texts: what's the difference between "Remarks" and "Note"?

texts: When I make a table, there is a column we left for the things we forget to write down on it. What would we call this item? Remarks or Note?


texts:
The more times you watch that movie the better it gets.

Is this sentence correct? You know when you watch the same movie for the second time and discover small details that you didn't notice on the first time, which makes it even better. And so when you watch it the third, fourth, etc. time.
Is there a better or more common way to say that? Perhaps:

The more often you watch that movie the better it gets.


texts:
I found myself writing the word "earlierly" in my text editor and got a little red line underneath it. I must admit I was unsure about the spelling but was a bit surprised when I didn't find a spelling suggestion. I googled it and Google also suggested: "Did you mean: earlier?". Now I wonder, is "earlierly" a construction that should be avoided? Is it perhaps even a case of such a strong word as incorrect? And, if so, (I am sure you can understand what I am trying to say, but) how should I instead put what I am trying to say?

EDIT:
I wanted to use it a bit like: "I have earlierly introduced this problem". A bit like: "I have eagerly / happily / sadly introduced you to this"


texts: What does "Honor this in the breach" mean?

texts:
The text below is from a book for engineers whose content is unimportant: the purpose of my question is only to understand, "honor this in the breach".

I searched this expression on the Internet, but explanations about Shakespeare's uses do not help much.

  The scope of this book is supposed to be “everything up to,
  but not including, partial differential equations.” We honor this in
  the breach: First, we do have one introductory chapter on methods for
  partial differential equations (Chapter 19).


texts: How to express an equally differentiate array

texts:
This might involve some math knowledge.

I tried to express the name of such an array:

1, 3, 5, 7

which has this feature:

every two numbers close to each other have a difference of 2, which is a constant.

We call it Equal Difference Series, but I can't find any information on Google. So this might be the wrong name.


texts: Is the word 'It' in 'It's a pity' a referential pronoun?

texts:
Reopen note:

This question has been marked as a duplicate of a question about so-called weather-it. This question here has nothing to do with weather it. It seems from one of the answers that it might be from an extraposition construction, or from a referential usage. This has nothing to do with 'weather-it' at all.

Question:

Is the word 'It' in:

  It's a pity

a pronoun? Or does it just serve as a filler because otherwise there isn't a subject in the sentence?

Is the situation different in the sentence:

It's a pity you cannot come.


texts:
I can't understand one word in this video, time 1:18:

  ... Number two, and this is hugely important, dis??? yourself immediately ...

Can someone help me to identify the word?


texts: Is it acceptable to use "google" as a verb?

texts:
With the popularity and ubiquity of Google, it has become a verb to describe "searching for something online" and it appears in conversations and informal writing.

How can I know if it is acceptable to use "google" in more formal writing?


texts: How can I state having a "seat at the table" in a more assertive way, like claiming a seat?

texts: I would like to make it known that I have a "seat at the table," but I would like to state that in a more proactive fashion, like, to take a seat, or claim a seat.  Is there an efficient way of saying this?  Or, is there a better phrase? Thanks!


texts: Can I say that the source code is "saturated" with irrelevant expressions?

texts:
I'm looking for a word that would mean "filled with so much gibberish that it's hard to extract what's relevant", "such is that the important bits are obscured by irrelevant ones". The word that comes to mind is "saturated", but I am not sure if that's the one.

Examples:

These stats are severely saturated with responses posted by bots.
We're only reporting newly introduced issues so that reports are not saturated with what we already know.
Adding these function calls all over your code will saturate your actual logic.


texts:
Consider the case where a woman goes from giving birth straight into pregnancy again and repeats the cycle.  Say five children in 46 months.

"She's a serial maternalist"? This doesn't sound right.

"She's a maternity serialist"? This doesn't sound right either.

How would you state this in a concise and socially elegant way?


texts: Can someone please explain this version of the causative form? "I'll have you arrested"

texts:
As a non native speaker, I was taught to use the causative form like this:

if there's a subject: I'll have her send over the files.

if there's no subject: I'll have the files sent over.

And now I'm confused, because many a time I hear this line "I'll have you arrested" and since there is a subject, I wonder why it's that way. Could one say I'll have the police arrest you?


texts: I understand that you can say, "within 30 days of receiving your application", but I am seeing more and more "within 30 days after your application is received". Is the latter grammatical?


texts: What's the word for a cliche that is new?

texts:
What is the word for something that is like a cliche but isn't really old yet? Some phrase, claim, or belief that is trending but is so new that you couldn't really call it cliche.

For example, often people hear things touted on the news as fact and begin repeating those things, which then become a new and commonly held belief. For example, if I were to say that the Corona virus is like the flu, everybody would quickly correct me and say that it is NOT like the flu. This claim which is new becomes widely believed, loudly defended, and often repeated. Everyone says it because everyone says it. It becomes stuck in the collective mind of the public and everyone repeats it.


texts:
is there a word for the sound made at 2:19 of this video?
An interjection will also do


texts: When and why did the letter "u" begin being called [ju]?

texts:
We pronounce the name of the twenty-first letter of the alphabet homophonically with the word you.

Was this what the letter was always called (ever since the analogous letter in Latin), or did it at some point shift from being called [u] to [ju]?


texts: "the following need" vs "the following needs"

texts:
I understand that need is used for plural subjects while needs is for singular subjects.
However, if the sentence were simply The following ___ to be done by tomorrow , would it be need or needs

Edit:
I understand that without information of what "The following" is, it's hard to decide.
This is the context:

  The following need to be completed by noon:

  Enlisting the new requirements
  Calling up customers to verify their
  requirements
  Providing a more inclusive growth plan


texts: Phrase corresponding to "Welcome to X" that is used when leaving?

texts:
For written text on signboards, what is a phrase corresponding to "Welcome to Central City" that is used when leaving? Is there a phrase of the form "[insert word] from Central City"?

I thought of using "Bon voyage", which has the exact meaning that I want. However, I need a phrase that contains the name of the location. I then thought about using "You are leaving Central City", but this lacks the well-wishing and fanfare that "Welcome to Central City" contains. At the end, I came up with "Bon voyage. You are leaving Central City". Is there a better phrase?


texts:
Just out of curiousity, how did this double negative come to be?
When I use it, it's often because I want to emphasise the fact that x is not y but is still similar in some way, whereas "like" doesn't necessarily stress the fact that two things aren't the same when stating their... likeness.

The ship's design was not unlike that of a Firefly class vessel, but it was a lot faster, like the Millenium Falcon.
Captain Reynolds was like Han Solo in a way. A great leader in times of need.

Yes, I'm a Firefly fan.


texts:
In the Duran Duran song "Hungry Like the Wolf", the definite article "the" is used instead of the indefinite article "a". Aside from artistic liberty, is there a reason this is done? What does "the wolf" convey as opposed to "a wolf"?

Lyrical Extract:

  In touch with the ground
  I'm on a hunt down after you
  Smell like I sound I'm lost in a crowd.
  And I'm hungry like the wolf.


texts: Does calling a road 'wavy' convey its shape clearly?

texts:
There is a scene in which the road the car is on is straight at first, but later starts to wave about. By 'wave', I mean its shaped like this:

Now my question is, if I write, "the road ahead started to wave a little bit," does it convey clearly the shape of the road? If not, what could be some other ways I can structure the sentence or should I, perhaps, use a different word altogether? Thanks.


texts:
I see people often use abstract as a synonym of strange, but what does it actually mean? I've looked up a definition:

  thought of apart from concrete realities, specific objects, or actual
  instances: an abstract idea.

But it makes no sense to me and seems a bit vague. For example, what does it mean when people say that games are just sets of abstract rules?


texts:
I see this phrase coming after animal names: "A badger is basically a weasel on steroids—you wouldn’t want to upset one".

So what is its meaning?


texts: someone who is very successful, then suddenly fails miserably?

texts:
I'm looking for a word that describes this kind of person in one word: someone who has a long history of success, whether it'd be money, fame, fighting ability, ANYTHING, but then suddenly fails in such a spectacular way, that it completely (or almost) ruins that person forever.

Imagine a poker player: He has a long winning streak, round after round, getting insane amounts of money, maybe enough to cover him for the rest of his life, but then suddenly loses all that money in one game.


texts:
I have a question about Saxon genitive. Which of the following sentence is correct ?

  Pac-Man was the video game that shattered the Arcade's Pandora’s box

Or

  Pac-Man was the video game that shattered the Arcade's Pandora box

Thanks a lot!


texts: Using a verb +prep in a sentence with prepositions at the front

texts: If you are avoiding ending a sentence with prepositions ("That was a situation, in which it was better to not become entangled."), what happens if you use a verb with a preposition? Suppose I wanted to say "This is something we will not put up with." Should I say "This is something with which we will not put up." since put and up form a phrasal verb, or should I say "This is something up with which we will not put"?


texts:
This is a sentence from Chapter 3 of Guns, Germs and Steels:

  These Indian squadrons began to enter the plaza to the accompaniment of great songs, and thus entering they occupied every part of the plaza.

How should I understand and thus entering they occupied...

thus, here, should mean like that or in that way, but why did entering follow thus?


texts:
"More often than not" is an expression to say that an event "happens more often that it does not happen" (see https://english.stackexchange.com/a/187722/63461). How does one express the negative of this?

Less often than not?

More not often than often?

More un-often than ___?


texts: What does "you can make out cock and ball definition" mean?

texts:
I was watching the third episode of the show White Famous, and came across this line:

  So listen, I can get you into any restaurant in town any night of the week.
  We can sit so close to the Lakers, you can make out cock and ball definition.

What does the highlighted sentence mean? My understanding is:

"Make out" means "to see"
"cock and ball" means "very good"
"definition" means "clarity"

So the sentence means "You can see them very clearly."

However, the online dictionary says "make out" means "to see, especially with difficulty," while here it feels like the opposite of "with difficulty". I'm also not sure if "cock and ball" actually refers to something else.

Is my interpretation correct, or is there something I'm missing here?


texts: Using the pronouns "he" and "she" for animals

texts:
I've been wondering for some time under which conditions the pronouns he/she can be used when talking about animals. I know that they are used when talking about pets (esp. larger ones) and when you know the sex of the animal (as, for example, zoo keepers, vets, etc., generally do), and also often in literature. But when it comes to other contexts, I often don't understand why he/she is used. Are there any rules?

Example: I recently read a report about how to survive in the Sahara desert, and how dangerous some of the animals can be. "Be careful if you encounter the so-and-so snake, He doesn't like to be stepped on." It was just this one sentence, and the source of the text was OUP in a textbook, so I'm sure it wasn't a mistake. And I've come across many other examples that I can't recall now, but that made me wonder...

And I'd also like to know whether there is a tendency for which animals take he and which she as a pronoun. For example frog: If he/she is used, is it usually he or she? Are there any lists or reference books where I could look?


texts:
I am wondering if the lack of infinitive "to+have" in the section highlighted below raises any flags for anyone.

  People have been taught have faith and to trust — or not have faith
  and not to trust — somebody or some event. (Source)

I personally find it more recognizable if the full infinitive is used; but that could well be because of my U.S. dialect. Would this sound more natural to British speakers, perhaps?


texts:
This is a line from a fiction in which a killer says to the good guy

  For what it's worth I had hoped we could have avoided this day".

I mean why not say "For what it's worth I had hoped we could avoid this day"?

Please note that I know the general grammar rules about could and could have but this one seems to be strange.


texts: an article question: ___ higher speed (a vs none)

texts:
I randomly found these four sentences from the internet:

"light travels at higher speed as compared to shadow”
"which light has a higher speed, red or blue light?“
“What makes a mechanical clock slowdown as it travels at higher speed?”
“Is it possible to travel this universe with a higher speed than light?”

I don't know when I should use an article "a" before "higher speed". It seems to me that sometimes you use "a" and sometimes you don't. Are these four sentences all grammatically correct? Can someone explain to me when you would use "a" before higher speed?


texts: What great writers have used coordinating conjunctions at the start of sentences?

texts:
I had a discussion today with a friend over the validity of using (coordinating, correlative) conjunctions like but or and at the start of sentences.

His position was that it breaks a rule of grammar. However, I remembered a post on this site saying that conjunctions at the start of sentences is fine, and that lots of great writers have done that exact thing.

I mentioned this to him, and he challenged me to name an author who did this, and to provide him with examples of such. I found that to my shame I couldn’t name even one.

So what famous authors actually have used conjunctions at the start of sentences, and how did they do it?


texts:
I came across two different sentences, from The Wall Street Journal, both containing the word "prices" but with different prepositions, "of" and "for".

Here are the two sentences.

  Audi Cuts Prices of Spare Parts in China
  Starbucks to Raise Prices for Packaged Coffee, Other Products

Which of these use the correct preposition?

If both of these use the correct preposition, then on what basis are the prepositions chosen?


texts: A word or expression to describe photographers, film makers

texts:
Hello good people of the English stackexachange,

Non-native English speaker here. I'm looking for a category name for people that use cameras (photo or video), drones, different kind of equipment, to take photos, make movies, or VR or 360° experiences. These include both amateur and professionals.

Photographer (Merriam-Webster: a person who takes photographs especially as a job) or a moviemaker (Merriam-Webster: a person who makes movies) are specific only to a subset of the category I'm looking for.

I have considered:

media creators. According to Wikipedia: Media (the singular form of which is medium) is the collective communication outlets or tools that are used to store and deliver information or data. It is either associated with communication media, or the specialized mass media communication businesses such as: print media and the press, photography, advertising, cinema, broadcasting (radio and television) and publishing. However, the media term is much more broad than what I'm looking for.
new media creators. Again, Wikipedia: Common examples of new media include websites such as online newspapers, blogs, or wikis, video games, and social media. Same problem as with media.
makers. According to Merriam-Webster: a person who makes something; a company that makes a specified product. However, in the context of the maker culture: The maker culture is a contemporary culture or subculture representing a technology-based extension of DIY culture (Wikipedia), this seems to be misleading.

Bonus question: what would be the name of the category if it would also include music makers?

Thanks for your help!


texts: Is "Thanks, John." a short form for "Thanks be to you, John."? Is "Thanks, John." a sentence?


texts:
Why is there a word for the letter H, but not for the other letters?

In Lexico–formerly Oxford Dictionaries–for example, H = aitch, as in

  ‘drop one's aitches’


texts: What do we call it when we do something without even realizing it due to a developed habit?

texts: Eg. Inserting the charger plug in the socket every time one switches the laptop on. One day, she realizes that she didn't even remember when she inserted the plug. Similarly, there are a lot of activities like this that get stored in our memory.


texts: What's a word/phrase to describe a personality with seemingly random or disconnected interests?

texts: I'm looking for a word that describes a person's personality. That person has many seemingly disconnected interests from the point of view of most onlookers, but to that individual he/she is able to draw the connection or is internally struggling to draw the connection but has a 'gut feeling' that there is a connection that bridges the many interests. Not quite 'organized chaos' because the appearance of chaos is only to the onlooker.


texts: Would you capitalize an awarded title like "hottest designer of the year"?

texts:
The sentence is,

Randi proved herself to be worthy of the title of hottest designer of the year with her gorgeous designs.

Edit: If so, I can't help but feel that single quotation marks are indicated.
Randi proved herself to be worthy of the title of 'Hottest Designer of the Year' with her gorgeous designs.
Is this instinct correct?


texts: Is there any word for a person who doesn't want to connect with others?

texts: What is a word to say someone who doesn't want to connect any person and likes to avoid social interactions?


texts:
Many times we come across examples like these :-

Hobbits are an unobtrusive but very ancient people...
For they are a little people, smaller than Dwarves...
~ From The Fellowship of the Ring, JRR Tolkien

Is the first sentence grammatically correct? To me it seems 'an' shouldn't go with 'people'. Is it just a play of language by Tolkien or a regular form. When are such phrases correct and when would they be incorrect?
In the second sentence, 'a' ruins the regular English and sounds weird. Again, are there examples from other writers? When are such sentences correct?


texts: What does "would be in" mean in this sentence?

texts:
I have been learning Python programming from a book and I came across a sentence which I can't understand!

  When you enter this code in the IDLE, it will automatically
  indent, so be sure to press the backspace or delete key once you’ve
  typed each print statement, so that your if, elif, and else statements
  will start at the far-left margin. This is the same position
  the if statement would be in if the prompt (>>>) were absent.

I just don't get this part:

  This is the same position the if statement would be in if the prompt (>>>) were absent.

What does "would be in" mean?


texts:
Merriam-Webster says:  \ˈē-jəs \ or  \ˈā-jəs\
Cambridge says: /ˈiː.dʒɪs/ for US
Oxfor says:     /ˈiːdʒɪs/

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aegis
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/aegis
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/aegis

When I hear the sample pronunciations from the above three sources, I hear all of them same - but the IPA is different. Can anyone help me understand why!

Soft question: Few of my colleagues from US, tend to  pronounce 'Aegis' as /ˈe dʒɪs/ which is not what any of these dictionaries says. Any hint of what's going on here (as in, is the pronunciation trends changing for this word)!


texts: One who is repulsed by / dislikes something

texts:
What would you call someone who dislikes, say, the taste of chocolate?  They have a non-preference for it.

'-phobe' doesn't seem to fit as it implies they want it to suffer or be destroyed, or they are frightened of it.

'antiphile' isn't a word and neither is 'contraphile'.

The closest similar question I've found was 'the opposite of -phile'.

EDIT:
As mentioned by @ermanen there is a very similar question: Is there a suffix for loathing?

I was not necessarily after a suffix and was looking for an 'identity' term.  EG: A person who dislikes the taste of chocolate and is quite secure in and not embarrassed by it.  This person does not bear ill will to those that do like the taste of chocolate.


texts: Is there a single word for "interesting" and "varied"?

texts:
As in "NotAlwaysRight.com is the perfect website for those of us who have had the 'pleasure' of working in the -interesting and varied- field of employ that is customer service."

A word that replaces the 'pleasure' with something more appropriate that means "quixotic, confounding, disturbing, hilarious, and unbelievable" would be useful as well, but I don't think such a word exists, at least, not in English.


texts:
The price of the stock fell more than $10 to end the day about $18, the first time stock prices have ever fell below $20.

What kind of clause is the one marked in bold? Can we separate these two clauses just by using a comma?


texts:
I was watching "The Big Bang Theory" and in episode 07 of season 3, Leonard asked his girlfriend the following question

Penny: I hear you don’t like my stuffed animals, my driving or my punctuality.
Leonard: What? Who would tell you something like that? Why would you tell her something like that?
Penny: It doesn’t matter why he [Sheldon] told me. It’s true, isn’t it?

I'm wondering why he didn't use simple past: "Who told you something like that?"
What's the difference?
Source: Show Script


texts: "I teach" vs. "I'm teaching" — which one is proper in this situation?

texts:
Following situation occurs/ed. I meet a friend for a coffee. We chat and I ask him what he's doing for work now.

His answer: "I'm teaching English."

This irks me. Because in that situation he's not teaching right that moment, but rather he teaches English. So shouldn't his answer rather be "I teach English."?

English is not my mother tongue but I do think I'm fluent in it. I grew up bilingual.


texts:
I was reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and in chapter 5 (“Fallen Warrior”) I came across the following sentence:

  The suddenness and completeness of death was with them like a presence.

I am wondering, since there are two properties of death described  here, shouldn't were be used instead?


texts: What is an idiomatic parallel for “read between the lines” pertaining to speech?

texts:
When a person reads between the lines, they are inferring meaning which is not explicitly represented.  What is an idiomatic version of this which can apply to spoken words?
Vis–à–vis something similar to describing a speaker's attitude as an “undercurrent” of whatever.

BTW, something like ‘to hear that which was not said’ or the like would probably not be a proper idiom.

P.S. I've seen the question 'Between the lines' or 'read between the lines', and this is not a duplicate of that by any interpretation.


texts:
Choose:
He said that while he was watching television, the light (went/had gone) out.

Some people say that past simple tense doesn't change in indirect speech, but my teacher says that the direct sentence was: "While I was watching the television, the light went out" but when we report it we don't change the past progressive but only the past simple. Who's  right?


texts: Do idioms pose an exception to normal definite and indefinite article usage?

texts:
I found this phrase in my biology textbook (emphasis added):

  ...in relation to Earth's history, 100,000 years or even a million years is the blink of an eye.

The part of the phrase in question is the word "the" in italics.  In this context, doesn't it make more sense to use the indefinite article "a" instead of the definite article "the", since there can be more than one "blink of an eye"?  Is "a blink of an eye" incorrect in this context?  Are idioms like this exceptions to normal definite and indefinite article usage, even though the literal meaning of the idiom makes better sense otherwise?


texts: a short phrase for 'exert strength with the hand'

texts:
I'm looking for a way to translate the Portuguese phrase 'fazer força com a mão', which literaly translates as 'to exert strength with the hand'.

I've searched the Internet and I came across a lot of 'hand grip strength' but not a verb that could fit the bill. I've also toyed with phrases such as 'apply strength', but they just don't feel natural.

I'd like something that could fit sentences such as:
- She exerted strength with her hand and hurt herself.
- She had to exert a lot of strength with her hand before she could open the lid.
- She couldn't exert strength with her hand because of her hurt thumb.

edit:
The phrase should imply that there is a strong grip (which is mostly stationary) followed by exerting strength to produce a (twisting, horizontal, vertical, what you may) movement. In a sense, it's a "strong grip immediately followed by strong production of movement".


texts: Can the word "stale" be used on data or information?

texts:
I know the word "stale" has one meaning as (of a check or legal claim) invalid because out of date. However, I need a word indicating that some information or data is invalid because out of data.

For example, the network latency induced will lead to stale data (that is invalid because out of date).

Can this word be still used in this scenario? Or is there another word for this purpose? Besides, a formal word is preferred.

Many thanks.


texts: Article use in "She is a/the of two children."

texts:
I am confused by seeing the definite article in sentences like "She is the mother of x" where x has not been mentioned yet. For example, "She lives in Pittsburgh and is the mother of two daughters and two stepdaughters." and many other examples found by this ngrams query.

Is the indefinite article acceptable here at all?

How is it different from "She is a teacher?" where we generally use the indefinite article? Is it a more general use case and how can I recognize it and avoid mistakes?


texts: What is the antonym of the verb "equip"?

texts:
I know some words like unclothe and disrobe but these verbs refer to taking clothes off, I'm looking for a more accurate verb antonym of the verb equip, meaning taking weapons off.

More Context

In a video game, imagine  you equip your agent with firearms and send him/her for a duel, after fight finished, her/his weapon may run out of bullets and will be automatically ______.
I need to inform the gamer that his/her agent is ______ and needs to be  equipped again before any other gamer attacks you.


texts: A more vernacular way of saying "adopt an alternative approach"?

texts: I'm trying find a more vernacular way to express "adopt an alternative approach". The context is "Looks like a bit of a challenge there. Perhaps I should adopt an alternative approach?" and the expression seems too redundant. Is it correct if I change it into "go the other way round"? Thanks :)


texts:
I want to rephrase the following sentence:

"Reinforce that approach with the language you use."

The sentence is taken from a guide for facilitators.


texts: Meaning and usage of the word "Unchainable"

texts:
I'd like to use the word "unchainable" in the context of a short novel, but I see that such a word is not popular. Plus maybe its meaning could be misunderstood, as I want it to mean "that cannot be chained", and refer it to a person. An expedient to mean "no chain can tie her up", with one only word, and maybe also in a somehow poetic sense/ license.

What do you think? Would you understand it as I mean it? Other suggestions?


texts:
The setting:

Imagine the scenario where I am searching for something and once I find it I identify it, then afterwards when I no longer need it I discard it. If at some point I need to identify it again I perform the search again and will succeed since it's still there.

The problem:

The noun for the process of identifying something would most likely be "identification".

I'm pretty sure the word "discardation" is not an actual word, and "discard" or "discardure" just leaves me wanting for something less overlapping and more commonly used.

The Question:

What would be a nice noun to describe the process of "discarding" something temporarily.

Looking at the thesaurus words like: remove, reject, cancel, reject, relinquish and the like come into play but I feel like those words have a more dramatic impact imposed behind them than I would like to portray. Something similar to dislocate perhaps, with an intention to remove. Disconnect seems like a good option yet I feel like I would have to change identify to connect if I choose to do so.


texts: Is there a grammar rule for nouns coming from verbs?

texts:
I'd like to know if there is a grammar rule stating when the last consonant of the verb  has to be doubled.
E.g. why: "to cut" -> cutter, "to program" -> programmer, but "to read" -> reader?


texts:
When inputting names to a database (used by English and non-English language users) what would be the preferable way to tackle a name with two middle initials?

John George William Doe for example.

Personally I would input:

First Name = John

Middle Initial = G. W. (with a space between the G. and the W.)

Last Name = Doe

Other schools of thought have the middle initials as G.W. (no space).

I believe the database sorting will put the G. space W. before the G.W.

Logic tells me that his middle names are George William therefore his initials are G. space W.  Otherwise his name(s) would be GeorgeWilliam.

Is this a cultural thing perhaps?  English v American?

Are there any "data input rules" involved here?


texts:
Possible Duplicates:
  Is it ever acceptable for a period to come after a quote at the end of a sentence?
  How much punctuation is appropriate when ending a sentence with a full-sentence quotation?

If I have a sentence where I  double quote what someone says, i.e.

  The man said "How are you?"

If that was the end of the sentence, does it need a full stop at the end as follows?

  The man said "How are you?".


texts: Is there a word or term other than ‘exemplar’ for the educational cards used to teach English?

texts:
Is there a word or term other than ‘exemplar’ for the educational cards used in primary classrooms to teach English? These are the:

  'A' is for 'Apple'

Or for the cards which show how to write a letterform which tends to line the walls of some classrooms.

  'A' 'a', 'B' 'b', etcetera

I am looking for a general use term or phrase which elementary teachers would refer to these and not for product names used to purchase them.


texts: Linguistic term for repeating a subject as in "We sat there, we two."

texts:
From The Cat in the Hat,

  I sat there with Sally. We sat there, we two. And I said, "How I wish we had something to do!"

How do modern linguists, eg CGEL authors or readers, characterize how We sat there, we two differs from the more basic or standard We sat there or We two sat there or The two of us sat there.

I know why, primarily, the variant choice was made by the author here. But it's an example of what? Are there common reasons to choose it aside from creating rhyme or emphasizing/stressing the subject?

I can think of simple similar constructions such as We lived in our own world, you and I. And I can see a relationship between such and emphatic pronouns or emphatic reflexive pronouns or similar: I made it myself.

There is also something similar and something different between the instant sentence and, for example, We sat there, we did.

My purpose in asking is to acquire language to help me make a point that what may seem like very basic or "low level" text usually contains relatively complex formations. CGEL pages or chapter would suffice to answer the question for my particular needs, and I'm hoping for an answer that, if elaborate, also contains a concise and fairly general summary, but which uses technical linguistic terms.


texts: Another way to say the possessive "one another's" or "each other's"

texts:
The possessive forms in "one another's" or "each other's" seems awkward as the "s" is given to just one part of the phrase. Is there any other way to say such possessives.

Example:

  Couples do not like to lose each other's trust.


texts: Meaning of mosaic in a particular context

texts:
The meaning of the word mosaic that I am getting on Goolge is

First meaning is

a picture or pattern produced by arranging together small colored pieces of hard material, such as stone, tile, or glass

and the second meaning is

an individual (especially an animal) composed of cells of two genetically different types

I need to understand the meaning of the words - mosaic cropland, mosaic grassland, mosaic vegetation. But I am not able to see what does these words can mean if I use the above-mentioned meaning of mosaic. So, can someone please explain to me the meaning of mosaic in the context of given three words?


texts:
Is the comma after "wrote" in this text needed:

  Hello. Your management application was declined due to 3+ grammar mistakes. We suggest you try again, but do not use commas before "because" unless the sentence could have two meanings and you also wrote, "bakery's" in the wrong context.

Why would it be needed/not needed?


texts: What is the difference between _chagrin_ and _dismay_?

texts: When would both be appropriate and when would only one be appropriate? How much do they overlap?


texts: Balancing two options by multiple opposing arguments, alternatives to "on the one hand ... on the other hand"

texts:
Is it possible to use the construction on the one hand ... on the other hand with multiple complex arguments supporting two opposing options? I have doubts. Usually it looks like this:
"On the one hand, she is a good cook, on the other hand, she constantly smells of burned fat. So it is one to one."
I have a bit complex mathematical optimization problem and I would like to state it clearly:
"The most profitable inventory level requires balancing losses in storage costs, product obsolescence, and capital employed on the one hand against lost sales opportunities due to insufficient product availability on the other hand."
So I am balancing excessive inventory costs against insufficient inventory risks. I have doubts if using "hands" metaphor is appropriate at all. In my home language we have a useful metaphor of a weighing pan:
balancing on the one scale ... against ... on the opposite scale
By using this metaphor we can stuff the scales with numerous things without losing clarity.


texts: What is the etymology of the word "Shawshank"?

texts: What is the etymology of the word "Shawshank" from the movie "The Shawshank Redemption" and from the original Stephen King book, "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption"?


texts: What's the correct plural of "Raspberry Pi"?

texts:
What is the correct way to pluralize a proper noun like "Raspberry Pi" (a type of small, inexpensive computer)?

Would you say:

  This project uses two Raspberry Pis
  This project uses two Raspberry Pi's
  This project uses two “Raspberry Pi”s

None of the options look right to me. I think the combination of being a proper noun and an unusual second word makes this tricky.


texts: What do you call photos of women who are naked that don't reveal the naughty bits?

texts:
In my youth magazines were often shared amongst the older boys that had been taken either from parents or from the local drugstore. These magazines often featured blonde bombshells on the covers that looked as if they were not wearing any clothes, but positioned in an angle where the reader would be unable to see the naughty bits.

I was curious as to what the terminology for these kinds of photos were, if you please.   An old chap has let me know they are called risque photos, but I'm not too sure what that means even if it does sound the slightest like what I am looking for.

For note, this question was made entirely for research purposes.


texts:
I used to think that "confer" ("cf.") is to be used to refer to another source discussing the same issue, or making the same argument etc. But it seems some (many?) people use it instead of "see also", so that the additional source discusses something else that is merely related.

So, which should I use when? Also, are there other, similar expressions used in academic writing which I might want to consider?


texts: What to call expressions like "Google-Fu"

texts:
I've heard people use phrases like "Google-Fu" when they are trying to combine the ideas of their google skills with a martial art like Kung Fu. e.g. someone might say "my Google-Fu is not that good", when asked to look something up. How would one describe the meaning of these types of word combinations to someone else, in an abbreviated way? Is there a word to describe this kind of pattern?

EDIT: it is not clear to me that these kind of words exactly fit the definition of either portmanteau or snowclone


texts:
I'm looking for a word that conveys something is "not understandable". For instance:

  The message was staticky and corrupted, making it not understandable.

"Not understandable" sounds strange and like a double negative. I'm looking for a single word to take the place.

Some results suggest "bizarre" and "alien", but that's not what I'm going for. The speaker knows what it is, but can't understand it.


texts: How common is it, nowadays, to say that  one 'sightsees', rather than 'goes sightseeing'?


texts:
What is the origin of the term minibeasts?

Growing up in the UK I never heard the term, but recently I have heard it prolifically used in preschool education and children's television programmes.


texts: Is it correct to say “He got a fatal injury in the accident” when there is a possibility that the person’s life will be saved?

texts:
I would like to know whether “fatal injury” means (1) an injury which causes a death, (2) an injury which almost causes a death but not necessarily does, or (3) both (1) and (2) depending on the context.

I am confused because several Japanese-English dictionaries give “fatal injury” as a translation of both chimeishō (致命傷) and hinshi no jūshō (瀕死の重傷), while chimeishō means (1) and hinshi no jūshō means (2).

I am aware of another question about the word “fatal”, but it does not answer my question.

Edit: I changed the title of the question because the former title resulted in an ambiguity which I did not intend.


texts: "England in sight of victory" vs. "Victory in sight for England"

texts:
England in sight of victory

This was the headline in a leading newspaper but I can't help but feel that there is something wrong in it. I would have phrased it as:

  Victory in sight for England

Which one is correct?


texts:
This question has probably been asked many times, so I apologize in advance. I also apologize if it's too long and may not abide by all the rules. After seeing many examples of past perfect and past perfect progressive, I still can't figure out when and how exactly to use it. Some people say it emphasizes the process of an action expressed via past perfect, some people that it puts greater distance between actions of past perfect and past simple and some that it shouldn't be used when it's unnecessary. But I often see it used when having not used it would have provided the same clear and consistent picture. I would be very grateful if someone explained the difference between past simple and past perfect in the examples I will provide below (I came up with them myself, so I am sorry if they sound awkward).

I bolded the answers I thought fit better.

After I (had done/did) all of my homework, I was finally free to go outside and play with my friends.
I felt pain in my stomach after I (had just eaten/just ate) a very large breakfast.
(The use of past perfect in sentences with after and before always feels strange to me, because those prepositions already provide the clue to decipher which action happens first, but I would choose past perfect over past simple here)
I have examined the document you (had given/gave) me and...
I found this example while browsing stackexchange and people said that "gave" sounded better. But there is no answer as to why, and as I see it, the action of giving happened before the action of examining.
I (had not spoken/didn't speak) any English in my childhood and adolescence, but I started studying it at university.
I (had been/was) walking down the street when I suddenly saw a $100 banknote someone (had/-) conveniently lost for me. Before choosing what to do with my unexpected windfall, I (had/-) phoned my friends to share my hesitation if spending that money was the right thing to do.
(Would past perfect progressive in "had been walking" be possible? Something like "I had been walking down the street for hours when I suddenly saw him waiting for me"?)
I (had/-) lived on X street before finally deciding to move out, but my parents were not happy to hear about my decision because they (had/-) always wanted me close by.
(I want to express that they wanted me close by before I decided to move out)
After they (had/-) finally agreed to my persistent persuasion, I started packing my things up but it wasn't long until I discovered that my father (had/-) sold the whole collection of my CDs. I was angry because I (had-) been listening to them when I (had been/was) young and (had/-) felt depressed.
(I can't give you any reasons to why I chose what I chose, just what sounded better to me)


texts: In what dialects is "I don't like it too" grammatical?

texts:
Consider:

Too — (adv.) also, as well, in addition.

We don’t usually use too in negative clauses; we use either instead:

I don’t like that kind of stuff.
I don’t like it either.

That said, here’s my concern: I’ve heard a native speaker from the Lake District (in the UK) say “I won’t do it and she won't do it too.”

When asked if that's how he usually phrases such sentences, I got an affirmative answer. This then reminded me of John Lennon’s lyrics to his song “Imagine”, which I had always thought must be wrong:

  Imagine there’s no countries
   It isn’t hard to do
   Nothing to kill or die for
   And no religion too

Is it grammatical in the UK (or in certain regions) to use too instead of either in such sentences?


texts:
I'm doing IELTS preparation tests. One of the tasks is to read a text and compltete the summary by filling the gaps. I did it without mistakes.

Text:

  Before committing yourself to postgraduate course, weigh up the options. Perhaps the best route might be to take a job now and plan to do an MBA a few years down the line? Try to get sponsorship from A company. Or go for a well researched and thoroughly thought through masters that will help you land a good job.

Summary:

  First, however, it is important to consider the .... (options): whether to start right away on a carefully chosen postgraduate course, or to do so after a few years' work, preferably with financial assistance from THE ... (company).

My question:

Why it's not A company in the summary?

Thank you in advance


texts: If not directions, what are items in the set {northbound, eastbound, southbound, westbound}?

texts:
Is there a word that describes an item in the set {northbound, eastbound, southbound, westbound} as distinct from an item in the set {north, east, south, west}?

Washington (place) → Washingtonian (demonym)
West (direction) → Westbound (???)

Bonus points for figuring out where clockwise and counterclockwise fit.


texts: What difference in meaning is imparted by changing the verb form?

texts:
These are both grammatically correct:

You’ll go back to reliving your college days.
You’ll go back to relive your college days.

The former is rather like "I look forward to seeing you...", and "I look forward to see you" is incorrect.
Since both the reliving sentences are grammatical, does the different verb form give each example a separate meaning? Such a subtle difference in wording probably does give a subtle difference in meaning.


texts: Term for wanting something but not wanting to give something else up to have it

texts:
I have been trying to think of the word to describe wanting to have something while not being prepared to give up something else to have it.

My example is, "a person wants to live closer to nature but they are unwilling to sacrifice the modern conveniences of urban living to achieve that."

These are contradictory ideas but I cannot think of the word to express them. It is an attitude, and I just cannot think of the term.
The word 'selfish' definitely doesn't fit in the context. Is it a paradox?


texts: Should a foreign phrase that modifies an English noun go before or after that noun in English?

texts:
I’m thinking of the placement of the Latin phrase, ad hominem as it is used in English, not as it is used in Latin. Should it precede or follow its noun?

In other words, are both of these two sentences ok or only one? If so, then why is the one acceptable but the other not so?

The witness’s use of ad hominem attacks detracted from the value of his testimony.
The witness’s use of attacks ad hominem detracted from the value of his testimony.


texts: Comma before “or” when it introduces synonym or explanation

texts:
This Grammar Tip of the Day:

  The rule: Place a comma before "or" when what follows it means the same as what precedes it.

confirms what I understand about using a comma before the word or — when it explains the preceding word further or gives its synonym.

However, Oxford Dictionaries’ definition 2 uses a comma before or in the first example:

  yoga is a series of postures, or asanas

But it doesn’t use a comma in the next couple examples:

  Joshua was born weighing just 18 ounces – half a kilo or just over a pound.
  By early Tuesday he was dead – a victim of the most deadly of the world’s culinary delicacies, the blowfish or fugu.

Am I missing something?


texts: Difference between present perfect simple and present perfect continuous

texts:
Are both "I have read this book for months" and "I have been reading this book for months" correct?
If yes, how are meanings different?


texts: What is a word that means "unable to live off"?

texts: I'm writing about a how some companies lower their wages to the point where the employees cannot live off it. This is what I've got "As the mine's wages plummet to______" I feel like there is a singular word for it. If not, are there any better ways for saying it?


texts:
In one of Monk episodes, the lead character speaks derogatorily about a radio host who has written a book consisting of cheap stylistic and narrative tricks, gimmicks, etc, etc, and "opposite jokes."

What is an opposite joke?


texts:
I am not looking for explanations of why "I seen it" is wrong (though with sight there's an unfair grammatical burden that doesn't impact the other senses, whose past tense and past participle are the same - hear, heard, heard... feel, felt, felt... et cetera).

I want to know from the snoots here: in which circumstances might you actually say "I seen it."?

By way of explanation: my work sometimes takes me to places, and to people, where and to whom "I have seen it" would stand out as strange. So do I conform (let me hear you descriptivists!) or do I stand out (shout it out prescriptivists)?

Okay, I'm adding to my question here because there's been some negative feedback (some even calling the question "dumb"). I think it's a valid sociolinguistic question, not just one about what is said in certain dialects or which dialects use a certain expression. It's related to the issue of prestige (regular and covert), code switching, and perhaps a kind of circumstantial inversion of class aspiration.

That is, are there circumstances when you (fellow ELU members) might want to use restricted, rather than elaborated, code. Many - as evidenced by the most popular answer - flatly say "never." Others appear game to explore the idea, and there are some interesting answers that do indeed address my question.

I've chosen what I myself perceive as a fairly crass example (at least in my own speech community), one that seems to divide the educated from the uneducated. I realize this is not necessarily the case in all English-speaking regions, but it is in mine. I've chosen this because I found myself contemplating whether I myself would ever find it somehow useful to use it. To be honest, I don't think I could use it without feeling it was terribly affected.

I know it's incorrect grammatically. That doesn't mean it has no currency.

And I will not be offended if anyone considers the question crass by association (with the utterance at issue) or unenlightening and therefore chooses to simply ignore it and move on to another question.


texts: What do you call the upper part of a robe?

texts:
I thought the word was bosom, but I heard bosom is never used in the context of a robe, it's used when we're referring to the upper part of a dress shirt.
It seems that the bosom refers to the white protruding part of a dress shirt, although I am not sure if this is exact and what part of it exactly, the whole part of the white thing or just the flat portion?


texts: meaning of 'with' in legal settlement with?

texts:
The NFL could be set to ban helmets. The chairman of the National Football League’s Health and Safety Advisory Commission thinks American football could ban helmets in the future, as experts say they give players a false sense of security. The company has tried to reduce the risk of head injuries over the last five years and recently reached an almost one billion dollar legal settlement with ex-players suffering from head trauma, depression, memory loss, and mood swings.

My question: Does with in "The company ... legal settlement with ex-players" mean an agreement between 'The company' and 'ex-players' (which doesn't make sense(?)) OR an agreement between 'The company' and 'legal organizations' for the benefits of ex-players?

In the quoted text it doesn't make sense that one billion dollar has been taken from ex-players, it should mean (?) ex-players one billion dollar has been considered for ex-players. But according to Wikipedia: In law, a settlement is a resolution between disputing parties about a legal case, reached either before or after court action begins.


texts: In a document I have a plot where one of the labels represents the total time taken for the process to complete. Should I label it as "Elapsed Time" or "Time Elapsed"? Which one is correct?


texts:
In the previous context of the sentence below the disaster that caused the damage and displacement of people is clearly identified and I'd like to avoid repeating it again, but I'd still like to specify that I'm referring to the "damage at hand" caused by an event that is being talked about:

  After people have been taken care of, the team focused its efforts on repairing the damage sustained/incurred

Damage incurred sounds better to me, and I was also thinking about inflicted, but I'm not sure whether this word is applicable if the damaged object referred to is not human.

And my other question about this is whether putting incurred in front of the noun damage works here: "...repairing the incurred damage"


texts: Collective term for physical as opposed to virtual (digital) destinations

texts:
I am looking for a word or phrase that encapsulates the following collection of nouns in the sense that they are all physical, proper entities, and that you can go inside them:

Words that apply to the concept:

home
office
transport
shop

Words that do not apply to the concept:

street
field
digital (web sites)

Terms that I would prefer to exclude comprise the following:

location (too generic)
bricks-and-mortar
retail (doesn't comprise transportation)

What is a word or phrase that is a generic term for a physical location that a human can enter/occupy?


texts:
Certified is the past tense of certify, associated with the noun Certification.
What would the past tense associated with Accredited Certification be?

'Accredited Certified' seems wrong.

'Certified by an Accredited Body' works, but is clunky. Is there a better way of changing it to have a past reference?


texts: how to respond when boss says sorry to disturb you

texts: My boss intentionally takes so much time talking about nothing and then says sorry to disturb you in a very sarcastic way. How should I respond to him?


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  What is the difference between “none of …” and “neither of”?

Would it be correct to say neither of which? For example,

  The essay contains many well-known facts and some theories based on
  years of research, neither of which would be grounds for
  copyright.


texts:
I cannot think of an effective verb that would suggest someone is doing something unknowingly yet doing it nonetheless - almost like acquiescing. I have thought of 'sleepwalking' however there must be something better.

For example, VERB into a materialistic society.


texts: relative pronoun usage: "..., not in which ..."?

texts:
There's the room; not in the room is the man.

I want to replace the semicolon with a comma and make the second sentence a relative clause. Is it okay to change it as:

  There's the room, not in which is the man.

Surely, it's obvious that it would be perfectly grammatical to change it as:

  There's the room, in which the man isn't.

However, I want to kind of put some emphasis on not.
In this case, which sentence would be more acceptable or appropriate?


texts: Singular or plural verb with two subjects

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Using “do” or “does” for two things connected by “and”?

I'm writing an interrogative sentence questioning someone else's writing:

"Is grammar and spelling correct?"

Can I use the singular verb "is" or must it be the plural verb "are"?

(The sentence is one of a list of interrogative questions about the quality of writing, e.g. "Are words in the right order?" "Does the copy flow?")


texts: what does "call someone out on one's behaviour" mean?

texts: For example, I am standing in a queue and suddenly a person cut it before me. I am going to call him out on it. What does that mean?


texts:
My (Italian) students tend to produce sentences like:

When I arrived, there weren't my parents (as opposed to 'my parents were not there')

I cannot think of a grammar rule to provide an explanation. Can anybody help?


texts:
Should I say

  looking from the window

or

  looking through the window

to describe the landscape that lies beyond the window?


texts: Human body with "skin peeled off" or "without skin"

texts: My art teacher used a word when describing a sculpture of a human without his skin (exposing muscle beneath). What was that word?


texts: How do you describe a word that has two, conflicting meanings depending on the context?

texts:
There is a single word that can be used to describe these, and I'm having trouble remembering it. I think it might be a '-nym' word or a '-phone', but I can't remember.
An example would be handicap, which can be used to describe an advantage or a disadvantage, depending on the context.


texts:
When you disconnect your phone, you hang up.
Does this phrase apply to your cellphone?


texts: "Suffer from" use for non human contexts

texts: Is it normal to use "suffer from" for subjects other than humans? For example is it acceptable to say: "this old building suffer from irregular electricity"


texts: Is it correct to shorten "you have" to "you've"?

texts: If "you are" can be shortened to "you're", can "you have" be shortened to "you've"? Is it acceptable? If yes, what are the situations where it can be used?


texts:
I am writing a story in first person singular past tense...Is the following usage of 'had been' in the sentence correct.

  Canab was a massively multiplayer online game designed and developed
  by Digital Dreams which was started ten years back. It had been five
  years that I was working as a game designer.


texts: About Verbs that can be followed by object + infinitive

texts:
For instance, "The concepts in the next chapter should help persuade them."
And then, englishgrammer.org explain this, "Some verbs are followed by object + infinitive without to. Examples are: let, make, see, hear, feel, watch, notice, have etc."
I would like to see more examples of words like "persuade".
Also, Can I take out "to" on any infinitive verb? Or only on some.


texts: How have British English U and non-U speech changed between the 1950s and now?

texts: How have British English U and non-U speech changed between the 1950s and the present day?


texts: I mean, when I read "proximate" I think about "proximity".. why does it refers exactly to the 3rd digit in a number?


texts:
I need help phrasing the last part of this conditional sentence (assume I can't change the first conditional statement):

  If I died tomorrow, I would have wanted to go skydiving.

or

  If I died tomorrow, I wanted to go skydiving.


texts: Is saying "The President did..." an example of a metonym?

texts:
Is it a metonym to say that the president did something, when in reality it was his administration that did it?

Update:

Every example of one that I've come across uses an inanimate object as a substitute for one or more people closely associated with that object, such as saying "The White House", when one really means "the leaders in The White House". So I guess my question is if you use a person (rather than an object) to substitute for a group of people closely associated with that person, is it still considered a metonym, or does it fall under some other name?


texts: My friend wants going to parties (is in lack of going). WANT + GERUND (intransitive). Opinions?

texts:
Wanted native (British) speakers to answer if Example 3 is at all possible:

Your house wants cleaning: it is in need of cleaning, is in want of cleaning, is lacking in cleaning. (Transitive "concealed" Passive Voice, no problem here).
Your friend wants relationships: he is in need of...in want of...lacking in relationships. (No one should have a problem with it).
Your friend wants going to parties: he is in want of going to parties. (Intransitive, zero Passive meaning). Note, I am not trying to say: he wants to go...rather, he lacks something (expressed by a gerund). He wants attending parties, there's a lack of his attending parties.

Though it may sound book-ish, and probably uncommon in everyday speech, but is it still possible as a way of expression? Why/Why not? Many thanks for contributing.


texts: Is there a word that describes a person who easily gives up on others

texts:
Example:

Person A had expectations of person B. After A gets to know B, person gives up on building a enriching relationship. A stops investing in the other person (i.e. stops giving feedback, stops trying to be understood or to understand). A presents a recurring pattern.


texts: Inverted Conditional for Passive sentences

texts:
I was wondering what would the inverted version of a passive conditional sentence like the following ones be.

If he were told to do so, he would tell me.
If my car were stolen, I wouldn't report it.

Are the sentences bellow correct?

Were he to be told to do so, he would tell me.
Were my car to be stolen, I wouldn't report it.


texts: Pronoun reference & other enigmas in a poem by H. D. Thoreau

texts:
I'm trying to understand an excerpt from a poem — "Inspiration", by Henry David Thoreau  (see below) — but there are two bits I can't quite get. The first confusing part is the verse "and in my day the sun doth pale his light".

Does "in my day" here roughly mean "now that I am  (or when I become) acutely aware of reality", so not even the sun in all its effulgence shines as brightly? The second puzzle is the use of "they" in the line, "Farther behind than they, farther within".

I'm not sure what the pronoun "they" refers to.  And the whole line itself seems kind of odd — although there's nothing abstruse about the words, the message is not crystal clear : (

Well, to be honest,there are other lines in the rest of the poem whose exact meanings are beyond me, but that's okay; I know poetry is not like math where everything can be accounted for in a step-by-step logical fashion.

Anyway, should anyone be interested in reading the poem in its entirety, see the link at the end of the post.

The excerpt:

  I hearing get, who had but ears,
  And sight, who had but eyes before;
  I moments live, who lived but years,
  And truth discern, who knew but learning's lore.

  I hear beyond the range of sound,
  I see beyond the range of sight,
  New earths and skies and seas around,
  And in my day the sun doth pale his light.

  A clear and ancient harmony
  Pierces my soul through all its din,
  As through its utmost melody,—
  Farther behind than they, farther within.

The full poem

Inspiration (H.D.Thoreau)
http://www.the-poets.org/T/thoreau.htm#INSPIRATION_


texts: I need a word that is for when something implies another thing will happen

texts: Basically, I have a sentence that says something that happened and the following sentence explains what happens in response. The response is inevitable so the occurrence implies the response. I need a more powerful word than "therefore" or "thus."


texts: "Where do you stay?" vs "Where do you live?"

texts:
I am not a native speaker of English and I was having a casual conversation with my friends in the US. I asked them, "Where do you stay?" (which is pretty common in India, as far as I know) for which they gave me a surprised look and told me that people generally don't use the word "stay" and instead the same question will be asked as, "where do you live?".

If I use the word stay, is that offensive or is it just uncommon? What's the major difference between the two usages?


texts: Is there a better word for "punishing" or "demotivating" in this context?

texts:
I've used the following sentences recently and I don't know how to express myself in this context without doing it too strongly.

  Now I was thinking to reward those who put a bit more effort and do a
  proper edit without punishing them with a reject. This could lead to
  fewer rejected edits and hopefully more quality suggested edits.

The word punishing is too strong in my opinion. I was thinking about using demotivating but this does not nail it neither.

It is not really a punishment and it is not supposed to demotivate, so those words are not really appropriate, I think.

What can you suggest? Can you fill in the gap?


texts: What do you call someone who has a disease or mental condition?

texts:
I'm looking for a noun to suffix to a condition to refer to the person who has that condition.

Existing words are like:

  Cancer patients are subject to chemotherapy which causes them to lose their hair.

The problem with patient is that a patient is someone in the care of a health service, whereas I'm wanting to refer to people who are living with that condition in general.

  Suffererers of depression often find that they can not get themselves out of bed in the morning, they feel paralysed.

Sufferer is a loaded term, I don't want to imply that living with the condition is a negative experience.


texts: Equivalent for "both" for three or more entities

texts:
Which words could I use for (1) and (2) below:

  two => both
  three => (1)?
  four => (2)?

To use them in phrases like these:

  both A and B
  (1) A, B and C
  (2) A, B, C and D

Please give single words if possible.


texts: Is it now considered appropriate to use plural pronouns to replace singular nouns in order to avoid gender issues?


texts: Is it incorrect to use non-comparative adjectives while comparing two things?

texts:
Is it required to use comparative adjectives while comparing two things like this?

  Wireless networks, compared to wired networks, suffer from slow(er) connection speed, long(er) delay, and (more) dropped connections.


texts: What's the difference between "should've wrote" and "should've written"?

texts:
I've heard an American guy say "should've wrote", but as I far as I know,
there is supposed to be a past participle (like "written") after "have".

Can anybody explain it to me?


texts: Do you need a period if the last word in the sentence ends with a .?

texts:
For example,
"The baskets contained a variety of fruits: apple, bananas, etc."
"The man spelt his name as A.S."
Do you need a second period?


texts: Does "take the crown" mean anything like "take the cake" or anything at all?

texts:
I just spontaneously used the phrase "take the crown" while complimenting someone's work.
"Harry, this one takes the crown. Keep it up."

Does it exist as an idiom?
Does it actually mean "best of all" or something like "take the cake"?

Thanks.


texts: What does this "Change" mean in Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’?

texts:
The word Change doesn't seem to make much sense in this quote from A Christmas Carol. To emphasis the sentence, I kept it in bold-type.

  MARLEY was dead, to begin with. There
  is no doubt whatever about that. The register
  of his burial was signed by the clergyman,
  the clerk, the undertaker, & the chief mourner.
  Scrooge signed it. And Scrooge's name was good
  upon 'Change, for anything he chose to put his
  hand to.


texts: What's a word for watching something in horror?

texts:
I am writing an essay about Mark Twain. In his early life, specifically at age 10, he "had to watch" or saw first a local man murder a cattle rancher, and second "watched" a slave die after a white overseer struck him with a piece of iron. What is a more correct word to replace the phrases in quotations?

I tried using Thesaurus.com to find a synonym but none quite fit the description.


texts: What do you call a contraption for holding newspapers?

texts:
In Austria, there is newspaper holder that looks like this:

This allows you to hold newspapers in a more convenient way:

Is there a better word for this device in American English than newspaper holder?

Sample sentence:

  In the library, the newspapers were attached to newspaper _______ which made you feel like in a café.


texts:
Which of these is grammatically correct:

"They had to choose between apples and oranges"

"They had to choose between apples or oranges"


texts: What does it mean "to have claim over something"?

texts:
This is a sentence from the book Everything I Know About Love:

I thought we had claim over each other’s twenties before we’d inevitably have to give the other one up.


texts: Middle ground between "I'll live with it" and "Bring it on!"?

texts:
The context is a typical conversation. You've settled for a course of action and expressed yourself accordingly. Then you get from someone a warning of sorts about potential risks or consequences stemming from your choice, along the lines of: "you are aware that this will..., are you sure that...". So it's either a warning or the person reacting to something and requiring acknowledgment of the concern. Then you may want to retort that you understand but that you're still right on course so to speak. The intent is to showcase the choice and your determination, maybe even your stubborn nature; it may be spirited or even defiant, yet not impolite nor confrontational; it is not about a burden, nor the surrendering to an ill fate or design; it has purpose. It respects, but does not concern itself with, the opinion of others. 1

Collins dictionaries provides a translation of the French verb assumer(that verb in that language bearing the meaning I'm looking for) into an intransitive form: "to live with it". My first thought is to live with an illness, to live on despite a negative situation/choice, etc. It feels like a chore and further seems to cater to the warning rather than the choice. In BrE it seems it can indeed mean to endure the effects; other connotations are negative. As for "bring it on!", it just shows the other end of the spectrum: excitement, fearlessness in the face of the challenge, which connects here, but it also seems more fitting when there is a risk of bodily harm, such as with (contact)sports.

Is there a middle ground between "I'll live with it" and "Bring it on!"? What expression could be used as a reply in the context of that conversation and which better matches the tone and meaning provided(take upon oneself willingly "all" etc.)?

1. In so many words, it is the "J'assume!" in French(see translation on Collins). Simply put, it seems often in speech to assume with no object is to suppose, whereas in French the (much)more usual meaning for the verb assumer here is to take upon oneself, as in "j'assume une tâche, un risque, les consequences de mes actes etc.". So much so an object may not even be required in casual speech: I assume(all). The word supposition is the common ground and usually means the same thing in both languages. But even if the verb to assume can also mean to take on etc. in English, it doesn't settle this as in the context of the aforementioned dialog, answering "I assume" with no object often triggers the expectation for details about what you're assuming, hinting that this isn't idiomatic at all imho.


texts: Placement of the word, 'always', in a sentence

texts:
'She was astonished when she opened her gift because it was always what she wanted.'

This sentence sounds awkward to me. Why is that?

It seems like it should be written as follows:

  'She was astonished when she opened her gift because it was what she always wanted.'


texts:
Given:

  In the world of a flourishing globalization

Which sort of article should be used before flourishing — zero, definite, or indefinite?


texts:
I understand cases where the concept modifying “themed” is a noun:
“A Star Wars–themed party”
But when the theme is an adjective, which of the following would be correct?
“A spooky-themed party”
“A spookily themed party”
“A spookily-themed party”
Here I am trying to say that the theme of the party is “spooky,” meaning there will be spooky things at the party.


texts: After 13 years in the 21st century, what conclusion have we come to regarding the short forms of the names of the years?

texts: Do you remember the other Year 2000 problem, regarding the nicknames of the years? If 1999 was "ninety-nine," then what would we call 2001? At the time, answers such as "one", "oh-one", "two-oh-one" and even "naught-one" were suggested. Now, with well over a decade of experience, what conclusion have we come to, if any?


texts: Is there a name for words which are pronounced differently depending on which definition is being used?

texts:
I was thinking about the word "fillet" recently.

When I teach high school freshmen about the word (in a machining/engineering context), they refuse to believe that it is pronounced "FILL-it," rather than "fill-A." Who can argue with McDonald's commercials for their Fillet-O-Fish sandwich?

I've finally learned to just have the Mirriam-Webster pronunciation cued up on my computer to start the lesson, and explain that the only time it's pronounced like the sandwich is when you are using it to discuss the "food-related" definition.  Otherwise it's pronounced "the other way."

Are there other examples of words where the pronunciation depends on the specific definition being used?  And is there a special name for words with this property?

The closest I can come up with is "read," but I think the two versions are considered two different words which happen to have the same spelling in that case.

E.g., "I can read the book," vs. "I have read the book."

According to the Mirriam-Webster online dictionary, there is only one word, but one of the usages has an alternate pronunciation"

"noun fil·let \ˈfi-lət, in sense 2b also fi-ˈlā, ˈfi-(ˌ)lā\"

To further clarify, if I have a "fillet of leather," it is pronounced using the standard pronunciation, yet if I have a "fillet of salmon," it is pronounced using the "food" pronunciation.

Thanks for the answer Ian and Greg.  I'm still confused about the specifics of the word fillet as per the "thin strip of material" meaning, but I think I get what you're saying about how words being used with different definitions are, linguistically speaking, different words.


texts: Is it correct to say "does anyone have related reference?"

texts:
Does anyone have related reference?

Is the above sentence correct?

Or should it be written:

  Have anyone related reference?

What is the difference between these two sentences?


texts: Guidelines for the use of the slang term "cise"

texts:
I heard an unfamiliar regional slang word used thusly:

  I'm gonna go cise (rhymes with ice) me a sandwich and then I'll be back.

When I questioned the user, the speaker insisted it has been around a few years at least, and that it has to do with overdoing something and something that makes one happy.  According to Urban Dictionary, def 2, it is a regional slang for my area. And according to def 4:

  word used when asking for something in place of whatever other verb one would use.

It looks like it means everything.  I've attempted using this term in response, but kept getting corrected.  What am I missing? Are there guidelines1 to use the word cise (at least in the DC area)?
1: By guidelines, I mean in order to use the term idiomatically, what contexts are not allowed, and for what terms can or cannot the word be used as a substitute


texts:
The usage in the question title seems common enough to me, though it may be more common in Britain.

But I can't exactly see what "part of speech" the word friends is here, and I can't come up with any related forms. You'd never hear, for example, John is enemies with Jack. What is going on?


texts: Can you use "at dusk" in the meaning of "at the end"?

texts:
Can you use "at dusk" to describe something at its later or final stage?
E.g. Does "at the dusk of the 20th century" make any sense at all? If not, is there any expression that would convey this meaning?


texts:
Can I use a comma after a colon, in an independent clause that explains the preceding one?

  A colon instead of a semicolon may be used between independent clauses
  when the second sentence explains, illustrates, paraphrases, or
  expands on the first sentence.

  Example: He got what he worked for: he really earned that promotion.

So:

He got what he worked for: he really earned that promotion, his dream come true.


texts: What does "All your responses for all questions should not exceed one page" mean?

texts:
I am presented with six questions that I'm required to respond to in writing. Some of the questions are:

What do you believe in?
What learning experiences have had the greatest impact in your life? etc etc.

The only instruction given is that:

All your responses for all questions should not exceed one page.

What does that mean? I am torn between two possibilities:

The answers to each question must not exceed one page (my final submission should be at most six pages).
The answers to all six questions must not exceed one page (my final submission should be at most one page).


texts: what is the meaning of 'Likelier than not'

texts: I know what 'likely' means, but the expression 'Likelier than not' is strange to me!


texts:
could you tell me if there is a mistake in this sentence:

  "Thus, the colors of his numbers became, without his choosing it, the
  colors of events..[]"

I'm confused about the his choosing it. I feel like it would be more appropriate to use him instead.
If my feeling is wrong could you point me at a source where I could find more examples like this or some relative grammar materials (dictionaries or ESL sources would do too). Thanks!


texts: A troop is a group of soldiers but when they say 32,000 troops they mean 32,000 soldiers, not 32,000 groups of soldiers. But one soldier is never referred to as one troop. What's up with that?


texts: Are the different pronunciations of "species" regional differences?

texts: As far as I know, the word "species" can pronounced either as spee-sheez or as spee-seez. I understand that neither of these is incorrect: they're just two different ways to say the same thing. I also know that the second one is pretty much only used in the US. Not being a speaker myself, I'd like to know: is this a regional variation, or is it just something that depends on the speaker?


texts: Can a double negative be used to express caution or uncertainty?

texts:
In the following statement, what is the effect of the double negative? Is it necessarily emphasis? Or could it be a kind of cautious statement implying a degree of uncertainty? If a double negative can be used to express caution, how can it be distinguished from cases used for emphasis?

  None of the cells appeared not to have divided.


texts: Is there a word for a subset of English specifically designed to be easily understood by non-native speakers?

texts: Looking at examples like Basic English or Simple English, I see phrases like "controlled language" or "controlled vocabulary". Is there a simpler word?


texts: Word for shaking elbows (Covid-19 pandemic)

texts:
The recent epidemic has made people change a few habits. We no longer shake hands and a few of us touch each other  elbows as an alternative practice.

Has this kind of salutation a proper name?


texts: Distinguishing "no" from "not" before adjectives

texts:
Occasionally I hear the word “no” used in a sentence where “not” seems more grammatical. I attribute this to idiom.

For example I sometimes hear someone say, “That’s no fair,” or “That’s no good,” which seems grammatically parallel to the suggestion that I’m no tall. (Similarly we hear “Is this any good,” while nobody would ask whether my brother is any tall.)

But on consideration there seem to be lots of parallel cases that sound right to me, for no reason that I can put my finger on. The following examples form a sort of spectrum until replacing “no” with “not” seems impossible.

I’m no tall.
That’s no fair.
That’s no good.
That’s no different.
He’s no better than a common criminal.
He’s no stronger than I am.
Eating is no longer permitted in this library.

This last example seems to cross the adjective-adverb membrane. Would "no longer" be preferred to "not longer" for some reason that nonetheless prefers "not still permitted" and "not yet permitted" to "no still" and "no yet"?

What is the distinction among these examples that permits "no," or "not," or either of them arbitrarily?


texts: On Saturday afternoon or in the Saturday afternoon?

texts:
She said she would give me her final answer on Saturday afternoon.

Should it be in the or on in this case?


texts: Meaning of "ace up your sleeve" in business context

texts:
I know that "an ace up your sleeve " is an idiom .

However , I don't understand the meaning of the term when our manager says to our data scientist :

  "You produced what you always produce - a report on
  structured data, but you really didn’t prove any additional value."

Data scientist:

  are either also indifferent and just go back to what you have always
  done... or you have an ace up your sleeve...


texts: Is there any standard syntax for the colloquialism “it’s ___ is what it is!”?

texts:
I really struggled to find any instance of this phrase online; it’s difficult to search. Does it have a comma (i.e. “it’s ___, is what it is!”)? How would you write this verbal colloquialism down?

(The space is meant to indicate a word. For instance, the sentence might be “it’s art is what it is!”, where the meaning of the sentence is basically ‘it’s art’ with the rest added for emphasis. I’m having trouble remembering any specific instances of it, but here’s a made-up dialogue that illustrates its use: 1: “Blow up the ship? That’s crazy.” 2: “It’s suicide is what it is!”)


texts: Need help naming this platform in my back yard

texts:
What do I call a semi-circular concrete platform in my back yard that looks like a stage. It is about 30 inches above my grass lawn and is attached to my rear wall and appears that it could be a band stage.
We currently use this as a conversation/fire pit area and it is always difficult to describe to someone who has not seen it. Photo attached:


texts: What is correct to say: "I don't like it when ..." OR "I don't like when ..."?

texts:
Very simple question. Which is correct to say:

  I don't like it when ...
  I don't like when ...

Is there a difference?

For example:

  I don't like it when people can't understand me.
  I don't like when people can't understand me.

Or

  I don't like it when it rains.
  I don't like when it rains.

Or

  I don't like it when it comes to arguing.
  I don't like when it comes to arguing.


texts:
My wife was working on her lines for a play (Dracula) set in the early 1900s and one line caught my eye. It referred to the desanguination of the vampire’s victims. I’d always heard the term as exsanguination and never heard of desangination. A few quick Google searches seem to indicate that desanguination is perhaps more archaic.

The questions are these:

Is desanguination considered archaic? For how long? Which word would have most likely been used by a doctor (the character in the play) circa 1900?
Are there any subtle differences in meaning between the two? If so, which seems more relevant to the results of a vampire attack?

How’s that for a topical question on Halloween week?


texts: "Is" or "are" when one item is singular, the other plural

texts:
Would you say:

  There is no fire or hot ashes in the fireplace.

or

  There are no fire or hot ashes in the fireplace.

And where does that question mark go?


texts: Is it correct to say ''you ARE to be back here before dark''

texts:
I'm reading a novel and a character says this line:''you ARE to be back here before dark''
but I could not find this usage of the verb to be in my dictionary, so here I ask you if this is informal English for saying ''you MUST or HAVE TO be back before dark''.


texts: A word that describes someone who has an intention to ridicule another person by questioning everything they say?

texts: Looking for a word that describes someone who has a subtle intention to ridicule the other person by questioning everything they say? They act slightly hostile and hypersensitive and make expressions in response to what is being said as if to try and make the other person's question seem silly or invalid.


texts: An official responsible for land/property?

texts:
Is there a single English word, archaic or modern, which describes an official responsible for the allocation and distribution of land or property? The closest I can think of nowadays is "zoning official" but I'm looking for a single-word title if possible.

Example: "The [???] rechecked the property lines yesterday, and he affirmed that this part is my land."


texts: The correct grammar of "verb" + "conjunction" + "verb"

texts:
I have seen the usage of both versions:

I am doing this to get more attention and to seek for opportunities.
I am doing this to get more attention and seek for opportunities.

Which one is correct? Or is it merely different styles?
Thanks in advance!


texts: Words starting with a 'gw' sound: how many exist? Where do they come from?

texts: There seems to be only a few words starting with the 'gw' sound, though the only ones I can think of are proper nouns, for example, Gwyneth. Are there any non-name words starting with a 'gw'? Is there any relationship between a real 'gw' and a 'gu' pronounced as 'gw' (say, iguana)?


texts: cool vs cold (which can be used to express the temperature)

texts:
which word can we use to say that temperature ?

example 1 - its too cool over here,

example 2 - its too cold over here,

i have heard that cold means too much cool but would like to know whether is correct or not. tnx


texts: diurnal is to day as "..." is to morning

texts: I am looking for a term to replace formulations like "the activities of the morning", "the rituals pertinent to the morning", "the morning report" (that one is from the Lion King, I couldn't resist). I tried perusing the internet search engines of my knowledge, including some searches on merriam webster's website, but I can't get a hold of what I am looking for. In fact, I will eat a better breakfast and pray every morning, now.


texts:
What is a single word that means "male external genitals"?.

Would "vulvo" make the most sense if no word exists?

Vulva refers in English to external female genitals, though in origin it is the Latin word for ‘womb’, which is an internal female genital. So it doesn't make much sense to keep the original meaning at this point since the root word now means "external genitals as specified by the gender suffix".

Any other ideas for a word?


texts:
Should I say send your donations and support to or send your donation and support to?

I would like to confirm which is right to use when I ask people to donate to a charity. I have read other instances but those have to do with donation policies.


texts: "Unsociable" vs. "unsocial" in the following sentence

texts:
I got stuck in my exam when there were two options which look similar in meaning. Interestingly, the examiner gave two synonyms. The sentence was:

  The hockey team could not deal with his unsociable/unsocial tendencies.

Both mean having or showing a lack of desire for the company of others.

Could anyone tell the difference between the two?


texts:
When talking about a past job experience, can we use present perfect tense?
For example; "after I started working for x co., i have had experiences on ... (I want to emphasize that i stil have these qualifications, but I am not working for that x company now. Or should I use past tense?


texts:
We all wish for a Nigeria that provides and takes care of this countrymen.

Is the indefinite article grammatical?


texts: Man-hour vs. person-hour? Is the former now considered politically incorrect?

texts:
It’s now (often) considered politically incorrect to say chairman. We must now say chairperson or simply chair.

Does the same apply to man-hour? Should I instead say person-hour? (On say a job application.)

Context examples:

"Increased US airport security measures since 2011 have wasted an additional 3 (or whatever) billion man-years of standing in queues."
"This website's interface requires an additional unnecessary mouse-click, thereby costing users 1 million man-hours a year."
"3 man-hours have been lost due to drivers having to manoeuvre around this fallen tree branch."
"The Mythical Man-Month"

I’m not talking about time wasted per person, but rather the grand total of time across all involved persons.


texts:
If I were to disagree with an opinion, how should I write it in a respectful and idiomatic way?
Normally I would write;

"Tinged with regret, I respectfully disagree."

Are there any other phrases or expressions to differ in opinion?


texts: How to express "some place for children to play in restaurant or other public"?

texts:
I found some translations but am not sure if there are better and shorter alternatives:

"children playground" — I am thinking about a small place inside, not a large playground;
"corner for children" — maybe this is the only one valid.

Is there any other short idiomatic phrase to describe it?


texts: Should I use "when" or "where" in this sentence?

texts:
I am glad to have met you on Wednesday last week where we discussed...

OR:

I am glad to have met you on Wednesday last week when we discussed...


texts:
According to Google, verbose means:

  using or expressed in more words than are needed.

From that definition, I understand that verbose generally means "producing a lot of output." The word I'm looking for is something that more closely fits "requiring a lot of input."

Using programming languages, I could say that "Java is a very verbose programming language," intending to mean that Java requires a lot more programming than, say, Python to perform the same operation. However, saying that Java is very verbose is really saying that Java tends to produce a lot of output, not require a lot of input.

Is there a word that describes this definition

  requiring more input/feedback than is thought to be necessary (esp. in comparison to something else)

that would fit in the following sentence

  While Python allows a programmer to write short, concise programs, Java is very ____.


texts: What's the etymology of the expression "let it slide?"

texts:
Today, my three year old son was doing something he wasn't normally supposed to do but we were letting him get away with it (wearing a backpack to the dinner table).  He pointed out that he wasn't supposed to wear it and my wife replied that "today, we're just going to let that slide."  Since he's young, the expression (obviously) didn't make sense to him.  We explained that it meant that we were going to excuse the infraction today because it wasn't something that was terribly important.  He then asked why "let it slide" means that.  My wife and I didn't have an answer.

So, I'm here.  Where does the expression "let it slide" come from?  Why does it mean what it means?  And so forth?


texts: Word for expressing something uncertain with certainty

texts: What's the word for when someone says something confidently even though it is uncertain ?


texts: Repetition of certain words in an or statement

texts:
I have the following sentence in my thesis:

  It appears that if A is a certain language, either the converse of Proposition 1 holds or the converse of Proposition 2 holds.

I am wondering whether I can change it to the following without changing the meaning of the sentence and without violating any grammatical rules.

  It appears that if A is a certain language, either the converse of Proposition 1 or Proposition 2 holds.

English is not my native language, so if you find any other grammatical or style errors, I would greatly appreciate tips!


texts:
I knew myself, at the first breath of this new life, to be more
wicked, tenfold more wicked, sold a slave to my original evil; and the
thought, in that moment, braced and delighted me like wine.
—Robert Louis Stevenson,  The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

The tense of 'knew to be' confused me, here.
Did the speaker know he already became wicked or he will become wicked?


texts: Is there a list of narrow-use adjectives (which can only be used with certain nouns)?

texts: e.g. I have never heard 'inclement' being used to refer to anything other than 'inclement weather'. Is there a list somewhere of these types of narrow-use adjectives?


texts:
Please help with understanding phrase

"cost hit to something"

The original sentence
"Is there a cost hit to registering a new account for existing ones?"


texts:
The fact that you are here is an indication of your good intentions

My analysis of the clause in bold is Noun-clause/Adjectival/Post-nominal modifier.
However, my teacher's answer is slightly different. He said that the clause in bold is Noun-clause/Nominal/Post-nominal modifier

  The dress that Melissa is wearing was designed in Paris.

However, in the sentence above, my teacher said that the clause in bold is Noun-clause/Adjectival/Post-nominal modifier

My questions are:
What is the difference between the Noun-clause in the first sentence and the second sentence?
Both of them modify the preceding noun, so what makes the first one "Nominal"?


texts: Is the word "the" required in "...fundamental for the successful functioning..."

texts:
The sentence is this:

  I believe that contributing to the scholarly community is fundamental for successful functioning of academic institutions and progress of scientific research.

Does "sucessful functioning" need a "the"? Also, does "progress" need one too? I have a feeling that they're optional as the progress and functioning are in general and unspecific.


texts: I would really appreciate it if you could explain the difference between the two nouns. Which one has to do with physical sensations and which with mental abilities? It would also really helpful if you could provide an example.


texts: What is the polite term for native islanders of the Caribbean?

texts:
What is the appropriate term to refer to the people native to the Caribbean islands? I need a general term, appropriate for use in schoolwork, similar to the term "Native American", that can refer to all of the people who lived in the Caribbean islanders prior to Columbus' arrival.
I have some academic books that use "native" and "Native" (capitalized) though these are older books, and I don't know if either is still PC. "Islander" also isn't specific enough, as I need to exclude any Spanish who settled down there. Is "Native Caribbean" an acceptable term?


texts: What does "Drama holds a mirror up to life" mean?

texts:
It's a quote by Roger Ebert.

  Drama holds a mirror up to life, but needn't reproduce it.

I think I get a vague idea of what he is trying to convey, but the exact picture/meaning eludes my grasp.


texts:
What is the meaning of carry a card in this context?

  Mary Webster's Sarah's carried a card for years, so's everybody's cook in this town.

The place is the American South (Alabama). Sarah was a black cook. The time is from the 1940s to the 1950's. I've searched the net, but haven't found anything.


texts: Is initial d becoming unvoiced in (many varieties of) English?

texts:
I believe I heard once that initial d in English is historically becoming less voiced.  But I cannot find references confirming that.  Is it true?  And if it is, then is it part of an identifiable larger trend?

As context, I believe I heard it from competent linguists talking about the interminable question of spelling Tao versus Dao for the Chinese philosophical term.  The Mandarin word has a  tenuis voiceless alveolar plosive initial.  So the English representation is a big problem.  And I believe one linguist said a complicating factor is that the initial D in English is losing its voicing (which brings Dao closer to the Mandarin pronunciation).  To be clear: I am not asking about the Chinese word.  This is just to supply context for my question.


texts: Is "the human cost of inaction is inefficient and even deadly" proper english

texts:
This is taken from "Streetfight: Handbook for an Urban Revolution":

  The human cost of inaction is inefficient and even deadly, but the political stakes for people who design and build city streets couldn't be lower.

I know that there is a phrase "deadly cost" but what I wonder is whether it is proper (or good writing style) to break phrase like that and say "cost is deadly". Second point, is I am not sure if it is proper English to write "cost is inefficient".


texts: How do I address a period of time in non-time units?

texts:
I need to say that something has been happening for several bus stops.
What is the most natural way to do it?


texts:
In The Wealth of Nations, the word economy appears frequently (as it should, being a book on economics). However, once (so far), it has been spelled œconomy. Upon researching the term, it's the archaic spelling of economy. Why would Adam Smith have used two spellings of economy? Are/were there slight distinctions between the meanings?

As an aside, a Google Ngram search shows no usage of œconomy.


texts: What do you call a pair of diagonally-opposite points on a square or rectangle, relative to the other pair of points?

texts:
Suppose there is a rectangle with corners N,E,S,W, names assigned in a clockwise fashion, as you might expect. N and S are diametrically opposite, as are E and W.

Is there a term that describes points E,W, relative to N,S?

I am told diametrically opposite is not totally correct, perpendicular describes the line connecting the points rather than the pairs of points themselves, and other diagonally-opposite pair is clumsy and dissatisfying. This question is related, but I'm hoping for a term which may be applied arbitrarily (without knowing the orientation of the rectangle, needed for diagonal sinister and dexter) and without referring directly to the cardinal points ("NS-EW," etc.).

Mathematics, like medicine, has nomenclature for every trivial thing (usually in Latin). Surely there must be a term for this, too?

(For clarity's sake, I am looking for a term describing the relationship between the two pairs of points, rather than between the individual points in the remaining pair.)


texts: Indispensability of 'to' after 'ought' in British English

texts:
I'm Brazilian, and I need to know which British literature says 'to' is indispensable after the word 'ought'.

For example: Your skin color ought not to dictate your future.

Could you give me examples of grammar books?


texts: How to say "Real-time" in regards to regular process

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We have a software product which relies on a 3rd party API to give us our customers' hourly usage data.  Though the usage is recorded and changes by the hour, the data which the API serves is updated with new data approx. once per 24hrs.

This means that, at N+23 hours, the data we have in our product is "real-time" in respect to the API'S (since we are constantly polling them to check if there is any update), but not real-time in respect to the actual usage data behind the scenes.

A lot of our marketing material says "real-time", but I don't think that is accurate.  I think it's some thing more like "as real-time as possible".  I guess there is also "latest", but I don't feel that is exactly accurate either.  Any suggestions?