texts:
A while back, when we learnt how to remove the caffeine from coffee beans, we coined the word decaffeinated to denote coffee that's had the caffeine taken out.

I've noticed more and more recently, as decaffeinated coffee has increased in popularity and availability, that the term caffeinated has crept in to describe coffee that has not been decaffeinated.

Does this make sense? The -ate suffix surely denotes an active process that is applied to something. So one can decaffeinate by removing the caffeine; but unless one is attempting to create some kind of super-coffee, one wouldn't ever caffeinate it. One would only leave it unprocessed. It doesn't undergo caffeination.

If we applied the same construction to other terms, we'd get outright nonsense. I haven't had a heart attack; does that mean I'm fibrillated? Nor have I been beheaded recently; am I thereby capitated?

The Ngram graph for this looks interesting. It seems that caffeinated came in some time after decaffeinated, so presumably is a back formation. But bizarrely, caffeinated seems to have overtaken its more etymologically respectable cousin in the last few years! Why on earth would that be?

UPDATE: it's been pointed out in comments below that decaffeinated often gets abbreviated to decaf, and that if you combine these terms, decaf(feinated) is still winning the race.


texts: Who is the original coiner of the word 'linkrot'?  Does anyone know?


texts: Using "key to" vs "keys to" for a single key

texts: Why is it considered acceptable to say "keys to the house" even when there is only one singular key?


texts: the usage of "such + singular countable noun"?

texts:
Such activity may or may not be illegal, and often involves cartels and lobbying for rules that benefit a firm at the expense of competitors and customers.

I read this sentence from an article. What really baffles me is that should it be  "Such an activity" instead of "Such activity", since "activity" is a countalbe noun.


texts: Adjective for "Cover up or conceal nefarious activity"

texts:
What is an adjective describing behavior used to cover up or conceal nefarious activity, as in a "smoke screen"?
For example:

  His _____ nightly coughing fits were meant to drown out the rattle of the window opening as the girl crept in.


texts: Affirmative reference for the origin of “caucus”

texts:
Etymonline gives a rather noncommitting origin for the word caucus:

  perhaps from caucauasu "counselor, elder, adviser" in the Algonquian dialect of Virginia, or the Caucus Club of Boston, a 1760s social & political club whose name possibly derived from Mod. Gk. kaukos "drinking cup."

Do other references exist that give a different origin, or a more detailed one?


texts: Conceptual abstract representational grouping name for values/things

texts:
It becomes obvious in software development when trying to name a column in DB (entity property in code).

When it comes to naming columns in tables, i look at the values that that column is going to hold and start typing those values on the web, as keywords, trying to find the abstract concept name for them. It takes time and sometimes i end up giving stupid multi-word names.

I am looking for a word, let me call it xxx, to be my first search keyword (like synonym, antonym) to find the name of the abstract concept of the values.

Let me give an example: suppose i am trying to name a column which is going to hold the following values: male, female. If i google "what is xxx of male female", the search result should return "gender".

There must be a word and this must have been answered already, sorry, but, i have not found it, yet. So i am writing here in case somebody redirects me to the answer i am looking for.

EDIT:

I am trying to find their grouping (thanks to @Nitvin) name (kind of reverse-engineering). I am looking for a word; for it, the sentence would be something like this:

xxx of red, blue, white, green: color, hue, shade, ting, ..

xxx of male, female: gender, sex, ..

xxx of Black, Hispanic, White: race

Thank you.


texts: What is the expression for being unwilling to pay a (small) fine rather than spend much more to avoid it?

texts:
The example in my mind is an entire Myth book where the heroes go on a huge adventure trying to recapture a fugitive because they have been deemed "responsible" for its escape. After many hardships, they succeed and, while resting at home, find out that the fine for failure was, like $50.

The point being: figure out what the cost of failure is before spending an infinite amount on success.

For corporations, they are obligated to make a business decision which maximizes net profit; hence paying a $10,000 fine (if they get caught) rather than spend $50,000 cleaning up. They are not evil, just playing the game as we have defined it.

For consumers, it might be paying a little more for an appliance rather than spending lots of time researching the best possible deal, or risking an unknown brand or DIY solution. It is trading extra money for time and assurance.

What is the name for this trade-off?
Is it the opposite or inverse of perfectionism? Pragmatism?


texts:
I understand "yo" is meant to be used as hello or for emphasizing something. But lets say in a situation where I am texting with someone and at the end of that conversation using "yo" instead of "ok" is correct. Lets take this text for instance.

  Me : Yo

  Roommate : sup

  Me: The internet ain't working.

  Roommate : Yeah I got the email. I will recharge it later.

  Me: Thanks dude.

  Roommate : Yo.

In this situation, the roommate is using "yo" for saying "yeah kool, bye".

Can yo be used like that or its just wrong to use "yo" to end a conversation even when texting?

PS: I am sorry If this question has already been asked.


texts: Is "misspecification" a correct/real word?

texts:
In scientific publications, I like to refer to "misspecification(s)" of models. While the dictionary of my LaTeX-Editor complains that this is not a correct word, it is for example used in the wikipedia article on statistical model specification (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statistical_model_specification).

I am convinced that everyone reading my publicatons will understand what I mean by the word. So, is it a real word I can use, or should it be avoided? What would be a proper alternative?


texts: What's a word for the ability to discern another's mental state?

texts:
I want to avoid some common implications of empathy: that it's mostly involuntary, and that it involves some re-experiencing of the other's feelings. I'm looking for a more general word (or, less ideally, short phrase) that could easily apply both to someone empathetic and to Hannibal Lecter.

On the other hand, I'm not looking for an overly general word like perspicacity or discernment; I'm hoping for something that's specifically about perceiving other people's emotions and motivations.

Ideally I'm hoping for a noun, but a verb ("to exercise this ability") or adjective ("possessed of the ability") would be helpful too.


texts:
Can ‘of yet’ be used with the same meaning of ‘as of yet’? For example:

  Most importantly, he’s found footprints of dinosaurs that we haven’t found bones of yet.

Does this mean the same thing as the following?

  Most importantly, he's found footprints of dinosaurs that we haven't found bones as of yet?


texts:
I was taught that when interfere is followed by in, it means to get involved in something that doesn't concern you;  when followed by with, it means to prevent something from being done.  And this is confirmed by British English speakers on the other sources I have read.

However, when I looked up this word in Dictionary.com, I just found this entry: 2. to take part in the affairs of others; meddle (often followed by with  or in ).

Is this a difference between American English and British English? As an American English speaker, will you also use interfere + with (as it says in Dictionary.com) when you are trying to express, for example, "Don't interfere in other people's business"?


texts: Formal salutation of a servant to a child?

texts:
Let's say I have someone like Alfred Pennyworth. Such a person would obviously address the man and woman of the house as "Sir" and "Madam". (For example, "Would sir care for a beverage?")

How could this hypothetical person address a very small child?

The "traditional" answer seems to be "master <name>", but this seems really odd for a really young (possibly only just learning to talk) child. In Spanish, it would be "señorito" rather than "señor", but I'm not aware of a direct English equivalent.

The best I've been able to come up with is "the boy". Is there anything else, or am I stuck with either "master" or "the boy"?


texts: Where does the punctuation belong (when the parenthetical phrase has its own!)?

texts:
This answer on a nearly identical question has some comments but no answers that seem to fully address this question, though I think this one comes close.

An example:

  What if I make the menu for the week (or two weeks, since you shop for two weeks, right?)? Then you don't have to worry about it.

Or

  What if I make the menu for the week (or two weeks, since you shop for two weeks, right)? Then you don't have to worry about it.

Or

  What if I make the menu for the week (or two weeks, since you shop for two weeks, right?) Then you don't have to worry about it.

All of these seem pretty awkward. Is there any rule for this?


texts:
I found the phrase “lend a cachet” in the following sentence of the New York Times’ (November 11) article, titled “Picking brand names in China is a business itself”:

  “For some products, having a foreign-sounding name lends a cachet that a true Chinese name would lack. Many upscale brands like Cadillac (Ka di la ke), or Hilton (Xi er dun), employ phonetic translations that mean nothing in Chinese. Rolls-Royce (Laosi-Laisi) includes two Chinese characters for “labor” and “plants” that more or less have become standard usage in foreign names - all to achieve a distinct foreign look and sound. “

I understand “lend a cachet” implies “give prestige, or add prestigious image” from the context of the above statement.

I checked both Cambridge and Merriam-Webster online dictionaries to find neither of them registers “lend a cachet.”

On Google, I found the following examples of the phrase in use.

Her presence lends a certain cachet to the company. – The Free Dictionary.
Where's the party? Sun Bowl lends cachet to Camino Real's New Year's bash. - El Paso Times.

From the above, I realized “lend a cachet” is a simple combination of “lend” and “cachet,” not an idiom that I first conceived. However, is “lend a cachet” frequently used phrasing as opposed to other plain expressions, say “give prestige or “add a fashionable (Western) image”?


texts: French: "triangle rectangle" in English?

texts: How could I say "triangle rectangle" in English? For non-french people, it's a triangle which has an angle of 90°.


texts:
Today, I could use "a technology" to mean a mechanical or industrial development:

  The most important transportation technology during that era was the railroad.

According to etymonline.com, "technology" in this usage isn't known to occur before 1859.

What term would someone use in the 1700s for a technology?

For example, Thomas Jefferson might have referred to the printing press, the steam engine, and the thermometer as "three ___s".


texts: better and best as forms of adjective and adverb

texts: Why do both 'good' and 'well' have the same suppletive comparative and superlative forms in English? What were the steps in that historic process? Were these two words borrowed with these forms or is it something that occurred in OE? Unfortunately I can't find a clear answer to this question. It is not clear either when exactly 'good' began to be used as an adverb and 'well' as an adjective.


texts: I am a teacher and we are in doubt if the plural form of staff is staffs. We have been debating on this topic.


texts: Why do we say "Jack Shit" to mean "nothing at all"?


texts: Learning my fourth language, can I say I'm learning a "second" language?

texts:
According to Wikipedia, "A person's second language or L2, is a language that is not the native language of the speaker..."

After learning English, German and my native language Dutch, I'm learning Spanish. So Spanish is the fourth language I'm learning.

According to the definition on Wikipedia, Spanish is my second language (or one of my second languages).
To me, second language sounds like it's the first language you learnt after your native language.

Should I call Spanish my second language/one of my second languages?


texts: Bear witness that I to the oneness of Allah do I testify - two I's

texts:
An excerpt from the lyrics for a song called "Mountains of Makkah" sung by Zain Bhikha

  Oh Mountains of Makkah, Bear witness that I
  To the oneness of Allah do I testify
  For all that He’s given me, how can I deny
  My purpose in life should be only to cry:

I can't understand why there are two I's in that sentence. Of course, we need that first I as the subject for the sentence, but the second I just seems out of place to me.


texts: Equivalent of "teri lal" a Hindi phrase which means "you are right" said sarcastically (but not actually meant)

texts:
There is a saying in Hindi in India "teri lal" which translates "yours is red" which means "Whatever the case may be you are right" as in "you are always right". It is a sarcastic way of telling (usually) a know-it-all person (but not meant truly) "you are right".

Is there an equivalent version of this phrase in English?

Example

  Rohan (the know-it-all): The moon is a sphere
  John: hmmm
  Rohan: The moon has its own light.
  John: OK "teri lal" (you are right – sarcastically)


texts: Is "in fact" always set off by commas mid-sentence?

texts:
Is "in fact" always set off by commas mid-sentence because it's a parenthetical interrupter? I see no need to use them. The only time we'd do so (I think) is with one comma after "in fact" when it starts a sentence: In fact, I think we should remind him of the possible repercussions.

Do you support the omission of commas around 'in fact' in the following three examples?

Examples:

Correct:? 1. Mike said that he did in fact support the new policy.

Correct? I was surprised and appalled by her actions when she did in fact curse my grandmother.

Correct? I will in fact question her about the theft.


texts: Are split infinitives grammatically incorrect, or are they valid constructs?

texts:
Mark's generosity in this crisis seems to more than make up for his earlier stinginess.

Should those sentences always be avoided, or are there cases where they are valid?


texts: 'Repeat the year' in English is 'redoubler une classe' in French. Would it be possible to say 'redouble the year' or 'redouble the course' in English?

texts:
When I googled 'redouble the year' I was directed to French sites, and I noticed that it is  indeed used. Now, I want to have a confirmation from English native speakers. Can 'redouble' be used for 'repeat'?
I'd be very grateful for your help.


texts:
I'm studying English.

Today I've learned how to ask a question "What was that like?", and also I've learned a phrase "I like that."

So what is the difference between the word order in that like and like that?

"What was like that?" is this a correct sentence too?

So, probably the answer to "What was that like?" would be "that was amazing."
And thus, "Yes, I do like that" would be an answer to a question  "Do you like that?"

If my guess is right, that in "what was that like?" refers to some specific situation, while that in "Do you like that?"  refers to some things or activities (i.e. apples or swimming).

Am I right?
It's chaos to me. T-T


texts: English possessive for a name that ends in an apostrophe (in this case, in transliterated Ukrainian)?

texts:
I am an editor editing a book review, and I'm not sure how to deal with this:

Serhii Bilokin’’s book

The author has chosen to transliterate with the apostrophe at the end of the name, but it looks very odd with the English possessive tacked on at the end. I know that  the the apostrophe in Ukrainian language/names changes the pronunciation of the surrounding letters, but that's about it, so I'm not sure how integral the apostrophe is to the name. (I've seen it transliterated with and without, so I assume there are multiple right ways, but I'd prefer to respect the author's choices.) I'm having a terrible time trying to find precedents to base my decisions on here. I assume the issue is extra-grammatical. Any insight is appreciated! This type of thing fascinates me, but it's also very confusing.


texts: Difference between a word combination "retail fuel company" or "fuel retail company."

texts:
Please give me your opinions to a word combination "retail fuel industry/company/network/logistics" or "fuel retail industry/company/network/logistics." What is primary in this word combination a word "retail" or "fuel," or there is no difference between them?

I have seen in the Internet different word combinations "retail fuel company" or "fuel retail company," but when we talk about "retailers," there is always "fuel retailers."

Thank you for your time and answers!


texts: Term for opposite of self-driving car? A term for what we now call a "normal" car

texts:
Is there a word for the opposite of a driverless car? I want a simple term to describe the (now) normal cars that require a human driver. I'm writing a story set in the near future after driverless cars become the norm. (Not just the norm, but expected.) The main character meets somebody who doesn't trust driverless cars, refuses to buy one, refuses to ride in one, and drives an old car. She prefers to drive herself even though it annoys other drivers on the road.

We now have several terms for driverless cars (autonomous car, self-driving car, robotic car, and smart-car), but none for normal cars.


texts: What is the appropriate word for "following trail" or similar in English?

texts:
In this scenario, suppose someone gives me a down vote, for whatever reason. After that someone else comes and sees the down vote and thinks this should be down voted. Another down vote. Another person comes and does the same.

What do you call this phenomenon in English? I want to use it in an article. If it has an ironic tone, all the better.
I want to use the word as in the following sentences.

My question again got word -ed (past participle).
Everyone in this site loves word -ing
Oh, another word!

N.B.: Please don't hesitate to up-vote or down-vote this question or even flag or close-vote it. This question has nothing to do about the question's status itself. I am just looking for a word. When I get it I'll accept the answer and up-vote it.


texts: What is the term for a founding member of a group that gives its name to the rest of the group?

texts:
I'm struggling to recollect a word, and I can't manage a Google search which has helped me!
I am trying to remember the term for a "founding member". For example, what is amborella in reference to Amborellaceae or rose to Rosids, or magnolia to Magnoliids.
I'm sure there are examples outside of flowers too!
Thanks!


texts:
I was watchin the show "The Leftovers" and there is a scene where a woman is talking to a guy who was giving a survey to people. They were talking about the results. And he said that the responses he got made—and I'm only thinking that that is what said— "the frog fliers pop" but he said it with food in his mouth so I only Think that that's what he said.

Anyone know something similar?


texts: How is "Can anyone tell me how can I solve this" wrong?

texts:
I posted a question somewhere that said...

  Can anyone tell me how I can solve this?

...but someone edited it to...

  Can anyone tell me how can I solve this?

...and it was accepted.

That's wrong isn't it? Can someone explain how that's wrong?


texts: A positive way to describe a know it all

texts:
What is a good word to describe someone who is confident, will correct you if you are mistaken about something and they are correct. They display a degree of self-assurance that could be construed as arrogance or a touch narcissistic, but they are not mean nor do they try to humiliate others if making a correction; it's just their nature to stop the dissemination of false information.

They are happy to acknowledge their strengths and high intelligence. As opposed to a more, socially acceptable, slight self-deprecation, that can be mistaken for humility. (I think humility warrants a discussion elsewhere).

To an uneducated observer they might be regarded as being arrogant or grandiose.

If an extremely skilled and capable individual, doesn't actually flaunt their capabilities, but makes no attempt to hide them and will argue logically and without malice, and happily acknowledges this capacity. If they are not actually self absorbed, but can also give credit where credit is due..

What word would describe someone like this?

The instincts of many, may be to use a pejorative term; however I am looking for a word that doesn't have negative insinuations.
It's like a know-it-all, but someone who really does and whenever you argue the toss with them, they are, invariably right.


texts: In a scene in a film when a man entering in an police office hits the table calling bell and says "Shop!". What does "shop" mean?


texts:
"We don’t usually worry about not existing for all those millennia before our birth. Why should anyone care about all that time that they didn’t exist? But then, if that’s true, why should we care so much about all those aeons of non-existence after death? Our thought is asymmetrical.We’re very biased towards worrying about the time after our death rather than the time before our birth. But Epicurus thought this was a mistake. Once you see this, you should start thinking of the time after your death in the same sort of way that you do the time before it".
[A Little History of Philosophy - by Nigel Warburton, p.26]

What did the author mean when he wrote "before it"? "before it" = "before your death" or "before it" = "before your birth"? Please explain this to me! Thank you


texts: Your parent's cousin is your first cousin once removed, but is it common to call them aunt/uncle instead?

texts:
My cousin's child would be my first cousin once removed, and I would be the same to them, but according to the same link:

  The appropriate name for addressing your cousin’s child is niece or
  nephew, even though they are actually first cousins once removed.

If that's the case, is it also common practice for them to call me aunt/uncle even though it's not technically correct?


texts:
Which is proper/acceptable?

Take for instance this sentence:

  We would like to use IBM machines.

Now consider that I needed to fully qualify IBM... How do I make this not read strangely?

  We would like to use IBM (International Business Machines) machines.

or

  We would like to use International Business Machines (IBM) machines.

(Please note that IBM is not the real acronym but it's similar to what I need to pull off)

EDIT:

I should add that part of my question is that if it's incorrect or less correct to put [Fully qualified name] (Acronym) or [Acronym] (Fully qualified name)


texts: What's the difference between "stall" and "stall out"?

texts:
Can a car engine stall out?

It seems to me that a plane can stall out, but a car can only stall.


texts:
I have recently got a book which is almost 700 pages in A4 format. To save the costs, it was printed on very thin paper and with low-coverage ink.

I am looking for a single word or an idiom for very, very thin book pages.

Particular usage:
Despite being printed on ________,  this book is still two inches thick!
or
These are some _________ pages. Look how fragile they are, I can almost see through them!


texts: Will this question be rated relatively high? Or relatively highly?

texts:
I was copy-editing a report at work and came across the following sentence:

  While sustainability in the transport sector was rated relatively high, the sustainability of the power sector was found to be weak.

The grammar nerd in me says this should be:

  While sustainability in the financial and transport sector projects was rated relatively highly, the sustainability of the power sector was found to be weak.

Because after all, it feels more natural to say "The project was rated highly", rather than "The project was rated high."

But for some reason, I would feel more at ease saying "The project was rated relatively high." and not "The project was rated relatively highly.".

What is it about adding a "relatively" to this sentence that makes it different, when the fundamental syntax structure does not change? Adding one adverb in front of another doesn't automatically turn the former into an adjective does it? So why do I feel like it does here? Is "relatively" somehow unique relative to other adverbs? (see what I did there!)


texts: Does "[noun] of choice" imply the best possible option, or merely *an* option?

texts: If I say something is the "treatment of choice" or the "pencil of choice", etc., does that imply that this is the best of all the possible choices available -- that those who know best would choose this -- or just that there are many choices available, and this is the one that happens to have been chosen at the moment?


texts:
I am a web developer and was working on a website that is in both German and English. As my partner (native German speaker) and myself (native English speaker) were looking through the site he noticed a capitalization error in the German version. He then switched to the English version and asked me if the way I capitalized the call to action is correct, in English.

In this case, the phrase is Request a Quote.

To better understand how it is presented, below is a screenshot:

My thought is that call to actions should be treated like a title. Is this correct? Should call to actions be capitalized or should they be lowercase (Request a quote)?


texts: Reflexive pronoun use when subject is a subset of the prepositional object

texts:
If a pronoun is in object position in a sentence, you don't normally use the reflexive form of the pronoun -

Sally bought a ticket for him.

unless the subject and object of the sentence are the same -

John bought a ticket for himself.

What happens in the case where there are multiple pronouns in object position, and the subject is a subset of the object? Which of the following is correct?

John bought tickets for me and him.
John bought tickets for me and himself.


texts: Tooth removal vs removing a tooth / molars removal vs removing of molars

texts:
I have a dentistry student who writes things like: "the need for molars removal" and "molar removal treatment" which sounds off to me. I prefer to say (write) "the need to remove molars" and "treatment involving removal of molars", which sound more 'direct' to me.
Yet, I am struggling to explain why my version is more direct.
I'd be most obliged for any pointers...
Thank you!


texts: Is calling a homosexual person “gay” offensive?

texts:
My native language is German but I’ve been  watching a lot of TV in English. During a conversation about the English language, a question about the term gay came up. Is calling a homosexual person gay offensive?

Meaning, using "gay" - not in a general contents (as asked in other questions) but to describe the sexual orientation when using it in a sentence like:

Talking about someone: He/she is "gay" [...]
Talking to someone: I didn't know that you're "gay" [...]


texts:
Which of the following is correct?

  1) I kicked Tim the bag

  2) I kicked Tim, the bag (with a comma)

I want to say that I kicked the bag to Tim, do I need to put a comma after Tim?

Thank you


texts:
I used the terms "spatial contiguity" to emphasise the relation between two objects as opposed to synchronism, i.e. chronological contiguity. I then questioned myself whether or not that would constitute a pleonasm.

What do you think?


texts: How would you say that a woman/spirit has big breasts in a politely/politically correct way? (Folk Story)

texts:
I'm writing my own version of a Salvadoran legend in English. However, I'm facing a challenge to express in a politically correct way that a woman/spirit has big breasts.
This is a picture of the woman/spirit I'm referring too:

I had a conversation with a native speaker from the UK and she recommended to say: "She has beautiful breasts", but I don't necessarily agree. For her, if I said that, she would imply that the spirit has big breasts too. As a non-native English speaker, I would never imply it.
It's important to highlight that in a tiny part of the story (not the most relevant or the core message), I described her previous appearance before she was cursed by Tlaloc, where she was still beautiful and had big breasts (not my words, the words from my grandma, mother, father, teachers, etc.)
I'm looking for a politely/politically correct way of saying this because, in Spanish, this is not a major constrain. I could easily say: "La Siguanaba tiene grandes tetas" that in English would be: "The Siguanaba has big tits" and rarely anyone would overreact, not even my parents who told me this story when I was a kid.
I want to highlight that my main purpose is not offending anyone, especially women. That's why I'm asking this question because I want to write a story that the general audience won't feel offended. However, I don't want it loses its originality and origins since this is an ancient story, over 200 years. I'm aware this is an extremely sensitive topic in our societies and I'm taking a risk asking this question here.
Thanks for your advice.
P.S.:
Clarifying certain points about the conversation with the native speaker, the question, and the picture.

The picture could be considered an ancient one. It shouldn't be considered ugly because our current standards define it as ugly.
Part of the story relates when she was considered an alluring woman (there was a short description of her, not relevant). A certain god cursed her because she was vain and an irresponsible mother. However, her final state is like in the picture. In both cases, her breasts were large/big before and after the transformation. This is unrelated to her curse. The curse forces her to live in the rivers, scaring irresponsible men, and she presents them as a beautiful woman (often with large/big breasts).
Additionally, I would like to find a neutral term. We have more than one story with women/spirits with big/large breasts and it's extremely challenging to find appropriate words. As I said before, in Spanish, this is not a major constrain, but in English, this is a sensitive topic and I'm looking for a proper solution.


texts: "Fish and chips shop" or "fish and chip shop"?

texts: When referring to a restaurant specializing in fish and chips would you call it a fish and chip shop or a fish and chips shop?


texts: Do the following sentences involving "As a ____" contain dangling modifiers?

texts:
I've seen sentences along the lines of the following written quite frequently, but I'm unsure whether they would be classified as dangling modifiers, considering the noun which the modifier refers to is not positioned too far from the beginning of the sentence, but it nonetheless does not immediately follow the modifier. My gut feeling tells me that the following examples are dangling modifiers, but I'm not 100% sure:

As a writer, what are some of your favorite motifs?
As a teacher, who was your most memorable student?
As president of the United States, how did Roosevelt handle the Depression?
As a student, can I tutor my classmates?


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
Using “that” and “this” interchangeably

Imagine a dialog:

Me: Can I have a Guinness, please?
Bartender: We run out of Guinness, mate.
Me: In that case, I'll have a pint of Fursty Ferret.

Would it be also correct to say in this case in the last sentence?


texts:
I read this in my horoscope. I couldn't find any definition for 'bent of mind'. Please help.
"Devout, devoted to parents and having a religious bent of mind, you believe in the dictum that service to humanity is service to God."


texts:
The BBC has shown me very little respect.

What is the determiner of the noun phrase very little respect?

Is it little or very little?

If it's little the adverb very seems to be modifying the determiner little.

Can an adverb modify a determiner in general?


texts: What is a good word for "a group of intellectuals" or "a group of smart learners"?

texts:
What could be a good word for a group of intellectuals or a group of smart learners? Any suggestions of related terms also invited.

I am looking forward to rename groups in a social application with somewhat more fitting word.

Thanks in anticipation of your great suggestions.


texts: Difference between "everlasting" and "eternal"

texts:
I know these two sentences are somehow different, but I don't know how:

  This is an everlasting love.

  This is an eternal love.

I read here that there are a number of adjectives for withstanding the passage of time. But it didn't specifically say the difference.


texts: In Grapes of Wrath, What does "I learned to write [...] Birds an' stuff like that" mean?

texts:
In The Grapes of Wrath:

  I learned to write nice as hell. Birds an' stuff like that, too; not just word writin'. My ol' man'll be sore when he sees me whip out a bird in one stroke. (Tom Joad)

What is this 'bird' he is talking about?


texts:
I was just wondering what does it mean when people use of the word "unless" at the end of the sentence. As far as I know, I only hear people say something like "Unless you work hard, you will fail." They usually use the word "unless" at the beginning of the sentence, or otherwise, use it as a conjunction, but never seen it at the end of the sentence before. (I'm not a native speaker.)

I found this in the TED talk. Could you please explain me what does it mean?
(Here is the link : https://www.ted.com/talks/larry_smith_why_you_will_fail_to_have_a_great_career?language=en)

The transcript:

  And that's why you're not going to have a great career. Unless.
  "Unless." That most evocative of all English words—"unless." But the
  "unless" word is also attached to that other, most terrifying phrase,
  "If only I had ..." "If only I had ..." If you ever have that thought
  ricocheting in your brain, it will hurt a lot. So, those are the many
  reasons why you are going to fail to have a great career.
  Unless—Unless.


texts: How to describe more future promises in a sentence

texts:
If I want to say a sentence like this:

  I will go there and I will lock the door and I will tell them the
  information.

I suppose that this is not a correct way. Should I use only the first will and the form the sentence like this?

  I will go there, lock the door and tell them the information.

Is the first example just grammatically incorrect or does it just sound weird?


texts: I wonder because I've seen fiction that says "He aimed his rifle at the enemy" and other times "He aimed his rifle on the enemy" and at times "He aimed his gun in the enemy" and I wonder what is the correct way to say that a gun is being aimed? Is it at? In? On?


texts: Is or are - "The most preferable length of the internship is 3 months but 2 is also acceptable"

texts:
Could you tell me, what is the correct form?

  "The most preferable length of the internship is/ are 3 months but 2 is/are
  also acceptable"

My intuition tells me that should be 'is' but 'are' seems to be more proper for number 3.


texts: Can I say "Coming!" for "I am coming!", and why?

texts:
In some languages we can remove the subject (and sometimes a verb too) from a sentence. In Toy Story 3, the kid says "Coming!" instead of "I am coming!" to her mother.

My questions are:

1.) Can I say "Coming!" instead of "I am coming!" in English?
2.) If I can, when can I remove the subject and verb?
3.) And would this be considered standard English?

(NOTE: The OP is asking about "ellipsis of subject pronoun + auxiliary", which is a topic that comes up often on grammar and linguistics forums/sites. It is a good question. -- F.E.)


texts: When someone refers to a detective or police officer, they sometimes use the term 'gumshoe'. Where did this term originate from?


texts: What is the word for the corner where ceiling and wall meet in a house?

texts:
In a square room in a house, what is the word for the corner where one of the walls meets the ceiling?

I kept thinking it was a word like "eaves", but that turned out to be the overhang.  I have googled a few things, but most of it is irrelevant about topics like mold.

Edit, for clarity:

In math, two distinct planes may intersect on a line, and 3 distinct planes may intersect at a point.  Lines segments between two points are sometimes called edges.

I said "square room", but what technically meant was "cube room".

I said "corner where one of the walls meet the ceiling" because I was thinking of the phrase, "Stand with his nose in the corner."  I've heard the word "corner" refer to BOTH the line of intersection between two planes AND the point of intersection between 3 planes, when people talk about rooms.  As in, "Painting yourself into a corner."

I should have used the word "edge", because I've only heard "edge" referred to as the LINE of intersection between two planes.  I think of "edge" as a more specialized word, for someone doing graph theory or geometry.  "Edge" would have been a much better word to use in asking because of the reduced ambiguity.

To be most clear, the reason I accepted the answer is because of the word crown.  Crown can be used to distinguish the difference between the edges where the walls meet the ceiling vs where the walls meet the floor.

I'm sorry for the confusion.


texts:
Which of the following is grammatically correct as a title for a book?

'Handbook on Right to Information Act'
'Handbook of Right to Information Act'

Apparently both the usages are employed. See book1 and book2.

Would the answer change if the words 'Right to Information Act' were replaced by 'Microbiology' or if the word 'Handbook' was replaced by 'Book'?


texts: Are "of course" and "naturally" pedantic?

texts:
I've noticed that in most cases, the sentence "of course", is used when someone is trying to sound superior, in a sardonic way. In constranst they use "naturally" when they are patronising someone, for instance like parents would do.

Is it true for everyday spoken and written english?

I mean, should one avoid "of course" and "naturally" in colloquial conversations.


texts:
Page below:

https://www.gov.uk/driving-nongb-licence/y/a-resident-of-great-britain/full-car-and-or-motorcycle/european-union-or-european-economic-area

will present you with wording

  You can drive in Great Britain for only 12 months if you got your EU
  licence by exchanging your non-EU licence.

which seems very confusing. I am referring to part "..by exchanging..". I have tried to move the "if" part to the begging hoping it will make more sense:

  If you got your EU licence You can drive in Great Britain for only 12
  months by exchanging your non-EU licence.

The way I understand this is that you can drive by exchanging the EU licence to non-EU, but only for 12 months. Why this document would be advising people to exchange EU licence to non-EU to be able to drive just for a year, while it's possible to exchange it to a UK one and be able to drive for many years?

Am I missing the real meaning of this sentence or is it really poorly constructed?


texts:
My sister just wrote me, "I've a meeting a noon." The contraction "I've" stuck out. I've always thought the contraction was limited to the perfect tense, and do not recognize it as an indicator of possession.

Is the contraction [pronoun]'ve commonly accepted to mark possession?


texts:
Is the word "reusal" part of the English language?

For example, given this sentence:

  ROS tries to facilitate the operation, development and code reuse of robot systems by organizing the parts of the software in independent packages.

reuse sounds wrong to me and I thought of reusal as being correct. I could only find it on some webpages, but not in an online English dictionary.


texts: Is there any difference between nevertheless and never the less?

texts:
I saw this on eBay's website:

  You can sell multiple items that, even though they are against eBay
  policy, don’t get you caught.  Never the less, they are against the
  rules and can result in you losing your eBay account.

Is never the less the formal version of nevertheless?


texts: "Dream, dreamt" and "learn, learnt" irregular verbs: correct or not?

texts:
Often when I am writing emails or any other documents, I would like to use the irregular forms of dream (dreamt) or learn (learnt). But the computer spellcheckers always underline these words as being “wrong”, including right now on this very question that I am writing !

However, I know I have seen the words before. Don't know where, but surely I don’t have a habit of making up words of my own. Also, I believe that checking the Using English website confirms that the words do exist and should be correct?

Can someone please clear up what this is all about, and why (some?) spellchecking software treats dreamt and learnt as incorrect?


texts: Use of "in" and span of time; "prior" and specific date

texts:
I am trying to accomplish an application, and one of the requirements is to complete/finish your studies (i.e. graduate and get your degree). I don't understand the way they worded it. They use this phrase:

  All applications must satisfy the study requirement in the six months immediately prior to making their application.

In another part, they have this question:

  Have you met the study requirement in the six months before the date of application?

Does this mean that I should apply no more than six months AFTER I complete the study requirement or that I can apply BEFORE I complete the study requirement but I should be able to complete the degree WITHIN six months from when I first made my application?


texts:
Is the following correct (those referring to the uncountable noun information)?

  If SO reports on that information, what are the metrics on those?

Or should it be the following?

  If SO reports on that information, what are the metrics on that?

Or perhaps simply

  If SO reports on that information, what are the metrics?

Context.


texts: Adjective for something getting on your nerves

texts:
What is the equivalent adjective we could use for something/somebody getting on your nerves? It's not annoyed, as this is usually by something physical (or at least I think so), it's not nervous as nervousness is perceived as something different to being pissed off, agitated/upset I feel have a different meaning than "get on one's nerves".

The closest I can think to it is "being pissed off". Is there a more formal word for somebody getting on your nerves / pisses you off?

For example you wouldn't say to your boss that a colleague is pissing you off, or that they get on your nerves. You can always phrase it somehow else like "they are not being co-operative", but I would like to know if there's a formal adjective for it.


texts: Can I use 'I wish I were there' in this situation?

texts:
There were workshops a few days ago. I couldn't be there. I'm watching photographs from that time and I'm wondering what I should use.

'I wish I were there' or 'I wish I were be there' or something elese?


texts: Why do we say 24 x 7 x 365 rather than 24 x 365?

texts:
I saw that when we are saying that something is available at all days of the week at all hours, we say its available 24 x 7, and when its available every day (or, every week) of the year at all hours, we call its there 24 x 7 x 365

I know that 24 x 7 clearly denotes the number of hours in a week, but why do say 24 x 7 x 365 rather than saying 24 x 365? Clearly, both have a different answer after multiplication, and so that denotation of the number of hours is absolutely different.

Is there any reason  for this?


texts: Are countries either "developed" or "developing"?

texts:
The term "developing" feels a little like "deferred success".

Are all countries typically categorized as either "developed" or "developing"? Is it normal to describe a country as neither?


texts: Punctuation to denote more interest/excitement than a full stop, but less than an exclamation mark

texts: Is  there a punctuation mark to express more interest/excitement than a full stop, but less than an exclamation mark? I ask this because it seems uncouth to end two sentences in a row with an exclamation mark, so the writer may come off as overly excited or mildly deranged.


texts: I need to further understand how to use “stringent” in a sentence

texts:
I have heard of the word stringent, which to me I understand it as “a person who can't seem to let loose” or “a person who is not flexible at all”.

For example:

  There is an upcoming trip where this man asks his wife where she would like to go. She says yes, but the following day she changes her mind.

  The husband gets uptight because she changed her mind. This is one of the many cases where her husband gets upset whenever she changes her mind.

Can I say this man is stringent because he has not learn to be flexible, that it's ok when a person changes his/her mind?


texts: What is the meaning of the phrase, I'm partial to your abracadabra?

texts:
On Ian Dury's first album, there is a song titled, I'm partial to your Abracadabra.
The song, as all of Durys' songs is filled with lots of London slang, most of which is recognisable. However, i would like to know if anyone can tell me the meaning of the song's title


texts:
The context telling whether equality, equivalence, or congruence is to be understood.

When I read the last sentence, I thought its meaning is
"we need to understand the context telling whether equality, equivalence, or congruence ". Is that right?
Could someone explain to me what "to be understood" actually means in this sentence?
Thanks for any help.


texts:
What do we call the bones of a fish other than "fish bone"?
I know their material is cartilage or ossein?
But is there a single noun that describes fish bone?
Like the french word arêtes.


texts: Does the word "androgynous" mean something derogatory?

texts: What is the context in which the word "androgynous" can be used so as not to be derogatory?


texts: What's the meaning of "have received" this sentence?

texts:
"Some of them have received industrial development"
To be more specific, what's "have received" meaning in above sentence?
The context is about some materials.


texts:
I’d like to ask about the sentence from The Retired Colourman by Conan Doyle.

  Because it was in my mind to put that little test which answered so
  admirably. I fear you would not have gone so far.

The above sentence was uttered by Holmes when asked why he cooperated with his peer, and not the police.
I thought what he meant was simply..

  A: “it was me who chose, hence the result”.

But is there any way you can interpret this sentence as

  B: “ I was plan to do some possibly illegal thing, so I didn’t think
  the police would have done that kind of stuff.”

In A, “little test” means to think over who I should work with, peer guy Barker, or the police. In B, “little test” probably means what Holmes would do in terms of investigation. But I think Holmes had already done everything he needed to do when he uttered this remark, so I don’t know.
Could someone tell me about this? Thank you.


texts: What do you call this very old game once played by sailors?

texts:
This very old game was already in decline when I was born and it may have died out completely since then.  Because of its simplicity, it used to be popular with sailors and men drinking at pubs, and required 3 to 6 players.

Rules: in a nutshell, each player receives 3 to 5 matches and secretly selects how many (none, one, two, or three) he is placing in his right hand. Clenched fists in front of them, left hand with any or no match at their backs.  According to how many matches a player has in his right hand he tries to guess total number of matches in all hands.  To be the winner, each player depends mainly on his mental ability to consider all bets, and then tries to guess the total number of matches in their right hands.


texts: What's the origin of "if it's worth writing, it's worth rewriting"?

texts:
I'm sure someone famous and wise once said, about writing either prose or software source code, that:

  If it's worth writing, it's worth re-writing.

meaning that one shouldn't avoid going ahead and writing something just because it is likely to be imperfect, or not future proof - since we should not try to avoid having to rewrite it in the future as things change.

Who was it? Or - where might I have picked this phrase up?


texts: Which are the Best sites to Learn Spoken English"?

texts: What are some sites which have great material to learn idioms , phrases and new words. I want to improve my spoken English skills!


texts:
I am looking for a single word which means something close to "treasure hunter". However, "treasure hunter" may not mean exactly what I want. I want a word that describes a person whose job is to search for rare items:

"What does he do?"

"He is a treasure hunter, he searches for rare or valuable items."

Thank you!


texts:
Is there any single word which encompasses the concept or active avoidance of death, specifically through the use of necromancy, reanimation, or other forms of immortality?

An example sentence would be,

  "Some recurring thematic elements in H. P. Lovecraft's work includes dark familial legacy, other-worldly beings, degeneration, self-destruction, mind control, as well as [the avoidance of death] / [the use of Necromancy, reanimation, and immortality]."


texts:
I was pondering the names of haircuts the other day, and I could understand the origins of most of them: pudding basin, crew cut, duck's arse, and bog brush are all reasonably obvious, but I was rather stumped by mullet. A mullet is defined here and here as a man's haircut in which the hair is short at the front and sides, but long at the back.

Does anyone know how it got this name? The sources both say "etym. unkn.", but differ as to the time of origin, one saying 20th century, and the other 1990s.


texts:
I need a phrase that indicates the speaker find a bargain acceptable, but not particularly favorable.  The natural expression, in American English, would be "I can live with it" but for reasons too complicated to explain, I cannot use the word "live" or any variation on it.

Edit: People asked for more detail.  I'm writing a story in which one character makes a bargain in which he might very well die.  He's trying to explain why he accepted the deal.  I don't want to write, "I can live with it" — since literally he cannot — and anything that implies acceptance over time is wrong.  If he doesn't die, then it's a great deal, so if he lives long enough to "come to terms with it" or "tolerate it", there'll be nothing to tolerate or come to terms with.  I'm looking for a pithy phrase meaning "it's the best deal I could do and it was better than nothing."


texts: Looking for clarification on the distinction between subjuncts and disjuncts, in certain uses

texts:
In the grammar book I am using, subjuncts are defined as playing a subordinate role in a sentence. One of these uses, as given in the book, is to express a point of view:

"Morally, he should resign."

On the following page the book gives this example for a disjunct:

"Frankly, John should never have done it."

Style disjuncts express the conditions under which the listener/reader is to interpret the sentence. My question is borne out of a confusion: how do I distinguish between these two examples? They seem very similar to me.


texts: What is the difference between a ‘signature’ and an ‘autograph’?

texts: A cashier asked my friend for her autograph when she was signing for a credit card purchase (straight-faced, so it wasn’t a joke). This seemed strange to me, as I’ve only ever heard the word “signature” used in this situation. Is this usage more common than I realized?


texts:
I am an English teacher in Korea. Please help me to teach correct English to my students.

I found the following sentence in the book "Why We Shop: Emotional Rewards and Retail Strategies" written by Jim Pooler. I don't think it is grammatically or logically correct.

  At the office, it is important not only to look good and fit in; it's
  also unusual for men and women to outdress their coworkers.

I think it is violating parallelism, not only A but also and it should be rephrased to the following:

  In the office, it is not only important to look good and fit in, but
  also unusual for men and women to outdress their co-workers.

Is the use of not only... but also correct in the second sentence compared with the first sentence?


texts:
Automobile disc brakes with spacing or gaps separating the contact surfaces are commonly referred to as ventilated brakes.  However, I've never heard the word "ventilated" outside of this context.

Should the word describing these brakes be "ventilated" or "vented"?
*(I have seen both used, but I see "ventilated" used significantly more frequently)

Ventilate (Google): cause air to enter and circulate freely in (a room, building, etc.)

Vent (Google): provide with an outlet for air, gas, or liquid

I take these definitions to mean that for something to be "ventilated", it is actively changing or moving airflow.  For something to be "vented", it is made or constructed in a way that allows a fluid to escape.

So in referring to the brakes as a mere object - whether slowing down a Formula 1 car or sitting in a box in Autozone - it looks like it is more appropriate to call them vented brakes.

Is one necessarily correct or more appropriate than the other?


texts: How should I ask for a bill in a restaurant politely?

texts:
I used to say check please, but my English teacher said that it's wrong, and the proper way is to say something like bill please.

What's the truth?


texts: Comma usage: Sentence starting with "But", sentential adverb, and followed by "when"

texts:
I have a sentence structured as follows in a scientific text.

  But, in particular, when doing A, the system cannot do B.

I think all commas are formally required. However, for "But" in particular, I am always urged to omit the trailing comma, since doing a reading pause feels really awkward. The same holds for "But in particular" and to some extent for "But in particular when".

Question: Is there any rule that would allow omitting one of the two commas in the first part of the given sentence in a scientific text?

Edit: Here is an alternative summary of text, incl. the sentence before the "But".

  The previous solution avoids to make any assumptions on effect X. But, in particular, when doing A for objects Y1 and Y2, this may cause effect B.

Based on the discussion, I now rewrote this as follows.

  The previous solution avoids to make any assumptions on effect X. This may cause effect B, in particular when doing A for objects Y1 and Y2.

I did not move the "in particular" to the end of the sentence, to better emphasize the whole when clause, rather than only the "objects Y1 and Y2".


texts: Word like "ancestors" or "ancestry line" which includes the initial subject?

texts:
I am trying to give a proper name to a function in a programme. What the function does is to return the node on which it is called, and also its ancestry line until the top node. The concept can be applied to family trees as well...

Let's say:

A
- B
- C
  - D
  - E
    - F

If this was called on the node F, it would return the following nodes: F, E, C, B and A.

My understanding is that ancestry/ancestors excludes the node itself, i.e. in the example the ancestry of F would be E, C, B and A.


texts: If+Past Perfect + would + base form or ... + base form of 'be' (+ verb + ing)? Mixed conditional!

texts:
I know the structure of the mixed conditional, when past event has a result in a present situation - If+Past Perfect + would + base form. But all the example sentences I find are using the base form of the verb 'be' and then 'ing' form if there is another verb. Please, explain it to me. Is it aways the verb 'be' right after would? Why is the -ing form?
Examples I found:
We wouldn't be living in this house now if we hadn't got such a good price.
If you hadn't seen that film, you would be sleeping now.
The baby wouldn't be crying now if you hadn't frightened her.
I don't understand why is this -ing? Is it part of the structure? So why the structure says +base form ? Is it only the base form of the verb be? Thank you!


texts: Is ‘a clip of’ (X % growth) an idiom, or just a set of words?

texts:
I came across the phrase, ‘a clip of’ in the following line of the article titled ‘A Man in Shadow’ appearing in Time magazine (July 16).

  In a capital full of bluster and backroom deals, the quiet economist has long been admired for his （Manmohan Singh）restraint and personal integrity, characteristics that played a large part in his being handpicked by Congress Party leader Sonia Gandhi for the nation's top job in 2004. During his first term, India's economy reached a clip of 9.6% growth.

As I first thought ‘a clip of’ (9.6% growth) is an idiom meaning ‘as fast (high) as,’ I consulted with Cambridge, Oxford, and Merriam-Webster online English dictionary, none of which carries “a clip of” as an idiom.

Then I searched Google, in which I found the following examples of the usage of ‘a clip of,’:‘

A Clip Of Reality — YouTube
This is a clip of our article for MTV. The writer Beverly Bryan did such a wonderful job of writing about Morning MUSUKO. — morningmusuko.tumblr.com
Here is a clip of the performance we did 2 days ago for the opening of much music video awards in Toronto!! Campaigning — iamhok.tumblr.com

However, none of these examples seems to be relevant to ‘a clip of’ (X % growth) composition in the above article.

It seems to me “clip” in the above article simply means “speed, “ or “pace.” But I’m yet not sure of whether ‘a clip of (X% growth)’ is an idiom, or a mere set of words. Which would it be?

Does ‘clip’ here mean ‘speed’ as Readers English Japanese dictionary at hand renders the meaning of ‘clip’ as (collocual) 1.hit. 2.speed, velocity. 3.one time, once.


texts: A verb for when we do something that make others lose trust in us

texts:
They are always honest with each other because they don't like to ----- mutual trust.

Ruin, endanger, risk, and imperil are a couple of suggestions that I have seen  used on the Internet. But I am looking for the most idiomatic verb for sentences such as the above.


texts: What are the differences among ‘Hurricane,’ ‘Super storm,’ and ‘Typhoon’?

texts:
In this morning’s (November 2nd) live-video report of New York Times, the caster asked a guest commentator if the tropical storm Sandy can be classified as a hurricane because there are many others who say it’s not hurricane, but a strong storm. The commentator answered "It’s definitely Hurricane, not a storm."

Actually the same NY-Times carries an article captioned “Toll rises amid Storm recovery” next to the video report, while showing pictures under the caption, “Hurricane Sandy Aftermath” in other corner, and, its co-ed columnist Paul Krugman wrote “Polls show overwhelming approval for Mr. Obama’s handling of the storm, and a significant rise in his overall favorability ratings,” in his article, “Sandy Versus Katrina” appearing in NY-Times on November 4th.

AP News on Nov. 5 says “There are a plenty of demands and some desperation for gasoline in New York and New Jersey and surrounding areas where people try to recover from the recent storm,” and the same day’s NY-Times also carries the headline, “A scramble to help those displaced by storm cast ballots.”

What is the difference between Hurricane and Strong or Super storm, and additionally Typhoon, so that I can explain to my granddaughter in a single, or few words, without going into lengthy meteorologist’s wordings? We have Storm and Typhoon, but not hurricane in our country. Do they differ by strength, affected regions, or other plain criteria?

Which was the one that buoyed the votes for re-election of President Obama at the last minutes of the race, “Hurricane” or “Super storm” Sandy?


texts: Is there a single verbal phrase that means 'attacking with a group of people'?

texts:
I'm looking for a single phrasal verb that indicates the act of attacking or assaulting by a group of people. Something that might replace group-attacked in

  The messenger was group-attacked by road bandits.


texts:
In the sleuth hound of 6, Wilbraham Place, Sloane Square, however, he speedily discovered that he had come up against one of the Untouchables, a man to whom even Oofy Prosser, that outstanding non-parter, would have felt compelled to raise his hat.

What does this word non-parter mean in this bit of Uncle Fred in the Springtime by P.G. Wodehouse?


texts:
In writing up a dissertation, which one of the following should I use:

This study identifies the importance of ...
The present study identifies the importance of ...


texts: What is the opposite of the verb obfuscate?

texts: The opposite for veil is unveil but what is the opposite for obfuscate? Is it unobfuscate?


texts: Meaning of a sentence in Thoreau's Walden

texts:
There is a passage where Thoreau writes about the pond and its bottom. At the end of the paragraph he seems to be using a metaphor or making a comparison between the objects related to the pond. I do not understand the grammar connection between the things mentioned (bar, plain shoal, valley, gorge deep water and channel). What is the meaning of the sentence?

  The regularity of the bottom and its conformity to the shores and the
  range of the neighboring hills were so perfect that a distant
  promontory betrayed itself in the soundings quite across the pond, and
  its direction could be determined by observing the opposite shore.
  Cape becomes bar, and plain shoal, and valley and gorge deep water and
  channel.


texts: How to understand "after" in "A man after my own heart"

texts:
I have always found the phrase "a man after my own heart" very endearing.  It expresses a fond kinship in a charming way.

However, there are (at least) two meanings of the word after that would make sense in this phrase.

One is after in the sense of in imitation of someone, in other words, "your heart takes after or resembles my own."

The other is in the sense of following or pursuant, as in "you are attempting to win my affection."

My question is, which meaning of "after" is intended in this expression?


texts: What is different? [the something of one's choice & the choice of one's something.]

texts:
I have read two links gotten some feedback from another forum.
https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/the-something-of-your-choice
https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/definition/english/choice_1?q=choice+

https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/threads/286514-the-something-of-your-choice-the-choice-of-your-something
According to the feedback, both structures are not the same.

the something of one's choice

the choice of one's something.

Could you tell what is different? I still don't understand why they are different.


texts: What do we call it when a document is to be written according to no particular predefined template?

texts:
A sentence I've translated from Russian:

The Applicant must also fill out a Technical Appendix (in free form) providing, as far as this is possible, the most detailed description of the consulting activity and the expected results (technical documents, study protocols, final reports etc.).

Here "in free form" means that the Appendix has no predefined template and no strict rules - it is up to the Applicant and his common sense to decide how to arrange the words on paper.
Is in free form the most common phrase for this?
The Miltitran dictionary lists a number of options for the original Russian phrase в свободной форме.


texts:
To negate a participle phrase we use not at the beginning of it, as in
"Not having heard the news, he had no idea what was going on."
Can we also use the negative particle in some other porition in the sentence  without it making any change in the meaning of the sentence? As in "Having not heard the news, he had no idea what was going on."
Is it entirely wrong or is it used in spoken English by native speakers (even as a common mistake among native speakers of English)?


texts: Word (Verb?) for when a criminal (or soon to be criminal) escalates their behavior

texts:
For example, when a young troubled child progresses from torturing insects with a magnifying glass to killing small mammals, or when a stalker changes their behavior from just following someone around to breaking into their house, etc.

It usually involves the new behavior being more risky for the assailant, more harmful for the victim, and more illegal/immoral.

Edit: I know escalate fits the definition, but I think there's another word that has a criminal/immoral connotation that I am looking for. Some other synonyms to the word I'm looking for might be spiral (downward), descend, or intensify.

By request, some sentences for you to fill in the blank:

John used to just stare creepily at his classmate, Jane, all throughout English 101 but today his behavior _______ and he gave into the urge to follow her back to her dormitory after class.


texts: Does a noun clause as a subject sound natural in modern days?

texts:
President Lincoln wrote, "That I once had the confidence of the people in Sangamon, is sufficiently evident."

Is this type of sentence construct common in today's English usage?


texts: What do you call the objects shown in this picture?

texts:
If I'm not wrong, the girl shown in the picture below is called 'majorette', a girl who entertains the audience at football games with their spectacular performances,  or something similar. I don't know.

However, what are the things indicated by the red arrows called?

I try to search something, but I didn't have luck.


texts: "To arrive at school" and "at school to arrive"

texts:
I work at an ESL school and my students were taking an exam that asked them to unscramble words into a sentence. The result (as given by the answer key) was:

  Jessica was the last person to arrive at school.

However, one of my students wrote the sentence:

  Jessica was the last person at school to arrive.

I told my co-teacher that I thought this construction was also correct and that the student should get credit for his answer. Is the second sentence also correct?


texts: A person who does statistics is a statistician. What is a person called who does stochastics (or stochastic modelling)? Searching for "stochastician" yields almost no results (< 1000) compared to 19 million results when searching for "statistician".


texts: Did the verb "to start" originally mean "to spring involuntarily" or "to begin"?

texts:
I looked up the word "start" recently on Merriam-Webster's online dictionary, and I seem to remember that the order of definitions is historical: the first historical definition comes first, followed by the next, et cetera. That is precisely why I was surprised to see the first definition given before the rest. I would have assumed that the verb "start" originally meant "to begin". But these definitions seem to imply that the other sense of the word, to "suddenly" and "briefly" make an "involuntary movement", comes first.
Thus, to make myself clearer, I would have assumed that the verb "to start" originally meant "to begin", but the order of definitions given seems to say that the verb "to start" originally meant "to move suddenly and violently : spring".
Are my observation and conclusion correct? Does the order of definitions indeed follow historical order, and does this indeed imply that the verb "to start" originally took the more uncommon definition of "to move suddenly and violently"?


texts:
Do I say

  potential to reduce criminality

or

  potential of reducing criminality

If both, which is more appropriate when?


texts: In this "while"-construct sentence, should I have used "would" or present tense?

texts:
"While everyone chafes under any ethical and moral systems, we’d shine and prevail by flagrantly ignoring and disregarding modernity in favor of successes, results and growth."

or should I have written it as:

"While everyone chafes under any ethical and moral systems, we shine and prevail by flagrantly ignoring and disregarding modernity in favor of successes, results and growth.

Is it correct and/or  does it change the meaning of the original sentence?


texts: Is it irony when you answer a question as though you've misunderstood it?

texts:
For example, your friend asks whether you've repaired the lawn mower. You respond as though your friend were referring to a hired hand who mows your lawn, saying something silly like, "He seems perfectly healthy to me."

Is that irony? I've always had trouble grasping the concept.


texts:
I originally asked this over on gaming.stackexchange.com as it concerns terminology used in a video game, but I was told it belonged here instead, so here goes.

In the video game Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky (and possibly Red/Blue Rescue Team as well; it's been a while), whenever the ability Illuminate activates, spawning a new enemy pokémon on the floor, the text "(pokémon with illuminate) blinked!" is shown.

Why the use of the word "blinked" here? I don't understand the connection between blinking and a new enemy appearing.

Is this perhaps some text left over from other (non-Pokémon) Mystery Dungeon games, in which context it perhaps makes more sense? I've not played any of them, but that's the only explanation that I can think of that would make sense.


texts: Punctuation of this: Their movements, quick and effortless; mine, lumbering and heavy

texts:
I'm not sure how to punctuate this:

  Their movements, quick and effortless; mine, lumbering and heavy.

Maybe I got it right. Any thoughts?


texts:
Maybe there’s no really well-defined answer, but I’m wondering which phrase is the more significant (meaning bigger) between these two:

We’ve been doing a lot of work.
We’ve been doing a ton of work.

And even maybe including this one:

We’ve been doing tons of work.


texts: Is there a single word for a member of a group who completes a job?

texts:
I have a job, for which some people are responsible, say: a, b, c, d and e. If anyone does the job, it is marked as complete.

Now let us say c completed the job, so what would I call that person in one word (think completor - not a word).

It is basically for a database schema for a table of tasks which I have to define. Each task has a list of responsible people. Now as soon as the task is done by someone, it's completor field is to be linked to the person who did it.

So what I want is a suitable name for the completor field.


texts: Why do we now say 'Ukraine' and no longer 'the Ukraine'?


texts: I don't understand when and why to use can't have been. It seems so strange to me.


texts:
Is there a word which means passing on the query to someone or a team with more knowledge on the specific subject?

For example your response may be

  Unfortunately I do not know the solution so I have _____ to the relevant team.


texts: Shoplifting vs. a word for "someone who orders, eats and sneaks without paying the check"

texts:
Shoplifting relates more to the physical possession of goods.

  A shoplifter may pretend to be a customer or buy some and steal many
  (or vice-versa). But while at a restaurant such pretense won't work.
  Stealing food too is different.

A word for "someone who orders, eats and sneaks without paying the check.

I came across a french word- Mouche- meaning 'fly' ...but could not find a proper ONE WORD substitute.


texts: What are adjectives to describe the change of a number by: adding / subtracting, multiplying?

texts:
I'm struggling to find the exact words to describe 2 ways a number change.

I have an initial number A which change periodically where

  1/ A[new-value] = A[current-value] + C

  2/ A[new-value] = A[current-value] * M

C can be a negative or positive number, and M is a real number greater than 0 (A's value decrease if M less than 1)

The two words i first thought of to describe the two changes were:

  1/ The value of A changes additively

  2/ The value of A changes multiplicatively

Both didn't sound right because A's value reduces depending on the values of C and M. I'm looking for two similar adjectives that are applicable both ways.


texts:
1)
  | day1(o) day2(x) | day3(o) day4(x) | day5(o) day6(x) | day7(o) day8(x) |...

  2)
  | day1(x) day2(o) | day3(x) day4(o) | day5(x) day6(o) | day7(x) day8(o) |...

  3)
  | day1(o) day2(x) | day3(x) day4(o) | day5(x) day6(o) | day7(o) day8(x) |...

(o) means the days of doing something or available days. Case 3) means only one day is randomly available within every pair of days in any order.

If there is no additional context, are both able to mean 1) and 2)? Personally the word 'second' makes me feel only 2) is for 'every second day'.
If none have 3), are there any recommendable and short intelligible phrases?


texts: Why is Gilt a word when we have Gilded? Is this town big enough for the both of them?

texts:
We would never say "I builded my own house", and we would never say "I ment my fences" - as far as I can tell, words either went the d-to-t route, or they went the add-ed route. Gild, for some reason, went both ways. (Progressive, for its time!)

Is there any reason why this word bucked the trend and kept both past tense forms? I've reviewed existing material here on English SE and the interwebs in general and can't find any historical reasoning.


texts:
I was passing by a library and there were these very small (artificially created) bodies of water, square shaped, in a repeating pattern with some flowers also repeat between these bodies of water on the concrete in the middle of them.  There were ten of them or so.  They're probably six feet by six.  Looked maybe only a foot deep.

I don't know what one would call them.  Pond?  Small pool?  Basin?

Appreciate your help.


texts: Why is "for six years" not the adverbial complement in this sentence?

texts:
Identify the adverbial complement in the following sentence:

I have been living in Ireland for six years.

a) I haveb) been livingc) in Ireland (correct answer)d) for six years (your answer)

Why is "for six years" not the adverbial complement?


texts: "For what it's worth" and "my two cents" are mostly equivalent, what's the difference?

texts:
It seems to me that these two expressions are mostly equivalent, would you agree?

Reference:

For what it's worth
My two cents


texts: Today I described someone as being trained to react "more poorly" to a given situation. Her current reaction is poor. It is becoming more poor. So she reacts more poorly. Is this correct? It sounds awkward.


texts: "I chose the USA because I love speaking English and am good at it"is this correct?

texts:
"I chose the USA because I love speaking English and am good at it"

It's for a past event, should it be "I loved....and was good..." instead (even though it's still true today)?


texts: "You're one of the only people" plurality

texts:
I'm normally pretty good with grammar, but this one just stumped me. I was trying to write something similar to "you're one of the only people who [is/are] nice to me", but I'm not sure if I should use "is" or "are".
Which sentence is correct, and why?

You're one of the only people who is nice to me.
You're one of the only people who are nice to me.


texts:
or "not well understood".
(as applied to a culture or topic)
My mind is slipping on it. Not 'elusive', more that it just hasn't been well-examined.
Thanks!


texts: In British English, which is more common — the em dash or the en dash?

texts: I'm reasonably certain the em dash is more common than the en dash in American English. But which of the two is more common in British English?


texts: A word to describe an individual who takes the blame for a team's collective failure

texts:
Example: The soccer team lost the match because the strikers failed to score on a regular basis. However, the coach took the blame for the failure.

In the above example what word can be used to describe the coach who takes the blame for the team's failure?

I searched for the correct word but couldn't find an appropriate one. A word that I found was Fall Guy. But it seems, a fall guy would be one who is falsely accused  for something that has gone wrong.


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  “If I was” or “If I were”. Which is more common, and which is correct?

Should I say "If I were [something]" or "If I was [something]?"

This came up because I am writing a comment above a function in some code. Here's the comment, basically:

// Shuts down everything
// Will stop the process if it was running
function Shutdown()

So should that say "if it was running" or "if it were running?"

Also, why?


texts: what is the right verb for cleaning glasses with a cloth?

texts: I want to mention the clear-eyed feeling of putting on recently wiped glasses. Is that correct? Or should I say, recently cleaned glasses? Is there a better option?


texts: Continuous(Progressive) module in Old English

texts:
I'm curious as to the origins of the Continuous(progressive) module.
Whenever I meet texts emulating old speech, like in: video game RPGs,  books like the Saxon Chronicles, Hollywood movies about the middle ages, etc.,
I always feel that One of the more obvious differences is that they mostly talk with the Simple Tenses.
Now, most of the languages i know (3 more, fluently) have no Continuous module, and it got me to thinking whether Old English had it from the start or that it developed with the years?


texts: Can the word "that" be substituted for in which?

texts:
Have you filled out the details in the paper that the date wasn't mentioned.

Is this a correct sentence?

Here I used "that" because I read in a grammar book "that" is sometimes used as an adverbial accusative = in which, on which, at which


texts:
"the opposite of a statement is also true" can be said as "vice versa".

Is there a way to say "the opposite of a statement is not true"?


texts: Is there an alternate meaning of hoosegow?

texts:
After using the word in an answer to a question here, I got to wondering about the etymology of the word hoosegow.  I picked it up from my father (perhaps surprisingly, given that he was an german immigrant) but that didn't tell me much about where the word came from.

A search of etymonline.com turned up this explanation:

  hoosegow (n.)
  "jail," 1911, western U.S., probably from mispronunciation of Mexican Spanish juzgao "tribunal, court," from juzgar "to judge," used as a noun, from Latin judicare "to judge," which is related to judicem (see judge (n.)).

Oxford agrees, saying:

  hoosegow

  NOUN

  North American
  informal
  A prison.

  Origin
  Early 20th century: via Latin American Spanish from Spanish juzgado ‘tribunal’, from Latin judicatum ‘something judged’, neuter past participle of judicare.

I got curious about the 1911 date specified by etymonline and turned to Google's ngrams.  Their results seemed to match and I started looking at the early uses, including:

A Miscellany of American Poetry
1920

  Aprons of Silence
  Carl Sandburg

  I fixed up a padded cell and lugged it around.
  I locked myself in and nobody knew it.
  Only the keeper and the kept in the hoosegow
  Knew it -- on the streets, in the postoffice,

and

Dialect Notes - Volume 5 - Page 113
1918

  CALIFORNIA WORD-LIST.

  WORDS IMPORTED FROM OTHER STATES OR OTHER COUNTRIES.

  hoosegaw, or hoosegow, n. (hods gaw).
  A jail, or a prison.  Slang.
  'They chucked him in the hoosegow.'
  Sp.  juzgado > husgado > husgao > hoosegaw.  Spanish American, then army usage, then general.  Reported common also in middle western states.

But then I found this one from 1922:

Everybody's Magazine - Volume 46 - Page 44
1922

  Lizette
  By Sampson Raphaelson

  "That's the old hoosegow -- a notorious place about five years ago.  All sorts of booze parties."
  "Let's stop there, Chuck, and sit on the soda water stand and read poetry."

It seems to me that the usage here is implying a saloon or similar establishment, rather than a jail.  Is there another meaning to hoosegow that has been lost to time?  Or is this simply a one-off misuse of the word?

UPDATE

There are some great (amazingly detailed and researched!) answers and comments and it was hard to pick one to accept -- I went with Sven's for finding the earliest usage, as well as pointing out that juzgado was used as well by English-speakers.

I think that MikeJRamsey56 and JEL have the best explanation -- an abandoned jail that was taken over and used for scandalous parties thereafter.

Thanks everyone!


texts: How to say with one word: "it has a tree structure"

texts:
When objects relate to each other as pearls on a string (open, not closed), then we can say that the whole structure is "sequential" or "linear".
The same way, we can call something "cyclic" if its elements are sequential, and the first is also connected to the last, like a necklace.

But is there a single adjective for expressing that some objects form a tree structure, like:

My only idea was "hierarchical", but that also implies that the root (starting point) of the tree is the most, and leaves are the least important, which isn't always the case.


texts:
From Merriam Webster small talk is defined as
"light or casual conversation"
However describing a conversation with my parents as small talk would indicate a shallow relationship.
Is there a word that specifies "light or casual conversation to to meet social norms" vs "light or casual conversation to strengthen existing relationships" ?


texts: When a sentence starts with "No" and has multiple subjects, which subject does the verb agree with?

texts: Should it be "No juice and coffee are served," or "No juice and coffee is served?"


texts: 'Approaches introduced' or 'Introduced approaches'

texts:
I have the following sentence and need help from you:

  "All introduced approaches lead to good results."

Is it correct to use it this way or do I have to say:

  "All approaches introduced lead to good results."

I'd appreciate every comment.


texts:
In a CBS sports article, I read this sentence:

  Alabama wrapped up its 10th national championship of the wire service era, winning its third national championship in four years with a 42-14 thrashing of No. 1 Notre Dame in the BCS title game.

There are a few definitions of "wire service" out there. For example,

  wire service
  (noun):
  A news-gathering organization that distributes syndicated copy electronically, as by teletype or the Internet, usually to subscribers.

My estimation is that the wire service era coincides with the advent of some wire-based transfer of news, but I'm not sure which. The article references Alabama's 10th National Championship of the WSE, the first of which happened in 1961.

Is anyone familiar with this term, and, if so, could you shed some light on the timespan of the "wire service era"?


texts:
I want to ask my friend if he and I along with Mr. X are working on Monday?
Can you guys tell me how can I ask this?

Do you think the below question are correct?

Is Mr. X and us working on Monday?
Are Mr. X and we working on Monday?


texts: I am writing a poem and need to use the phrase "wrong from right" for the rhyme (...ight) Is "wrong from right" correct?

texts: I am writing a poem and need to use the phrase "wrong from right" for the rhyme (...ight).  Is "wrong from right" correct rather than using (teaching children) "right from wrong"


texts: Should I add "anyway" in the following sentence?

texts:
She looked at herself in the mirror and wondered if she should wear
  makeup. She decided not to. What was the point if she'd remove it in a
  couple of hours, (anyway)?

I'm a little confused. It sounds OK with and without the anyway to me.


texts:
In the US, when people work together, they may look for a colleague or any person to say something or for any other reason, asking colleagues or other people this type of question:

  Have you seen Michael?
  (OR)
  Did you see Michael?

Which is considered right if the question refers to an activity (in our case "see") during the day and not in the past in general?


texts: Is “the girls are want to gossip” correct?

texts:
Is this the correct use and placement of want?

  The girls in the office are want to gossip.

Does anyone have a reference citing this use?


texts: What is the name of the occupation of the person in charge of lighting effects on stage?

texts: On a drama or stage show, there's always a person takes care of the lighting effects, but I don't know how to express that occupation. Does anyone know what it's called?


texts: A word that implies 'unique' (on an object or act)

texts:
First time posting here, no idea if this is the right sort of question but I'll give the full background and let you decide.

I play a game called DotA, in which there are items which modify the way in which you attack. In some instance, they weaken the enemy so they take extra damage, in other instances they stun the enemy. These items are labelled

unique attack modifier

I believe this phrase to be somewhat incorrect for its intended use. It's supposed to imply that the items cannot be used in conjunction with one another, thus an implication that it must be unique, not a statement that it is. Some of the items are very similar in their effect, however they are all technically unique in that no two are the same. It's not quite right though, the intention is that the items cannot be used in conjunction with another that has the label.

Can anyone advise on what the right word would be to go here?

Also, please excuse if my tagging is a bit iffy, I know very little English theory, in spite of it being my native language and what not.

Thanks


texts: What is a gender-neutral alternative to the expression "man-days"? I thought of "work-days" but am wondering if there might be another term. The use would be, for instance, "This project requires staffing of 1000 man-days over a six-month period."


texts:
Look at the following sentence.

In order to keep fit, we must eat healthy food.

Can we also say "eat healthy" and "eat healthily" to mean eat healthy food ?

In order to keep fit, we must eat healthy.
In order to keep fit, we must eat healthily.

Are they both correct or is either of them wrong?
Thanks for Kate Bunting's comment.
I am asking this because I know "go to bed hungry" makes sense and is quite different from "go to bed hungrily"
Does "eat healthy" also make sense?


texts:
I have one confusion on the following paragraph:
    "At one level, my Grandma Frieda's college records are utterly ordinary-- don't tell much of a story. She's a good student, and teachers say the nice things that they say about bright students. "
    Here, what is the phrase "don't tell much of a story" in the context mean? What is the role it plays in the first sentence?
    My understanding is that it links the reverse meanings between the first sentence and the second one. But I am not able to know the its exact meaning. Hope you guys could help me out. Thanks a lot!

regards

Xiangyi


texts:
I would like to know if there is an opposite word for sin in English.

I mean, how could I say the opposite of

  I committed a sin

other than using a negation?


texts:
What is an eloquent (preferably non-prefixed) antonym for the word commensurately? I know inequality is sort of similar, but not what I'm looking for.

Example:
She climbed a mountain, but I [non-commensurately] just walked up a hill.


texts: Is there a way to ask the ordinal number value in English without sounding weird?

texts:
If the answer expected is It is an amazing car, then the question would be How is the car?

If the answer expected is I got my red car then the question would be something like Which colour car did you get? or Which car did you get?

BUT if the expected answer is This is my third car / This is my ninteenth birthday, then what would the question be precisely? How would you frame it, if possible?

To clarify the importance of the precise question: So far, the only way I know how to elicit the above mentioned answer would be to hint it in the question itself, like Is this you twentieth birthday?, and then they would answer No, this is my ninteenth birthday.


texts: Meaning of “We shall always place education side by side with instruction; the mind will not be cultivated at the expense of the heart.”

texts:
What does this quote mean to you in terms of education:

We shall always place education side by side with instruction; the mind will not be cultivated at the expense of the heart.

Written by the founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross, Blessed Basil Moreau


texts: Can you use a plural of Life as Life's when using as "Life's Boat" or "Life's Boat's"

texts:
Hi I am trying to understand the if it is ever possible to use Life's. I know technically the plural for the word life is Lives but I am still curious.

Sorry maybe I am not to clear on it. I would use the term Life's Boats not in the typical manner of a Life Boat. But in the descriptive manner for a boat that fits every aspect of life.


texts: What is a single word meaning "authoritative source of knowledge"?

texts:
I'm looking for a word that means authoritative source of knowledge.

The word would preferably be a noun and could refer to a group of people or a collection of knowledge.  Additionally it'd be strongly preferred if the word would not be a derivative of encyclopedia.


texts: How to use the word difficulty correctly

texts:
Is it correct to say:
The city is difficult to turn into an economic center.
OR it must be:
It is difficult to turn the city into an economic center.
Thank you.


texts: What's the proper pronoun when performing an action in IRC?

texts:
In IRC chats you can "perform an action" with the /me command. It changes the way the text looks so that it's a little more third person and narrative. Here's an example:

chmullig: I'm really hungry
sam: You should eat some cake
chmullig: You're right, I should!
* chmullig eats some cake

However if we wanted to use a pronoun, what would it be? chmullig eats his cake or chmullig eats my cake?


texts: What is the etimology of word History? Is it in English word His Story, or is this only another fancy coincidence?


texts: There is a ton of words with similar, yet slightly different meaning that describe this kind of physical affection where we touch a loved one. What is the difference between cuddle, snuggle and huggle? What else is commonly used in this context?


texts: "Are we still on our meeting date" Does this phrase sound natural?

texts:
My friend and I have picked a day next week to hang out online on a video call -let's say it's Monday-. Sunday has come and I want to make sure we are having our online meeting as scheduled. What message can I send him?
can I say "Are we still on our meeting date"?
How is it said naturally in English speaking countries?


texts: What is the class of things that includes “new” and “existing”?

texts: I'm trying to name a database attribute that might take the value "new" or "existing". What is an appropriate name? Something like "newity"? What is the relevant concept?


texts: What is the verb for "accidently hearing"?

texts:
Walking in the street I accidently hear what some people who are standing on the other corner of street say. I don't intend to hear and they don't intend me to hear even though they might don't care if I hear it or not.

What is a word for accidentally hearing something as in the above example? Just to make my question more clear, "overhear" and "eavesdrop" are not what I want because they mean "To intentionally hear something without the speaker's awareness or intent."

American Heritage Dictionary 4th Ed. (En-En):

  overhear

  To hear (speech or someone speaking) without the speaker's awareness or intent.

  To hear something without the speaker's awareness or intent.


texts: I am Korean living in Seoul. I wanted to look up an expression which I can interpret 인연, Korean word describes the relationship meant to be. This expression is often used by men for pick up lines even at first sight. My question is "we are meant to be" can be used in the situation? Or is it only for long term relationship?


texts: judging the intended meaning of the two sentences below

texts:
James is Max's supposedly Irish ancestor.
james is Max's supposed Irish ancestor.

What can we interpret from these? Which is the correct one?
I understand that "supposedly" modifies the adjective "Irish" and "supposed" modifies "ancestor". But it doesn't help me reach a conclusion about the uncertainty factor of the sentence.
Is there uncertainty about James being Irish or max's ancestor?
No context, just the two independent sentences.


texts: Difference between "provincial" and "parochial"?

texts:
In MW:

provincial: limited in outlook
parochial: onfined or restricted as if within the borders of a parish : limited in range or scope (as to a narrow area or region)

From their other meanings, I personally feel that provincial connotes "stupidity and lack of intelligence," while parochial connotes "(culturally) conservativeness." However, it doesn't seem so. (e.g., My bias is that Congress tends to be parochial, irresponsible, and self-interested.) What is the subtle difference between the two?


texts: Is it okay to say "Also I did some modifications to..."?

texts:
I'm learning English right now and I have some questions about the usage of "Also I.." and "Did some modifications"

Is this sentence correct?, why?

Spanish is my first language, so I get some confusion with things like this.

Thank you.


texts: When is a comma appropriate when using "that is"

texts:
Is there a better way of structuring the following?

  In the first instance, efficiency needs to be evaluated; the most
  efficient choice, that is, the choice that minimises unnecessary
  requirements, is the preferred outcome.

I often use the phrase 'that is' but I've become increasingly aware that I may not be using it correctly. When writing, I sometimes feel I use too many commas. Would removing the comma after 'that is' be more appropriate?

EDIT

In light of the answers, it would seem that the question reduces to personal choice of offsetting a parenthetical clause when using 'that is'. My choice of using commas would not be to everybody's taste, especially given a sentence with as many commas as this example.


texts: What is the title for the head of a county?

texts: As the head of a city is called mayor, what is the proper single word to title the head of a county? Answers from any country are welcome. Thank you!


texts: Seneca’s suicide began to falter. Blood did not ow fast enough from his aged body, even after he had cut the veins in his ankles and behind his knees. So in a self-conscious echo of the death in Athens 464 years previously, Seneca asked his doctor to prepare a cup of hemlock.


texts:
“If I was you, I'd wanna be me too”

This is a line from the song "Me Too" by Meghan Trainor. See lyrics here.

I'm wondering, to whom does "me" refer? Because "if I was you," then "me" could refer to me if I'm you (you), or me right now (not you).

So is it a way of saying:

I like the way I look, so you should want to be me, too.
I like the way you look, so you should want to be you.

Note: in the context of the song, she's looking in a mirror, but I'm asking as if she is not, in order to create a distinction between "me" and "you".


texts: Why there is no article before words like queen and king?

texts:
Why in the following sentences we omit articles (I'm basing on what I've heard in Game of Thrones - episode 1, season 5):

You will be queen!
You will be king one day!

I would say "a king" and "a queen". So should I also apply the same to other nouns like politician, programmer, boss, pope e.t.c. and also say "You will be politician" instead of "You will be a politician"?

And what's more interesting, in the same episode, a few minutes later there was said:

- I'm not a politician. I'm a queen.

I'm really confused about it.


texts:
"badly-behaved boy" or "badly-behaving boy" ?

behaved is past participle  which has passive meaning.

behaving is present participle which has active meaning.

would you mind explaining to me why "badly-behaved boy" is correct?


texts: When I recently checked out the Google Translate website, where I translated some text from English into Tamil, I found that it translates individual words literally but does not translate sentences as a whole. Therefore sentence translations into Tamil end up incorrect. So how does one use this translation tool, or are there any other translator websites available which can translate entire sentences, and not merely perform word-by-word translations? If so, I'd welcome your suggestions.


texts: What kind of phrases is this? (Prepositional or Gerund)?

texts:
After having a shower, I went to the stadium.

What kind of phrase is this - Prepositional or Gerund? And how do we know which one is it?

How do we differentiate between direct or indirect object?


texts: Word for a strong election win that grants a candidate a referendum

texts: I'm in search of the word that describes the strong referendum that a candidate receives upon a strong election win that grants him or her vast leeway in enacting policy reform. I can't quite get it; referendum is close, but I believe that there's a more specific word for this, perhaps 3-4 syllables and starting with a 'c'.


texts: Correct usage: fields of A and B vs fields of A and of B?

texts:
I am writing about a scientific article which treats a question on the borderline between two distinctly different research areas, A and B. I need a phrase saying  "The work belongs to the field of A and to the field of B", but I do not like the repetition of the word "field". Which of the variants below is correct?

The work belongs to the fields of A and of B.
The work belongs to the fields of A and B.
The work belongs to the field of A and B.
The work belongs to the field of A and of B.


texts: Plural or singular: "Long live Europe" or "Long lives Europe"

texts:
Is Europe is a singular or plural noun?

Ursula von der Leyen said in an EU speech "long live Europe" instead of "long lives Europe".

A quick search turn up sites like this, which simply says "Singular", which is inconsistent with the usage above, and provides no explanation.