texts:
What is a good way to formulate the opposite of "most recently"? For example,

  Display the five most recently updated streams.

  The two most recently hired coders are doing a great job.

How do I better formulate these?

  Display the five streams where the greatest amount of time has passed
  since they were last updated.

  The two coders where the greatest amount of time has passed since they
  were hired are doing a great job.


texts: What is the verb of having a secret lover?

texts:
It was just a random thought but I didn't manage to find the verb though, hope I'll explain my request clearly..

In Chinese we use the word like: to nurture (somebody on the basis of money), or to raise (but those words are really derogatory though) to indicate having a secret lover, like a man nurtures the girl even though he already has a wife; he gives the girl (younger than him usually) money and they're mainly sexually connected.
Does English have some verbs like that?

can someone help? do you understand my explanation? It's always hard for me to explain some Chinese things in English!


texts: I am looking for a term that would succinctly combine "documentation", "code", "config", essentially "intellectual property", or IP, but IP sounds somewhat formal/legaleze to me, I'm wondering if there is a less formal term. The context is, I am writing a document that describes how our software IP should be organized in repositories (which includes code, documentation, configuration, images, diagrams, etc).


texts:
I would like to correct what I see as a frequent mis-speak from a friend of mine, but I first want to make sure that I am not the one in error.

  I'd like to know whether the following use is correct, or rather if it is incorrect.

The above sentence uses both the words "whether" and "rather" as I expect them to be used, but  this friend says things like "Rather you like it or not..." or "Rather you're black, white or Asian..."

I wonder if this is just a regional usage, or is it incorrect as I suspect?


texts: "After n years" or "n years down the line"?

texts:
I am planning to work at a firm X and after 5 years down the line I would like to work at Y.

Is after 5 years down the line grammatically correct or it should be just "after 5 years" or "5 years down the line" instead?


texts: Can a "because clause" be a subject clause?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
Sentence Construction: “Just Because … Does Not Mean”

Consider the following sentence:

Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean that they're not after you.

The sentence sounds fine to me, but when I think about it, I start doubting whether a "because clause" (substitute with the proper term) can be a subject clause. The following alternatives sound really stale to me:

The mere fact that you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not after you.
That you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not after you.

I don't know, it seems that "just because" plays an essential stylistic role in the first sentence. Is it correct? If not, how would one go about rephrasing it to keep it funny?


texts: Interpreting a sentence from a Nobel Lecture

texts:
I am trying to understand a sentence from Nernst's Nobel Lecture in Chemistry. He was a German however, his lecture is in English. It is a very nice introduction however the last part is difficult for me as a non-native English user. The quote is as follows "But the fact that a prize is awarded to an individual who, as a child of his time and equipped with the logical and experimental methods of his time, is really only able, by climbing on the shoulders of his predecessors, perhaps to see a little further in some direction than anybody else before him - does not this fact lead to such strong individualization that his personality must obtrude more than usual into his grateful reply?"

What does the part in italics (my own) mean? The part which confuses me is the meaning of "...personality must obtrude more than usual into his grateful reply?"

Thanks.


texts: Correct usage with commas and conjunctions

texts:
He won the race, though he never made the grade.
He was charged with fraud; though, these charges were dropped in court.

Any difference in usage with though in these examples? In the sense one looks correct with the semi-colon (more formal), whilst the other does not.

Also, any difference between 3 & 4 in terms of commas around the name.

Clair's mum, Debra, sadly lost her battle with an illness.
James' stunning wife Sarah walked down the aisle on the wedding day.


texts: What's another way to say "incorporate multiple influences"?

texts:
Recently I was working on a paper which talks about a certain musician's incorporation of multiple styles and influences.....

Is there a more concise way to say "incorporate multiple influences"?


texts: What is the word for a non-creative task?

texts:
Example:

  "More Effort" is good for [non-creative] tasks, like building a wall or cleaning your room. But when it comes to creative tasks - like writing a novel or music - it is good to get your mind in a placid state where the work feels effortless.

i.e, it's a task you don't really have to think much about while doing. It's not cognitive, per se.


texts:
I'm writing a short bit on time travel just to get my thoughts on paper and try to organize them, and need to make sure I'm using the word paradox right. Here's the quote I'm concerned about right now-

If you change the past, you will most likely remove the event that required you to change the past.  If this happens and you do not change the past because the event that triggered you changing the past is no longer there, it becomes a paradox and who knows what happens now.

Google said it was a contradictory phrase to itself, which I think lets it work in this situation. If there's a better word I'm missing, let me know. This is not for school or anything, just some notes I'm writing for myself.


texts: Is David Mitchell's writing style in "Cloud Atlas" representative of the described time period?

texts:
I'm reading David Mitchell's "Cloud Atlas", and the narrative is written in very distinctive style, and the most striking characteristic of it is the use of ampersand (&) instead of "and", in every single instance. A representative quote:

  Disgusted, I retorted that I was a husband & a father! & that I should rather die  than abase my dignity & decency with any of his poxed [word removed for decency].

Similarly, "etc." is styled "&c."

For context, the narrator is a notary from California, and the events take place in mid-XIX century (from various references in the text, a few years after 1838).

Is such pervasive use of ampersand in writing common for the period?


texts: I suppose it would be 'only children' but that does not sound quite right. For example, a schoolteacher might say, "in my class there are seven only children".


texts: Does calling something a 'Novelty Act' bring down its image?

texts:
I'm really confused with this one, if one calls some performance a 'Novelty Act' does it imply they're trying lower its image or is it just neutral?
Well, I looked it up on the internet and it says that a Novelty Act is something which the audience would find amusing at first but soon its novelty wears off.
So if I use this definition, then I think it's not really good for something to be classified as a Novelty Act, or is it?
That's what I've been pondering about.
In short, when one uses the phrase, does it have to be preceded by an adjective describing it as good/bad or is it, as I mentioned above, implying something negative just by itself?
It'd really be helpful if you could include some examples with the answers.


texts: If a person holds prejudice against people because of their nationality, would that be considered racist?

texts:
Would it be considered racist if a store owner believes all Canadians are thieves and does not let any Canadians into his store? Racism pertains to discriminating based on race, and (correct me if I'm wrong) Canadians are not a race. What would be an appropriate word to describe an individual such as the  store owner?

The discrimination is specific to Canadians, not foreigners in general. I'm looking for a word that could be applied to someone who lives in the country they discriminate against. For example if a Canadian announces "all Canadian culture is stupid!" what would that be called?


texts: How to make the request stronger using “Please”

texts:
I understand, we can use the word “please” before, middle and after the sentence.

Would like to know just by changing position of word “please” in any sentence,

How to make a strong request?
Position of “please” to make request very polite?
Position of “please “ to emphasis on something?

Could anyone please help?
Thanks.


texts: As heard in "Another One Bites the Dust", by Queen and "Elastic Heart"  by Sia.


texts: Content clause : Wh-interrogative clause & Nominal relative clause

texts:
Wh-interrogative clauses and nominal relative clauses are two types of content clauses. Both of them are introduced by a wh-element & they look so similar that it's often difficult to distinguish them.
For example,

I can't imagine what they want with your address. [ Wh-interrigatove clause]

I took what they offered me. [Nominal relative clause]

How the book will sell depends on the reviewers. [Wh-interrogative clause]

What happened upset him. [Nominal relative clause]

Is it possible to distinguish these two types of content clauses (Nominal clauses)?


texts:
Do people in some English speaking regions use "take" with food in this way: "I took eggs for breakfast"?

I can see it being used for a meal in old-fashioned American English, as in "I'll take breakfast on the porch," but it sounds strange to me in combination with particular dishes or food items.


texts: Is there a word for "rule by criminals"? Not kleptocracy, which is rule by thieves, but more broadly by criminals.


texts:
I wonder how to distinguish words with a verb base and the -ing suffix. I have found that they fall into the following 3 classes:

1) gerundial noun (he had witnessed the killing of the birds),
2) gerund-participle form of verb (he was expelled for killing the birds or they're entertaining Jack) and
3) participial adjective (the show was entertaining)

Problems show up when I try to compare the first and the second example.
Why can't I say 'he was expelled for the killing of the birds'? (with an article and therefore of)

What's the rule that I should use when dealing with gerunds like that?

There is an action in the second example, which is he was expelled for killing the birds, but in the first one, a guy didn't do any action, he just witnessed it. Maybe this is the rule?!

Another example:
Kim hates writing letters
Kim hadn't been involved in the writing of the letters.

Examples above were taken from The Cambridge Grammar of the English language


texts: Word for "having intension to do something, but do not know where to start"

texts:
Sometimes I feel like doing something (let's say writing an article about the lovely weather today) but I do not know what to write. How to describe this phenomenon?

You have the intension to do something, but you do not know where to start.


texts:
Can the verb "to determine" be understood as "make some operations in order to find something".
Ex: "The computer determines the value of the expression"


texts: What do I call the collection of different versions of a file?

texts:
At work, we have all the versions of reports we are working on in individual folders. Eg. all 8 drafts of our last report were put in the same folder along with the final version.

How do I explain it in this way: "Each folder holds a _______"

I've thought of "repository", but the folder itself is a repository.

This is similar to how Gmail calls collections of emails a "conversation".


texts: How do I distinguish simple past and past perfect with "should"?

texts:
One type of construction that has always bugged me is the distinction between should (past tense of shall), and its past perfect form. Assume a character, let's call him John:

  He lost the poker game. He should have quit while he was ahead, but he didn't listen.

So far, so good. However, moving to past perfect, do I still use the same construction? And if so, are these forms solely distinguished from context?

  He had lost the poker game. He should have quit while he was ahead, but he hadn't listened.

This sounds weird to me and I am not sure if it's even correct. My knowledge of English grammar is very intuitive, rather than rule-based, so I was hoping somebody here knew the answer.


texts:
I am wondering if I can use a list within a list. I know that the following sentence may seem as though it would be better if reworded, but I am using euphemisms and simplifications for what I am actually writing. I am trying to boil it down, so what you see below is just a microcosm of the sentence I am actually writing.

  I went there because I was sad, lonely, foolish, and in need of shelter, love, and contentment.


texts: Do names of places require commas following descriptions of them?

texts:
Do I need commas in the following sentences?

They sailed down a river, The Yangtze, to get to their destination.

He built a sprawling palace, the Grand Trianon, using decorative ceramic tiles.


texts: What are the right adjectives to refer to changes in gravity?

texts:
How should one refer to the changes in gravity?
Should one say: "gravity became higher/lower" or "gravity became lighter/heavier?"


texts: How to use a comma that differentiates between a noun and a verb

texts:
Which one of the following sentences is correct?

  I love reading my books and movies.

or

  I love reading, my books and movies.

What if reading is used as a noun? Name of a hobby.

Thank you.


texts: Are or is your arm and neck feeling better?

texts: I'm inquiring about someone's arm and neck so technically plural and I'm siding with are as in, "Are your arm and neck feeling better?" versus is (singular) however would there be a more formal way of inquiring without the question becoming too ambiguous?


texts:
I want to reduce the adverb clause in the this sentences:
"After he had been promoted, he became more interested in his job".

Which of the following sentences, if any, are wrong?

After promoted, he became more interested in his job.
After being promoted, he became more interested in his job.
Being promoted, he became more interested in his job.
Having been promoted, he became more interested in his job.

I'm especially wondering about the last one.


texts:
What is the difference between better and better off? For example:

  You would be better if you accepted the job.
  You would be better off if you accepted the job.

To me they sound alike. Could anyone tell me the difference please?


texts: Why does “attach” have two Ts but “detach” only one?

texts:
The title says it all. We have two words:

  attach
  detach

Shouldn't they be ...?

  attach
  dettach

Or …?

  atach
  detach


texts:
Is it possible to "publish an inquiry" or must you "publish a report on (the results of) an inquiry"? This is in British English; the rest of the world can do as it likes, I just need to know what is correct in Britain, please.

Thanks to anyone who can help!


texts: How do I identify subjects when quantities are involved?

texts:
I'm working my way through The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation, and I came across a difficulty.
In one of the quizzes, the book asks you to identify the subjects and verbs in sentences, and correct disagreements where necessary. Here is one such sentence:

Her attitude is one of the things that's different.

I incorrectly viewed one as a subject in the sentence above, which caused me to miss that things is actually the subject and so the verb should be conjugated are, and the sentence constructed thus:

Her attitude is one of the things that are different.

With me? I'm not 100% clear here why things is the subject and not one, but okay. I understand close enough.
Then I came to this explanation in the section on pronouns. The rule is copied to give context to the example and its explication.

Rule 5. The pronouns who, that, and which become singular or
plural depending on the subject. If the subject is singular, use a singular verb. If it is plural, use a plural verb.
Example:
He is the only one of those men who is always on time.
The word who refers to one. Therefore, use the singular verb is.

Here is where my confusion truly enters the picture. If who as a pronoun is referring to one in this sentence, then one is the subject (as is He). If one is the subject in this sentence, why is it not the subject in the previous sentence?
Thank you for your help! Let me know if I need to clarify my question.


texts: What is the word for when someone is describing something as completely normal when it is not?

texts: In the short fiction story "The Lottery", author Shirley Jackson has a 3rd person point of view narrator who tells the story of a town event that is on the verge of happening. This "lottery" does not have a pleasant prize, however, the story is being told as if this lottery event is normal. Is there a word to describe the narrators tone of describing the day of the lottery and the event it self?


texts: Using "he" or "she" for an animal not a person?

texts:
Is it possible to use the personal pronoun subject he or she for a nonhuman animal according to their sex?
One of my friends said that there is a possibility of using it for animals. My concern is that my friend did not give me the real explanation of why and how to use the pronoun in this case.


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Does “notified by [date]” include the end date?

For example, if John says:

  Return it to me by March 24th.

Does it mean that I need to return it to him before 23:59 p.m. March 24th, or
before 23:59 p.m. March 23rd?


texts: Is there a single word for emotional baggage?

texts: ie. Barry couldn’t go to such and such bar anymore because it reminded him of where he met his first love that didn’t work out and he had to much emotional baggage


texts: Why "People" use "are" but "Everything" use "is"?

texts: Why "People" use "are" but "Everything" use "is" ?


texts:
Should one use "one" or "a" in the following sentence?

  Each path is sampled and evaluated  in a （one） separate thread executed on the GPU.

Note that each path corresponds to one thread. So there are many threads with each executing one unique path.

Thanks!


texts: The herd of cattle had grown to 30 head. Why didn't the writer write 30 heads?

texts: Why is "30 head" singular instead of plural in this sentence? Can you explain more about it?


texts: Are two or more clusters of ivy considered “ivy” or “ivies”?

texts:
When referring to two or more clusters of ivy,
is it ivy, ivies, or something else entirely?


texts: What do you call someone who balances work and personal life well?

texts:
Work–life balance is a concept including proper prioritizing between "work" (career and ambition) and "lifestyle" (health, pleasure, leisure, family and spiritual development/meditation).
Related, though broader, terms include "lifestyle calm balance" and "lifestyle choices".

So what would you call someone who has a well-balanced work and life (personal life)?
Note: "Well-balanced" may fit but it has a broader sense and has other connotations as well. A single-word noun would be preferable but can be an adjective too.


texts: Can 'who' refer to an inanimate object such as a government body?

texts: I'm wondering if it is possible to use 'who' in a sentence like this: 'the name of the government body who has assigned an identification number to the document.'


texts: How to put question mark after a quotation mark (in Chicago or MLA style)?

texts:
For example, if I want to ask a question that says:

  Where is, "You know nothing, Jon Snow"

should I punctuate it as

  Where is, "You know nothing, Jon Snow?"

or

  Where is, "You know nothing, Jon Snow."?

or

  Where is, "You know nothing, Jon Snow,"?


texts:
I am looking for a word or an idiom about showing respect to someone superior in work because you are afraid of him. I'm not talking about real respect or showing respect to him or his works, just getting scared by his ruthless actions.

Is there a word or an idiom for respecting someone because you are afraid of him?


texts: The activists' energetic work in the service of both woman suffrage.. __ the assertion that the two movements were ___

texts:
The activists' energetic work in the service of both woman suffrage
  and the temperance movement in the late nineteenth century (i) ____
  the assertion that the two movements were (ii)___.

The activists have done 'energetic' work for the two movements. This implies that the two movements must have been prevalent during that time.
Hence, the 'energetic' work must must support this assertion.

Hence, the word choices for (i) and (ii) should be supports and predominant respectively.

But I found this wrong when given the following choices:

    (i) undermines; supports; underscores  (ii) diffuse; inimical; predominant

'underscores' is not a good fit for the first blank for it is meant to lay emphasis on a specific part of a sentence or point.

'undermines' doesn't play well either with the other choices for the second blank.

'diffuse' for (ii) is also close for it denotes 'spreading through' but I think predominant is more appropriate in terms of the movements.

'inimical' meaning 'not friendly' doesn't make any sense. What would it mean to say that the movements were not friendly?

I am a little confused here. Please help!


texts: What does "do" mean in "They really do exist"?

texts:
I was watching an animation last night then I heard a sentence which was strange for me.
One of the characters sayed this sentence

  "They really do exist"

He sayed it because he saw a creature that he thought they don't exist , so my question is what does do mean here??


texts: What part of speech is 'soaking' in 'soaking wet'?

texts: In the sentence, "I am soaking wet", 'I' is the noun, 'am' is the verb, 'wet' is the adjective, and 'soaking' describes the extent of 'wet'. So would 'soaking' be classified as a "helping adjective", so to speak? Or just an adjective? Or is there a better term to describe this?


texts: Which word is closest in meaning to 'reflect' in this case? Consider vs match

texts:
Question from TEOIC:
So the situation is...
There is a company that lets people design their business cards online. A customer needs to make a change to the outdated logo he put on his card on the website. So he writes to one of the workers at the company regarding this issue.

The email goes like this...

  Thank you for helping me to make changes. I have made a mistake to upload an outdated design of our logo. So I have made a change on the website.
  I’m hoping that you can confirm this change reflects the image that I’ve attached here.

The question asks you to choose the word closest in meaning to 'reflects' in the last sentence.
I am confused whether to choose 'considers', or 'matches' or 'presents'
What would be more accurate?

I think 'matches' sounds the most natural. Because I am not sure if the verb 'consider' can be used with inanimate subject, such as 'this change' in this case.


texts: Using "how" for number of bits (in a digital system)

texts:
In an article, I need to use a short expression for "a system with a high number of bits". I mean for example a system of 10 bits instead of 4 bits. How I can use a short and accurate expression. Can I use:

(1) high number bits system,
(2) high-number bits system

or maybe a better short expression is recommended.


texts:
If a quote is rife with errors, can a single [sic] be used at the end of the quote rather than after each error?

She wrote, "Your [sic] making me weigh [sic] to [sic] sleepy."

She wrote, "Your making me weigh to sleepy [sic]."


texts: What does "Started out with a shovel in hand" mean?

texts:
Here are some paragraphs to help you to get the story:

  I can’t tell you how good it made me feel to see them so bright and
  cheerful. Our life wasn’t easy. The Dooley family was never generous
  to my father. They owned the Dooley Brothers Ranch, the big riding
  stable in North Hills. As a teenager, Dad had worked there as a stable
  boy. He returned to the stable after two years at a community college.
  Eventually, he worked his way up to assistant manager. But the Dooleys
  ran the place as if they were kings and he was their servant. They
  never let him forget that he started out with a shovel in his
  hand. Martin Dooley, the stable owner, was always reminding Dad how
  grateful he should be, how he’d be nothing without the Dooleys’
  generosity.

My question is whether this sentence is an idiom or I just need to translate it directly.

And I also don't know the meaning of this idiom:
Stick out my jaw


texts:
Ok, see this sentence "London is known for Big Ben".

So, does the idiom "to be known for" mean "to be well-known for" or "to be famous for".

Like "London is known (famous) for Big Ben"?

I could not see any website say that "to be known for" = "to be famous for"

What does the idiom "to be known for" mean?


texts: Difference between "deny doing something" and "deny having done something"

texts:
What is the difference between "deny doing something" and "deny having done something"?

The context is as follows:

  While being questioned on the court, the man denied [taking/having taken] the old lady's necklace.

Which one is correct, or are both? Is there a difference in meaning?


texts: What is a term for devices requiring human input to function (e.g. a wind-up music box)?

texts:
So the title is probably not very graceful, but that's exactly why I'm asking this question. I'm trying to find a list of toys, machines, etc. that require the human to interact with them to trigger their mechanism, in old movie cameras, this was done by rotating a handle for example.
But I've no idea how to phrase my search, I'm therefore asking if you know a term that might describe these kinds of things?


texts: Is there a term for referring to an organization by its city rather than by its name?

texts:
This happens specifically often in the technology press:

  There's no point trying to ascribe motives to what Redmond [instead of "Microsoft"] does.
  We'll see shortly if Cupertino [instead of "Apple"] thinks likewise ...

I'm certain its use is much wider though I can't think of many examples right now. Using "Detroit" as another name for the US auto industry is slightly wider:

  Who says that Detroit does not sell cars Americans want to drive?

Anyway, I have a suspicion there is a name for this so what is it?


texts: 'For' is a coordinating conjunction, but 'because' is a subordinating conjunction. Is that right? Can someone explain why?

texts:
He went to bed, for he was tired. (For = coordinating conjunction)
He went to bed, because he was tired. (Because = subordinating conjunction)
Is this correct? If so, I'm confused.
In all the examples and explanations I've found online it says 'for' is a preposition unless used in that particular way above, in which case it becomes a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS). But to me it seems like 'for' has the exact same function and meaning as 'because' in the above example. Both could be replaced with 'due to the fact that...'
Why is 'because' subordinating but 'for' coordinating?

FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so
Grammar


texts: What's another name for a circular continuum?

texts:
A continuum is anything that gradually changes from one thing to another. But I want another word that describes something that changes gradually and whose opposite extremes are actually one and the same.

Have you ever seen one of those apple charts that describes the many different varieties of apples from sweet to tart? Here is an example. They call it a spectrum, but a spectrum is not necessarily circular.

If the best answer to my question is "circular continuum" or "circular spectrum", so be it. But if anyone can think of a better word or phrase, I'd be interested to hear it.


texts: Is there a term for "not wanting to do something because someone else has already done it"?

texts: For example, person A does something that person B was planning on doing, but person B does not want to do it anymore for fear of being seen as "unoriginal" (even on something not creative) or worry that someone will think you are copying that person.


texts: A dataset of equivalent English phrases?

texts:
There is a similarity or even equality between many sentences in English language such as:

I happened to come across the scientific definitions while reading.
I came across the scientific definitions by chance while reading.
I came across the scientific definitions accidentally while reading.

My question is that if there is any possible data set/collection/group that indicates such situation that if some words replace with other (not just synonyms and antonyms) and the meaning of the sentence remain same while the sentence itself has a different looking. For example, the first sentence changed into the other two examples by removing the verb happened and changing the tense of verb come and then adding by chance and accidentally at other part of sentence. (However we can even change these sentences more by removing while and replacing when I was, but to keep it simple let's just assume we left that part intact)


texts: The use of 'going' vs. 'coming' in a given situation

texts:
I just like to ask for some clarifications on the use of 'come' and 'go' for the following situations:

Situation 1 :

Paul: Are you coming to John's birthday party this Saturday?
Arthur: No, I'm not going. My family will be out of town.

Do we use 'coming' in general like for situations that are happening occasionally like a birthday? But when the party is every Saturday do we use 'going' instead?
In which case, if one cannot make it to the birthday party, it is correct to use 'going' but if its a regular party night out, we would likely use 'coming'?

Situation 2 : Paul cannot make it to John's party

Paul : Are you going to John's birthday this Saturday?
Arthur : Yes, I'm coming. How about you, are you coming?
Paul : No I'm not going. My family will be out of town to attend a cousin's wedding.

Whether it is correct to use 'going' in the question, "Are you going to John's birthday?" to suggest that one is not coming?
Whether the use of 'coming' in this question: "How about you, are you coming?" is still correct although the word 'going' was previously suggested?

Situation 3 : both boys cannot make it to the party.

Paul : Are you going to John's birthday this Saturday?
Arthur : No, I'm not coming. How about you? Are you going to his party?
Paul : No I'm not going either. My family will be out of town to attend a cousin's wedding.

Whether Arthur's response,  "I'm not coming. Are you going to his party?" is correct ?

The use of coming and going in some situations could be a little tricky for me. I highly appreciate all your answers. Thank you so much.


texts:
Someone gives a talk about how he has overcome failure after failure to reach where he is today: a successful entrepreneur.
To describe this talk, one writes:

"The speaker shares his experience with success."

However, my understanding of "experience with" is that you would have to have a certain level of expertise in whatever comes after "with," or have spent enough time doing/being involved in that particular matter.
If we take a look at this discussion, Astralbee explains nicely the difference between "experience with" and "experience in.
The problem still stands nonetheless: I still cannot quite decide if in the sentence above we should go with "with" or "of."
One thing worthy of note is that "experience of success" has significantly more results than "experience with success" on Google.


texts:
Does anyone here know the difference between unorganized and disorganized?

As far as I know, disorganized refers to something that was once organized and now isn't, and unorganized refers to something that lacks organization from the start.
Is that correct?


texts: How to say "time span of data" formally?

texts:
I am currently working on a technical documentation for data analytics.
I am wondering how to say "time span of data" formally, as a section name.

For example, I have temperature data per second and it is from 2012 to 2014. I want to say, "time span of data" is 2 years.

How can I say it formally?

Thanks!


texts: When will you be in through? What is the meaning of this question?

texts: I could not figure out the meaning of this question. Could someone explain me briefly? This statement was in "answering audience questions" which is a presentation guide line.


texts: Positive and negative clause comparison in the same sentence

texts:
What is the right way to perform a positive and a negative adverb comparison in the beginning of the sentence?

As an example, which of the following ways is correct:

Similarly to yesterday, and opposed to tomorrow, we are eating dinner together tonight.
Similarly to yesterday, and as opposed to tomorrow, we are eating dinner together tonight.
Similarly to yesterday, but opposed to tomorrow, we are eating dinner together tonight.
Similarly to yesterday, but as opposed to tomorrow, we are eating dinner together tonight.
Like yesterday and unlike tomorrow, we are eating dinner together tonight.
Like yesterday but unlike tomorrow, we are eating dinner together tonight.

I know that like/unlike are not supposed to be used in case of comparing clauses, or am I mistaken?


texts: Term for song or poem where the end of one line is also the start of the next

texts:
The Jonathan Coulton song "Sticking it to Myself" has an interesting style of lyricism in its second verse:

  Sticking it to my
  Self-control; that's not the only thing I lack
  A plan.
  Just my own gun against my
  Back down now and let this hostage
  Go away.
  I'm trying to figure something
  Makes me feel
  Like I'd do anything it takes to be
  A f---ing winner now.

The end of each line also functions as the start of the next, yet isn't repeated.


texts:
I can't seem to figure out the word to use here. I need a noun that describes the state of (someone) being an outcast, but nothing's coming to mind, and I'm not really sure how I would go about looking up synonyms to a word that doesn't exist.

This is the sentence:

  Instead of physical obstacles, both are faced with societal resistance and ______.

I might just restructure it, but now I'm kind of interested. Am I just blanking and missing a really obvious word?


texts: Usage of preposition 'in' - St Petersburg at night

texts:
Which is the correct form of the following caption for a photo:

  Night beauty in St Petersburg
  St Petersburg night beauty

Or does the right sentence have to be "A night beauty in St Petersburg".

Should I use auxiliary verb here or  article (a/an)?


texts: Alternative for phrase "to each his own"

texts: Because it uses the pronoun "his" and sometimes it just feels awkward to say "to each his own" to a woman during a conversation


texts:
I am looking for adjective (if exists) for paying for hotel stay prior to arrival or if possible word that would describe paying upon checking-out ?

If there is no such word, then is there any neat expression for this type?


texts: Adverbial clause of concession in brackets?

texts:
I am doing a formal scientific paper writing and unsure of the following sentence:

  The representatives are visualized as the skeleton of the corridors (not necessarily the centerlines though).

As can be inferred, the adverbial clause of concession in the brackets is not important enough to make me bring it out. It just acts like a tip.

I wish to know whether this way of expressing concession is correct or not. Is there any way of improving it?


texts:
William was tall and thin and shy and awkward in school. His best social tool was that he played the piano, and so was recruited for school musicals, which placed him at rehearsals and cast parties with kids he would otherwise scarcely have known. He thought he would be either a pianist or a physicist, although he didn’t know anyone in Montana who did those things professionally . His piano teacher was a banker’s widow who gave lessons in her lace-curtained house, and his physics teacher was primarily the wrestling coach. But William could imagine another kind of life.

  From The Proxy Marriage

  http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/05/21/the-proxy-marriage

When one of my friends translated this story into my native language, she translated awkward to gawky . But in my opinion it should mean bashful. Am I right? Because tall and thin goes with each other and shy and bashful goes together. I am wondering if you could tell me which meaning the writer meant.
What the difference is between a cast party and a rehearsal?
By saying professionally is the writer reffering to pursuing a major like playing piano seriously or is the writer referring to do it as an  occupation, profession, job in order to earning money? Becoming a teacher or something?
Can I translate the word could in the last sentence to ** want** ? Would that be still a proper translation?
Is it proper to translate lace-curtained house to luxurious ? My friend translated like this. But I think the lace-curtained house has no idiomatic meaning.
A million thanks in advance.


texts: What would you call the "neutral" variety in a range of food products?

texts:
Imagine you are naming a range of packaged, vegan, meat-like pan-fry kebab products that come with different marinades. There's a Curry, a Döner Kebab, and a Gyro.

The final product of the range comes with no marinade or spices at all - it is "neutral".

Is there a common term in English that can be applied to a food product that is "neutral" in this sense?


texts: What is the origin of "Curses!" as an expression?

texts:
I understand it is said to express annoyance, frustration, and the like. However, I do not know about its origins.

According to Etymonline:

  Curses as a histrionic exclamation is from 1885

Did it have the same meaning then as it does now? And if not, when did it gain that meaning?


texts: Is it right to say - Because of availability of someone meeting is cancelled or should we say Because of unavailability of someone meeting is cancelled.


texts:
I was told that abbreviations consist of initialisms (FBI, a.k.a.†), acronyms (NATO, ), and shortened words (ad, bike).
† Thanks to Pete Kirkham for correcting me: for most people a.k.a. is an initialism.
But what about i.e. and e.g.? At the first glance, they look as initialisms, but typically we pronounce them as "for example" and "that is", not literally, like "eye ee".
So which subclass of abbreviations they belong to? Initialisms or maybe something different, and why? Are there reputable sources to classify them?


texts: Difference between "read-only" and "write-protected"

texts: Essentially, both mean the same, so is there any clear difference in the meaning of those two words?


texts:
I came across this post on swag (the slang word):

  Attempt to swag should ideally be accompanied by apt spellings.

I have seen swag being used only as a noun. I know swagger is a verb, but is swag one, too?


texts: Word for an old, cheap car you use in your daily routine instead of your new one?

texts:
You use this car to avoid harming your new car, so you don't take that much care of it and you don't mind if you spoil it eventually, since it's old and cheap.

I saw this word on a YouTube video but I forgot it.


texts: Can "cess" mean either "go, move" and "cease"?

texts:
In "incessant", "cess" mean "cease", while in "secession", "cess" mean "go, move"

So can "cess" mean either "go, move" and "cease", two  meanings contradictory to each other?


texts: Word for the adjective of 'social science'

texts:
I'm having trouble wording this sentence:

Several groundbreaking clinical and social science breakthroughs were made with the help of ...

Social science as a noun can't modify breakthroughs. Is there an alternative?


texts: Is there a word for majority wherein someone or something gets all the votes cast?


texts: I'm pretty sure that an infinitive can be split with "please" in stated requests, maybe for emphasis. For example, "I'm asking you to please study harder"; "I implore you to please shut up". A Japanese English teacher acquaintance was disbelieving that such constructions actually existed let alone were grammatically correct! Of course, the assumption that split infinitives are somehow "grammatically incorrect" is a fallacy, but how about sticking "please" in there? Am I wrong?


texts:
Consider the following sentence:

  With the Nike shirt, your workout will be complete.

How will I say the same thing about a shirt of the brand 'The North Face'?

The least awkward option will probably be:

  With The North Face shirt, your workout will be complete.

...which comes off as incomplete, since it's grammatically equivalent to:

  With Nike shirt, your workout will be complete.

Is the word "the" playing two roles here (a determiner and a part of an adjective phrase)?

Is a single word occurrence even allowed to have two part-of-speech categories?


texts: Is the expression Get shed of or get shut of?

texts:
Recently, in comments, I noticed someone used the phrase get shut of meaning to be done with.
I've always understood the phrase to be get shed of with the same meaning.

He was happy to get shut of his annoying little brother.
He was happy to get shed of his annoying little brother.

TFD lists shed of as an idiom. It also lists shut of giving identical examples of usage.
And, Google searches return multiple hits, but seem to prefer shut of.
The expression seems to be more prevalent in BrE. One site even suggested that get shot of is becoming an Americanism.
Is this usage of shut as an adjective prevalent in BrE to mean rid of?  Or is it an archaic usage only persistent in this expression?
I don't see an adjective listed for shed in the same way. But, we use it adjectivally:

He collected the shed scales of his pet snake.

This is the ngram result (thanks Hot Licks for pointing out my error in running it the first time).


texts: Why is it specifically a "rainy day" (rather than some other metaphor) when you need extra money?

texts:
The phrase "put (money) away for a rainy day" originated at least 460 years ago, and probably a lot longer, since you don't just make new idioms -- the audience wouldn't understand the reference.  And the phrase was apparently understood all over Western Europe at the time, being used in Italian, French and English plays of the era.

But nothing I've found explains why a "rainy day" is what you should save for, instead of -- for example -- an "unexpected storm".


texts:
I came upon sentence:

  I am delighted that Lynch has found space for Wisden, Liddell and
  Scott’s Greek–English Lexicon, and the CRC Handbook of Chemistry
  and Physics, estimable works all (or at least the first two).

I am confused about the phrase "estimable works all". Is it right to put "all" after "estimable works"? What do we call this in grammatical terms if it is allowed? What is the part of speech of "all" here?

Looking forward to your answer!


texts: Word describing the one flaw in an otherwise perfect crime, plot or plan

texts:
I am wondering if there is a noun or phrase that articulates how a crime, plot or plan was foiled. I am interested in a noun or phrase that relates to crime in particular. For example,

  They two fraudsters covered the theft of $200M with a false paper
  trail, but a single spelling mistake spurred a clerk at the bank to
  uncover details of their crime.

How might the spelling mistake be described? One answer I realise while typing this is "fatal flaw".


texts:
I ran into this sentence in a movie:

  I knew we shouldn't trust him.

But I don't know if it's correct. I'm assuming it is, for the movie is american. But I'm used to seeing something like this rather than the sentence above:

  I knew we shouldn't have trusted him.

Could someone please explain why the first sentence is correct?


texts: Is "resign with effect from [date]" inclusive?

texts:
I am resigning from my post with effect from 15th April.

Does this imply that April 14th will be my last working day, or will it be April 15th?


texts: I need a word that means "easily understood or relatable to the common man"

texts: I can't think of a word that would summarize this phrase into one coherent adjective. It's for a thesis I'm writing about a musical composer.


texts: I once stopped to think about exactly what I was saying, and, though I'd always known it didn't make sense, I realized I'd never questioned it before. Does it have its origin in a longer question that was cut short? Does it come from being concerned about a place or person that is literally higher than you? Or is it just an arbitrary preposition with no actual meaning and no real reason for being there?


texts:
Just to clarify, I am not a native English speaker.  I occasionally hear from other non-native English speakers the use of the phrase: "As of now" with the meaning of Currently.

Initially I did not understand what they meant and it took me a while to understand that for them saying: "As of now it works like that" in their mind meant "Currently it works like that".

I think that As of now is only used to indicate From now on. The proper phrase they should be using should be As is now. Am I wrong on this?


texts: Can we use an adverb together with nouns?

texts:
i know that the preposition can be used with nouns.

For example :
              skin between your ......

          connection between.......

          the girl after you......

          the car before the other ones...

So, can we say  '' The man here '' ???

if we can , would you please give an example ? Thank you...


texts: Word for person who "scrapes" website content and reposts elsewhere without attribution

texts:
Per this question on ELU meta, some a***hole is scraping ELU content and passing it off without attribution in a Google Blog.

I'll admit that partly I ask this question in hopes that some of you good folk will be public-spirited enough to follow the link and report this abuse, so Google will take it down.

But I am genuinely interested to know whether there's a standard term for such a person (or for a website containing primarily "stolen" content like this). The words plagiarist and pirate come to mind, but neither really seems quite right to me (and I'm sure *a*****hole* isn't exactly it either).

If you don't have the time/inclination to go and rattle Google's cage about this, perhaps you might consider upvoting the question so it gets called to the attention of others who might actually do it.


texts:
What is correct (or are both expressions correct):

Piece of gear
Article of gear

I learned that if there is no specific singular of a word I have to use piece of ... but when I look into some dictionarries I see the article of gear although I find piece of gear a lot on websites (just by googling for that expression).

So what's the correct one or are both correct and if yes in which cases I use the one or the other?


texts: How does a supervisor in a prison address an inmate in American English?

texts: How does a supervisor in a prison address an inmate? For example, a relative came to visit one of the inmates, so the supervisor is going to the cell (where many inmates are) and is about to call on that inmate. How would he address him then? It seems quite unlikely to me that the supervisor would address an inmate as "Mr. (Last name)"


texts: Question about a sentence from the novel "Possession"

texts:
I have a question about a sentence in this extract:

The London Library was Roland's favourite place. It was shabby but civilised, alive with history but inhabited also by living poets and thinkers who could be found squatting on the slotted metal floors of the stacks, or arguing pleasantly at the turning of the stair. Here Carlyle had come, here George Eliot had progressed through the bookshelves. Roland saw her black silk skirts, her velvet trains, sweeping
compressed between the Fathers of the Church, and heard her firm foot
ring on metal among the German poets.
Possession A Romance  by A. S. Byatt.

Does the word sweep in the sentence mean to remove dust, dirt, etc., from (something) with a broom or brush?

Does the word compress in the sentence mean to press or squeeze (something) so that it is smaller or fills less space?

I am not very clear about the meaning of sweeping compressed.

Also, Does the word ring mean make a sound in the sentence and heard her firm foot ring on metal among the German poets?

I am not very clear about the meaning of ring on metal.


texts: Is there an expression to describe someone with a special ability who chooses not to use it?

texts:
I'm writing a novella and am looking for a title that describes a character who can fly but chooses not to. I've had a look at "Is there an adjective to describe someone who feels the desire to run away from situations?" and A word to describe a person who doesn't use their own products or policies but neither captures what I'm looking for.

I've got "Can Fly but Won't" but that feels clunky.


texts: Future Perfect with the preposition 'since'

texts:
I have a question regarding the future perfect tense and which prepositions go with it. Understandably, by, for, and in work very well with the future perfect.

By friday, I will have been working here for one year.
In two years, I will have worked here for two years.

However, my question is whether or not since is usable with the future perfect.

"Do you want to go out tonight?"
"Nah, I'll have been working since 9 AM. I'm going to be dead tired."

My guess is that this is usable as an approximation. I'll have been working here since May for example. Swan and Cambridge offer no solution for this. My question is: is this possible?


texts: Is the comma being appropriately used to distinguish between these meanings

texts:
And is there a term for when you put a comma right after a noun, followed by the command (verb phrase)?

"Soldiers, march."

A imperative statement telling the soldiers to march.

"Soldiers march."

A declarative statement about an action soldiers perform.


texts: What word or phrase could describe the reaction one has to a bad joke/pun that they actually find funny?

texts:
Basically, how do you describe the feeling you have when you hear a joke that is just terrible but you still laugh, despite hating the fact that you're laughing the entire time? Dad jokes would be a prime example of this.

There are plenty of words that can represent these types of jokes (lame joke, cheesy, dry, etc.) but I'm looking for the reaction of the listener. Any ideas?


texts: Is there a name for this articulate, hyper-enunciated, "upper class" American English accent?

texts:
In the television show Frasier, the protagonist's brother, Niles Crane, is a haughty, snobby, obsessive-compulsive psychiatrist who frequently obsesses about knowing the right people and climbing the social ladder. Unique to him is his accent, which serves to complement his upper-class persona.

People often call the stereotypical "upper-class" accent the Mid- or Trans-Atlantic accent, but this certainly doesn't describe the accent in question. While the Transatlantic accent includes clipping "r" sounds in words like "butter," Niles's accent is abounding in rhoticity (c.f. 0:09 in the video: "I'm afraid what the humidity will do to these loafers. Does calfskin pucker?"). Furthermore, he doesn't have the Transatlantic accent's characteristic sharp "t" in words like "getting" and "better" (c.f. 2:25 and 3:31, respectively, where he substitutes "d" for "tt".).

I was wondering what this accent is called, the regions it existed (or exists) in, and the story behind its apparent rarity/decline, as I've never heard it before.


texts: Is there a word for a picture of a face that is made from the letters of a name?

texts:
Does anybody know if there is a name for a picture of a face made from the actual letters of a name?

This picture from the band T'Pau's album cover is a good example what I'm looking for - Heart and Soul album cover

I saw a set of them at an art gallery years ago that used different people's first names, but I haven't been able to find anything since and no look with google.


texts: What word describes a self -created word/expression with an intuitive meaning?

texts:
Otherwise, the Court says, there would be no qualified individuals on federal Exchanges, contradicting (for example) the provision requiring every Exchange to take the "'interests of qualified individuals'" into account when selecting health plans. Ante, at 11 (quoting §18031(e)(1)(b)). Pure applesauce.

Like in this above para , it is easily understood that "pure applesauce" denotes nonsense or rubbish and it may or may not have any linguistic roots but the context is still well-understood. What word describes such expressions?


texts: Position of adverb with respect to the adjective it modifies

texts:
The arm was so badly injured (a) that he must have (b) it amputated (c).

Which part of this sentence has an error?

Should it be "The arm was injured so badly." Is that right?


texts: Why aren’t Tom, Jake, and Jenny looking forward to Thanksgiving?

texts:
And “Hen” (their mother) isn’t much looking forward to it either.

Why? I can answer that question myself: it’s because they are
all turkeys.

Tom is an adult male turkey (also often referred to as a ‘gobbler’).
Hen is an adult female turkey.
Jake is a young male turkey.
Jenny is a young female turkey.

Very often when we decide to name our pets we give them human names, and
we may even converse with them as if they understand us and are able to
reply.  I believe this is called anthropomorphism: “considering
animals, objects, etc., as having human qualities”.  I can also
understand how we become attached to our pets, allowing them to live
in our homes and become, for all intents and purposes, members of our
families.

Would it be true to say that in naming the male and female domestic
animals (those bred for food, transportation, work etc.), many were
personified by giving them human names?

In order to avoid possible confusion; I am talking about
classification; for example, hen the female chicken,
cock/rooster the male, and chick the young are distinct words which
are not common first names, whereas tom, jake, and jenny are.

As far as I am aware this does not happen in the Italian language. To
provide a few examples from Italian:

papero e papera  = drake/(female) duck
asino e asina = jack or jackass/(female donkey) jenny
cavallo e giumenta = horse/mare
gatto e gatta = tomcat/(female cat) queen
gallo e gallina = rooster/hen
tacchino e tacchino femmina = (turkey) tom/hen
canguro, canguro femmina e cucciolo di
canguro1 = buck or jake/(female kangaroo)
jill/(young) joey

I know not one instance where a domesticated farm animal in Italy is
called by an Italian human name.

Is this phenomenon peculiar to English only? Can anyone explain
its origins? For example, why were the adult and young male turkey both
given male human names, and why is a young female turkey called a
jenny?
Are there other examples in the animal kingdom where the young and
adult animals have been given “human names”? I can think of only two
others but they are both adults: Tom an adult male cat and drake an
adult male duck (I might be wrong, but I’m pretty sure I’ve heard Drake
used as a person’s name).

Edit: I added the terms for male, female, and young kangaroos to the
original list.


texts: If I'm not sure about the gender of Brown may I write "Brown was merry and their cat was sad"?

texts:
If I'm not sure about the gender of Brown may I write:

  Brown was merry and their cat was sad.

... ? I met such a construction in "Harry Potter", but I don't know whether native speakers are happy with it.

In particular, is it ok to use they after we have actually used the name of a specific individual and it is clear that the case in point is a single person?


texts: Do you say "please yourself" in a non-sexual context?

texts:
In an English grammar textbook, I found this example sentence:

  Dinner's at 8 o'clock, but there's nothing planned for the afternoon,
  so you can all please yourself until then.

I googled please yourself and it seems to mean masturbation in some contexts. Do native English speakers use it in non-sexual contexts like the example above?


texts: Should there be a comma between "every scrap" in the sentence below?

texts:
The following is a sentence I read in a novel called Amy Snow:

  I will carry out her wishes in death every scrap as faithfully as I did when she was with me.

The every scrap part confuses me — isn't there something wrong with it? Should there be a comma between it?


texts: Was "book" to "beek" as "foot" is to "feet"?

texts: "Foot" is a curious word in English because it is pluralized in an unusual way; the "oo" in the word is changed to "ee".  Did this once use to be a standard way of pluralizing things in English (or a language that contributed to English), which would mean that the plural of "book" was "beek" instead of "books"?  Or, is "feet" just a one-off?


texts:
Is there a single word to describe someone who relies on their appearance for advantage?

For example: Newscasters often tend to be ____________ because of the visual nature of their industry.

Jill's parents thought she was an adorable little girl, but worried that she might become a ____________.

NOTE: I am not looking for a word to describe someone obsessed with their appearance, (narcissist), but for someone who relies on their appearance.


texts:
Is there a word in English which would encompass both the action of increasing or decreasing [the value of] something?

I am looking at a word similar to modify, change or alter. But the first two do not denote the fact that the current value would be slightly changed and I feel the the last one is a bit general.


texts:
What does 'bish' mean in Katie Perry and Nicki Minaj's song, Swish Swish?

  Swish, swish, bish
  Another one in the basket (basket, woah, basket, woah)
  Can't touch this
  Another one in the casket (casket, woah, casket)

The dictionary tells me it is something like lose.
The translation to Russian associates it with bitch...


texts: “These days are over” vs. “those days are over”

texts:
Consider a context like the following:

  There was a time when the United Kingdom and France were the world's foremost political powers, heading empires that spanned every continent. These two nations were at the forefront of the arts and technology. Th_se days are over. Now the United States and China share most of the economic influence, with Europe coming at best third when it manages to speak with a single voice.

Should it be these days, those days, or can either work? Do these and those give different impressions?

On the one hand, the days in question are in the distant past, which calls for “those”. It does seem a bit jarring to use “these days” to refer to the distant past, given that “these days” on its own means ”nowadays“. On the other hand, the days in question are the ones that have been mentioned just previously, which tends to call for this/these. They're also the first referent of two, making them the “this” and the present the “that”. Using “those days” is a bit jarring because it seems on the surface to refer to an unspecified or underspecified period on the past, rather than to the specific period that has just been mentioned. On the gripping hand, maybe it's just one of these cases where either this or that will do.

(Obligatory this is not a dictionary lookup request: I'm well aware of the differences between this/these and that/those, as well as the meaning of expressions such “these days” and “in those days”. My question is specifically about this case which does not involve a set expression and where there are arguments for both. I'm generally comfortable with choosing by feel but I originally wrote a paragraph like the one above with “th1se”, someone told me it should be “th2se” instead, and I'm now doubting.)


texts: Having little green kittens about something

texts:
I was very surprised when I first came across this saying. Using google I've found a total of two instances of it, and dictionaries or ngram come up empty.

My wife is having little green kittens about me going solo
tonight. [he is asking for someone to join him] link
I'm also reasonably sure the EU would have had little green kittens
over this idea. [poster is expressing his doubts on the truth of a news article] link

In both cases the context suggested it means to be strongly opposed to something or [edit] to freak out.
Is this an existing expression? Does anybody know where it comes from?
Edit: apparently, some people prefer blue kittens:

I've always heard the expression "Don't have little blue kittens!" as in don't get all excitable, but I've never actually seen a blue kitten!
link


texts: Is this an unnecessary "that"?? I'm confused whether or not to add a "that" in specific sentences

texts:
"The universally recognized raw text format that any computer can understand." OR

"The universally recognized raw text format any computer can understand.

This is a definition for a computer science term and online, the definition includes "that". Is "that" in the first sentence redundant? I understand that in some cases "that" is necessary, like "The fish that leaped into the sea" because you're naming what the specific fish did--you're identifying it, but I encounter a lot of sentences that I think "that" is unnecessary in. ANOTHER EXAMPLE:

"The time it takes for a bit to travel." OR

"The time that it takes for a bit to travel." In my opinion, you don't need "that" because time is already the subject and you're not naming specifically what "time" is or what it did, unlike the fish sentence. Please help!!


texts: Multiple relative clauses within subject?

texts:
I'm wondering what is the actual subject in this sentence:
"One of the countries she has visited that I have not is Canada."

To me, everything up until 'is' seems like the subject, but I can't find any information about relative clauses being found in a subject, other than in the case of a 'that' clause that comes first (e.g. That she should forget me so quickly was rather a shock).

If anyone could parse this sentence for me, I would greatly appreciate it! Thanks for your time.


texts: His brother "hooked" him up with this bachelor party

texts:
I was watching the film "Bachelor Party Las Vegas" and one of the characters utters the phrase:

  His brother hooked him up with this bachelor party

(emphasis mine)

When I looked up hooked in the Oxford English Dictionary I found

  Curved like a hook
  Addicted

This does not really make sense in the context of the film. What is the meaning of hooked here?


texts:
The two men appeared out of nowhere, a few yards apart in the narrow, moonlit lane.
             — Chapter 1 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: The Dark Lord

According to this web site, English native speakers use the definite article in front of a noun when they believe the hearer/reader knows exactly what they are referring to. But the sentence above is the very first sentence in Harry Potter and the Deathly hallows. We don't know anything about the two men and the narrow, moonlit lane.

I looked up the use of the definite article on books and the Internet. But I couldn't find out why the definite article is used in front of that nouns.

Could you explain why the definite article is used?


texts: Term for words such as "un-f**king-believable" or "a-whole-nother"

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  What is it called when an interjection is inserted inside another word?

Is there a term used to describe words such as un-fucking-believable or a-whole-nother? These words have other words inserted inside of the original word, creating a sort of compound word.


texts: What is the origin of the minced oath “Jiminy”?

texts:
Jiminy, by jiminy, jumpin' jiminy etc

—used as a mild oath often in the phrases by jiminy, jiminy crickets, jiminy Christmas

-Merriam Webster
In a more innocent age, and long before the ubiquitous present-day usage of "fuck" as an expletive, there used to be some rather quaint expressions to express surprise, or shock. Among these are "Jiminy, or "by jiminy", or even "jumpin' jiminy".
Some people claim it comes from the name of the Disney character Jiminy Cricket, but I can find references going back far beyond that, so I am guessing that the character was named after the exclamation (i.e. “Jumpin’ Jiminy”), rather than the reverse.

-The Cult of the Heavenly Twins (J. R. Harris, 1917)
There is some speculation that it derives from a Scandinavian expression, like “oofta”. There is also speculation that "Jiminy Crickets!", "Jiminy Christmas", etc is a way of disguising "Jesus Christ!" as an expletive.
What is the origin of this expression? Is this an Americanism, or is it an exclamation coming from a Scandinavian (possibly Swedish) expression?


texts:
Is there an adjective in English to describe grown-up children? In context, I was writing about family dynamics and the "parental duty of care" towards children, but got stuck on a word describing any duty of care of adult children towards their (elderly) parents.

Example sentence:

  The mother and father have a parental duty of care, especially in their offspring's younger years. In return the children have a {adjective for adult children} duty of care to their elderly parents in later years.

Obviously candidates like "infantile" or "juvenile" don't work as they exclude adult children.

Thanks for any suggestions.


texts:
I haven't talked to my wife for three years.
  I haven't talked to my wife in three years.

Are in and for interchangeable in these sentences?


texts:
I have booked a flight in September.

In the above sentence, does it mean the flight is in September or the action of booking is in September?

In May, I have booked a flight back to home in September.

This sentence should be more clear than the previous one. But I feel like it is not a very good expression, is it? How do I reword this sentence so it gets better?


texts:
Here is the situation. My birthday is coming. I feel fairly happy.

I am going to have a party for my birthday. Does 'for' here mean
'because of' ?
I am going to have a party for my friends. Does 'for' here mean 'are
intended or benefit from' ?
In the two statements above, does 'have' mean hold or organize?
THank you. :)


texts: Which one is the most correct answer among these sentences?

texts:
The result starts with a very small one, and the very small one becomes the most important. <- is this correct answer?

Or is this more correct version of this saying

The result starts with a very small thing, and very small thing becomes the most important.

I want to express that very small effort comes out as the most important, bing thing in life.

If the first sentence is wrong, (which i assume it’s wrong) why is it exactly wrong grammatically?

Could anyone help me out?

(Majoring in english in foreign university here)


texts: Is there one trick that is the oldest?  I understand the Oxford definition of the idiom but when was it first used and what did it refer to?


texts:
I have heard the word medal used as a verb recently by members of the (BBC) Rio 2016 commentary team and on occasion to podium even slipped in - is this a common phenomenon?

Perusal of the internet indicates that to medal is not just a recent occurrence but one that stretches back to the first modern Olympic Games and a usage in reference to the honours system

(N.B.: Ngrams only looks at written language so it's apparent decline recently is probably not representative of its overall usage)

  the OED lists examples of using "medal" as a verb as long ago as Byron, in 1822: "He was medalled." [The modern usage is]  dated by the OED from 1966: "to win a medal (i.e. to come first, second, or third in a sporting event or competition)".
  (The Guardian - style guide)

Podium as a verb has no such illustrious history with a more minor usage in mainly athlete circles. My Ngrams search (see above) finds to podium has a small, recent use but podiumed is not found (and is highlighted as a spelling error). It is listed in the OED but as mainly in AmE.

  (Of a competitor in a sporting event) finish first, second, or third, so as to appear on a podium to receive an award:

**In the end, my question is:

Are these words mainstream verbs or are they merely seasonal, and don't see use outside of commentary and competitor circles?**


texts: Word for instantaneous mismatch of expectation and reality

texts:
I'm looking for a word to describe the feeling when you think you've reached the bottom of the staircase and there's actually one more step and suddenly you're falling, or when you swing a bat and think you're going to make contact but miss the ball, or think there's another drumbeat coming but there's silence instead. The feeling of your expectation misaligning with reality at a particular instant.
Seems like the kind of thing you might find in the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows. I'd love to know if there's anything like this or close in English.


texts:
Today my laptop battery died while I was finishing off a sticky note and so naturally I just went 'Oh, bollocks!'. After all, it didn't warrant one of the "big six"; it was more a "damn" moment. So I opted for "bollocks". I didn't think it was rude; it was just fun to say.

I was around a colleague at the time and they gave me a bit of a look (and, frankly, an 'Excuse me?!'). They told me that it's just another way of saying "bullshit", yet based on their response, obviously not a euphemism. (I'm sceptical though. I know the dictionary says "balls", but it didn't say anything about "bullshit".) I've always thought that "bollocks" is just one of those great British words that are relatively harmless but fun to say, like "bugger" or "sugarbush".

So, is it actually rude? Or is it just rude to some people?

(If it's relevant, I live in Australia.)


texts: British vs. USA grammar: Wasn't or Weren't usage

texts: From a British speaker, "I hope you wasn't too late." In the USA we would say "weren't". Was this poor grammar, or is this acceptable in the UK?  I immediately thought it wrong; however, I don't want to be too presumptuous.


texts: "Adidas (brand) Superstar Boost (shoe name) Shoes" or "Adidas Superstar Boost shoes"?

texts:
Whenever I want to write the name of a brand's product, do I also have to capitalize what the item is, like shirt or hat?

Did you buy the new Supreme Polartec Pullover Shirt?
Did you buy the new Supreme Polartec pullover shirt?

Another example would be:

In what sizes are the Adidas Superstar Boost Shoes?
In what sizes are the Adidas Superstar Boost shoes?


texts: What is the term for police officers in command positions?

texts:
Members of the military who hold command/leadership positions are referred to as "officers." The same is true of firefighters. However, when it comes to police, the term "officers" refers to all members of a department (excluding civilian support staff and other special cases).

What is the term — assuming one exists — for police officers who hold non-entry-level ranks (e.g. lieutenants and chiefs)?


texts: Grammar analysis of this sentence from a magazine

texts:
I am reading the latest Time magazine, how should the structure of the following sentence be analyzed?

  Taken together, their stories tell not only of the tragedies and rare triumphs of that day but also of the tumultuous decade that followed.

I understand the meaning of this sentence, but I am not sure about the grammar.


texts:
While solving a question, I came in to a situation where I was left wondering between two of the choices. The sentence was:

  Acquisition of certain specific skills can be facilitated by/through general
  awareness, education to novel situations.

According to my understanding through sounds more apt. But I am not sure. Could anyone explain the correct usage. In which condition one is preferable over the other?


texts:
I'm going to send an introduction letter to an editor and just wanted to make sure I don't fail too early :-)
Is it correct/understandable to say "I'm an employee of XYZ with some assets as blogger".
I'm just trying to avoid some clichè statements like "I have experience as ..."


texts: Is there a word for excessive use of articles?

texts: I'm correcting a report translated into English, and the previous version has "a" and "the" articles stuck to every noun and name. While writing a comment expressing my discontent with this misuse of articles, I couldn't find a more concise expression than "Too many articles." And then I wondered: is there a word or a common expression for this sort of thing?


texts: Which adjective should I use to describe a phenomenon, that I hope will not appear in my experiment?

texts: I'm writing a report for my electronic experiments. In the paper, I limit the frequency of the voltage resource to a small value because a high frequency reduces the impedance and causes large currency which is harmful to the equipment. My sentence is like this: "f should be lower than a defined upper limit to avoid over-current due to a (?) small impedance." I want to use an adjective to describe the "small impedance". It certainly appears but I don't wish it to appear for it causes damage.


texts: Is there a noun for something important, something that plays a big role in a given situation? The term game changer doesn't fit the description in my opinion (because it implies the important thing being something introduced recently), and the term biggie seems kind of rare and informal.


texts: Does one "drive" a motorcycle or "ride" it?

texts:
When you are the one steering the motorbike/motorcycle, are you driving the motorcycle, or riding the motorcycle?
I am asking because someone tried to correct my status update. Here's my status and the comment:

Today, after 6 years, I drove a motorcycle on a long route. Great Feeling. Loved it!
Comment: you don't drive a bicycle or motocycle... You ride a motorcycle... You drive a car...

Is that right?


texts: Idiom for players / employees that proved to be more talented than expected

texts:
I am looking for an idiom to use for a person (player, employee etc.) that proves more talented than expected. In my native language, I often hear in sports being something that literally translates to "season revelation", but I have sometimes used it (informally) for junior colleagues.
A "season revelation" is:

typically (very) young
talented at what it does, but few know about this until "revealed"
a one-time event in one's life (cannot be "revealed" more than once)

"Rising star" comes into my mind, but I am not sure if it grasps the same meaning.


texts:
I am from Singapore. I have heard many Singaporeans use imperative sentences with emphatic 'do' when they make requests or ask for something to be done a certain way. For example, they would say something like:

-Do get back to me once you have seen my email.

-Do take a seat and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

So do these sentences make sense? I have never seen other English speakers do this.


texts: “Have you heard?” vs “Did you hear?” and “Sally broke/has broken her leg”

texts:
Earlier today I had a private lesson with an Italian student—intermediate level, who has been studying the present perfect vs. past simple tense. His teacher had given him an exercise where a list of Italian phrases had to be translated into English. One of the sentences was the following:

  Hai sentito che Sally si è rotta una gamba?

It looks deceivingly simple to translate (for a native speaker) but I found myself with five versions, all of which I am certain are idiomatic and grammatical.

Have you heard that Sally broke her leg?
Have you heard that Sally's broken her leg?
Have you heard about Sally breaking her leg?
Did you hear that Sally broke her leg?
Did you hear that Sally's broken her leg?

The actual moment when Sally broke her leg happened at a specific time in the past, hence the past simple seems to me appropriate but we also say, Sally's broken her leg  to express an action that occurred in the past but whose consequences are still felt in the present so...

Which sentence tells the reader that Sally's leg is still broken?
Which tense is more appropriate; the present perfect, Have you heard?  Or the past simple Did you hear? Both sound acceptable to me. How is the meaning affected?
Is it preferable for both verbs to be in the same tense? Why or why not?
Ignoring the Italian translation and focussing on the five sentences, how would you interpret each one? Do they mean the same?

EDIT (updated September 1 2014)
Let me explain, more fully, why I posted this question. There was an Italian phrase which had to be translated (the first line in a short exchange) the rest of the dialogue was easy enough for my student and I to translate but he had difficulties with this first line.

In the exchange we learn that Sally broke her leg while skiing.

A: Have you heard/Did you hear... etc.
B: How did it happen?
A: She was skiing when she fell.

When I thought carefully about how the first sentence could be translated, I came up with five versions. I had a problem explaining to myself why they all sounded equally valid to me, in fairness sentence number 3 sounded the weakest candidate to me because it seems that the news of Sally's accident is very recent and conveys greater intensity.

As I tried to explain earlier, I was wondering how switching the past simple with the present perfect might change the meaning of the first line. If I say: Sally broke her leg,  I might be thinking about the precise moment when this accident occurred. The event is established in the past and cannot be repeated. If I say: Sally has broken her leg it is plausible that her leg is still broken, seeing as a broken leg takes about a month to heal, and I am concerned with the results of that action which are felt in the present i.e. Sally now has her leg in a plaster/She cannot walk properly/She is currently injured, etc.

If the first verb is in the past simple, Did you hear...? does it affect how I write the rest of the sentence? Is Have you heard...? more colloquial?

Finally, I am NOT asking about translation, nor how to use the present perfect or the past simple.


texts: What is the correct use of punctuation in this question?

texts:
Most bookstores stock the most common way people discover and start origami, being a kit
A) NO CHANGE
B) origami:
C) origami;
D) origami
We can eliminate the options A and C. A is not a correct use of a modifier. While C is not correct because we use a semi-colon in the case of two independent sentences. Most students chose D. But the correct answer is B. Why it is grammatically correct I don't understand.


texts: Pronunciation of "of" in connected speech: Can /v/ ever be pronounced as /f/ in some cases?

texts:
I know that the /v/ sound at the of the word have is sometimes
pronounced as /f/ in the phrase have to, which becomes /ˈhæftə/.

Is there a similar thing where the /v/ sound at end of the word of ever
gets pronounced as /f/ when it’s followed by particular sounds?


texts: Which mood is created with "everyone should visit"?

texts: Which mood is created with the sentence, "Everyone should visit..."  with the use of the auxiliary verb?  I have decided already that it is not the imperative mood.


texts:
This laptop is worth $140.

Here worth does not need a following preposition.  However, when I say, for example:

  I am curious about his motivation behind his decision.

The word curious is an adjective and I have to have a preposition about afterwards.  My question is :

Are there similar adjectives to worth in this respect?


texts:
Google dictionary shows 18 meanings for way. Among which, we have:

A method, style, or manner of doing something
A person's characteristic or habitual manner of behavior or expression
The typical manner in which something happens or in which someone or something behaves
A specified direction
Used with a verb and adverbial phrase to intensify the force of an action or to denote movement or progress
A particular aspect of something; a respect
A specified condition or state

Which of these is the meaning for the "way" in "no way", the informal term which means absolutely no?


texts: Subject-verb inversion / verb-subject-object -- is this correct?

texts:
I recently read the following in a schoolbook:

  Wrote the researchers, "[...]"

I wonder if this is correct English. I have seen it a couple of more times. Is this just a matter of preference? English doesn't really have a very liberal word order, unless you're writing poetry or the like.

Can anyone tell me what this is called? I found some information on subject-verb inversion, but it only seems to be when the object is in front, but in this case, the word order is verb-subject-object.


texts: What is the meaning of "transparent contempt"?

texts:
I came across this phrase "transparent contempt" a couple of times, but was unable to get the meaning from the context.
I am not able to track down the source.


texts:
I encountered this sentence -

  It was an hour's drive to Providence, a little less after that.

What does it mean by "a little less after that"?
Does it mean "after Providence, it will be a little less than an hour to reach the place"?


texts: "What time do you swim?" vs "What time do you go swimming?"

texts:
What's the difference?
The English curriculum is really weird in Japan, which is why the country is ranked very low in ESL.


texts:
Is there an expression for when you have something but cannot use it or it is meaningless to use it.
For example "one has the right to strike but cannot use it".


texts:
A friend of mine, a respected linguist, mentioned recently that "despite" (prep) is outdated.  Whilst it is true that I hardly ever hear someone using the word in ordinary conversation, I still hear it in scientific seminars, lectures, congresses, etc and I also come across it in technical texts once in a while.
What I mean here is "despite" and not "despite of" or "in despite of" which are clearly archaic. The search I've done includes the mainstream dictionaries (ODO, TFD, Merriam-Webster, etc) and they don't mention the word being outdated.


texts:
The OED defines blond (noun) as:

A person with blond hair; one with light or ‘fair’ hair and the corresponding complexion; esp. a woman, in which case spelt blonde.

1822 Edin. Rev. 199 Brenda, the laughing blue-eyed blonde.

Other sources suggest that "blonde" as a noun should be avoided as it may sound sexist and offensive:
Blonde:

Blonde may be used to describe a woman’s hair, but it is sometimes considered offensive to refer to a woman as ‘a blonde’ because hair colour should not define what a person is like. (OLD)

The use of blonde as a noun in reference to a female with blonde hair is best avoided because it can be interpreted as sexist. (The Grammarist)

Questions:

When did the the noun  "blonde" acquire  a negative connotation"?
Is it still nowadays better to avoid referring  to a woman as "a blonde"?
Are there differences in this respect between AmE vs BrE?


texts:
Premise: I want to become a bad man for a little while. What verb would fit here?

Let me ___ a hateful man

I think "become" or "be" may be too strong considering it's just going to last some minutes.


texts: Rule for words/set of words that fit "Others with the same *"?

texts:
For example some words fit and feel aesthetic to read :
Others with the same height, Others with the same marital status, Others with the same publisher
While some words don't fit
Others with the same location, Others with the same race
Is it possible to formalize a rule using which we can use to identify these words?


texts: What's the proper way to describe hitting the bottom of a staff of rod against the ground?

texts: I mean like when a king or something orders silence, he has the staff and/or rod in his hand and hits it against the ground, making the loud clap or boom to get everybody's attention.


texts: Is there a single word for "make someone cry"? I checked a translation dictionary, but it just referred me to the word "cry."


texts: Meaning of the phrase "put down one's papers"

texts: In India, the phrase "put down one's papers" means to submit one's resignation at a workplace. Is this usage universal? I suspect this is Indian.


texts: Is "what would you rather she does?" grammatically correct?

texts: Someone said "what would you rather her do?". It didn't sound correct to me. So, I said it's "what would you rather she does?". Someone else said it isn't correct either and said it's "what would you rather have her do?". This sounded better to me, but I want to know if I was wrong.


texts: Do I write ".22 rifle" or "twenty-two rifle"?

texts:
I'm writing a fiction novel, and someone casually mentions a .22 rifle. In speech, you would just say "twenty-two rifle" (as opposed to "point-twenty-two rifle").

So, do I write out the number, or leave it as .22?

Edit: I'm talking about this in an American context, but the UK responses were also interesting. Thank you.


texts:
What is the origin of the word "duh" as in the interjection:

  — It's hot in the desert.
  — Well, duh!

If it is of onomatopoeic origin and only appears in modern English as some sites suggest, I would be interested to know when it started appearing in English writing.


texts:
Which is best to use when emailing a customer that their order is ready.

Your order is complete. Please feel free to stop by for pickup at your earliest convenience.
Your order has been completed. Please feel free to stop by for pickup at your earliest convenience.
We have completed your order. Please feel free to stop by for pickup at your earliest convenience.

Or if there is another alternative way to say it, please let me know.


texts: What is a word for an "inverse panorama"?

texts:
Specifically, what is a word for the action of taking several pictures of an object from multiple, regular angles and has the same connotation as "panorama" (where you would take multiple pictures of an environment, stay in a fixed location and rotate). The end result of this action would be a collection of photos that show off every angle of said object. Any ideas?

To be a little clearer: in this case, the camera would remain fixed and the object would rotate.

Result Example: [Home Depot Website] (click on ' 360° ');


texts: Punctuation of abbreviation followed by parenthesis

texts:
Best just to give you the example, rather than explain it. This has been a hard one to solve - harder than I thought it would be.

Created by XYZ Ltd. (best company in the world).

Is this correct? There are two closing periods here, but it doesn't look right to drop the second one. The first one is part of the company name and required.


texts: Polarly opposite connotations of 'head'?

texts:
Such aphorisms as 'Think With Your Head, Not Your Heart' connote positivity of the noun 'head', but such English words as heady and testy connote negativity. So why this clash and polarity of connotation?

Per Etymonline, the etymology of 'testy' involves French. Does French help to explain anything?


texts: "the witness that testifies for passing of time." Why *for* instead of *the*?

texts:
I have the sentence below:

"History is the witness that __________ passing of time."
a. testifies the
b. testifies for
c. will testify for
d. be meeting

I confidently answered a, but the correct answer is b. Why is it? Sorry, I'm not a native English speaker.


texts: Should perfect and progressive tenses be avoided in research papers?

texts:
Writing a research paper, I came across a remark from one of the reviewers:

"Keep it simple" […] try to stay with present simple and past simple tense.

This would discourage the use of perfect / progressive tenses.
Now, I'm not a native speaker—and neither is the reviewer—but I'm sure there are valid uses for the present perfect tense. For example:

Research has shown that […]
This effect has often been cited as […]
The authors of […] have published a database […]

This, specifically, would imply that whatever research has shown is still valid today, whereas using a past tense here would mean that the research isn't accepted at the time of writing.
Regarding that reviewer comment:

Why should these tenses be avoided in the first place? I wouldn't say that the "keep it simple" rule literally refers to the "simple" tenses. Or does it?
Is that a general rule or are the examples I've mentioned valid uses of the perfect tense?


texts: Is there a WORD For: sound made by mouth to express demeaning annoyance or feigned, mocking disbelief?

texts:
The sound made by pushing middle tongue against palate, tip of tongue bent downward and pushed up against upper teeth and sucking in air sharply w/ mouth open, chin drops and holds for an instant. A forceful "thch..ahch!"  Often accompanied by eyes rolling upward.  Meant to express demeaning irritation and/or feigned, mocking disbelief at such stupidity, etc.. "Oh brother, there he goes again...! Sarcastic "Do you believe he said that?
 I would be happy to borrow from another language if there isn't an English word for it.


texts:
I asked this question on the English Language Learners section of Stack Exchange, in the comments after my original question had been answered. The person who answered my original question promised to answer my other question I made in the comments, which never happened. So I will be asking my question here instead:

When I say,

"This tool was made for building things."

and

"This gun is used for protecting myself from threats."

The for gerund implies something that will/was going to happen in the future.

But when I say,

"He was arrested for murdering his colleague."

or

"He was scolded for having spilled his drink."

The for gerund means that one thing happened because of another; something like a cause-and-effect.

Can someone explain why this happens?


texts: What are alternative phrases for "with respect to"?

texts:
I often overuse the idiom "with respect to" - it's my default phrase when I'm writing formally and want to restrict the domain of a statement. e.g.

X is changing with respect to Y ...

Changes with respect to Z ...

With respect to A, ...

What are some alternatives to using this idiom?


texts: When to use definite vs indefinite article - ambiguity

texts:
I'm struggling to understand the different uses of definite and indefinite articles in the below examples. I believe that each example is correct, but don't understand why.

Example 1:

I injured my shin in the game last week.
I injured my shin in a game last week.

Example 2:

I opened the present that my aunt gave me.
I opened a present that my aunt gave me.

Example 3:

Playing at home, Rachel kicked a beach ball and it flew out of a window.
Playing at home, Rachel kicked the beach ball and it flew out of the window.


texts:
I am writing a scientific article and have a question regarding the time of day. I am using the the system without a.m. and p.m.. So I have time of days like: 9:00, 15:00 (3 p.m.) and 23:00 (11 p.m.). If I want to adress a certain time can I use 'o'clock' like:
"From 16 o’clock – 19 o’clock"

Or how would you do that?


texts: What is the appropriate punctuation to indicate the final phrase applies to both of the preceding requirements?

texts:
What is the appropriate punctuation to indicate that the phrase "or agency-recognized equivalent" refers to both  instruction and examination in the following phrase?

  X has successfully completed Y instruction and passed the Z examination or agency-recognized equivalent.


texts: Is it grammatical to say "I saw her dropping the ticket" as opposed to "I saw her drop the ticket"?

texts: What is the difference between using the past tense and the present participle, since both sentences indicate the speaker witnessed the action of the ticket being dropped?


texts: Is “unlikely liar” a correct way to descibe a person?

texts: Is unlikely liar a correct way to describe a person who is unlikely to lie?


texts: Is there a word / expression for the gesture of pinching someone's cheeks to show affection. It is often done to kids although people with dimples are also a frequent target for this kind of gesture.


texts: What's the name of these common phrases?

texts:
English is my second language, and recently I have noticed, from reading many articles on the New York Times and other websites, that writers tend to use and reuse specific phrases such as

“like a sponge”
“Slippery Slope”
“Shed light on”
Etc….

In some cases, they are used as a simile. As a non-native English speaker, these phrases help me understand better what the author is trying to convey.

My question today, do these phrases have a “common” name? I would like to incorporate these phrases into my own writing and I would like to learn more about them. Is there any specific book on such phrases?


texts:
[disclosure: I'm not a native speaker of English]

I work as a university professor. When writing up lecture notes as well as research papers, I have a tendency to write things like the following.

  A Monte Carlo simulation shows that Factor A is a significant one. Additionally, it also shows that the outliers can be grouped together as a special case.

The question is whether the Additionally...also sequence is a stylistically acceptable one, given that both additionally and also convey additivity. I keep on using it because using just one of the two sounds weird, in a way that I really can't put my finger on (but then, this might be because I don't speak English natively).

If Additionally...also is deprecated, I would welcome suggestions of alternative ways of expressing the same meaning.


texts: Are emails, videos, and audios, etc, considered telegrams?

texts:
What does the word "telegram" mean?

It sounds familiar though I've no idea what it is.

The dictionary says "telegram" is defined as: "A message sent by telegraph and then delivered in written or printed form."

And I looked up the word "telegraph": "A system for transmitting messages from a distance along a wire, esp. one creating signals by making and breaking an electrical connection"

Would I be right to say "telegram" is a general term for anything over the wire, and also that:

1) the emails that I receive are telegrams

2) the audio that I hear off of a website is a telegram

3) the webpages that I'm viewing are telegrams

4) the videos that I'm watching over the internet are telegrams

5) every time I hit a submit button or type in a url I'm sending a telegram

6) if a MSN notification pops up on my computer, it's because my friend just sent me a telegram

7) my bittorrent is constantly sending and receiving telegrams


texts:
I am from Castile, NY. As far as I can tell it is the only town in the USA with that name. We say the name like /kae-STAI-ol/, but I am aware that many people pronounce it like /kae-STEEL/. The name of the town comes from the first settlers. The wife loved Spain so they took an Anglicized Castilla for a name.
I am curious to hear what you all think about how to say this name. Who out there reads this and says it like me? What is your reason for doing so? For those who say it the other way, what is your reason?


texts: The Em Dash: Afterthought or Added Emphasis?

texts:
Whenever I read a piece of writing that includes an em dash, I'm unsure wether to read it as an afterthought or added emphasis. Here's two examples I made:

The em dash being used as an afterthought:

  "There was 130 of them—and, yes, I counted them all."

As added emphasis:

  "I don't want you all showing up to my party—especially you."

So, which one would it be? Is the em dash used to show an afterthought or added emphasis—or both? (Pun intended.)


texts: What is the meaning of paw-printed in this context

texts:
What does "paw-printed" mean in this sentence?

  Enter for a chance to win one of three free autographed (paw-printed) first-edition copies...

As much as I understand the meaning of both paw and print I do not understand it perfectly in this context.

Does it mean the author, itself, is going to be signing the book. Also I would assumed in this case "autographed" would be enough to state that.

Or is it that they're going to use a stamp, like some do, which mean it will not be a proper autograph as such using paw-printed here to indicate it would not be a clean autograph?


texts: What is noun-word or any expression used for "bits of food spilt unto the ground out of the plate"

texts:
I am an English language learner in need help from especially native English speakers. Please, I am looking for a noun-word or any expression used for "bits of food spilt unto the ground out of the plate, by children while eating especially when they are eating carelessly". In my native Hausa language we say "birbidin-abinci''. I wanted to say in English to some children to clean up the mess after they finished eating (the mess = birbidin-abinci).

I looked for it using the expression in quotes on "www.onelook.com/reverse-dictionary", but the tool did not give me what I needed. Thank you in anticipation of your assistance.


texts: 'Evening' and 'morning' in use as greetings

texts: This is more a historical question than one on the usages themselves.  I'm interested in the history of the truncated forms of "Good morning" and "Good evening..." specifically, when people started greeting one other simply with 'morning', 'afternoon, and 'evening', why they did so, and even where they were first used.  I would presume it was due to laziness, but details are always helpful... and, of course, I would appreciate some citation, as confirmation is never a bad thing.


texts: Other expressions for "to overcome obstacles"

texts:
I'm looking for a more original way to say "to overcome obstacles," preferably something figurative. The synonyms I found don't quite cut it.

  Partisan politics are at the heart of these problems and should be the first obstacle to overcome in fixing our democracies.


texts:
What is the correct way of saying the following:

  I have just completed my MSc in Psychology.

or

  I have just completed an MSc in Psychology.

Thank you