would also like to understand why the administration may claw back book proceeds due to movie and TV rights. Does it have to do with copyright taxation? Does it imply the book includes quotes from TV and movies?
Thanks!


texts: Someone who is granted access to information but not expected to read it

texts:
I'm looking for word for a person who handles records, but isn't expected to read them.  I'm creating a list of positions within an organization who should have access to certain records.  Alongside the people who need to actually read these records, there are other people who handle the records as a practical matter.  These are the people who may file and retrieve the information, or carry the key to the filing cabinet, or IT staff who are responsible for data encryption and storage.  Anyone who could read the information, but really doesn't have reason to.

It would be good if it carried a connotation of trust and responsibility. The word "fiduciary" comes to mind, as it carries implications of professional ethics.  As far as I know, that word applies to finances specifically.
 "Custodian/custodial" is in the ballpark, but perhaps too specific.  Ideally, this word would describe anyone along the chain who has access, but does not act on curiosity outside of their direct job function.

A thesaurus search for "fiduciary" gives curator, depositor, trustee, and guardian.  These are all a bit too specific, though "trustee" comes close. A thesaurus search for "custodial" has the same problem.  They are all words for someone whose job it is to care for some thing.  I want to include people who have access to that thing incidentally as part of their job.

The word can be an adjective (applied to the position), noun (describe the position), or adverb (applied to job function).

"Joe will have (adjective) access to the files."  OR "Joe will have access to the files in a (adjective) capacity."
"Joe will have access to the files as a (noun)."
"Joe can access the files (adverb)."

I'm guessing there are existing legal terms for what I'm looking for, which is why I'm reaching out on this SE.  I'm not drafting a legal document, though.

Edit: Let me clarify a bit.  I'm looking for a way to describe the relationship of existing positions to the information in question.  This isn't a new job title or even a primary job duty.  The motivation is that I'm creating a list of which job titles have access to certain information, and I'd like to mark a difference between those who are supposed to be reading the information, and those who only have access of a necessity because of the way things work.


texts: Word or phrase that describes the biased perception of a group

texts:
Is there terminology for how a group is viewed by outsiders, as only radical members are the most visible?

I believe such a term would exist within social sciences.


texts: "Collar" meaning "grab or seize by the collar or neck"

texts:
Could you give me an example sentence where this verb means this. I can't find anywhere. I don't know if this verb can take a direct object like "neck" or something like that, because if we take a look at other meaning of the verb "to stop somebody in order to talk to them", I think that these sentences that I made up are ambiguous.

  He collared him and started talking to him.
  He collared her in her room when she was about to get out.

I think that this sentences can be umbiguous, because I think that they can mean both. I hope you understand my question.


texts:
I would like to know the term-- if there is one-- for purposefully misspelling words for comedic effect.For example: a character in a story wishes to use the word "sublime," remembers only that it's sub + citrus fruit, says sublemonal (pronounced subliminal).

I have found reference to sensational spelling (doesn't quite capture the spirit) and to orthoepy / cacoepy (which I believe refers to pronunciation).

Thank you!


texts: Quadruped is to four-legged animal as ___ is to six-legged animal?

texts:
A creature which walks on two legs can be referred to as biped; bi- meaning two.

A creature which walks on four legs can be referred to as quadruped; quad- meaning four.

What is the corresponding word for a six-legged creature?


texts: Understanding "as of", "as at", and "as from"

texts:
I'd appreciate your assistance in helping me particularly understand how to use the phrase "as of" properly.

What is the proper interpretation of the following sentence?

"I need you to get me all transactions as of January 23rd"

That I need all transactions from the beginning of time (so to speak) till January 23rd, or
That I need all transactions from January 23rd to now?

Would "as at" be more appropriate to express (1)?

Would "as from" be more appropriate to express (2)?


texts: What's the difference between "percent of" and "percentage of"?

texts:
Is there any meaningful difference between, say, "Frequency as a percent of the total" and "Frequency as a percentage of the total"? Is one considered more correct?

(Dictionary.com gives "percentage" as the second definition of "percent", which smacks of circular reasoning.)


texts:
I feel like there's a word that I can't quite find, where you are placating someone, but more out of duty or responsibility than for care.

For example, when a person in the service industry must placate an irate customer whose anger far exceeds whatever offense was caused, but they are bound by policy to act like they understand and agree. Something similar to 'patronize.' The word would be said with derision.


texts:
I believe I have heard the word "nomer" used before? It is not in the dictionary, but I was under the assumption that "nomer" was the opposite of "misnomer"? From the thesaurus references I have seen, there are no antonyms for the word "misnomer."

Is what I have heard just slang for "correct name"?


texts:
I often see the expression "chances are" used in English. For example:

  Chances are that the hammer will break.

I think it is probably a contraction, but a contraction from what?

What the chances are, after all? Are the chances "big"? Are the changes "higher than 50%"? Are the chances "almost 100%"?

What, exactly, are the implied chances when someone says that?


texts: Is there a word for words that form another word when read in reverse?

texts:
What is the word for words that form another word when read in reverse?
Examples: stop -> pots


texts: Meaning of the sentence "drag you out by the balls"

texts:
I noticed a sentence in the book "The Witcher: Season of Storm" p.13 :

  ... or if a rebellious rabble comes to drag you out by the balls, dethrone you and hang you forthwith from a dry branch

Could anyone please explain to me what it means?


texts: Is there a word/phrase/idiom to describe the feeling of you facing a dilemma?

texts:
I've got "running backward on a cornfield" as an answer on Reddit... there aren't enough usages of it online so I'm not quite sure what it actually means...

are there any alternatives?


texts: Do all letters of the English alphabet have phoneticised dictionary entries? I'm thinking of the word Vee for the letter V or Zed for the letter Z? For example is there an entry for H? Aitch?


texts: Do you find "only belongings of somebody" a little bit wierd?

texts:
In the sentence below, do you think it is weird to say "only belongings" for "belongings" is a collective noun.

  The angry mob destroyed the man's only belongings.


texts: What does the expression "we are looking to you" mean?

texts:
What does the expression "we are looking to you" mean in the following sentence?

  Now that you have taken the test and have an understanding, we are looking to you to teach this to your subordinates.


texts: Is "to which" used correctly in my sentence?

texts:
I made a trip to Stanford University and wrote this sentence in my research paper:

  Moreover, across The Thinker’s exhibit is The Three Shades that is related to which in The Gates of Hell which is Rodin's massive work of group sculpture."

"To which" in this case refers to The Thinker which I mentioned early in my sentence. I just want to ask is my "to which" used incorrectly in this sentence?


texts: Grammatical structure of the given sentence

texts:
I was reading Harry Potter I. I stumbled over a sentence, written there, whose overall meaning was clear to me but grammatical structure was not clear at all. Here is the sentence:

  "Mr. Dursley was enraged to see that a
  couple of them weren’t young at all; why, that man had to be older
  than he was, and wearing an emerald-green cloak! The nerve of
  him!"

Questions:

What kind of use is this "why"?
How does the present participial phrase "and wearing ... cloak!" fit in the sentence grammatically?

Thank you in advance.


texts:
horizontally gifted:

  A politically correct way of calling someone fat

Can horizontally gifted still be offensive? Or is it an absolutely safe way to describe someone overweight if we have to find the right words to do it, without hurting anyone?


texts:
This is question is related to an English work I am currently doing. I have a phrase where I want to describe how a particular person has 'made a considerable impact' on the world that we live in today.
This is the sentence I am using:

Franco Zeffirelli made considerable impact on the world of film following his release of 'Romeo and Juliet'.

The types of answers needed:

idioms
short phrases

What types of answers won't be needed:

idioms/phrases limited local (or regional) uses

Ideas I have had:

'considerable impact'
'profound impact'

I was wanting to use an idiom or some sort of phrase for this. Can I please have some suggestions?


texts: "Obstacles along the road to success" vs. "obstacles across the road to success"

texts:
My sister got this question for one of her tests.

  There are many obstacles __ the road to success.

Her options were:

  across
  along

I initially thought that across would make more sense here, as it conveys the meaning “from one side of the road to the other” as in a block of wood placed across my path. However, across could also mean “on the other side” as in “I live across the road”. Therefore, across seems like the more ambiguous term here when compared to along.

Along, therefore, seems like the better choice here. However, it can be argued that along doesn’t necessarily give the impression that the obstacles “cross” my path.

What would be the appropriate term here?


texts:
I wish to have a slogan for a software company. The slogan that I thought of is something like

  "Adapting to your Changes"

What I want to say with that slogan is, our company adapts well with the changes in requirements of the customers.

Is it supposed to be "Adapting with your Changes" instead?


texts:
Why is "Nature" usually spelt with an initial capital letter in scientific journals? I am mainly referring to life science here, in case this matters.

I am not talking about the obvious cases, like capitalisation in titles, at the beginning of a sentence, etc., but when it appears mid-sentence, where one would normally expect it to be lowercase.

I've heard some explanation that it gives the impression of Nature as a goddess (see comments on this post here) - but this is probably the last thing I would have expected in a scientific article...


texts: Comparing negatives (It is nice not to be rude.) vs. (It isn't nice to be rude.)

texts:
What is the difference in style and meaning between the following two in terms of the adjective "nice"?

(It is nice not to be rude.)
(It isn't nice to be rude.)

besides, what is the difference in style and meaning between the following two in terms of the verb "decide"?

(I decided not to come)
(I didn't decide to come.)


texts: If I'm "dictating" am I recording what you say or telling you what to do?

texts:
In a document that I'm writing, I am trying to state that, in the course of conducting a user interview, I am "not simply dictating the desires of the user."  My intention is to indicate that I am not simply recording the desires of the user, but when reading the sentence aloud it sounds like I am not simply prescribing the desires of the user.  Both definitions seem to be correct, according to the dictionary.

Does the connotation of dictate lean more to one definition over the other?
Is there a better word to describe my intent?

(This is my first English.SE question, so please tell me if there is a better way for me to ask a question.)


texts: Usage of that with additional information about the subject

texts:
My objective is to combine following two sentences:

A.  I assume you have access to the books that you were mentioning.

B.  I assume you have those books in digital format.

Possibility 1: I assume you have access to the books (in digital format) that you were mentioning.
I thought of removing double brackets but I think “that” should immediately follow “books”.

Possibility 2:  I assume you have access to the books that you were mentioning in digital format. This also doesn't look good.

I think in this case there is an additional information about books - that they are in digital format.

Is there a suitable way to combine both of the above sentences?


texts: Why is "I go to work by my bicycle" wrong?

texts:
Why must I say

  I go to work every day with my red bicycle

and not

  … by my red bicycle"?

Shouldn't I use by in front of a means of transport?

For example, the following sentence is grammatical:

  If I travel to work every day, the travelling is performed by my bicycle and me.

And from the website, English Teacher Melanie, I learned verbs can be used instead of "by".

  How do you get to work?

  I drive to work.
  … take the bus to work.
  … ride my bike to work.
  … walk to work.
  … take the subway to work.

But she doesn't say "why" I cannot say: I go to work by my red bike.

Why is by wrong in my sentence?


texts: What is the difference between "maybe" and "may be"?

texts: What is the difference in meaning and usage between maybe and may be? Are they synonymous?


texts: "Force" vs. "enforce" vs. "compel" vs. "obligate" vs. "oblige"

texts:
I am trying to write a technical document, and I've been scratching my hair out, since I need to explain things with formal proper technical English, here is my question:

Does

  System shall enforce customer to take a ticket to enter the highway.

sound correct to you? Or should I go with "System shall force/compel/oblige customer to take a ticket"? Which one sounds more suitable to you?


texts: word order with as and multiple adjectives and an article and a noun

texts:
I found a sentence. 'It is as good a racy, romantic historical novel as one could hope to find.'.
Is the word order of 'as good a racy, romantic historical novel' right?
I'm dubious of the location of the article 'a' between good and racy. Shouldn't it go between historical and novel?


texts:
I'm reading in a book:

A work of fine art is “fine” not because it is “refined” or “finished,” but because it is an end (finis, Latin, means end) in itself.

Can anyone corroborate that? Multiple online dictionaries seem to disagree and sites like Wikipedia don't even bother with the etymology of the phrase...


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Is “everyone” singular or plural?

Would the noun following "everyone's" be plural? For example:

  Everyone's heart sank.


texts: add comma for sentence with two verbs with one object?

texts:
Should "and follow" be between commas in the following sentence?

"A person must pledge allegiance to and follow him."


texts: What is the informal phrase to compare two difficult tasks

texts:
To give you the context, let's say you are moving house. Packing stuff is a difficult job as well as moving them to the new place. In my mother language, if I translate it word by word, we say:

  Packing in one side, moving in the other side.

Which means not only packing but also moving is difficult. This can be extended to more than two tasks, for example we can go on and say:

  ...Unpacking is in another side.

Now my question is whether there is a similar pattern in informal English?


texts: Is there a animal equivalent of "party" (group)?

texts:
Example:

  The sheep were being chased by a pack of hounds. Finally, both [...]
  reached a cliff and the sheep, seeing there was no escape, jumped from
  it.

I checked on Google's dictionary and I think parties only applies to humans:

  party
  a group of people taking part in a particular activity or trip.

Is there an animal equivalent? Or something close to it?


texts: Single word for being half in this world, half in some other spooky plane of existence

texts:
I'm looking for a word meaning being part of our mortal real world, and part of the fey/spirit world.

  The moors are haunted by Sigwiff, an ancient witch cursed to the form of a wolf. Part ghostly apparition, and part shadowy manifestation, a _____ existence, trapped between this world and the other.

Similar to “crepuscular” in spookiness factor, and similar in that crepuscular can denote creatures that exist between the two worlds of daylight and night. Ideally not a mundane word, and probably a word of some heritage, but possibly fallen out of modern use. A little bit wanky.

I have explored synonym chains adjacent to ethereal, twilight, otherworldly, fey, metaphysical, unearthly .. to no avail.


texts: Is there one word that can describe a doctor, nurse, etc.? I've come across "medician" but that's an informal usage that's mostly in science fiction. I want to be able to refer to, essentially a medical professional without using two words.


texts: Is it “what movie did you watch?” Or “ which movie did you watch?”

texts: I’m confused about the right way of saying it. Please tell me the correct answer and why it is correct.


texts: Need a synonym for "action" in a specific context

texts:
I need a synonym for the word "action". Here is the sentence where I need a synonym:

When an event occurs, an action is taken.

For example:

When you read this question, you write a comment.


texts:
When we use "like" unnecessarily as has been happening more and more in recent years, such as in the following sentences: "it's like really nice" or "she like dances and stuff", what do we call this "like"?  I've read it can be a conjunction on Dictionary.com but I am unsure.

  conjunction

  19. in the same way as; just as; as:
  It happened like you might expect it would.
  20.as if:
  He acted like he was afraid. The car runs like new.
  21. Informal. (used especially after forms of be to introduce reported speech or thought): She's like, "I don't believe it," and I'm like, "No, it's true!".


texts: What's a word for "quickly and not very carefully or thoroughly checking"?

texts: If I want to say I just quickly check a paragraph of text and didn't find typo, but the checking is quick and not careful or thorough.  What is a good verb for that?


texts: He wants to go to the movies. vs. He wants to go to the movie

texts:
He wants to go to the movies.
He wants to go to the movie.
[Can we use #2?]
He wants to see the movies.
He wants to see the movie.
[Both are okay, right?]
He wants to watch the movies.
He wants to watch the movie.
[Are both okay? Can we use 'watch' insted of 'see'?]
He wants to watch movies.
He wants to watch a movie.
[Are both okay?]


texts: What is the correct pronoun to use when referering to Hatsune Miku?

texts:
This is a question I have been wondering about the last few days, and I'm still not sure if it should be posted here on in the music section, so please excuse me if it's misposted.

Hatsune Miku is a world-wide popstar, taking news and filling concert halls.
What makes her unique is that she is not a human person. She is a VOCALOID, a program. While browsing the interwebs I started to realize I was in conflict with myself. What would be the correct way refering to Miku:

"What is Hatsune Miku?" or "Who is Hatsune Miku?"

From my perspective I see it as "What" defines an object while "Who" defines a living persona, an identity, person you can refer to. Miku efficiently takes both spots as she is originally only a created persona, but have also performed live on concert. Thanks in advance.


texts: I find that this monologue is very hard to understand

texts:
This is monologue from Caddyshack movie, which's become pretty famous internet mem.

And some points of his speech are hard for understanding for me.

  So I jump ship in Hong Kong and make my way over to Tibet, and I get
  on as a looper at a course over in the Himalayas. A looper, you know,
  a caddy, a looper, a jock. So, I tell them I'm a pro jock, and who do
  you think they give me? The Dalai Lama, himself. Twelfth son of the
  Lama. The flowing robes, the grace, bald... striking. So, I'm on the
  first tee with him. I give him the driver. He hauls off and whacks one
  -- big hitter, the Lama -- long, into a ten-thousand foot crevice, right at the base of this glacier. And do you know what the Lama says?
  Gunga galunga...gunga -- gunga galunga. So we finish the eighteenth
  and he's gonna stiff me. And I say, "Hey, Lama, hey, how about a
  little something, you know, for the effort, you know." And he says,
  "Oh, uh, there won't be any money, but when you die, on your deathbed,
  you will receive total consiousness." So I got that goin' for me,
  which is nice.

Hard parts are bold.

I didn't find that kind of profession 'looper' can mean?
Gave him 'driver'? What should that mean?
I don't understand that following sentence means at all
Finish the eighteenth? Again, no idea. Eighteenth as 1980 or what?
And finally what does I got that goin' for me mean?


texts: Usage of the phrase “couldn't help without”

texts:
I am getting confused at the usage of the phrase "couldn't help without."

For example,

  "I couldn't help without answering the call"

Is this correct & what does this sentence mean?


texts: Difference between: "would be", "will be", and "is/are -ing"

texts:
Which one is correct?

Heard you would be going.
Heard you will be going.
Heard you are going.

What differences are there?


texts: What is the meaning behind: ''Mind your Ps and Q's" - how did it originate?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  What does it mean to mind your P's and Q's?

I've heard mothers using this on the playground when talking to their children, but not sure what point they were trying to make to them?


texts: Is the word "buffer" used correctly here?

texts:
The person sitting next to me in the bus today was talking on the phone. One line that intrigued me was:
"I'm not sure that the plan will work, we'll need a buffer."

I doubt that the word buffer fits there.

From Google:

  Buffer: a person or thing that reduces a shock or that forms a barrier between incompatible or antagonistic people or things.

From Dictionary.cambridge.org:

  something or someone that helps protect from harm.

I can understand what he meant when he (perhaps accidentally) used the word, but it doesn't seem to fit at all!


texts: How acceptable/appropriate is the pronunciation of words such as "Christian" and "fortune"/"fortunate" with a [t] sound as opposed to [ʃ]? I personally prefer the former but I believe that it's not that common. Still, I'd like to hear what others have to say here.


texts:
What's the meaning of "get to do something"?

  I get to spend a lot of time with you and the kids.


texts: The word for the sound that a wick of a bomb makes (in the movies)

texts:
The word for the sound that the wick of the bomb makes (in the movies) while it is being burned.

  He lit a wick of the bomb and started running away while the wick was ______ (sizzling? crackling?).


texts: What is the origin of "more bang for the/your buck"?

texts:
The saying "more bang for the/your buck" that is more value in exchange for money or effort has been around since the '50s probably from an adaptation of Pepsi-Cola's 'More Bounce to the Ounce' slogan, which was introduced in 1950" and Ngram shows a considerable increase in usage from the '80s and '90s.
According to the The Phrase Finder:

Most sources credit US Defense Secretary Charles Wilson as the source of the expression 'more bang for your buck'. These invariably point to him having used the phrase in 1953. However, Wilson wasn't the person who coined the phrase, although its increased use in a military context during the time of the Eisenhower administration did bring the expression to wider use.

The first citation of the phrase in print that I can find is an advert in Metals and Plastics Publications, 1940. No advertiser would use a colloquial expression in an advert unless it was understandable to his audience, so I expect there are earlier citations yet to be found.

The following is  from the scientific publication,  Milestones in Analytical Chemistry, and  appears to be from 1935:

By using mathematics and statistics to improve the measurement process, the analytical chemist can get the most out of the data — more analytical bang for your buck, if you will. One aspect of this new specialty was the transform domain.

An article on Minds.com suggests that:

While evidence would suggest the phrase is spawned of military and political circles, there is another possible theory of origin; that it comes from the explosives and mining industry, where it referred to the amount of explosive power per unit of explosive purchased.

Furthermore, some people are convinced that the saying came out of prostitution, and referred to the tendency for men who solicit prostitutes to hire those who would work for longer, or be more exciting. The timeline would it was possible, with the first use of ‘Bang’ meaning “have sexual intercourse with” first being recorded 1937.

Questions:

Was the saying an adaptation from  the Pepsi-Cola ad, or was it an expression already in usage at that time? and if so, what is its origin?
What made the expression so popular through the '80s and '90s? was it used in a famous TV ad for instance?


texts:
What is an adjective that expresses someone's choice to speak up (or to stay silent)?

  Nothing required her to go into the details of the assault. But she wasn't XXX. She stepped forward and gave a full account.

Shy, bashful or reticent isn't what I'm looking for. I want to convey that this is not a decision driven by emotion or by an inherent character trait, but rather a clear-cut rational choice.


texts: How do 'suicide pacts' relate to the US Constitution?

texts:
Justice Jackson's dissent in Terminiello v. City of Chicago, 337 U.S. 1 (1949):

  This Court has gone far toward accepting the doctrine that civil liberty means the removal of all restraints from these crowds and that all local attempts to maintain order are impairments of the liberty of the citizen. The choice is not between order and liberty. It is between liberty with order and anarchy without either. There is danger that, if the Court does not temper its doctrinaire logic with a little practical wisdom, it will convert the constitutional Bill of Rights into a suicide pact.

A ELU user  explained it:

  The phrase "The Constitution is not a suicide pact" contends that the civil rights guaranteed under a constitution (the U.S. Constitution specifically, but I suppose it could apply to any constitution) should not be construed in such a way as to enable the destruction of the society it governs.

But I still don't understand the relevance or metaphor of 'suicide pact'. What/Who metaphorically has agreed to suicide? How've they agreed? What is the  'suicide'? 'Destruction of the society' isn't necessary suicide, e.g. if it's something not agreed that destroys (e.g. civil war, nuclear weapons accident).


texts:
I was rooting about in the OED and one definition is "The fact, condition, or position of being near or close by in space; nearness." Then in the citations for that definition they had:
1872    H. I. Jenkinson Guide Eng. Lake Distr. (1879) 286   Owing to the close proximity to the sea.


texts: Which is right — "all the three" or "all three" in a situation of specific objects?

texts:
Let's imagine, I'm speaking about someone's three specific cars, which are over there, there, and there. Now I'm saying that I have installed a new sound system in all of them. Which is right:

  [...] I have installed a new sound system in all the three cars.
  [...] I have installed a new sound system in all three cars.


texts: How to describe no opening quote in one or few words

texts:
Lets say you have a quote, but without opening "

ex: Sweet mercy is nobility's true badge."

How to describe it with one or few words


texts: What is the correct response to a "does not"

texts:
What is the correct response to the following question: "The purchase price of the property does not exceed £500,000" YES or NO.

The purchase price is £250,000 so less than £500,000. Would I select Yes or No?

Any help would be gratefully received.


texts: How could I use "respectively" to state three actions by subsets of four people?

texts:
For a scientific paper, I need to write these sentences as one sentence using "respectively".

Arnold and Benson [1] proved the claim when X is a rainbow set.
Carlson [2] proved the claim when X is a cloudy set.
Arnold and Davison [3] proved the claim when X is a rainy set.

My first attempt:

When X is a rainbow set, a cloudy set, and a rainy set, the claim was proved by Arnold and Benson [1], Carlson [2], and Arnold and Davison [3], respectively.

However, I am worried this might be ambiguous because there are more people than types of sets and the additional "and"s complicate the list. (Note: Arnold is the co-author of two papers.)
Is my attempt sound, and are there better ways to write this?


texts: Is it okay to have a series of "which"s after a chains of interrelated nouns?

texts:
I have several fragments:

  Samsung 32-bit RISC ARM 1176JZ(F)-S v1.0
  a processor code developed by Samsung
  the processor code uses ARM 1176JZ(F)-S v1.0 core
  ARM 1176JZ(F)-S v1.0 core is based on ARMv6Z architecture
  ARMv6Z architecture belongs to ARM11 family
  ARM11 family is a family of ARM architecture 32-bit Reduced instruction set computing (RISC) microprocessor cores

I want to join them all into a single sentence:

  Samsung 32-bit RISC ARM 1176JZ(F)-S v1.0 is a processor code developed
  by Samsung that uses ARM 1176JZ(F)-S v1.0 core which is based on
  ARMv6Z architecture which belongs to ARM11 family which is a family of
  ARM architecture 32-bit Reduced instruction set computing (RISC)
  microprocessor cores

Is it okay to have a series of whichs after a chain of interrelated nouns?


texts: Is there a simple word for a person born of immigrants?

texts: My friend's parents are both from Colombia, but he was born here in the U.S., and I was wondering if there was a non-offensive term for somebody born of immigrants who is a native citizen.


texts: Efficient way to describe someone employed but not at the place you're talking about

texts:
The context

I'm describing a particular type of school: privately-owned, a very specific subject taught, and along with the actual employees of the school, there are "coaches" who currently work doing the same job that the students are currently learning. These coaches are not paid directly a salary by the school, but depending on the amount the school was able to receive for each student hired at any given company, the coach receives a percentage of the amount.

These "coaches" are described in the text now as "...with the guidance of currently-working coaches incentivized on the success of the participants".

I think that describing these coaches as "currently-working" is a little clunky. It doesn't imply that:

These coaches are currently-working doing the exact same job
These coaches are not actually working for the school, as the bonus they receive is not enough to live on

Any ideas? Am I over-thinking this? If you came across that phrase would you understand what it's implying?


texts: Grammaticality of "What is there there?"

texts:
If someone says

  I am going to the market

I may ask

  What is there at the market?

If someone says

  I am going to the bookstore

I may ask

  What is there at the bookstore?

If someone says

  I am going there

is it then correct to say

  What is there there?

It seems correct following the pattern, but it sounds weird.


texts: Isn't there something wrong with the emphasized time constraints?

texts: "The ambitious long-term plan was for twenty English ships to sail annually through the Mediterranean during the winter months, with sufficient commodities to turn a profit in Turkey." (Jerry Brotton, This Orient Isle- Elizabethan England and the Islamic World)


texts: Is this free indirect speech ? " ........and would I please ..... " And why is "please" necessary?

texts:
I would like to ask a question about the expression, “...and would I please ....  . ”  Which appeared in a mystery novel. I’ve been wondering what the expression means. And why is the word “please” in there?

After studying this expression, I’ve found this used in two ways. One is used as the example A:  ...... and would I please ….., which I came across while reading as I said.
The other is as in the example B:  Would I please …..   Are they the same in meaning in both cases?

Example A: Before we started filming, Dickie wrote to me saying that Jane was
           going to be in the film, and would I please be nice to her.
           (My Word is My Bond: The Autobiography　By Roger Moore)
          I got married and quit teaching for a while, but during World War II,
          when my husband Comer was overseas, Frankell School had dwindled until
         it was just one room. There was about a dozen children going there then.
          They came to me and said would I please come; they needed a teacher.
         (From The Empty Schoolhouse: Memories of One-Room Texas Schools)

Example B: Yes, I discovered the North Pole in April, 1809. But shortly after I
           got there the polar bears came to me in a body and told me there was a
           great deal of coal there, buried beneath the snow. They knew, they
           said, that human beings would do anything, and go anywhere, to get
           coal. So would I please keep it a secret Because…….
           (From The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle)


texts: Why 'corner' in the idiom 'Round the corner'?

texts: I know the idiom round the corner means very near. My question is, why round and corner? What is the connection between 'round' and 'corner'?


texts: What do you call someone who is always looking for loopholes?

texts: As someone who is always looking to find their way out of or through a situation with the use of loopholes.


texts:
Over the weekend, I watched a talking head on TV saying the following sentence.

  An economic recovery will come faster, not sooner.

I can't make proper sense of this as both are synonymous to me. I cannot find this as a common phrase either.

Has anyone got an explanation for this statement? What are the differences between faster and sooner in this context?


texts: One word for "unworthy of consideration"

texts:
If you're faced with two options and one of them is
more worthy of consideration,
as in it takes less of your time, making the other option
more "unworthy of consideration".
It has a clear disadvantage that needs to be highlighted with a "strong" adjective.

"unconsiderworthy" was the word I thought would fit but it seems it's not a word. (although atleast one other person has used it)

edit: agreeing with the comments, changed the phrasing.


texts: Is there a better way to write 'pre processing and post processing'?

texts: Can pre processing and post processing be replaced with pre and post processing? Is it grammatically correct?


texts:
This is a technical text

  Looking back at the code, anyone that's not a member of
  [db_accessadmin] or [db_owner] is going to attempt to run a DBCC
  command they aren't authorized to run. Color me nonplussed. Maybe the
  developer knows something I don't. But since the command is
  undocumented, all I can do is guess.

I can't find a reference to this expression. What does it means?


texts: Is there a term for these ... uh ... rhetorical devices?

texts:
SCENARIO ONE

PRESIDENT. I want you to give me seventeen trillion dollars for the new space program.

CONGRESS. Are you kidding? He's nuts. I can't believe he actually said that. What's the matter with you? Are you out of your mind? No way. No way. Forget it. Don't even think about it.

PRESIDENT. Well, then at least give me ten billion for the Free Hookers for Senators program.

CONGRESS. Well, that at least sounds reasonable. A bit steep, perhaps, but, hey, at least it sounds a sane as opposed to the other one.

Now the whole purpose of the exercise was to get the ten billion for the hookers. The President expected them to turn down the first one.

SCENARIO TWO

An article in a major newspaper reads: "Even such benighted country bumpkins as the natives of Austin, Texas, know that the most important thing in the world is not to allow Donald Trump to get elected."

The purpose here was to convince everybody that people who live in Austin are benighted country bumpkins. The author knew that the second point (the Trump issue) was going to infuriate everybody (for various reasons), allowing the first point (giving Austin a bad reputation) to sink unnoticed directly into the readers' subconscious.

My question is: is there a term for this trick (okay, rhetorical device)?
Bonus question: did the Greeks know about it? Did THEY have a name for it?


texts:
Which of the following options are correct?

  [Some context] that is relevant to my employment with the company.
  [Some context] that is relevant to my employment at the company.


texts: Origin of using the phrase "folks" to refer to parents

texts: Why can the phrase "your folks" be used to refer to "your parents"? What is the origin of this usage?


texts: What would someone who is prejudiced against a country be called?

texts:
The reason why I asked was because I saw a movie and that question came up in my mind.

Racist doesn't seem to be the right word, as country doesn't necessarily imply race.

An example of how it might be used would be:

  This movie was about a group of ______ who victimised immigrants from
  the neighbouring country.


texts: Why do we put the verb to be at the end of these questions?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Changing subject and verb positions in statements and questions

Look at the following questions - can anyone give a simple grammatical explanation as to why we put the verb to be at the end of these questions:

Can you tell me where the hospital is?

Do you know where the children are?

Do you know what the answer is?

This is confusing to learners as they are used to seeing the verb to be in questions at the beginning such as:

Is the hospital near here?

Are the children in school?


texts: "Synchronous events" and "synchronized swimmers" — what is the difference?

texts:
In JavaScript, why does synchronous and asynchronous appear to be the opposite to their definition?

Synchronous (in JavaScript this refers to running in sequence):

  occurring at the same time; coinciding in time; contemporaneous; simultaneous.
  going on at the same rate and exactly together; recurring together.

Asynchronous (in JavaScript this refers to something like AJAX):

  not occurring at the same time.
  (of a computer or other electrical machine) having each operation started only after the preceding operation is completed.


texts: In "Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, does "ay" mean "yes" or "always"?

texts:
And since that time it is eleven years,
  For then she could stand alone. Nay, by the rood,
  She could have run and waddled all about,
  For even the day before, she broke her brow.
  And then my husband—God be with his soul!
  He was a merry man—took up the child.
  “Yea,” quoth he, “Dost thou fall upon thy face?
  Thou wilt fall backward when thou hast more wit,
  Wilt thou not, Jule?” and, by my holy dame,
  The pretty wretch left crying and said “ay.”

The dictionary entry that comes first has this to say about "ay":

[ey]

adverb, Archaic.

ever; always.

The one that says it is a variant of "aye" is third on the list.

Here's the dictionary entry

Both meanings fit perfectly; the former ("always") is a dash more comical.

Which is it?


texts:
This is my first question here. My specific doubt does not seem to have been already answered, so here I am!

My questions are:

• What is the word 'alls', morphologically speaking?

• Would you be able to point its standard use, if there is any?

• Is the following sentence grammatical and/or acceptable? Is it a colloquialism?

"[...] they counterbalance acid and bitter flavors, thus making his recipe alls more enjoyable and adaptive to the tastes of every person."

Thank you in advance. Cheers!


texts:
Is there a short form for word Available as in qty for Quantity? I do not even think that "short from" is the right word for what I'm after. If that's so then what is this form called? Shorthand maybe?

Thanks.


texts: Adverb modifier within prepositional phrase

texts:
I need help understanding the rule for the word "possibly" in the following sentence:

"This investigation was initiated due to an alert on an internal monitoring system for possibly structured cash activity."

I was told it should be "possible" because it is the object of a preposition. I argued "possibly" is an adverb modifying structured. I just need to understand the rule.


texts: Why is the 't' in 'nextdoor neighbour' usually silent? Where's the 't' in 'postman' gone? And why do people say 'guess book' for 'guest book'?

texts:
The words next-door neighbour and postdoc are nearly always said without a 't'. The Oxford Dictionary online gives the transcription as /pəʊs(t)ˈdɒk/, and the audio clearly says the word without a /t/ sound. You can listen here.

Where does this /t/ go to and why is it allowed to disappear? I looked at the top-rated answer answer to this question here: Why is "cupboard" pronounced with a silent "p"?

That answer states that it is because the 't' and the 'd' in postdoc and next-door neighbour are the same apart from that t is voiceless and d isn't. When two consonants are made in the same way in the same part of the mouth like this, then one of them can disappear. That's what it says. But, I double checked with some other English Language scholars and they say that this isn't true at all.

They point out lots of examples where the 't' usually disappears but the next consonant isn't a /d/, isn't made in the same place, and isn't the same type of consonant. For example guest book is normally pronounced guess book. Here are some more:

postman
mostly
left me
left-field
kept calm
disruptment
abruptly
mustn't

They also pointed out the following where we get a /dt/ or /td/ sequence, but neither the /d/ nor the /t/ can be missed out.

bedtime [*bed ime]
head teacher [*head eacher]
feet don't hurt [*fee don't hurt]
meltdown  [*meldown]

What's going on? Is there a phonological rule here? And where have all those /t/s gone?


texts:
In a 1987 'Advanced Dungeons & Dragons' role-playing game accessory ("Book Of Lairs II" by various authors), and specifically in a scenario where humans are chasing a leprechaun down man-sized warren tunnels, I have:

  the din has obviously been smoothed [over the trap]

and later:

  he shows them which rock to roll away from the din wall [to reveal the secret handle].

Does "din" have a meaning other than "loud noise"? Could it be a double transcription/OCR error (my guess), and if so, what was the word most likely used originally?


texts:
I'm trying to parse this sentence:

  I had to have my immune system completely wiped out with chemotherapy.

sbj: I
vrb: {had to} have
obj: my immune system

Is "completely wiped out with chemotheraphy" a participle phrase modifying system or is it a complement of "my immune system"?


texts:
I am confused if I should use a comma in the following series? Note that there is no "and" in the series, and all the three adjectives, i.e., powerful, high-throughput and low-complexity are modifying the word "decoder".

This requires a powerful high-throughput low-complexity soft-output decoder for LDPC codes.

or

This requires a powerful, high-throughput, low-complexity, soft-output decoder for LDPC codes.


texts: Usage of that: There are many reasons [that] I am confident [that] I will excel at this job

texts:
I always find it hard to see when it's best to use "that". Which of these sounds best?

There are many reasons I am confident I will excel at this job.
There are many reasons that I am confident I will excel at this job.
There are many reasons I am confident that I will excel at this job.
There are many reasons that I am confident that I will excel at this job.

Are there ways of looking at this that I can apply elsewhere?
Is there a completely different formulation that works better?


texts: Is there a specific name for this kind of water dispenser?

texts: I see these water jars in many food service areas (hotels, company cafeteria, etc).  I'm wondering if there is a specific name for them.  "Water dispenser" seems too unspecific.  I wonder if they original from a certain style or region, which does have a name?


texts: Word for "those of the other side of a division"

texts:
Consider:

  These challenges result in a division of the female members of society: there are those who chose to continue with the parasitic life, and those who reject it and strive for transcendence. The transcendents have no solidarity with the [members of the other side/division]

Is there such a word for this?


texts: What's the meaning of "I found myself in a Voltairian position"

texts: It was about someone defending a group of people and at some point, he said the expression "I found myself in a Voltairian position", what's the meaning behind that? I have read about Voltaire and I didn't find any reference to why might someone say such a sentence.


texts: A proper closing expression for informal email

texts: What is an expression that you can use at the end of an informal email, when you forgot something and want to add it to the email after your signature?


texts: What does "rose 2.27% on the month" mean?

texts:
I read a sentence:

  Industrial production rose 2.27 percent on the month in April after surging 33.04 percent in March, with year-on-year growth picking up from a decline of 1.1 percent to an increase of 3.9 percent.

What does "on the month" mean here? Does it mean "month to date"?


texts: Can "fainted" and "lost consciousness" be interchanged?

texts:
Fainted (dictionary.com):

  A temporary loss of consciousness resulting from a decreased flow of blood to the brain

It says that "fainted" is a loss of consciousness from a decreased flow of blood.

So, if I were to say:

  After hitting his head with a metal bat, he fainted away.

Would that not make sense because he didn't really "faint" away, but more like "lost consciousness" because of a concussion?


texts: Phrase for people who make unrecognized contributions

texts: I am seeking a better way to convey "people who help in so many ways yet, remain largely unrecognized," so that we can recognize and award them as a special group at our meetings. The words previously used were "Under the Radar Award".


texts: what's the difference between participate and participate in?

texts:
As in "Independent music labels also will participate, said other people familiar with the matter." and "Independent music labels also will participate in, said other people familiar with the matter."
thank you.


texts: Word or phrase for a person who is impatient and likes studying new things by example?

texts:
Is there a specific word or phrase to describe a person who is

impatient learning new things
dislikes reading lengthy passages
always likes learning by example plus doing experiments in parallel?

Note that I am the person in question.


texts:
I heard this phrase

  We're all each other has.

in Family Guy and a quick googling shows about a hundred thousand occurrences. It sounds really strange to me. I would say

  We are all we have.

Now that I think of it, "We are all we have" technically means "We have us" rather than "We have each other", although I suppose context could render the two meanings equivalent.

In "We're all each other has", however, it is emphasized that "We have each other". Here each other is used as the subject rather than the object (of the subordinate clause), which seems illogical. Is this usage acceptable in standard English? If not, is it uncommon? I mean, does it hit the ear wrong for native speakers? Should I avoid using it even in informal speech?


texts: If you cut a part in two (parts vs. pieces)

texts: If you cut something in half, do you get two parts or two pieces? Do they convey different meanings? This is in the context of a mechanical part physically cut in two.


texts: Which is correct? Users who or Users that?

texts:
I'm often confused by the correct use for "who" and "that".  I believed always that "who" in a sentence refers to people or persons and "that" refers to inanimate objects, machines, animals, etc.

In the case of:  "SATA III SSD drives are ideal for users that demand maximum performance." I believe should read: "SATA III SSD drives are ideal for users who demand maximum performance."

Gregg


texts: Question on indefinite article (in couple weeks or in a couple weeks)

texts:
I have a question on indefinite articles.
I thought a is only used with singular nouns, by definition.

Why is "in a couple weeks" the right way? Isn't a couple weeks more than one?
I thought it would be "in couple weeks" but I see everywhere that it's used as "in a couple weeks". Can someone please be kind and explain why this is so?


texts:
I saw this expression used in a Washington Post article about the possibility of an Israeli military strike against Iran's nuclear program:

  US officials don’t think that [Israeli prime minister] Netanyahu has made a final decision to attack, and they note that top Israeli intelligence officials remain sceptical of the project. But senior Americans doubt that the Israelis are bluffing. They’re worrying about the guns of spring — and the unintended consequences.


texts: A word for attempting to induce/force nostalgia

texts:
For instance, at Christmas time people often attempt to induce a state of nostalgia. Listening to old music, telling old stories, baking certain foods, ect.

I believe I've heard a term for this but I just can't find it via google search.


texts:
Both of these words begin with the same three letters, and both of them seem to come from Latin (according to http://www.etymonline.com) both in the 15th c. I'm wondering if there is any connection from further back?

Work is kinda slow today.


texts: What to call a reservation that turns into a booking automatically in the future?

texts:
Suppose, you want to book a hotel room.

After seven days the reservation expires and you have to manually confirm the reservation. Hence, I call it an "expiring reservation".
After seven days the reservation also expires but is turned into a booking automatically. One would have to manually cancel the reservation before the due date.

I want a word for the second kind of reservation that conveys the meaning of "turns into a booking in the future unless you opt out". I thought about "future booking", yet I don't find it ideal. (It's not a booking, if you opt out there are no fees involved.)

I want a short wording that makes the distinction between these two types of reservations as clear as possible.


texts: Austen's usage of the word "condescension"

texts:
I looked up the definition of "condescension" both in Merriam-Webster and the Oxford dictionary, both of which imply a negative connotation to the meaning, where the act of emphasizing one's superiority seems important.

However, in Pride and Prejudice, Austen used this in quite a different setting. Mr. Collins often uses this as a seemingly positive adjective to describe Lady Catherine and even in the narrator parts, it is used in a relatively positive light. Out of the several usages, here's an example:

  Mr. Collin's triumph, in consequence of this invitation was complete.
  The power of displaying the grandeur of his patroness to his wondering
  visitors, and of letting them see her civility towards himself and his
  wife, was exactly what he had wished for; and that an opportunity of
  doing it should be given so soon, was such an instance of Lady
  Catherine's condescension, as he knew not how to admire enough.

Another example:

  She is all affability and condescension, and I doubt not but you will
  be honoured with some portion of her notice when service is over

I don't understand the meaning in the context here. Is this a known alternative meaning?


texts: how describe something that happens without you realizing it, but it is a nice/good thing?

texts: It could be be unwittingly, but the word has a negative connotation as it may be related to ignorance. I'm looking for a more positive concept.


texts: Is there one word for "air-conditioner"?

texts: I find the word "air-conditioner" quite clumsy. I wonder if there exists a simpler word meaning the same thing.


texts: Which is correct? "It's products like this" - "It's products like these"?

texts:
first question here. Hope I'm doing it right.

English is my native language, and the first option sounds correct to me. "Bitcoin is great, it's products like this which are driving innovation, etc." (just to give you an idea of the type of sentence I have at hand.

It's this seemingly contrasting singular / plural aspect that is making it extremely hard to explain why it is that I believe the first is correct.

The subject of my sentence is singular (in the example above it's Bitcoin), which is why I'm using the third person "it", and then "this".

I think it boils down to "products" throwing people off here. Long story short, am I right in using "it's products like this", or should I be saying "these", and presume that along with Bitcoin there are other - unspoken things that are part of this sentence?

Thanks!


texts: what descriptor term would you use to describe (a) humans and (b) AI?

texts:
The closest thing I can think of is 'species,' but that feels wrong. Specifically I'm wanting a word that can be used to describe communication between human and AI like "interspecies" but, again, that feels wrong.

Sentence would be "The technology allows for interspecies communication between humans and AI.

Thanks for the help y'all!!


texts: What do you call the action of someone tackling a stronger person?

texts:
I was looking for a word, a verb specifically, to describe the situation or action when a weak person challenges a stronger opponent into fight, although they know they have no chance of winning.

What verb can best be used to describe the act of a party challenging the other stronger side to fight?

For example, we can say that person A is aggressive and warmonger. But, I am looking more for a verb phrase to describe this to create a sentence like the following:

  A provokes B into a fight

or

  A solicits a fight from B.

As you see "provoke" does not connotate the concept of challenging someone stronger and bigger to a conflict. It would be good if there is verb or a phrase to describe this situation.


texts:
I am confused in the following questions:

If i were/was a rich man.

I was rich.

If i were a rich man sounds correct to me but were is used after plural

Please answer this question.


texts: What is the name for a training field for dogs? Where owners bring their canines to tame / train them together with other owners.


texts:
I have the following sentence:

  (...) these dates are subject to change.

Should that, instead, read:

  (...) these dates may be subject to change.

Are only one of these usages correct?  I want it to be interpreted to mean that the dates may change.  (but they may not necessarily change)

My guess is that we're working with the following definition of subject (from dictionary.com):

  19: (Adjective) open or exposed (usually followed by to): subject to ridicule.

I think that would make the first quote valid.  But how about the second?


texts:
What is the unit for a blueberry?
how do you count each blueberries?

  ex) 3 pieces of cake
      2 slices of pizza
      5 ?? of blueberry

Edit: Do the following sentences sound natural?

  Blueberries are so expensive in Korea. They cost almost 1$ for 10
  pieces.


texts:
Why can't it be "all things happen for reasons" but "all things happen for a reason"?

Please help! I am stuck in here!


texts: A job with an important title but no real responsibility

texts: What's the word for a job with an important title but no real responsibility?


texts: Should there be an apostrophe in the sign "residents parking". A quick Google search suggests there shouldn't. But why not? Is "residents" an adjective?


texts: What does “more cowbell” mean? Has it gotten the currency as an idiom or a buzz word?

texts:
I saw the article reporting 2011 Mark Twain Prize giving ceremony held on October 23rd at Kennedy Center, under the title “At Mark Twain shebang, comics clank a cowbell or two for Will Ferrell” in the October 24 issue of Washington Post.

I was arrested with the expression “comics clank a cowbell or two,” and then found another “cowbell” in the subsequent sentence:

“If you are a fan of the SNL sketch “cowbell,” you have got to tell Will,” Andy Samberg told the audience, “since the entire world still beg him for “more cowbell.”

As I wasn’t clear about what “clank a cowbell or two” and “more cowbell” mean, I checked some online dictionaries and found the following definition of “more cowbell” in the Urban Dictionary:

more cowbell - A quote from a Saturday Night Live skit featuring Blue Oyster Cult members recording "Don't Fear the Reaper" with a producer telling them to add "more cowbell". A funny pun on the cowbell in the song by BOC.
Billy: "It needs more cowbell!"
Joe: "LOLLERSKATES!"

From this I guess “more cowbell” means “more animation (ginger or substance)" or "sound volume" though I’m not sure. Tell me if I’m wrong. But what does “comics clank a cowbell or two” mean?

Why is “more cowbell” in singular form while "a cowbell or two" is in countable (noun) form? Is it because the former is used as an abstract noun and the latter is a material noun?

Is either “more cowbell” or "clank a cowbell" getting (or has it gotten) currency as an idiom or a buzz word?  The “cowbell” is clamoring for me to ask a spell of questions.


texts: General rule for pronouncing initialisms?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Pronouncing acronyms

Some initialisms are pronounced letter by letter, some as a word. Is there a general rule as when to use which pronunciation for acronyms that are new and don't have well established pronunciation yet?

I've seen a lot of confusion, especially in the IT world. For example WSGI — most often letters names, but it's popularly pronounced as  wizz-gy or even whiskey. Of older examples SQL most often pronounced as letter names, but officially it should be pronounced sequel.


texts:
The expression "is the new"  is often used to introduce a comparison between two things, where the latter has actually replaced the former in terms of popularity. The only reference I could find for this expression is from the Cambridge Dictionary:

Brown, green, etc. is the new black:

  used to say that something is the most popular or fashionable colour or thing at the moment:
  Designers say that brown is the new black.

The expression is actually widely used in many different contexts. Here are a few usage examples:

  He says that development is the new name for peace. The Church in Africa and the New Evangelisation:...
  Yes, naptime really is the new happy hour. -  From Naptime Is the New Happy Hour: And Other Ways Toddlers Turn Your Life Upside ...
  In an epoch of singularity, perversity and eccentricity, mavericks and rebels have become our models, and style is the new morality. The New Penguin Dictionary of Modern Quotations

Questions:

Did the expression "is the new" originate in the world of fashion as the Cambridge Dictionary appears to suggest?
Was the set phrase originally an AmE one?


texts: Why are "in (dimension)" measurements used?

texts:
The rock is six feet in height.   The rock is six feet tall.
The rock is nine feet in width.   The rock is nine feet wide.
The rock is ten tons in weight.   The rock weighs ten tons.
I don't understand why the "in" forms are used. They seem pretentious, and they add words to no purpose. Does anyone know why "in" isn't out?


texts: What is a comma splice without a verb called?

texts:
Take as an example the sentence:
"The monk is skinny, his arms lean from years of cardiovascular exercise."
I've seen similar sentences and am curious about the grammar, since a similar sentence (with a comma splice) would be:
"The monk is skinny, his arms are lean from years of cardiovascular exercise."
Is this wrong (the first example - I know the comma splice is often frowned upon though controversial)? I've seen some serious authors do this so I assume it's not but I don't know how it works.


texts: The King James edition of the Bible, 'an Hebrew'

texts:
The use of the articles 'a' and 'an' are related to the noun in which they precede. If the first letter of the noun is a vowel one would use the article 'an', and if the first letter is a consonant, the article 'a' is used. However there are exceptions to the rule, if the first letter of the noun is silent, and the second being a vowel, then 'an' would be used.

Example: We would say, 'an hour' not 'a hour', because the 'h' is silent.

When reading the Bible, the term 'an Hebrew' is used. Is this telling us how the noun 'Hebrew' was pronounced when the King James edition of the Bible was released? The pronunciation being silent in the 'h'.


texts: Term for a phrase that gives scope to a definite article?

texts: Is there a grammatical term for a phrase that supplies the scope for a definite article?  Like "the man in the moon" or "the book on the shelf"?


texts: Around 1970 in Britain, was this use of 'shall', in 'You shall go (=I let you go)', already out-of-date in daily conversation?

texts:
A striking grammatical difference between BE and AE is the various uses of auxiliary verbs (now, modal verbs) of will and shall. When I was a high school boy studying English without any chance of speaking English, we were taught in the English grammar class a special use of shall, used particularly in the second and third persons ‘to represent the will of the speaker’ rather than that of the subject as in ‘You shall have the money tomorrow’ often paraphrased into ‘I will give you the money.’ Some more examples are found in Collins Grammar on the web:

The president shall hold office for five years.
Member states shall decide the conditions for granting access to the labour market for the applicant.

But I am not speaking about this use usually seen in regulations or legal documents, but sentences to imply a command, promise or threat made by the speaker. Some examples are cited in Wikipedia:

You shall regret it before long. (speaker's threat)
You shall not pass! (speaker's command)
You shall go to the ball. (speaker's promise)

And another is also given in Leech’s Grammar (1987).

Good dog, you shall have a bone when we get home.

These four examples suggest that this is in actual use even today. But, from my own long experience of studying English, I have assumed that around 1970 in Great Britain, this special use of shall was already out-of-date or old-fashioned in daily conversation or informal writings. Can I have some guidance about my assumption, or some information or data on this special use of shall?