texts:
What is the earliest printed use in English, including relevant context, of 'white woman' or 'white women'? As nearly as I have been able to discover, the term is first found in print in these contexts:

'white woman' appeared first in John of Trevisa's translation of Angelicus Bartholomaeus's De proprietatibus rerum Dates are uncertain, but OED dates the translation to sometime before 1398. The composition date of the original work in Latin was probably sometime before 1240. As published in 1582, the context clearly ascribes the color of people's skin to climate and geographical place of birth.

  And a black woman hath much better milke, and more nourishing then a white woman.

'white women' seems to have first appeared in English in a 1595 publication, The problemes of Aristotle with other philosophers and phisitions. The work is attributed to three authors, Aristotle among them. Alexander of Aphrodisias is also attributed authorship. The third author, Marc Antoniao Zimara, died sometime after 1529. The name of the translator is not available.

  Question. Why is the milke of browne women better, then of white women?
  Answer. Because that browne women are hotter then others, and because the heate doth purge the milke sufficiently, and so the milke is the better.

My research queried only the orthographic forms shown in the question; information on other, earlier forms would be welcome.

The history of these terms might provide more exact and complete knowledge of the linguistic underpinnings of systemic racism, which in turn might better inform efforts to undermine and curtail that racism. The earliest known uses of the terms in English provide a starting point wherefrom the history of use in changing contexts can be traced and examined.

After having the original question closed as "too broad", I split it into three questions, White Noises, Person or People, Man or Men, Woman or Women, and posted them separately. This is one of those.


texts:
Can someone tell me what the bolded parts are called in the following?

Starting in April, Bob decided to drink 2 liters of water a day.
During the pandemic, Joe got bored.


texts:
We can say "invade someone's privacy", but can the verb "intrude" be used in the same way without a preposition? As in,

  Don't intrude my privacy.

Or should it be:

  Don't intrude into my privacy.


texts:
I knew some rules about relative pronoun and how to omit.
e.g.

  The teacher who teaches us. => The teacher teaching us.

  The cup which was broken by my brother. => The cup broken by my brother.

But I want to know whether the relative pronoun of this phrase can be omitted?

  "The man who is happy. => The man happy."

The reason I ask is that I saw a sentence "Kennedy is the person (who is) generous to everyone." on a website teaching how to use relative pronoun.


texts: Operator, operand - term for the result?

texts:
How the result may be called when applying an operator to its operands?

In eg. programming one may be familiar with a so-called "expression" like this one from a SO question:

x>y && z==5

The meaning and the exact way of calculating this expression is up to interpretation.

Without getting into the mess, if one knows that

> and && and == are called "operators", and are what is called "binary operators" in particular,
x, y, z and 5 are "operands", and are said to be the "initial operands",
saying that "x>y and z==5 are operands to the operator &&" is in accordance with what is called the "evaluation order" and "operator precedence" that belongs to the particular interpretation,
the intended interpretation is not totally screwed up like a troll language, so for example x and y are belonging to >

then you see I don't know how the result of x>5 could be called.

Does it have a name? If an operator operates on an operand, you get a - what?


texts: Ambiguous spelling of extended vowel sound

texts:
It seems common practice in informal written English (and possibly other languages) to represent emphasised, slow or drawn-out speech by repeating vowels in words:

  I was sooooo drunk

How could a writer avoid ambiguity between a vowel sound that is extended in this way and another word that differs only because it already contains a repeated vowel?

For example, the word god, when extended by repeating the O, could easily be confused with the word good.

Is there a better way of representing long vowel sounds than repeating letters?


texts: Someone believes something is going to be a certain way so they think it is?

texts:
What is the word for when someone believes something is going to be a certain way so they think it is?

For example, someone's food looks good so they think it tastes amazing even though it may not?

Or someone buys something expensive so they think it works better even though it might not?


texts:
Skilled sculptors from around the world participate in this month-long event while millions of tourist come to ......... their incredibly impressive creations.

The optional answers are watch, look, witness, spectate. According to the key, the correct answer is witness but I feel watch is correct.

Which is the correct one and why?


texts: 'Oil produced' vs 'produced oil', take 2

texts:
Recently a question was asked here on EL&U:

This is the sentence I’m confused about:
After eight years, the amount of oil produced rose significantly.
Why is it oil produced and not produced oil?

Our mods saw it fit to move it to ELL, which I think is a shame. I think it is a very good question for EL&U, because it raises two issues.
First issue: indeed, why is the postpositive form preferred here?
It is not the case that produced oil would be unidiomatic. After all, the following appears in the OED as a sample sentence for the adjective produced:

2001   K. S. Deffeyes Hubbert's Peak vii. 146        All the produced oil goes to refineries.

Furthermore, we have the following attested examples:
the amount of produced oil that was received by that battery during the month (source)
At the same time the amount of produced oil depends on footage drilled (source)
Acceptability of the attributive form notwithstanding, the postpositive form is clearly more common (or at least it has been, historically), as the google NGram makes clear:

We get similar NGrams for other constructions, such as the oil produced was vs the produced oil was; of oil produced is vs. of produced oil is; and of oil produced was vs. of produced oil was. The idea is to ensure that we are comparing the phrase produced oil to oil produced, but not to e.g. oil produced by…
So, why is the postpositive form preferred (or at least it has been, until very recently)? The only thing I can think of is that produced is relatively 'heavy', and the heavier the construction, the more likely it is to be postposed. But that of course doesn't explain why, then, even 'heavier' adjectives like beautiful aren't postposed. Could it be the homophony with the past participle? (Indeed, one answerer's preferred analysis is that produced is a reduced relative clause, an ellipsis of which had been produced. More on that later.) Well, such a homophony doesn't always result in a clear preference for the postpositive function:

Second issue: what is the most likely syntactical analysis of oil produced?
In addition to the question of what makes the postpositive form more likely than the attributive form, there is also the question of how to analyze the construction. Is produced in oil produced best analyzed as a reduced relative clause, or as a postposed adjective?
It is certainly possible for it to be a postposed adjective. First of all, it can be an adjective. This is clear because it can function as a predicative complement (PC), which, in turn, is clear because of the acceptability of sentences like
Its products, from gear oil to gasoline, became produced in tens of thousands of refineries. (source)
(See CGEL, p. 530.)
And certainly some single adjectives can appear in both attributive and postpositive functions: happy people and someone happy. True, single postpositive adjectives modifying a noun (as opposed to modifying compound determinatives like something, anyone, nobody, etc.) are rare. But they are not nonexistent:
the only day suitable, years past, proof positive, matters financial, all things Irish
(This discussion is taken from CGEL, pp. 445 and 538.)
On the other hand, it is also possible that produced is an ellipted relative clause. ComGEL, for example, says this (p. 420):

Adjectives with complementation normally cannot have attributive position but require postposition.
Compare: a suitable actor BUT NOT: a *suitable for the part actor
The complementation can be a prepositional phrase or a to-infinitive clause: I know an actor suitable for the part. …
The postpositive structures can of course be regarded as reduced relative clauses:
I know an actor who is suitable for the part.

However, I think that explanation involving ellipsis should be the last resort, otherwise one could postulate them without end.
Summary
Why is the postpositive form oil produced more frequent than the attributive form produced oil?
How should oil produced be syntactically analyzed?


texts: Subject Verb Agreement in a Nominative Clause

texts:
Okay, so I have two examples of a possible sentence:

1 - "The country's strategic value requires that it maintain a standing army."

2 - "The country's strategic value requires that it maintains a standing army."

Normally I'd go looking for examples but I'm finding both:

"If a building is being used as a hospital, the interpretation requires that it maintain two or more patients at the same time."

"Adaptation of a protein to nonambient conditions requires that it maintains its catalytic activity as well as its structure."

The first one sounds correct to me but of course it can't actually be correct. "It maintain"? I'm really scratching my head here.


texts:
Remember back in school (or still in school, like me) when someone got called to the office and all the kids in the class made an 'ooou' sound with the intonation slowly rising? Yeah... Anyway, I was just thinking about it, and I was wondering what the best way of spelling it would be so other people would understand how it was said, or pronounced?
Also in music, vocalists might use this sound, but people who interpret the lyrics put something like 'ohh'  which is definitely not the same.

So what do you think the best way of spelling it would be?

If you don't know the sound I'm talking about, say 'you', but without the 'y'.
If you're taking Spanish like me, it's the Spanish 'u'.


texts:
Please look at the following:

  Dear Katharine (very dear):

  I've had moments of despair during the last week which have added years to my life and put many new thoughts in my head. Always, however, I have ended on a cheerful note of hope. based on the realization that you are the person to whom I return and that you are the recurrent phrase in my life.

From Letters of E.B. White

From the context here, I think the phrase "add years to life" means that "it makes me worry and makes me feel years older" but I searched everywhere and cannot find another instance where this phrase is used with this meaning.

I have searched all dictionaries I have access to: OED, OALD, Cambridge advanced learner's dictionary, and American Heritage Dictionary, but cannot find the meaning for this phrase.

I also Googled it to try to find how it is used in different contexts. In all the cases I have found, it appears to mean "to make me live longer."

Can someone let me know:

can the phrase mean "it makes me feel years older?"
where else is it used with this meaning?


texts:
He is a giant of a man.
He is a giant.
He is a giant man.

What's the difference in meaning between the three sentences written above?


texts: An adjective for an inconspicuous event that later lead to great things?

texts:
I'm looking for a succinct/elegant way of describing an event that went largely unnoticed at the time but in retrospect was the beginning of something much larger. For example, the birth of the World Wide Web was relatively inconspicuous at the time but obviously lead to great things.

The only idea that springs to mind is the idea of great oaks growing from small acorns, but it is too cliché and I'm looking for something more succinct, preferably just a simple adjective for such an event (if such an adjective even exists).

The closest such adjectives I can think of would be something like "understated" or "humble", but they perhaps do not give enough of an impressive of the great things that happened afterwards.

Another direction would be along the lines of "seminal" or "influential", but these do not give the sense of how "low-key" the event originally was.

Any ideas?


texts:
Why is it idiomatic to say the mirror instead of a mirror?
Obviously when you examine your reflection you could use any mirror, so "a" should be expected... right?


texts: What is the best way to say that something was done in teamwork?

texts:
In my resume, I'm describing several projects I've worked on in the past. Most
of them were done in teamwork. What is the best way to say this?

Examples:

Together with XY, I built ... OR

In collaboration with XY, I built ... OR

XY and I built ...

Are the first two examples grammatically correct? I'm unsure since first I state that something has been done in collaboration with a second person, but then I use "I built ...".


texts:
There exists a problem or goal which cannot be achieved in one action, therefore one breaks the problem into smaller problems and solves each to ultimately reach the goal.

In one word, what verb is one doing to the problem?


texts: Can we use "id est" in lieu of "i.e." in academic writing?

texts:
In an academic, format context, can we write id est instead of its abbreviated form (i.e.)?

Compare:

  ‘a walking boot which is synthetic, id est not leather’

with:

  ‘a walking boot which is synthetic, i.e. not leather’


texts:
I am not sure of the meaning of this sentence:

  The significance of culture and identity in development has to do not so much with the cultural factor in the process of development as with abandoning Eurocentric development thinking.

I'm not sure what the use of as is supposed to convey. Does it mean "development has to do not so much ... as with abandoning", i.e. not as much as abandoning? Does the abandoning have more to do with it?

And the second question: Why does it use "has to do not so much". Why not "has not so much to do"? Is "have to" a verb?


texts: How to express the concept of "invisible" typos

texts:
I am referring to a context that, I feel, many of us are familiar with.
After you have  written/typed a text you usually  check to see if there are mistakes (typos) but, despite a careful re-reading of each line, some typos still escape your attention. It is as if what you see with your eyes were not what your brain perceives.

Is there a term or an expression (formal or informal) to define this common phenomenon?


texts: re using 'better' "You had better do that" (meaning you should do that) or "You better do that"?

texts: re using 'better'  "You had better do that" (meaning you should do that) or "You better do that": are they both correct?  If so, what part of speech is the word 'better' in each case?


texts:
Can a verb come after a conjunction taking example of this sentence:

  Please Forward This Code And Notify Website Developer To Paste It Before </head> Tag And Make Please Get It Upload The HTML File In The Attachment And Need Html And Xml Sitemap

The question is that here And is a conjunction and Notify is a verb is it right to use a verb after a  conjunction or we can say can a conjunction become a subject


texts:
I've come across this construct on Stack Overflow, in the title of the question "What use is lambda in PHP?"

To me this was an error, so I edited the question changing the title to "What is lambda used for in PHP?" and corrected some other stuff on the question.

Later the original poster changed the title back saying it was not an error and that it changed the voice of the phrase.

I'm not a native English speaker but consider myself pretty fluent in the language, and I have never seen this construct. Not that I remember, at least.

What does it mean?


texts: "fill a prescription" - what does it really mean?

texts:
Not sure if this question is appropriate for this forum (English language & usage) or is better suited in the other forum (English Language learner), but below is my confusion -

The expression of "fill a prescription" in English seems to carry multiple meanings and I am seeking clarification.

(1) The doc has filled your prescription - meaning the doc wrote a prescription for me, but I still need to go to a pharmacy to get my medicine. For now, I have not been charged for the medicine.

(2) The pharmacist has filled your prescription - meaning the pharmacist provided the medicine to me. I needed to pay to the pharmacist in exchange for my medicine.

(3) On our record, you have filled the prescription - meaning on the record, I have received(?) the medication, not that my prescription has only been "filled" by the doc, per the definition of the first example.

Are these correct? Thank you.


texts:
These two words have been haunting me for quite long. Please provide some logic to understand and use them efficiently.

Ex: Regrettably/Regretfully, she could not see her father for the last time.


texts: Am I using the subjunctive mood correctly?

texts:
Does this sentence use the subjunctive correctly?

  He spoke as though he was the only one to tell the truth.


texts: Is "What could have caused all this?" correct?

texts:
Let me first describe the scene for you:

  I'm a person i just woke up in the middle of the night, and i notice something strange has happened around me.

Now if i say

  "What could have caused all this?"

to the person next to me.

Is this sentence correct?

Is this equal to "What could possibly cause all this?"

I used the first one, but someone pointed out that its not correct, i disagree, so please tell me is the first sentence incorrect ?


texts:
I'm writing a descriptive piece, and can't figure out whether this is grammatically correct, or whether I ought to place a semi-colon between "entry" and "crooked":

"As I walked in using the cobbled path, a squadron of pigeons nestled upon the roof observed my entry, their heads crooked towards me like a sniper’s gun is crooked on an enemy fighter."

My only line of thought was that, perhaps, in the last clause, rephrasing it to "their heads were crooked" would make the clause independent whereas without "were", as it is presented above, the clause is dependent?

Kind regards,

JP.


texts: "who is alive" vs. "alive" / "who is angry" vs. "angry"

texts:
Can you omit "who is" from the following sentences:

1) "There's a man who is alive."

Reduced Form: "There's a man alive."

2) "There's a man who is angry."

Reduced Form: "There's a man angry."

If not, why?


texts: What is the difference between "nearly drowned" and "nearly rescued"?

texts:
I am pondering over the meaning of the riddle:

  Would you rather be nearly drowned or nearly rescued?

Could some one explain the meaning of the two phrases "nearly drowned" & "nearly rescued" ?

Also what does the riddle actually mean ?


texts: What is the lexical equivalent of "syntax"?

texts:
I'm trying to find a word that means "lexical rules" (or perhaps not rules, but "tokens" I guess?); kind of like how syntax means "syntactic rules", but I'm unable to find one.

In other words: syntactic is to syntax as lexical is to what?


texts:
Grammar Nazi is usually how they describe someone who corrects other people's grammar (or spelling, or other errors).

Is there any expression that shows such a person in a positive light?

I ask because the person being corrected might actually be grateful about it and want to show this Grammar Nazi in a positive light.

For example:

  John Doe is a real ____ . If he hadn't pointed out all the mistakes in my résumé , everyone would think I was a fool and I'd still be looking for a job.

I'm not looking for terms implying generic smartness. This term should specifically imply John Doe is good at English (or any other language).

EDIT: This question asks for an "alternative expression" which should be  "funny, slightly reproachful, but not really offensive". It accepts the answer 'Grammar police', and other top answers include 'pedant' and 'fascist'.

I'm looking for a positive term. And those answers aren't applicable here.


texts: What is the short form for 'little' ? Is it li'l or lil'?

texts: what is the short form for 'little' ? Is it li'l or lil'?


texts: endophyte studies OR the studies of endophytes?

texts: Which is better to describe research into microorganism, especially fungi: endophyte studies or the study of endophytes?


texts: How would you divide this relative clause?

texts:
I'm an English teacher. There is a point I couldn't decide. In order to teach the relative clauses to my students better, I plan to divide them into two clauses. How would you divide this sentence?

"I liked the pen you gave to Mike."

I'd divide like this but I can't be sure.

You gave the pen to Mike. I liked it.


texts:
I have read a line in a book

  "What friend did you hang out with ?"

and thought it was an error. However , I came across an English textbook that also used the same construction.

  What American author wrote a series of books about a 10-year-old girl name Anastasia Krupnik?

Is this correct? Why isn't the interrogative pronoun "who" used instead?


texts:
Does it mean

He doesn't have a strong will to win
Gods do not decide that he should win

Bonus: How those 2 meaning of determined related? One means strong will, another means predestination.


texts: Which is correct - "is started" or "has been started"

texts:
Please let me know which one is correct:

Some machine is started.
Some machine has been started.

Additional information:
I am reviewing message for software product. There when a user clicks "Start" button, an operation/entity starts.


texts: Is combining two short complete sentences with a comma proper grammar?

texts:
Would this be correct grammar?

I can see it on his face, he feels dumb.

They are both complete sentences but related and very short.
Would it be more appropriate to combine this with a semicolon?

I can see it on his face; he feels dumb.


texts: What is the opposite of "arch" as a verb when talking about movement?

texts:
When on all fours (hands and knees): If the verb to bend the back upwards (forming an arch shape) is "arch", what is the verb to bend the back down (forming a valley)?

Or is there a short phrase that does the job? I have only thought up "curve the back down" or "bend the back down".

This is for a yoga exercise called "The Cat" or "Cat/Cow".


texts: Coming from a technical background I'm slightly confused. What is the difference between simultaneously and concurrently? How do we use these words?


texts: What do you call those fenced grassy areas that people own in the countryside?

texts:
Example:

I thought of fenced plot or land lot, but I'm not sure. They are usually used for farming or raising livestock, but sometimes for nothing at all.


texts: "handicapped" in the sense of "being limited"

texts:
I was thinking if the word "handicapped" is appropriate here.

  This is a great way to handle things when your team is handicapped to handle only a few types of issues.

I feel it's not okay since it refers to being incapable however on the other hand it doens't actually talk about a person. It refers to a thing.


texts:
My editor informed me that, if I use any diaeresis marks at all, then I must be consistent! I consistently use a diaeresis mark in coördinator and coöperation.

The periodical, Popular Educator (c 1890) had this to say:

  “The Diæresis:  [#] 77.  The diæresis shows that the letter over which it is placed is to be pronounced separately; as, Creätor, zoönomia, aërial … “

I agree with, zo-onomia; and I can understand, Cre-ator, but a-erial?

The Encarta Dictionary (c 2000) shows the pronunciation of (aerial) as áiree əl.

Is it just my accent, or is there a hiatus in aerial?


texts:
I'm sending an email to Alice (person A) and I cc Bob (person B). The email begins with

  Dear Alice,

  [Text]

  Wishing you Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

  Regards

  Jim

While I am addressing Alice, I want to make it clear that my wishes are for both Alice and Bob. The first thing that came to my mind is to replace the line "Wishing you Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!" and to say

  Wishing you Alice and Bob Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

instead.
Is it needed? And if yes, is this the aforementioned way the right way to say that?


texts:
How does one write the possessive of dependencies?  So, in this example sentence fragment, each dependency owns a 'scheduled date'.

Would it be...

...before all dependencies scheduled date...
...before all dependency's scheduled date...
...before all dependencys' scheduled date...


texts: "I would like it if you did not do that" -- why "did"?

texts:
I would like it if you did not do that.

In context, you are doing that, and I'd like you stop.

Why "did" instead of "do"?  I think that it is the subjunctive mood, but I am not certain.

Would it make a difference if you were just considering doing that and I am trying to talk you out of i?


texts: What is the meaning of "sticks" as a measurement unit?

texts:
I have stumbled upon this sign at the Heraklion airport, Crete, Greece:

I am a little confused about the meaning of "sticks". Is it a metaphor for one stick-shaped unit like a cigar or cigarette, or is it a weight or volume unit?


texts: Better way of saying "two people have worked on their stories together"

texts:
What is a better way of saying "two people have worked on their stories together"? Here's an example of a situation in which this phrase would come up:

  A witness in a trial is suspected to have "worked on his story together with the defendant" and therefore, he is likely to be untruthful when answering questions. In this example, the witness is someone who would not benefit by lying other than getting the defendant off the hook. Someone like a family member.


texts:
Oxford defines an auxiliary verb as "a verb used in forming the tenses, moods, and voices of other verbs."

However, "going to" is never listed as one. It would seem fair to consider it as such since it is a common way to construct the future in English.

Would it be wrong to consider it is an auxiliary verb? If so, what is the reasoning behind it?


texts:
"For her to lose the election would make me very happy."
What I think is that here "For her to lose the election" is an infinitival non-finite subordinate clause & "for" serves as a marker for this clause, and 'her' (which is in objective case) refers to the understood subject of the infinitival clause.
Am I right? Now, my question is:

(1) Is the preposition "For" a "subordinator" in the above sentence?
(2) Can any preposition be treated as a subordinator if and when they're followed by a clause (finite or non-finite) as their complement?


texts:
Inspired by this question: What is the correct term to use when describing the "three dots" (. . .), ellipsis or ellipses? And are either of these terms considered plural?

For example, if I wanted to say "the x is/are in the wrong location", which sentence is correct?

The ellipsis is in the wrong location.
The ellipsis are in the wrong location.
The ellipses is in the wrong location.
The ellipses are in the wrong location.

My gut instinct would be #4, with #1 a close second. #3 seems likely to be wrong, and #2 is a wild card.


texts: What does this saying mean? My English teacher gave it to us, but I could not find its meaning online. Please provide sources, if possible.


texts: Is there English counterpart(s) to Japanese old saying, “Present salt to your enemy.”?

texts:
We have a popular Japanese saying, “敵に塩を送る” — literally, “present (supply) salt to one's enemy”, meaning ‘play fair and square, not taking advantage of the weak point of your rival.’ It’s different from an act which serves the interest of the enemy by the basic spirit.

This proverb came from the historic episode that Uesugi Kenshin (1530–1578), the Middle Ages warlord of Echigo Country which faces to the Japan Sea, therefore is abundant with salt resources kept supplying salt to his rival, actually enemy, Takeda Shingen (1521–1573), the warlord of Kai Country, mountainous country adjacent to Echigo, which lacks in salt essential to human existence during long lasting and consuming wars that lasted eleven years (1553–1564) between them, with 5th fatal campaigns. Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin actually crossed swords once for all on the sandbar at the confluence of Chikuma River and Sai River, which is famous for the name of the showdown on the Kawanaka-jima sandbar.

However, Uesugi never shut off the supply rout of salt to Takeda for the cause of engaging fair play. He firmly believed the war should be won in the battle field, not on the sideline such as supply rout or logistics.

With that said, we use the saying, “Present salt to one's enemy” as the metonym of fair play, gentleman-ship and sportsmanship, we call it 武士道 — Bushido — in other words, Samurai Spirit sometimes, though I don't mean every Japanese has observed or observes it.

I’m curious to know if there are counterpart English sayings, maxims, or expressions portraying the meaning to the same effect.


texts: Origin of the phrase "along for the ride"?

texts:
Please explain  where this phrase comes from.  What is the preposition "along" for?

along for the ride:

  Participating but not actively, as in Don't ask me how long this job will take; I'm just along for the ride. This metaphoric term often is preceded by just to emphasize the passive role of the "passenger." [Mid-1900s]

(AHD)


texts:
I recently read:

As X is changing, so does the need to do Y.

I would have thought that it has to be is changing -> so is, or changes -> so does. But since I've read this at a (presumably) native English source, I just wanted to know whether it is actually possible to say it like that?


texts:
The context:

  P1: We lost nearly a decade of research because of the moratorium on embryonic stem cell research.

  P2: The moratorium [on embryonic stem cell research] aided in the advancement science made elsewhere on stem cell research so don't get your panties twisted.

Definition of advance from OALD:

  If knowledge, technology, etc. advances, it develops and improves.

I understand the term develop has many senses and I am unsure of which is the proper definition of develop for this context from the dictionaries.


texts: Alternative to "the blind leading the blind"

texts:
I'm looking for an alternative to the blind leading the blind that won't be offensive to anyone.

  Proverb - Someone who is not capable of dealing with a situation is guiding someone else who is not capable of dealing with it.

(McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms)

Okay, I see now what a terrible question I wrote.  Here's the context: I wrote a question on http://apple.stackexchange.com that started out like this:

  My friend has an iPad. I have never used an iPad, but am trying to
  help her set things up better -- so it's clearly a case of the blind
  leading the blind.


texts: Expression for willing to take on extra work load

texts:
I am writing an application for a job, and i want to express that i am aware of extra hours i have to put in,  willing to do so and probably even happy to.

I now have something like this:

  I am fully aware of the workload which comes with [position] and i am
  completely willing to put this extra time and energy in it.

English is not my first language, but I feel like there should be a nicer way to write this. Is there someone who can help me?


texts: A word that describes something that has been given a name

texts:
Is there a word besides named that describes something that has been given a proper name?

For example, a guitar is just a guitar, but if I call it, say, Shirley, is there another word that would now describe the guitar?

I'm looking for something specifically that can be used to identify things that have names (like people) but could also include books and movies, or say "Old Glory" for the flag.

Is there such a word?

EDIT: Here's a bit more information:

I'm looking specifically for a noun, a word which describes any object, person, or idea that has a name.

Perhaps an example will help: say you had a hat full of names, movie and book titles, as well as say names of famous characters from tv shows, and maybe even important events in history like "The Great Depression".

If I asked you to reach in and pick one, what could I say to pick besides "choose a name" (and of course, besides "choose a piece of paper"!) that would describe every one of the items in the hat?

EDIT2:
Okay here's some final context for everyone. The reason I posed this question is I am developing a game for windows phone that involves guessing a name, but although "Name" is a simple enough name for the object, it also has additional properties like "category" and "description".

So if I called the object "Name", I need an additional property to reference the actual name of the object. If I used "Name" again I would be accessing it via Name.Name, and that's just silly.

In truth, this isn't a big deal, I ended up using "Name" as the object, and "Title" as the name. This was more a "curiousity" thing, where I wondered if there was a way to accurately name the object, so I could keep "Name" as a property.

Ultimately, my favorite solution is to keep the "Name" as the object and "Moniker" as the name. This feels like the most intuitive way to do it, but I'll probably keep it as it is with "Title". But since that's my favorite that gets the answer, thanks to all who contributed!


texts: "Is" vs. "was" for occupations that are indefinitely paused?

texts:
I've been binging Criminal Minds on Netflix recently. The season six character Ashley Seaver is the daughter of a serial killer. He's in jail in North Dakota, which doesn't have the death penalty. He stopped killing when he was arrested, but since he's still alive, he could kill again. Which sentence is correct:

Her father is a serial killer.

Her father was a serial killer.

Also, would that same construction fit occupations/callings/professions? Say, a retired doctor? Perhaps a soldier who's been discharged but can still be called to active duty? A biker who doesn't currently own a motorcycle?


texts: "ain’t got the brains God gave a squirrel" - a (few) simpler alternative(s)

texts:
ain’t got the brains God gave a squirrel or ain’t got the sense
  God gave geese.

I have taken a liking to this phrase, however, to my colleagues, most
of who are from Latin America and SE-Asia, it appeared a heavy
idiomatic dose.

E.g.- Of these three idioms given below,

take a fancy to someone or something
take a liking to someone or something
take a shine to someone or something,
was unable to ring a bell with them.

  May I request a few simpler versions of "ain’t got the brains God gave
  a squirrel". I researched but to no avail.


texts: How to correctly use the plural form of genus (genera)?

texts:
For example:

  Cercis, canna and catalpa are all genera of flowers

– just doesn't sound right.

How should it be used correctly?

Thanks.


texts: Asking a question "to", "from", or "of"?

texts:
I was just talking with someone about the rule regarding "asking a question to/from/of".
I am natively Dutch, and to me, "to" makes the most sense intuitively, since in Dutch grammar you pose a question, you don't ask it. I'm aware however that "to" is incorrect in English.

The person I was talking to said that the correct rule is "from". This seems quirky to me however. If you "ask X from someone", it means that you ask them to give you an X. So to me, whereas "asking an answer from" makes sense, "asking a question from" doesn't, unless you're asking for a question.

I've seen a source on the internet that says "of" is the correct rule. But this sounds odd to both of us. "asking a question of X" sounds like you have a question about X.

So, which is the correct one, and why? Is my reasoning about "from" correct?


texts: How old is the phrase "What's your angle?"

texts: I have a character saying this in a novel set in the 1920s. I suspect it was in use at that time, but I've been fooled before by this kind of thing. (I had to delete a sentence in which a 1920s character says, "It's out of left field" because that phrase is traceable only back to 1940 or so.)


texts:
Is this sentence structure correct ?

  A society so vibrant and diverse as America’s is bound to dominate.

My basic confusion is that whether to put ’s at the end of the subject or not.

Another example:

  A personality so mannered and educated as John’s always has a bright future.


texts:
Which sentence makes the most sense:

  ...produce the most sophisticated tool and of the highest quality to perform the job

or

  ...produce the most sophisticated and high quality tool to perform the job
  ?

Basically I want to say that we have the means to...

I'm not a native English speaker and feel like both sentences make sense but I'm not sure about the use of of the highest quality vs just high quality. I'm also not so sure about produce vs create, I want it to sound formal.


texts:
I heard the question "Who is it?" in a movie.

[Person A] knocked on a door.

[Person B] came to open the door, but before that he asks "Who is it?"

This three syllables question can be pronounced three different ways with different stress patterns. Here's my try (1st: DA-da-da; 2nd: da-DA-da; 3rd: da-da-DA): https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1924024/whoisit.wav

Even hearing it in a movie I'm still not sure which version is correct in a context like I mentioned above (at a door). Should I stress the word "Who" and let the other two words have a falling intonation? or should I stress the word "is" more?


texts: Why is there an 'h' at the end of the word 'cheetah'?

texts:
This question is prompted by another question on Stack Exchange regarding the addition of a last letter for no apparent reason during transliteration from Aramaic to Greek :

  We have the Aramaic given (חקל דמא haqel d'ma, field of blood) (Acts 1:18–19)—but again, with an otherwise inexplicable χ attached to the end: Ἁκελδαμάχ.

It made me wonder if an additional letter is being added during transliteration which might be regarded as a 'breathing' requirement for pronunciation.

And I therefore considered English as to whether we have 'breathing' letters at the end of words.

My question on BH is therefore :

Is the 'h' at the end of 'cheetah' merely there to indicate that the 'a' should be sounded as /ə/ rather than /eɪ/ ?


texts: What is it called when a word is translated phonetically from a foreign language to English?

texts: For example, the word "jihad." Translated, the word means "struggle" or "strive" and I am sure there are others. The word "jihad," is just taking the pronunciation of the word in the native tongue, and spelling it phonetically in English. Is there a specific word for that?


texts: Is this the right use of the word 'lest' in this sentence?

texts:
The dictionary software 'WordWeb', when searched for the word 'lest' shows this as one of the sentence examples under the meaning 'In case' :
"he worried lest he should be late."

Now, I have even seen usage of the word in this manner:
"He worried lest he be late."

Which of the above is correct, if at all it is a matter of correctness?
Or which is better? Or does it not matter at all?


texts: what is the difference between a "deverbal noun" and a "verbal noun" please

texts:
I am currently working on -ing nominalizations and I've noticed that some grammar books refer to verbal nouns as deverbal nouns. Do you (English native speakers) make the difference or do you consider these two types of nouns as being the same ? The only thing I'm sure of is that both verbal nouns and deverbal nouns derive from verbs. I just want to be sure that these two concepts exist in English and that a difference exists.
Thank you, because I'm starting losing my mind!!


texts: I just checked online, to audit as a verb in AmE means to attend a class without being tested at the end of semester, only going to the class informally. I wonder which word do English people use?


texts:
When pronounce word "covet" should I give stress to "o" or to "e"?

I searched Emma Saying channel for this word and there are two videos with different pronunciation so I'm not sure if this source is even correct.


texts: Can the verb 'send' take a person as its object?

texts:
On Saturday morning, I was in the office working on my PC. At the time, a message popped up on GTalk, where the person had written "Send Martin" (who sits behind me) — my colleague wanted to talk with him, so told me to send him to his desk.

So my question is, is "send" appropriate to use for a person in this case?


texts:
She has the same book as I have.

Isn't it supposed to be She has the same book as I do?

But I often hear the former.

Why?


texts: Where does the word "hardcore" come from?

texts:
I was wondering when and why people would start calling music-styles or explicit films "hardcore", and when people started using it as slang.

There's a German saying "harte Schale, weicher Kern" (hard shell, soft core), which means essentially "looking tough on the outside, but being soft on the inside," so the picture of the word "hardcore" looks familiar to me as a German speaker. However, it seems quite unnatural to call a thing "hardcore" for being especially on the limit.

Does anyone know the origin of the word "hardcore" (or "softcore")?

Thanks!


texts:
I have some doubt if the phrases below are correct.

1) for the last 10 minutes

2) during the last 10 minutes

I suppose that 1) means that some process has been going on during a period of time,

e.g. Firefighters have been extinguishing fire for the last 10 minutes.

As for 2), I would say

There was no aircraft landing during the last 10 minutes.

meaning that "No aircraft landed within a period of 10 minutes before this moment".

Am I right?


texts:
I often get confused when referring to gun sizes. I often say "caliper" when the term used is "caliber". Looking at the defintions, it seems to make no sense as "caliber" has two very different meanings; "caliper" also has two very distinct meanings.

  caliber

  the quality of someone's character or the level of someone's ability.
  a) the internal diameter or bore of a gun barrel.
  b) the diameter of a bullet, shell, or rocket.
  c) the diameter of a circular body, such as a tube, blood vessel, or fiber.

  caliper

  an instrument for measuring external or internal dimensions
  having two hinged legs resembling a pair of compasses and in-turned or out-turned points.

I think the confusion comes in the because when talking about "the internal diameter or bore of a gun barrel" one would think a term referring to a "instrument for measuring internal dimensions" would be more closely related than a word whose main meaning is "quality of character".

Is there a reason why "caliber" was chosen over "caliper"?

They are only one letter apart, so did they have a similar origin that eventually became more divided?


texts: 'Dark' and 'light' functioning as adverbs or adjectives in the sentence "The dark brown coat will match the light brown pants perfectly"

texts:
"The dark brown coat will match the light brown pants perfectly"

Do 'dark' and 'light' function here as adjectives modifying 'brown' or are they adverbs informing us to the manner of degree? I've always read them as adjectives, but a Cingletree grammar resource listed them as adverbs.


texts:
I wanted to tell my friend that he should do something nice today (it's his birthday):

  You should do something nice, you do not want to have your birthday ending this way.

I know it is wrong but is there a way how to say it still with the "want to have" in the sentence? Or is the "have" here entirely incorrect?


texts: What's the word for a gifted service (or intangible good)?

texts:
Yesterday, my employer took me and 50 other team members to see the new Star Wars movie! During office hours! All paid for by the company!

They just sent us a letter saying: "thanks for coming". I want to write back: "thanks for forfeiting company time and buying us tickets!" or:
"thank you for this christmas gift"

Maybe the word I am looking for is "Gesture"? ("Thank you for this kind gesture and for organizing a great movie event")


texts:
I was taught to pick a tense when writing a story. So normally I choose past tense. But how to deal with this ambiguity?

John was brave the day before.
John was a kind person.

Does this mean John is no longer kind?

In the story time line John is still brave as of now. But since the story happened in the past I have to use "was". How can I convey presentness within the past?

English is not my first language. I hope this make some sort of sense!


texts: In the tense of present perfect, Are 'recent past' and 'hot news' the same?

texts:
In the tense of present perfect, I learned that
"I have finished the work" means 'recent past' and "The man has died"means'hot news'
Are 'recent past' and 'hot news' the same in meaning?


texts:
I'm a little confused about when I should be using the singular form of election, and when I should be using the plural form.

Did he win the election or win the elections?
Did I vote in the election or vote in the elections?
Is 1 in 4 years the frequency of the election or of the elections?
etc.

Which form should I be using, and when?


texts: Using the phrase 'a number of' with countable/uncountable nouns and verbs in singular/plural

texts:
Find  the mistake:

  Every year, an enormous number of paper is used to produce books.

My thoughts so far:

After googling I found that when using "a number of" we use plural verb (i.e., are). Is that a general rule? In this sentence, paper is uncountable, so is that why we can't use "are"?
The book's answer indicates that we can't use "a number of" with (uncountable), so we must replace it with (an amount of / a quantity of), although in this Macmillan dictionary entry number is described as

  [Countable / Uncountable ] a quantity of people or things

Is that right? If so, why?


texts: Is there a non-derogatory synonym for “propaganda”?

texts:
Is there a non-derogatory synonym for propaganda?

Specifically, I’m talking about a word to describe the sum of all messages a particular political member has broadcast (through various media), but one without the negative connotation of “brainwashing” that propaganda can carry.


texts: What is the correct phrase for ex-in-laws when divorced?

texts: If you get divorced, are your ex-spouse's siblings' children still your nieces or nephews?


texts: Is there a difference between "heir" and "legatee"?

texts:
Merriam-Webster defines heir as "one who inherits or is entitled to inherit property" and legatee as "someone who receives money or property from a person who has died."

Is there any difference between these words in meaning or usage?

An Ngram shows that heir has always been much more common than legatee, so I wonder if the latter has a narrower meaning. Then again, it seems to me that heir is almost always used to refer to the child, niece, or nephew of the person whom the heir inherits from, so perhaps heir is used for blood relatives (after all, it's also used in the sense of "heir to the throne," which is determined by blood relation) and legatee is a broader term for anyone who inherits, such as a friend or neighbor. However, neither definition actually specifies anything about who's doing the inheriting.

Are these words meant to be used in different contexts or are they completely interchangeable?


texts: An expression for "a little thing that adds to common good"

texts: Like recycling, some little things together make a big positive impact. What's an expression for "a little thing that adds to the common good"?


texts: Is there a phrase that means "very old" but using another adverb instead of "very"? like "brand" in "brand new".


texts: What is a word for someone who is good at making connections between different subjects?

texts:
It should have a positive connotation and be an adjective.

  Bob's X thinking by applying an obscure idea from computer science to his dissertation on the impact of wine production on the rise of classical Roman architecture.

The example is exaggerated intentionally to epitomize what the word would suggest.

The word should also be applicable to describing a person.

  Bob is one of the most X people I know. For example, he...


texts: Use "the" before a scientific method name?

texts:
I'm writing a paper about an algorithm that I have developed. Just for illustration, I will say that the method name is "quicksort". My question is about the usage of the in the following context:

  This paper proposes quicksort, a novel and fast algorithm. The advantage of
  quicksort is that...

My question is whether I should use "The advantage of the quicksort..." or "The advantage of quicksort".

I am also looking for resources explaining the usage of the in this context.

[Meta]
Usually, to check if a certain sentence is correct, I search Google using wildcards. However, in this case, the correct answer is depends on the context. I have also tried to find a answer in the following book but without success: Science Research Writing: A Guide for Non-Native Speakers of English.


texts: Are the terms "welsh" or "welch" (as in reneging on a bet) derogatory toward the Welsh people?

texts: From the casual research I've done, it's assumed to be offensive (like "gyp" for Gypsies), but I've not found anything definitive.  I'm also curious when it first entered the language with this meaning and why.


texts: What does "X his way out of a paper bag" mean?

texts:
What do they mean when they say "He can't find his way out of paper bag", or "He couldn't manage himself out of paper bag"?

Also, what is the history of this phrase? What is its origin?


texts: difference between "final English exam" and "English final exam"?

texts: I would like to know the difference between Final English Exam and English Final Exam.


texts:
According to H. Stephens, "There is a great difference between worry and concern. A worried person sees a problem, and a concerned person solves a problem". But ODE seems to be disagreeing with him:

  WORRIED: Anxious or troubled about actual or potential problems
  CONCERNED: Worried, troubled, or anxious

So, do native speakers recognize the difference between worried and concerned Stephens talks about?


texts: Which one is the correct sentence? "Forever shall I remain indebted" or "I shall forever remain indebted"

texts: I came across an acknowledgement in one of the theses which came for correction to me. The opening sentence says: "Forever shall I remain indebted to....". Is it the correct way of writing? In my opinion it should be: "Forever I shall remain indebted to...". Please correct me.


texts: What is a word for a force that cannot be stopped?

texts: A noun that can be used to describe a hurricane, or a movement. eg. "This powerful hurricane is a BLANK."


texts:
I'm wondering whether the verb 'to regard' can be used without 'as': Is it possible to say "The glottal stop is regarded a consonant" in the sense of "The glottal stop is viewed as/defined as a consonant"? Or do I have to say "The glottal stop is regarded as a consonant"? To me (German native speaker) the latter one somehow sounds strange..

Thank you in advance!


texts: "A guy whose job is to" vs "a guy whose job it is to"?

texts:
I've been hearing the phrase "whose job it is to" quite often lately. Consider these two sentences:

  We have a guy whose job is to clean windows.
  We have a guy whose job it is to clean windows.

I would prefer the first one because of the less redundancy, though both sentences seem to be grammatically correct (are they?). What do you think about the grammar of these sentences? Is there any (subtle) difference in meaning (accentuation)?


texts: Plurality for the clause modifying the subject in plural form?

texts:
Which of the following sentence(s) is(are) grammatically correct? If more than one of them is, do these have different meanings? And why?

The copy process terminates unexpectedly if there is a web page with non-ASCII filename.
The copy process terminates unexpectedly if there is a web page with a non-ASCII filename.
The copy process terminates unexpectedly if there are web pages with non-ASCII filename.
The copy process terminates unexpectedly if there are web pages with a non-ASCII filename.
The copy process terminates unexpectedly if there are web pages with non-ASCII filenames.

I want to express that the copy process fails upon encountering one or more bad page(s). I am not sure whether the subject (page) should be singular or plural.

Additionally, all the "bad page" mentioned above must fullfill the condition "the page has exactly one non-ASCII filename" (we assume that a page could only have one filename). I am not sure whether the "with" clause should be plural (match the "page", if used as plural previously) or singular (match the "filename", or "page" if used as singular previously).

If, as a possible sense, that a web page could have multiple filenames (if embeded images, fonts, etc. are counted as part of the web page), which of the above sentence is suitable for expressing it in this case?


texts:
My first quest on English stack exchange, so please pardon me for the mistakes.
I have developed a search tool for which tagline is "Search smarter! Search Tool_Name.
But few people have objected that this sentence is not right. It should be:
"Search smarter! Search with (or in) Tool_Name.
Can you please help me explain if my tag line is grammatically correct?


texts:
I think this sentence is standard English:

  1A.  John swung his arm wildly, hitting Jane in the head.

And it approximately means:

  1B  John swung his arm wildly and he hit Jane in the head.

Then, I saw this sentence here:

  2A. A neighbor’s daughter had been abducted, bringing an epidemic of kidnappings within reach of her own family.*

I attempted to reapply my analysis method of the first sentence here, and came up with this approximate interpretation:

  2B. A neighbor’s daughter had been abducted, and she [the neighbor's daughter] brought an epidemic of kidnappings within reach of her own family.

It sounds weird though.
Could my analysis be defective?  Or is the sentence poorly written—so would it be better like this?

  2C.  A neighbor’s daughter had been abducted, which brought an epidemic of kidnappings within reach of her own family.


texts:
IN THE CUT-THROAT realm of reality TV, “Wanted Down Under” is a survivor. A daytime fixture that has just finished its 13th season, the BBC documentary follows Britons contemplating relocating to Australia or New Zealand. Equal parts travel, property and life-makeover programme, it has a rival, “A New Life in Oz”, on Channel 5.

So the part from "equal" and onward gets unclear here since I can't think of a reasonable explanation to that equal part things. How often is "equal parts" used in such manner, how do I better make that out?


texts:
I ran into this sentence in a friend's blog. I can't quite tell what's wrong, but it does feel wrong. Can anyone tell me if/why?

The actual complete sentence:

  Secondly, we handle the most important requirement which is to retrieve proteins, whether they are either close, or remote homologs.


texts: Is it correct to use a past tense verb before a present tense verb like this?

texts:
Every morning right after I went to the bathroom, I tell myself

In the sentence above should went and tell agree?

Is above correct?


texts: A word to describe the action of rendering a harmful person powerless

texts:
I'm looking for a word to describe rendering a person powerless, for example somebody who is causing some grief to a group, and you are able to say something that destroys their argument and leaves them without a leg to stand on.
An example sentence would be:

  "I _____ed him by expertly destroying his faulty logic".

I feel the word is on the tip of my tongue but I cannot place it.


texts: Does this sound correct: "Client's service is at risk of termination"?

texts:
Let's say I own a business and I provide some services. I have a client which has failed to make a payment, so his service might be terminated soon. I'm receiving an email about this situation as the owner.

Can the email subject be like: Client's service is at risk of termination? Does this message sound correct to you?


texts: Is there an expression for when someone fabricates a quote?

texts:
I recently came across a thread on some forum, where two people were arguing, and then one of the two started using quotes where the content was completely different from what was actually being said.
It went roughly like that (paraphrasing):

A:
I just proved that you are wrong.

B:

A:
I’m stupid and a liar.

At first I thought of “misquoting”, but it sounds more like distorting or modifying. In this case, it’s neither a distortion nor a modification, but a complete fabrication disguised as a quote.
Is there a word or expression to describe that?


texts:
I was looking at a recipe for "Vele, kede, or henne in Bokenade" from a  15th century cookery book, but am confused by the words "smyte" and "pecys" in the following phrase:

  an smyte hem in pecys

I assume this means "and smite him in pieces", which might be rewritten as "cut it into pieces"? However, none of the etymologies I've read for "smite" or "pieces" list these words as the origin.


texts: Term for something that is broadly known, but in different ways?

texts:
I'm trying to figure out what term to use to describe this situation:

I work in a particular field that is quite vast, and has many specialized areas. When I'm asked to evaluate someone else's abilities, I don't feel comfortable, because although I'm considered an expert on A, B, and C, someone else might be an expert in D, E, and F. That doesn't make either of us better or worse than the other, but it makes it hard to evaluate someone on the field-level as good or bad because the field or position is so ___________.

For some reason I keep wanting to say "subjective", but after reading the actual definition I don't think that's the right word I'm looking for.


texts: Why are animal names used as vulgar slang for body parts?

texts:
Asking this question in strict propriety out of genuine curiosity, why is that in (American) English animal-related names are used for vulgar names for the private body parts? In fact, all of the examples I can think of, at least one vulgar term for each body seems to come from an animal. I am sure there are exceptions but even then, why are they so common? What is this fascination with having animal names as "dirty" words, i.e.

Cock - A rooster
Pussy - A cat
Tits - A small bird
Ass - A donkey - okay I see this so this can be taken out.

Is this only in America or does it happen in other parts of the English-speaking world as well?


texts:
I remember being taught in history classes to abbreviate century by writing a large capital C followed by the ordinal number as in: C18th without the full-stop (period).
Recently I have noticed on ELU (it wasn't something I paid particular attention in the past) the lower-case c after a cardinal number and with a period, as in: 18c. and 18c without the period. Would either 18th c. or C18 be considered incorrect?
I checked online and The Oxford English Dictionary says century is abbreviated thus: c. but no indication if the number preceding should be ordinal or cardinal. On the first page of Google results I also found the Monash University recommended symbol,   but without th.
In The Chambers Dictionary 12th Edition, it lists both C and c as abbreviations for century:

C (preceding numeral, eg C21, twenty-first century)
c (following numeral, eg 21c, twenty-first century)

It also lists:

cen. abbrev: central; century
cent. abbrev: centigrade; central; centum (L), a hundred; century.

Why is the ordinal number e.g. 18th, 21st ignored? And finally, which is the most commonly accepted and recommended abbreviation?


texts: A word for a thing that is unproven because its context has yet to be observed

texts: What is a word for something that can be said to be "unproven", but because the context in which any such proof would appear does not yet exist? I can think of contested, but are there any others?


texts:
How should I use came and just now together to say: I have already come but only a few minutes back?

I came just now.

or

I just now came.


texts: "equally skilled as X" or "equally skilled to X"?

texts:
Which of the following (if either) is correct?

I consider myself equally skilled as LeBron.
I consider myself equally skilled to LeBron.


texts:
For its antonym, m-w windfall page lists affliction, bane, curse, evil, plague, scourge but i think all do not fit so well.

"windfall" means some good things came free in surprise, such as a fortune inherited by surprise from a remote relative...

"afflicction", "bane", etc.. seem mean "bad things" but not cover the "by surprise" part...


texts: How do you write "a class's constructor"?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  What is the correct possessive for nouns ending in s?

I want to write this sentence:

  In a singleton pattern, a class's
  constructor needs to be private
  instead of public.

it is correct to write:

a classes constructor
a class' constructor
a class's constructor
a classes' constructor


texts: Should "two-week" be hyphenated in "a two-week all-expense-paid trip"?

texts: Which is correct — "a two-week all-expense-paid trip" or "a two week all-expense-paid trip"?


texts: what does " demands forgiveness" mean in the context?

texts:
this is a poem by James. D. Corrothers:

  To be a Negro on a day like this
  Demands forgiveness.
  Bruised with blow on blow,
  Betrayed, like him whose woe dimmed eyes gave bliss,
  Still must one succor those who brought one low,
  To be a Negro on a day like this

  To be a Negro on a day like this
  Demands rare patience—patience that can wait
  In utter darkness. 'Tis the path to miss,
  And knock, unheeded, at iron gate,
  To be a Negro on a day like this

  To be a Negro on a day like this
  Demands strange loyalty, we served a flag
  Which is to us white freedom's emphasis.
  Ah! One must love when Truth and Justice lag,
  To be a Negro on a day like this

  To be a Negro on a day like this
  Alas! Lord God, what evil have we done?
  Still shines the gate, all gold and amethyst,
  But I pass by, the glorious goal unwon,
  "Merely a Negro"—on a day like this!!!!!!"

what does "demands forgiveness" mean? i have problem in comprehension.


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  “I'm only grandfathering you in because of Serena.”

Over here, Jeff says something using the expression "grandfathered in." What does that mean and how can it be used elsewhere?

Is it somewhat related to maybe adding or filling in the previous or missing part of a family tree? Sort of like a rebase in Git.


texts: In the phrase "No more than two cats or dogs", how many total pets are possible?

texts:
It seems this phrase can be read in two ways:

A) No more than 2 (cats or dogs) [2 total]

B) No more than 2 cats or (2) dogs [4 total]

Does this phrase have a singular meaning, or is it ambiguous?


texts:
What kind of clause or phrase is used in the first part of the following sentence (Frail and seemingly disoriented at times)? Would you elaborate on its structure.

  Frail and seemingly disoriented at times, he is looking vulnerable.


texts: How does "not" function in "I jog nearly every day, not because I like it, but because I am too fat."

texts:
Title. Is it like a conjunction? Also, a few more questions:

do you need a comma before the "not"
do you need a comma before the "but"


texts:
I'm looking for a word or short expression that might be used in place of projecting.

By projecting I'm talking about the phenomenon of how a person might misinterpret a person or situation by placing their own experience/emotion/motive into it. This is a loosened version of the original concept from psychology, which requires that they are also denying this property in themselves. Would it be invalid to use the word projecting in this way (even colloquially)?

So, one might say that an especially cynical/idealistic person projects their own attitudes by believing most other people are equally cynical/idealistic. Or someone might feel provoked by reading another's text message and project by mistakenly believe them to be very agitated as well.

If this is me going too far away from what the word was originally meant to be, is there an alternative? In fact, I wish I could go even further away: I want to describe a misinterpretation of emotions/motive/etc. caused by the influence of one's own emotions, experiences, or point of view.

So, is there a word for when someone is failing to empathize, while alluding that something is clouding the interpretation, the same way projecting does?

Here are some more examples where I wish I had a word such as projecting to use as a descriptor:

A dog's resting face might look like a human smile, causing many to say that it is happy, even if the dog is not displaying any real happiness.
Carl overhears a group of friends passionately arguing a topic with loud voices. While the group is actually enjoying their discussion, Carl is only able to recognize it as hostility and thinks they are fighting.
(This one might be reaching a little:) Mia is convinced nobody playing cricket is doing it for fun; it bored her half to death when she tried it herself!


texts: Word for Feeling That Something Is "Off" about a Person?

texts: Is there a word for the feeling one gets around someone who sets off your "spider senses", red flags, warning bells, and so on? I want to say something like, "she made people feel ____." This might happen around a sexual predator, insane person, or someone where something is just very "off", but you aren't sure what it is yet. Is there a word for this feeling? Similar words I can think of are unnerved or disturbed. Is there a closer word?


texts:
I am looking at these two sentences:

  M and W are letters that each have 4 strokes.
  M and W are letters and  each has  4 strokes.

It seems that each is an adverb in (1) but a pronoun in (2). Can anyone explain why each is not a pronoun in (1)?


texts:
Here is a quote from Groucho Marx:

  Here's to our wives and girlfriends! May they never meet!

What does he mean by this? And what is the function of the modal verb 'may'?

Thank you!


texts: Capitalization of "the" beginning a proper noun

texts:
When should "the" be capitalized when it begins a proper noun?

There are some proper nouns that seem to have their leading "the" included as part of their name/title. For example, The Real Ghostbusters. But there are others, such as the Greenhill School that seem like they could go either way (as in, Greenhill School could also be acceptable, so "the" is not part of the proper noun). What's the rule?


texts: What word describes text having a different meaning backwards and forwards?

texts:
Jonathan Reed's poem 'Lost Generation' is a pessimistic view of the future if read forwards. However, if you read it backwards linewise (not wordwise), it is still semantically meaningful, but the meaning is optimistic and almost completely opposite.

Here are a few lines backwards and forwards to demonstrate:

In the future
Environmental destruction will be the norm
No longer can it be said that
My peers and I care about this earth
It will be evident that
My generation is apathetic and lethargic
It is foolish to presume that
There is hope

vs

There is hope
It is foolish to presume that
My generation is apathetic and lethargic
It will be evident that
My peers and I care about this earth
No longer can it be said that
Environmental destruction will be the norm
In the future

Of course, the first word that comes to mind is palindromic. However, a palindrome is exactly the same forwards and backwards (discounting punctuation) whereas this is opposite forward and backwards - so pretty much the antonym of a palindrome.

I've spent a while searching for an existing word to describe this to no avail, so I am deferring to the geniuses here :-)

Thanks,
Matt


texts: Difference between "Need assistance?" and "Need an assistance"?

texts:
Which is the correct way to write on a website and address my website's users?

1) Need assistance? Contact us by email...

or

2) Need an assistance? Contact us by email...


texts: the plural of the name of the letter e is ees

texts:
According to the wikipedia article of letter e

  The plural of the name of the letter e is ees (the plural of the
  letter itself is rendered E's, Es, e's, es).

Therefore, is ees then a regular plural formed from -es?


texts: What does "household raisin" and "fruitation" mean in this sentence?

texts:
In a book which I'm reading there is a sentence like this:

  A normal household raisin weighs about a gram—so a raisin plus antiraisin combination would be a dehydrated weapon of mass fruitation.

Here is the context:

  When two particles are totally annihilated, a huge amount of stored energy is released. To be specific, a single gram of antiparticles combined with a gram of normal particles would release more than forty kilotons of explosive force, which is more than twice as powerful as the atomic bombs dropped by the United States in World War II. A normal household raisin weighs about a gram—so a raisin plus antiraisin combination would be a dehydrated weapon of mass fruitation.

I don't understand the phrase "household raisin" and "mass fruitation". What does they mean in that sentence/situation?

The word "fruitation" doesn't even appear in the dictionary.

Does household raisin mean the raisin made by people in a house rather than the industry?


texts: Is there a word or phrase to describe repeating the same word three times?

texts:
In spoken language, it seems to be a natural thing to repeat a word three times to emphasise the urgency, the importance and to acknowledge the situation.
For instance,

come, come, come
ok, ok, ok
alright, alright, alright
go, go, go
yes, yes, yes

Is there a word or phrase to describe that?


texts: presenting a list followed by a verb, should the semi-colon be used?

texts:
Consider the sentence

  We consider how different strategies; (1) running, (2) hiding and (3) fighting
      affect the mating success of bears.

Is that sentence grammatically correct with the semicolon? I usually only use the semicolon when the list ends a sentence.


texts: Meaning of "to be on the top side of the grass"

texts:
What is the meaning of this sentence:

  To be healthy as long as you're on the top side of the grass

I specifically mean the phrase on the top side of the grass.


texts:
I cannot think of any word or phrase that gives this feeling; perhaps there is none:

  a feeling of empathy for another's position, and feeling as though one
  should apologize for one's actions, but not actually feeling sorry
  about what one did

The word I'm looking for is not exactly regret because one is not fully in control of what occurred, yet one still wishes none of it had ever happened, but one also knows nothing can return to the way it was.


texts: What does it mean to be someone's bulldog?

texts: I have a passage which introduces a contemporary scientist as "Darwin's bulldog". What is that?


texts:
What is the difference between following 2 sentences? Can you please explain me the meaning of both?

"I have eaten my lunch"
"I ate my lunch"

Thanks a lot for helping.


texts: Is there a word or term for people who have a fear of growth?


texts:
Are these two words interchangeable?

According to the Oxford dictionary, experienced means having knowledge or skill in a particular job or activity, while seasoned having a lot of experience in a particular activity. But, people still do say "seasoned pilot".

Then, what is the difference these two?


texts:
Way off topic, but since this is April 1st, I'd like to post a couple of clips from one of my favorite shows - "Yes (Prime) Minister".  This British comedy-show from the early 1980s, follows member of Parliament Jim Hacker; firs as a minister, later as the Prime Minister of Britain.  He frequently cross swords with Sir Humphrey Appleby; Oxford educated, and head of the Civil Service in his ministry.  Sir Humphrey loves long words...  In the crossfire between these two, are Bernard Wooly, the Minister's personal secretary.  Loyal to both the civil service he's part of and the Minister he serves.

I have included links to two of Sir Humphrey's more spectacular monologues:    Just enjoy them... or look-up the words he use in a dictionary and post them here - or maybe "translate" them into normal English and post them here.

I for one, would really like to know the meaning - and other suitable uses - of the word "epistemological"... In fact, both speeches could be translated into normal English...

Both happens after Hacker becomes Prime Minister.

+++

Prime Minister Hacker has been answering questions in Parliament, and was particularly satisfied with one of them.  So Sir Humphrey burst his bubble:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8keZbZL2ero

Tired of Sir Humphrey always sneaking into Number 10 Downing Street from the building next door - where Sir Humphrey officially works, PM Hacker has had the lock of the connecting door changed.  Here he has just snick in by the window - setting off an alarm and summoning guards - after being denied entry by the front door of Number 10:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYz_A_1xRqc

Sir Humphrey's Goodbye... (before Hacker becomes PM):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-FxrQI_Ymk

+++

Bonus (sadly with less Sir Humphrey's monologues):

The Civil Service:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPx2503UiKc

Who reads the papers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGscoaUWW2M

Opinion polls:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0ZZJXw4MTA

Choosing the next Prime Minister (The other man is Sir Arnold, the previous Cabinet Secretary):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5P34nJzsaY

Diplomatic options:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3zNCg55kiw


texts:
This is a two part question. First part: a few diseases require or allow an article (the flu, the measles, the shingles), but most do not permit it (polio, diarrhea, cancer, COPD). You can test this in the sentence: "Last year I had [the][disease]". What determines when an article is not permitted or required before the name of a disease?
Second part: If someone does use an article in front of a disease that normally does not need one-- "In January my cousin got the Covid"--is this more than just a solecism? It might not be an error, but rather a style of speech. But it implies, to me, that the speaker is uneducated or from a lower economic class.


texts: Why can you not "improve your English ability"?

texts:
I hear a lot of Japanese people say "I want to improve my English ability" but I can't explain why this sentence is wrong.

Could anyone tell me why you shouldn't say I want to improve my English ability" instead of "I want to improve my English"?


texts: Is there a program that will parse sentence syntax?

texts:
I am building an online course and want to add a function that can check spelling, grammar and syntax. I've found a few that claim to spot the first 2 but they are not very good. I typed in "That is you're coat." and 3 out of 4 said it was OK. Aside from this, my main problem is, for example, placing an adjective after a noun: e.g. "This is a tree green." None of the online checkers flagged this as being incorrect.

Am I chasing an impossible dream? Is the only way to learn how to correctly structure a sentence something that is only achievable by human to human training?


texts: Word request for "one's inablity to understand his/her duty/obligation"

texts:
A word for a situation when you are completely confused/unable to understand your duty/obligation.

T̶h̶e̶r̶e̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶a̶ ̶i̶d̶i̶o̶m̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶c̶o̶n̶t̶e̶x̶t̶:̶

  Damned if I do, damned if I don't"

T̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶i̶d̶i̶o̶m̶ ̶p̶e̶r̶f̶e̶c̶t̶l̶y̶ ̶f̶i̶t̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶s̶i̶t̶u̶a̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ but is there also any dictionary word for this situation?

Words like befuddle/bewilder have meaning related to "unable to think clearly", but I am not quite sure whether they also relate to:"one's inability to understand his/her duty/obligation".

Is there is any better word for this situation. Please suggest.

Edit:

I didn't understand the meaning of idiom, so I have strikethrough it. Plesae disregard it.


texts: Sentences referring to questions – do they need question-marks?

texts:
Like this:

She hated the charity, but Tom would just shrug it off and tell her if people didn’t help each other out now and then, what good was living?


texts:
Ok, let say you are running a restaurant. When making important decisions, you often subjectively give your own personal ideas without paying attention to the real needs in reality or in real world. For example, the trend of diet in real world is eat less fatty and salty food, but your restaurant's menu has many fatty and salty dishes.

So, in this case, can I say "you do not stick with reality"?

I searched "stick with reality" in Google and found many results but found no definition of that expression.

So, Is "stick with reality" idiomatic?


texts:
In addition to investigating how financial value is produced,46 such
scholarship has shown that discourses of financialization cannot, in
and of themselves, explain the sweeping changes that are happening in
the global economy.

How to understand "in and of themselves" in this sentence?


texts: Meaning of "sixty" in "The rain was coming down like sixty now."?

texts:
The sentence is from The Round House by Louise Erdrich. I'm not including the paragraph because it really is not related.

  The rain was coming down like sixty now.

Is it rain speed per hour or something similar?


texts:
I've been reading about "complex text layouts" on Wikipedia as part of an i18n review for some software that I help maintain.

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

The examples provided focus on alphabets that I know very little about, making the core concept and ramifications of it a little difficult for me to relate to.

I am wondering if English has examples of complex text layouts?

Do all ligatures count as CTL?
What about capitalisation rules?
What about &?

EDIT: I understand that cursive hand writing would have lots of CTL examples, but for the purpose of this question, I'm just talking about standard printed text that you would commonly see on a computer screen, like Helvetica for example


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  “There are so many” vs. “There is so many”

I know this is correct:

  There's no problem.

But what if it was plural, i.e. problems? Would this be correct, too:

  There are no problems.

Or should it be:

  There is no problems.

I always wondered about the usage of there is.


texts: What term describes an agency that serves to damage reputations rather than enhance or maintain them?

texts:
Is there a term to describe a company that specializes in damaging the reputation of individual(s) or organization(s) on behalf of a client?

Some things that such companies may do include smear campaigns, defamation, discrediting, etc. However, what would be ideal is if there is some term that captures the nature of the company rather than just the nature of the activities in which the company engages. "Private investigator" is too vague and doesn't capture the specificity of the company's focus on reputation.

"PR agency" is the ideal term for a company that does the opposite, i.e. enhances or maintains the reputation of an individual(s) or organization(s).


texts: Is it grammatical to indicate possession to objects using the verb "to have"?

texts:
I was taught that "objects don't own anything", so I couldn't say that

  "the city has many great pubs".

Instead, I had to use

  "there are many great pubs in the city".

Was I taught right, or it is grammatical to indicate possession to objects using the verb "to have"?


texts: What is the scientific term for a habit of doing something without realizing it until someone points it out to you?

texts:
For example, when I'm really concentrating on something I'll start chewing on my tongue and will rarely even realize I've started doing this unless someone asks me what the heck I'm doing.

I vaguely remember once hearing about a specific term for this type of unconscious behavior but I can't remember what it is.


texts: Why has the use of "plague" in OED (sense 2a), as a verb declined?

texts:
Plague, when used as a verb, meaning To trouble, tease, bother, annoy, or pester, usually repeatedly, insistently, or constantly; to constitute a nuisance, threat, or danger to. Freq. in pass (OED sense 2a), seems to me to have declined.

  1595   Spenser Amoretti xli, in Amoretti & Epithalamion sig. C6,   If
  her nature and her wil be so, That she will plague the man that loues
  her most.

  1616   B. Jonson Epicœne i. ii, in Wks. I. 534   It giues thee law of
  plaguing him.

  1637   J. Bastwick Letany i. 21,   I will..so plauge the
  Metropolicallity of Yorke and Canterbury.

  1658   W. Johnson tr. F. Würtz Surgeons Guid ii. xii. 94   Patients in
  this case are commonly plagued with a cough.

  a1681   J. Lacy Sr. Hercules Buffoon (1684) iii. iii. 28,   I am so
  plagued with Citizens, that I cannot have a Deer that's mans meat, but
  they steal it out of my Park, my Lord.

  1728   J. Gay Beggar's Opera i. viii. 9   Husbands and Wives..plaguing
  one another.

  1767   P. Gibbes Woman of Fashion II. 171   What a dickens would you
  have more!.. I won't hear you, I won't be plagued.

  a1817   J. Austen Persuasion (1818) IV. x. 221,   I really cannot be
  plaguing myself for ever with all the new poems and states of the
  nation that come out.

  1833   H. Martineau Tale of Tyne ii. 33   The big boys used to plague
  him, and he plagued the little ones.

  1893   Dict. National Biogr. at Margaret Tudor, Queen of Scotland,
  In 1541 she was again plaguing Henry with her money troubles.

  1952   J. L. Waten Alien Son 105   You and your questions!.. Do you
  have to plague me, too?

  1989   Chron. of Horse 1 Sept. 51/3   When the above measures are
  followed, even horses that have been plagued by sore feet..will
  usually show great improvement.

I do not include here the use of OED sense 1, which meaning is:
To afflict (a person, community, country, etc.) with a plague, or with a difficulty or misfortune as if with a plague; to visit calamity or misfortune on (a person, etc.), esp. as a punishment or expression of displeasure.

When I was a child in the 1950s, in Norfolk, my parents generation made frequent use of it, often to describe the pesterings of their children - he keeps plaguing me to buy him a twin-barrelled bazooka. Nowadays I seldom, if ever, hear it used.

Is this the experience of others? And why might it be the case? It does seem to be an expressive conveyance, both of one's annoyance, as well as illustrative of the supplicant's intensity.

What might we use instead, which is more in vogue?


texts: Do I use "or" or "nor" in this instance?

texts:
Should I say "No termites rust or rot"?
Or should it be "No termites rust NOR rot"?
Thanks


texts: Address a group, then direct a message to a particular person

texts:
Example:

To all whom it may concern, (this is a letter to a group)

Body of the message directed to the entire group here

Concluding that, direct a message to a specific person, for an acknowledgment or to show gratitude

How should I go about the second part?


texts: Are these 'that'-clauses complements or adjuncts?

texts:
(1) It's a plan [that is being touted as the most modest proposal considered yet in Congress].

Here, the that-clause is a relative clause that modifies the antecedent 'plan', so I believe it's not a complement but an adjunct. (Correct me if I'm wrong.)
Now, I'm not sure whether the following that-clauses are complements or adjuncts:

(2) It's unfortunate [that we meet under these circumstances].
(3) I have it on good authority [that you are in charge here].
(4) It's for that reason [that she is currently number one].

In (2) and (3), the that-clauses are extraposed, whereas in (4) it's the cleft clause.


texts: Is there a word for "a drop of water that comes into contact with eyes"?

texts:
I am just looking for one word, when a drop of water come into eyes.
 Is there is any word for this ?


texts: What's the meaning of "offhand" in this dialogue?

texts:
“Obi-Wan!” he shouted to his companion, who wheeled toward him at
  once. “Destroyer droids!”

  The younger Jedi nodded, smiling. “Offhand, I’d say this mission is
  past the negotiation stage.”

Quoted from Star Wars Script

What does "offhand" mean in the script above?

According to the dictionary,

offhand means 'not friendly, and showing little interest in other people in a way that seems slightly rude'.

I don't exactly see how this meaning makes sense in that dialogue.

Does it mean that the younger Jedi regarded destroyer droids' attack rude or unfriendly?

Another possible interpretation is that it means 'done or made without previous thought or preparation', which means the Jedi thought the attack was reckless or rash.


texts:
[Implication of] AND [implication for]

Although I have tried to find the meaning of these two word combinations, it hasn't allowed me to differentiate their meanings properly. Any explanation on their different use-cases is welcomed.


texts: Past perfect: had --> have + was VS had --> have had + was

texts:
Which is correct?

If Mark had not included his own name in the message, we would have no idea who was behind it.

If Mark had not included his own name in the message, we would have had no idea who was behind it.

https://www.grammarly.com/blog/past-perfect/


texts:
which of these two phrases is correct?

A - The man, WHOM from now on we will refer to as Jim,
approaches the table and stands next to the lady.

B - The man, WHO from now on we will refer to as Jim,
approaches the table and stands next to the lady.

None of my native English speaker friends do not agree on which one is correct.

Thanks.


texts: What does the term "tropical girl" mean?

texts:
I was chatting with some people online during my friend's radio talk show, and the question came up when my friend mentioned "hot tropical girls".

What exactly do we mean when we say "tropical girls"?

I know that the tropics are the areas just north and south of the equator, but if this is the case, would Shasta the Kenyan woman be a "tropical girl"?  Would Tara the Singaporean woman be a "tropical girl?"  or would we mostly refer to Hokawa the Polynesian woman, Hermana the Mexican woman or Tanya the Floridian woman as a "tropical girl"?

Example:
"I love tropical girls!"


texts:
The other day I read a question about nouns being used as verbs. An answer informed that in English any word can be used as a verb, but that it is not so in other languages. Beyond verbs, English is a very flexible language in general. (This is based on my own experience of English, Spanish and Arabic. I would gladly hear a linguistic argument that English is in fact not looser than other languages.)

Has English has always been less restrained? Or can we date the allowed playfulness to a particular period? Is it simply because our linguistic champion and forefather (of ModEng) was Shakespeare and that he engendered a culture of linguistic liberty?


texts:
I'd like to ask about the sentence below, from the Copper Beeches by Conan Doyle.

  She is now the head of a private school at Walsall, where I believe that she has met with considerable success.

I’d like to confirm that with this sentence, should readers always take as..

A: She met with considerable success AFTER she became the head of a private school, meaning she must be doing great job as a headteacher

Or is there any way you can take this sentence as ...

B: She met with considerable success in Walshall as a result of which she’s now risen to such a respectable job as the head of a private school there.

Does the quoted part always mean A?


texts: What would you call someone that is very enthusiastic about something silly or trivial?

texts:
What would you call someone
who is very enthusiastic about something silly or trivial?
For example, one who is exceedingly enthusiastic about some bad singer or band, without knowing that there are much better ones around and does not realise (or does not care) that his exaggerated appreciation is the subject of ridicule.


texts: Is there a word/idiom for someone who thinks long and hard before spending money?

texts:
My colleague and I were discussing about certain types of customers in the IT industry. You have to work extremely hard to convince them so that they think about opening their wallets .

However, they should not be mistaken to be stingy (carries a negative connotation). Cost-conscious is a closely related term but is a bit wordy. Another word that I considered is shrewd but I don't know if it fits my context well.

Usage Sentence:

  Nowadays, IT customers are becoming increasingly ________. They demand more for less and probably think a zillion times before reaching for their pockets. If they are not convinced 100%, they simply won't open their wallets.

Is there is a noun or an adjective to describe such people? I am also open to using idioms, if there is one that conveys the intentions well.

N.B:  I am looking for words with neutral to positive connotations.


texts:
I need to explain the difference between "proactive" and "preemptive" and come up with a sample of the proper context of each word.

Can someone point me to a previous post or give me their thoughts?


texts: What is the origin of “crash at someone’s place”?

texts:
I know it’s slang.
But help me to find origin of crash at someone’s place


texts: Phrase 'next December' means 'nearest December' or 'December of the next year'?

texts: If somebody says 'Next December I'm gonna do something', and we have, let's say, April of 2016, does he mean December of 2016 or December of 2017?


texts: Meaning of "little heart" vs. "less heart"? and why

texts:
Little heart/less heart? And why?

I have read the following sentence: "he has little conscience and less heart."
Can I write that "he has less conscience and little heart"? Could you solve my problem?


texts:
I'd like to know if someone has a better word than authored or produced, for both creating and updating something.

Context:
I'm a software developer and I'm trying to think of a clever way to name the function that will initially create an object, and if it's already created, update it.


texts: Why am I so bothered when a topic is being explained, the speaker interrupts the flow and inserts "but more importantly..."  This usage is very, very common. But is it consistent with English grammar? My inclination would be to say "but more important..." and then proceed to explain what I wish to insert. Am I incorrect?


texts: Should the verb phrases following "either" and "or" in an "either/or" sentence have the same structure?

texts:
Should  the verb phrases  following either  and   or in an "either or" sentence have the same structure?

For example, is the following sentence correct?

  The coordinates of the points are either given or can be easily calculated.

An alternative to that sentence might be :

  The coordinates of the points can either be given or be easily calculated.

I want to use the first one and wonder if it is correct or not.


texts:
If  some body asks me "Are you coming to had coffee?"

I usually reply. No! You can go

I think using 'can' verb is not correct and seems to be harsh? How can i reply for them in gentle manner.


texts:
Is there a literary term/device for when a narrative repeatedly echoes, mimics or reflects an earlier event? It is not just a full circle ending, but a series of smaller scenes repeating ('circling' in on itself), but through different characters.

I have just read Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner and there are several instances of this technique, such as:

"For you, a thousand times over" (said by Hassan to Amir as children, then adult Amir says this to Hassan's son)
Hassan threatening to remove Assef's eye with his slingshot and then Hassan's son actually doing it
Amir receiving an injury and scar to his upper lip, like Hassan's cleft-lip scar from his childhood
Kamal helping to sexually assault Hassan...and then Kamal being similarly assaulted himself a few years later

Just wondering if there is an actual term for this?


texts: The grammaticality of "that don't impress me much"

texts:
I'd like to know how the sentence "That don't impress me much" sounds to a native English speaker.

The phrase is the title of a song by Shania Twain, and to my eyes it contains a clear error. It is obviously intended, and I want to know what was the effect that the author wanted to obtain.

Other examples that come to mind:

“She's got a ticket to ride, but she don't care” — The Beatles
“My love don't cost a thing” — Jennifer Lopez
“It don't matter” — Akon
“She don't care about me” — heard in the Lost series
“It Don't Mean a Thing” — a jazz album title
“The Sun Don't Lie” — another album title


texts: Is there a specific word for a snow patch?

texts: Snow patch is a compound noun. I was wondering if there was a specific word for a snow patch ? To be honest it just surprises me that there isn't a specific word for it since it would be such an ubiquitous natural formation in pre-industrial times, especially since the word for it in my native language is also a compound noun.


texts: A person who travels from place to place without good reason

texts: I am looking for the best word for a person who is continually moving from place to place without good reason, job or fixed home.


texts:
Consider the following excerpt:

  He couldn't follow. Just couldn't. Because if he had, he would have been [...]

As a non-native speaker, I am unsure about whether to use either did or had to express what would have been if the character followed.

What is correct or could one use both?


texts:
In the movie American Sniper, when Chris was holding his baby girl, Taya said this sentence "You can only circle the flames so long." to him.

What does it mean? I couldn't find any definition for this phrase anywhere. Can somebody please explain?

  Full context:

  Taya Kyle: [Taya cuddles their baby daughter] I'm making memories by
  myself. I have no one to share them with.

  Chris Kyle: Yeah, well, we don't got all our lives forever.

  Taya Kyle: When does that start? Even when you're here, you're not
  here. I see you, I feel you, but you're not here. [Chris gently takes
  their daughter from her] I hate the Teams for it. I do. You're my
  husband. You're the father of my children, but they're the ones that
  pull you back.

  Chris Kyle: Yeah, you see, they can't wait, but we can.

  Taya Kyle: [clearly hurt by what he just said] If you think this war
  isn't changing you, you're wrong. You can only circle the flames so
  long. [a tear falls from her eye] It's true. [Chris puts their
  daughter in the cradle and leaves the room without another word.]


texts: A term describing children raised in a single parent household?

texts: Since there are terms describing children born during some periods, like millennials, or with some ethnicities, like African American, or how long they've stayed in the US, like first generation immigrant, or those who have experienced a lot, like a third culture kid. Is there a term for children raised in a single parent household? I know there are single parent, single mom, single dad, how about the children?


texts: What's the difference between tethering and hitching an animal?

texts:
Hitching, tethering, picketing, or securing any pack or saddle stock within 200 feet slope distance of any permanent lake, stream, spring, pond. or shelter.

Doesn't both mean tying an animal to a fixture?


texts: How acceptable is "fully fledged" as opposed to "full-fledged"?

texts: As a native speaker of English, I had never heard the "fully" version until recently. Now I seem to hear it a lot, but only from non-native speakers. Are the two equally acceptable in semi-formal writing?


texts: Which is the preposition to go with “best”? Is it “best at”?

texts:
Is it right to say:

  We take pride in doing what we are best at, delivering unsurpassed levels of service, so our customers can do what they are best at.


texts: Is there a word for when the situation returns to normal after chaos?

texts:
Imagine a situation where the Internet connection at your office of 1000 people goes down. You, as the IT person, are responsible for fixing it. You immediately turn on the red lights and alarms.

Two minutes later, the Internet is back and all is back to normal and it wasn't your fault.

In Hebrew, you might say, "Hazlash!" You'd mean that the crisis is over and that your alarms can be ignored.

Is there a word in English comparable to "hazlash?"


texts:
Does "In anger" and "With anger" mean the same?
Example: You have the might to face him, even if Death rises against you with/in anger.
The text currently has "with anger"