texts: Translation of « débrayable » for camera modes and automatic software processing

texts:
I am French and I am looking for how to express the concept of the French word débrayable: Something débrayable is able to be manually configured as opposed of something which is always automatically configured.

This word is often used about camera modes. Nowadays, camera modes (exposure, shutter, focus, meter...) are automatically computed (sensors). When a mode (exposure) can be manually configured, we can say the mode (exposure) is débrayable.

Maybe the translation is declutching, so we could translate the following:

  (fr) Certains réglages automatiques de l'appareil photo peuvent être débrayables.

  (en) Some automatic camera modes can be declutching.

This first part of the question is to explain the concept. Now I give the context I want to use this concept:

It's about a software that automatically configures a build (compilation). And now, there is a new feature: the automatic configuration processing is débrayable => each project can specify any change within the configuration at the prebuild stage.

How would you express the concept of débrayable ?

(this question was first asked on French Language & Usage)

EDIT:  Thanks for your answers
But I made a mistake, the correct sentence in French is:

  (fr) Certains réglages automatiques de l'appareil photo peuvent être sont débrayables.

We could also say this next one, but it is not actually used in French:

  (fr) Certains réglages automatiques de l'appareil photo peuvent être débrayés.

As débrayable implies the camera mode is by default computed automatically, we can remove the word automatique:

  (fr) Certains réglages de l'appareil photo sont débrayables.

Proposed translations:

  (en) Some camera modes are declutching. (mine)

  (en) Some camera modes are overrideable.  (by StoneyB)

  (en) Some camera modes are configurable. (Roddy of the Frozen Peas and moidib)

  (en) Some camera modes are manually configurable. (moidib)

  (en) Some camera modes are switchable. (proposed by Gilles but he says it is weird)

The french sentence maybe also be changed:

  (fr) Certains réglages automatiques de l'appareil photo peuvent être désactivés.

  (en) Some automatic camera modes can be disengaged. (by Henry)

  (en) Some automatic camera modes can be turned off. (by Henry and Gilles)

  (en) Some automatic camera modes can be switched off. (by Gilles)

or even:

  (fr) Certains réglages automatiques de l'appareil photo peuvent être configurés manuellement.

  (en) Some automatic camera modes can be overridden manually. (by Gilles)

  (en) Some automatic camera modes can be set manually. (by Henry)

  (en) Some automatic camera modes can be set to manual. (by bib)

  (en) Some automatic camera modes can be set to custom. (by bib)

  (en) Some automatic camera modes can be manually configured. (moidib, word automatic not required)

or last:

  (fr) Certains réglages automatiques de l'appareil photo peuvent être débrayés pour être configurés manuellement.

  (en) Some automatic camera modes can be disengaged and set manually. (by bib)

About the description of my new software feature, I choose the option to change the French thinking sentence:

  The software package XXX generates the files needed
  by the building process (Makefile, pom.xml...).
  These generated files can be customized depending
  on your project specific requirements.

Therefore, I used the concept of customizable proposed by Roddy of the Frozen Peas (comment) and bib (answer).

All answers are valid. I have chosen the one from StoneyB because he fixed the mistake within my original French sentence - he replaced can be (peuvent être) by are (sont).


texts:
''Solve the questions using what I have taught you.''
''He showed up wearing a suit.''
''It is doing a nice job covering up the broken chair.''
''I broke the law getting you out of jail.''
''You were torturing yourself figuring out how to tell her.''

I can understand the meaning. But I don't understand why they are used without a preposition.

Are these participial used as adverbial? Or they are catenative verb?


texts: Is there a link between margarita cocktail and margherita pizza?

texts: They sound the same, but is there any link between margarita cocktail and margherita pizza?


texts: Which one is correct? Australia 'has' defeated India in world cup. or Australia 'have' defeated India in world cup

texts: Here Australia means the Australian team and not just the country. I have read in a book that, 'have' to be used in case of team name of some country. But it doesn't seem promising to me. Please help.


texts: What differences are there between "annually", "yearly", and "every year"?

texts:
I've always thought that (as stated in the Longman Dictionary):

annually = once every year

yearly = once each year

and that neither can really replace "every year" as both words are limited by the number of occurrence. For example, I would say "Dengue outbreaks occurs every year during the raining season" instead of "Dengue outbreaks occurs annually / yearly" simply because Dengue does not happen only once every year. However, Oxford Online Dictionary really confuses me as it also includes "every year" in the definition of these two words. Furthermore, it states:

  Dengue fever occurs annually in Indonesia, with a peak occurring every five years.

Shall I trust Longman or Oxford?


texts: What's the error in "Either he or I is right"?

texts:
We have been asked to correct the error in the sentence:

  Either he or I is right.

The only possible change that I can think of goes like this:

  Either I or he is right.

Am I right? It will be helpful if someone can state the rules for such sentences as I am unable to understand why the first sentence is wrong.


texts: If X was not part Y, I'd like it - meaning

texts:
I'm trying to fill out a survey that asks me about features that should or should not be included in a smartphone app.

The actual questions are confidential, but it's in the style of a sentence like this:

  "You can control the temperature of the room you're in"

followed by these options (of which you can choose one)

Assuming I'd choose "I would like it" for the second row. Does that mean find it positive that the feature is not part of the app, or rather that if it's not a part, I'd like it to become one?
Similar with the "expect" answer. Would I expect the feature not to be part of the app, or would I expect it to be and miss it if it's not a feature?

I was sent the link by a "noreply@foo.bar" mail, so I don't know whom to ask. I'm passionate about the topic, though, and would like to answer this as precise as possible.


texts: How to state action happening before another in the distant past

texts:
Suppose I wrote something 5 months ago. 3 months ago I forgot I wrote what I wrote. How do I state this?

I'd forgotten I ever wrote that
I'd forgotten I'd ever written that
something else entirely?

EDIT:
Here's the complete sentence that got me thinking in the first place:

"Yeah, I found the answer some time ago, but by that point I'd forgotten I ever posted this question."

As you see, I forgot doesn't really work here (the act of forgetting occurs before the act of finding an answer, itself an action in the past).


texts: What do you call the piece of clothing George Washington is wearing?

texts: What is the piece of clothing slung around George Washington's legs and right arm called?


texts: How and when did 'being fired' come to mean losing one's job?

texts:
I searched this site and also searched etymology online and could find nothing about this question.

The Ngram AmE shows that the phrase 'fired from job' began in the early 1920s for AmE and the Ngram BrE indicates that BrE only begins to have results from the late 1960s.

In BrE, the phrase 'being sacked' (Ngram BrE) is more popular and is more understandable as one would carry a sack home with any personal possessions, much as today people are seen with the ubiquitous cardboard box.

Where does the expression come from and why did it suddenly appear in the 1920s in the USA ?

Note: The Ngrams probably do not mean a lot, as there must be overlap with other meanings of 'being sacked' and merely querying 'being fired' would be useless.

Edit After Comment : The Ngram for 'given the sack' in BrE. Some correlation with 'being fired' in AmE.

Further Edit : The OED does not (that I can find) refer to losing a job but there is a considerable entry for 'fire' with regard to the discharge of a weapon so I am beginning to see that 'fire' from a job means to 'discharge' someone and the analogy is to weaponry.


texts:
The German word for "drugs" is (normally) only used for recreational drugs (mainly illegal ones).

In English "drugs" also refers to medically used substances. But does it only refer to psychoactive ones like opioid pain killers or is it also used for other kinds like antibiotics?


texts: The correct preposition with "Google play store" and "Google"

texts:
I'm a bit confused about using the correct preposition in the following sentences.

Which one sounds correct?

  On the Google play store
  In the Google play store

What about the following examples?

  Search on/in the Google ...
  Find it in/on the Google ...

I searched on the Google and in the Google and it seems people use them both.

Which of the following is more idiomatic?

  You can search the google play store
  You can find it in the google play store
  It's in the google play store.
  You can find it on google play.

Does the preposition "in" sound better to you with "the", and "on" sounds better without the definite article?

In that example would you only say "in the" with "store" and "on" without "store"?


texts:
Is this a valid sentence?

Degradation:
1. the condition or process of degrading or being degraded.

As used in this context:

"...doing so would bring shame to the family. For fear of degradation, ..."


texts: Meaning of "dogmatic" in "there was a dogmatic gathering in the neighborhood"

texts:
and whenever she heard a large word she said it over to herself many times, and so was able to keep it until there was a dogmatic gathering in the neighborhood, then she would get it off, and surprise and distress them all, from pocket-pup to mastiff, which rewarded her for all her trouble.

From A Dog's Tale by Mark Twain.

Is it safe to assume that dogmatic in this context has nothing to do with dogma? Also, does the word distress mean "impress" here?


texts: What term describes a story set within a foreign culture, but described by an outsider?

texts:
Many stories and films contain elements of foreign cultures, or are supposedly set in foreign lands, yet were written by outsiders to those cultures.  For example:

Tikki Tikki Tembo was set in ancient China, but was written by an
American author.
Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat was set in ancient China, yet was written by Canadians.
Avatar: The Last Airbender, contained many subtle references to Chinese and Japanese cultures, but was written by Americans.

Is there any term which could be used to describe such works collectively or to describe the resulting "culture not-quite-matching-the-real-thing"?


texts: The film [that/which] I selected for viewing

texts:
The film that I chose for the class to watch is called The Life of Igor.

The film which I chose for the class to watch is called The Life of Igor.

—At the margins, are both correct?
(When I say "at the margins," I am referring to the stipulation in the Chicago Manual of Style Online that
“[It] is more or less okay (and popular among writers of British English) [...] to use ‘which’ restrictively", i.e., Pianos which have a fourth pedal to mute the strings are popular among apartment owners.)”
Or is there some other reason that either "which" or "that" might be disallowed in this case?

NB. If you are troubled by the sentences above for any reason—or are about to post an answer saying something like "It depends on your intended meaning"—please replace "chose" in the sentences with "selected."


texts:
Prof. Sat is not popular with/among his students.

Which usage is correct here and why?


texts: The difference between proper nouns and specified common nouns (eg 'my car')

texts: Proper nouns are supposed to denote a specific entity. Why aren't the phrases "my car", "her hat", "their dinner", etc., considered proper? They each refer to specific entities, but aren't usually considered proper.


texts: Is "rotate" in "Earth rotates around the sun" the correct word?

texts:
Earth rotates around the sun.

Is rotate an acceptable word in that context or should I use words such as orbit or revolve instead?


texts: Is there another meaning for the phrasal verb “jerk off,” besides “masturbate”?

texts:
In the second act of Bernard Shaw’s 1905 play Major Barbara, two unemployed proletarians meet and converse at a Salvation Army mission, friendly enough, and one says to the other (with stage direction “cheerfully”),

  You’re ony a jumped-up, jerked-off, orspittle-turned-out incurable of an ole workin man: who cares about you? Eh?

The speaker is a socialist of some intellectual pretensions, and his point is that the capitalist system all too routinely discards workers like the one he is addressing, who has lost his job for being too old at 46. He should blame the system, that is, and not himself.

But why and in what sense “jerked-off”? The only glosses I can find for the phrasal verb, from OED through Collins even unto Urban Dictionary, interpret it in terms of (especially male) masturbation. (Even the sense of jerk off as idle, procrastinate, or shirk seems to derive from that primary sense.) Yet although Shaw pushed the envelope of propriety in his time, scandalizing many by having his title character quote Christ on the cross in the present play, and using “bloody” in dialogue in Pygmalion, still I find it hard to believe he would have used “jerked-off” in reference (however figurative) to masturbation, or that if he had it would have got past the censorship then still blocking his Mrs Warren’s Profession from public performance.

But what else could “jerked-off” have meant? Could it mean discharged from employment, fired? That would make the most sense in context, but I have hitherto been able to find no confirmation that such a sense was ever current.

Period (1860–1933) entries for the phrase in Ngrams seem all to refer to sudden bodily removal from a moving train.


texts: Is there a word to describe indecisiveness between two things?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  What is a word/idiom for ‘unable to decide’?

Is there a word to describe indecisiveness, specifically between two things? I tried online dictionaries, but did not find anything.


texts:
Apropos of this baffling exchange I had with a right-wing 'Brexit' supporter on on Twitter yesterday I'd like to know if my definition of a fact ('a thing that is known or proven to be true') is correct or if my co-respondent is the one with the winning definition.

To save you braving the nonsense that is twitter, it went something like this:

A user posts a pic of the front-page of todays Independent newspaper. It is headed '50 key facts to help you decide' [whether to vote in or out of the EU].
Someone then comments 'Biased 'facts' no doubt.'
To me this just seems wrong - a 'fact', surely, is a thing known or proven to be true?
I suggest that his comment is oxymoronic - how can a fact be biased?
Someone then claims that 'biased facts means facts that are used for a biased purpose. If all the facts were there it would be unbiased'
I think his argument, as worded and stated, is a nonsense.

* UPDATE *
I really don't want anyone to get drawn into the EU referendum (or any other political debate) - I'm asking specifically about the meanings of the words per se so I would prefer it if explanations did not explain things in terms of economics, immigration, demographics or whatever.


texts: "During 1985 to 1988 , I worked at X company" — does it mean that 1988 was included?

texts:
I am an ESL student and I wonder what the following sentence means.

  During 1985 to 1988 ,  I worked at X company

Does it mean that 1988 was included?

I am not quite sure about the meaning since when this sentence was translated into my language, it meant that the person stopped their work in the beginning of 1988. However, I thought it meant that 1988 is included.


texts: Is there a single word verb for "making an enemy"? I know of 'alienate' which isn't close to what I want.


texts: Trouble with second conditional special usage

texts:
Lately, I have been asking myself if this sentence was possible:

  If it rained, I would stay at home.

What do you think?


texts: “non response” or “non-responders” or simply “no response”!

texts:
I read this a lot in published medical articles:
“Patients without a favorable response to treatment were identified as patients with non response (NR).”
Shouldn’t it be written “patients with no reaponse (NR)” instead?
It seems to me that “non response” is often used incorrectly.


texts:
Our country president Manmohan singh has just finished his 5 years tenure.
Can I say Mr.Singh, you have been great in these 5 years or should I stick with 'was' rather then have been?
Does it mean 'have been' is for recent past and common in British English?
Guys I'm confused with this
'has been' use for past or present or might be used in both depending upon context.


texts:
Over at Judaism.SE someone asked a question with the title

  (1) What is the source for not walking with one's hands behind his back

and someone else edited it to read

  (2) What is the source for not walking with one's hands behind one's back

commenting (in the edit summary) "antecedent-pronoun agreement".

Ignore, if you please, the gender-neutrality issue. I'm asking here about the ability of one to serve as a pronoun replacing an antecedent.

To me, one cannot replace an antecedent that appears in the text, so it needs to be replaced by a pronoun (like him) just as a noun or name needs to be. Thus, the original question title was correct.

Obviously, to the user who edited this question that's not the case: rather, one is just like any other pronoun in that it can replace an antecedent. In this case, and in fact usually, it replaces only one itself.

Which of us is right, according to common practice? according to style guides and grammars? Wikipedia says "Either form is considered to be correct in formal English."


texts: Is there a feminine equivalent for "Casanova" without negative connotations?


texts: Is there a name for the gesture Buddy Christ is doing?

texts: Is there a name, term, or idiom for this gesture, the one buddy christ is doing here? Or a name similar to this gesture?


texts: Is there a relationship between "boxing" (sport) and "box" (packaging)?

texts: How is boxing (the sport) related to box (packaging)? Is there a relationship between the words which I am not aware of?


texts: How do you read the symbol “x” when used instead of a preposition?

texts:
For example: “Adidas x Stella McCartney “ or “Stan Smith x Adidas”
One of the most known uses I can think of is on “SXSW” and here the “X” is read as “By.”
Is it correct to use it instead of the preposition “Of” or "For"?
To me is more natural to read it as in "By."
For example: in mathematics, the symbol × has a number of uses, including
—Multiplication of two scalar numbers, where it is read as "times" or "multiplied by"
—Cross product of two vectors, where it is usually read as "cross"
—Cartesian product of two sets, where it is usually read as "cross"
—Geometric dimension of an object, such as noting that a room is 10 feet × 12 feet in area, where it is usually read as "by" (for example: "10 feet by 12 feet")
—Dimensions of a matrix, where it is usually read as "by"
—A statistical interaction between two explanatory variables, where it is usually read as "by"


texts: "Year of plantation" or "plantation year"

texts: Is it correct to use year of plantantion to refer to the year that a vineyard was planted?


texts:
I have learned that "if" is used for more or less likely possibilities while "when" is used for things which are considered facts.

Now I read a bit similar to the following in a book.

  My sister had stolen my beer. Last time, my brother had taken it, and I would have expected this to be the case now, too. If it was my sister who took it it was because of the bad example my brother had set.

It has been made clear by the text before that my sister has taken the beer, so there is nothing "if" about this part, as far as I can tell.

Is it common to use "if" that way?
Is there a name for it/or what it does here?

EDIT:

The original sentence was in a history book and the "if" introduced a historical fact. Unfortunately I can't seem to find it anymore which is why I came up with this rather mundane example. But I do know for a fact that my sister took it.


texts: How to identify the sound of an "A" without altering the spelling of the word?

texts:
I have the word "Carr" (short for the name Carrie).

Is there a way to write the 'a' so that a person reading the word 'Carr' would pronounce it like care ('kær), opposed to pronouncing it like car (kɑr)?

Something like Càrr, Cárr, Cãrr, etc...?


texts: Is there a word "immensly rigorous but enriching"

texts:
I'm not looking for denotations here, and it could be multiple words. I'm just looking for something more meaningful. I need a word(s) that truly show how immense this is.

Context:
...the relationship becomes less like intersecting hikes and more like a single, "immense and enriching journey".


texts: "Don't put your life on hold for anybody vs. nobody"

texts:
I am wondering, which form is correct in this phrase?

Don't put your life on hold for anybody. OR - Don't put your life on hold for nobody.

The meaning I want to get is that - "You" should live your life and just don't "care" about anyone else/ You shouldn't wait for nobody (same problem - nobody/anybody?)

Please, help me..


texts: Grammatical? "One in 12 babies is/are immunized."

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Which is correct: “one or more is” or “one or more are”?
  “1 in 10 are” or “1 in 10 is”?

Which is grammatical and why?

  About one in 12 Australian babies is not fully immunised.

or

  About one in 12 Australian babies are not fully immunised.


texts:
Meta: I considered asking this on WritersSE, but I am less familiar with it. I would not object to a migration.
Problem: I want to edit the following sentence so that it is as brief and aesthetically pleasing as possible. I specifically want to change the italicized part.

My home is a place where I (i) enjoy being, (ii) can work and rest effectively, (iii) can escape from the world to be alone, and (iv) can spend several days without going stir-crazy.

I have made the description long for the benefit of this question. I don't want to have a list like that. A word or short phrase to describe my home would be ideal. Feel free to alter the structure in any way. The revised sentence needn't perfectly capture all of the above qualities but should bring to mind their core concepts.
Non-solutions: Here are some options that I have found and rejected after checking some thesauri and similar threads on this site.
Words that are close but not right (in somewhat descending order): shelter, refuge, sanctuary, retreat, sanctum, harborage, respite.
The problem with some of these is that they suggest that I am in serious danger outside of them, which is not what I want. Some are not especially enjoyable or long-term. I'd also like to avoid religious or spiritual undertones. I would consider using these words if these problems could be largely avoided.
Words that are definite rejects: lair, den, roost, manor, demesne.
These are mostly getting more specific than home in an irrelevant way. The meaning of roost is not terribly wrong, but I do not want to compare myself to a chicken or other animal. I also want to avoid being obscure or highly metaphorical.
My best current idea is something like:

My home is truly/thoroughly/?? my shelter.
My home can completely shelter me.

These are missing the idea that I am happy and productive there. I also want to avoid the implication that I am sheltered in a negative way.

My home shelters and nourishes me.

This is very close but could use improvement. Very different options are of course welcome.


texts: When do we use 'revision' as a countable noun?

texts: 'Revision' might be countable or uncountable. I am a little bit confused.


texts: Does the adjective 'ridiculous' always mean something bad?

texts:
I have heard this word a lot in British English and I'm wondering if it can be used to describe good situations.

Thanks in advance,


texts: Use of climate and its derivatives as adjectivized forms with another noun

texts:
I am working on the area of Ecology and the word climate and its derivatives show up in almost every writing.

Climate/climatic/climatology/climatological

My question is, what is the correct word to go with nouns such as data, records, archive, etc.? Do they mean the same? Is it just a way to use synonymy to avoid repetition of the word climate in the same piece of writing?

Examples:

It was the wettest spring in the climat* records
This database reads historical climat* data
There is need for a climat* study of this region
The climat* archives were scrutinised to find missing records


texts:
I heard some sentences with this form from English speakers: "what I do know is that..." or
" We do share the same..."
The question is: what is the applicant of do in these sentences? Why they use it before main verbs?


texts: Referring to oneself and another person at the start of a sentence

texts:
Me and Larry had a meeting today.
  Larry and me had a meeting today.
  I and Larry had a meeting today.
  Larry and I had a meeting today.

I know the third one is wrong (because it doesn't sound right). Which of the rest have the correct grammar?

Usage: writing a mail to a third person telling him this.


texts: Difference between "I only have 10 dollar on me and "I have only 10 dollar on me"

texts: Is there any grammatical correctness in either of these expressions: "I only have 10 dollar on  and  "I have only 10 dollar on me" ?


texts: Can I use the past perfect with present perfect in English

texts:
Is it correct to to use past perfect with present perfect as below

  He has informed me that you had approved his request for a loan.

Please clarify. Thank you.


texts: If I wish to say that my graphic design for a certain system (computer program) shall be adjusted to account for inherent limitations of the system's operation interface can I say "the design shall be adjusted to account for the program's interfacial limitations"? I.e. is there a word for "pertaining to the interface"?


texts:
What is the origin of the expression not hold with with the meaning not agree with? For example:

  I don't hold with what you are saying.


texts:
I checked the dictionary only to find these two words clubbed into a single entry. Have these words evolved into one, having started differently?

  His enthusiasm was infectious.

Does "infective" fit there? Personally my answer is a no. On the other hand, when talking about diseases, both the words seem to fit. Is there any rule or pattern to the usage?


texts: Difference between be supposed to and ought to

texts:
I was confused by usage of be supposed to and ought to modals. Where can we use them? For instance, I am supposed to/ought to learn English today. I don't have to learn english today, but to me it would be very useful if I learned English today because I could improme my skill. I suspuect that ought to is more suitable here, isn't it?

Another example, I ought to/am supposed to meet my friend in the railway station today. Here is more suitable am supposed to, because it would be amoral if I didn't meet my friend, especially if ti has been arranged earlier.

Is it correct? I'd like you explain me those constructions in details, please :)


texts:
His Majesty of Prussia — grim and old —

  Sadowa’s King — by needle guns made bold;

  With Bismark of the royal conscience, keeper,

  In dreams political none wiser — deeper.

In this quatrain, what does 'none wiser' mean?


texts: In David Foster Wallace's The Pale King, in the context of a list of medical ailments reference is made to "Cantor's sign (dextral)" and "Cantor's sign (sinistral)". Does anyone have any idea what this is referring to? I assume it has something to do with the hands, but found no mention of it anywhere on the internet.


texts:
From Cambridge dictionary,

  stress - great worry caused by a difficult situation.
  distress - extreme worry, sadness, pain.

I'm not sure if the words 'distress' and 'stress' have the same meaning but I have seen people use them interchangeably in some situations. I have also looked into Oxford Thesaurus dictionary there appears to be no relation between them. So, I'm just confused if both mean the same thing and can be used in place of another word?


texts: What is the proper preposition for this question?

texts:
Fill in the blank with appropriate preposition and give a reason:

  What is the time _____ your watch?


texts:
If I am not mistaken one of the keywords for this tense is "by".
e.g By august I will have done my work. But lately, I have found this example: In August Gordon will have been at this company for 25 years. Is it correct to say "In August" ? Shouldn't it be By August?


texts: When and where did "clam" come to mean a missed note in a musical performance?

texts:
Someone just asked me in chat what a missed note in music is called. Without hesitation, I replied, "A clam." It's what I've always heard in academic and professional settings since forever.

Only now, having to explain its usage and origin, I went looking and found only informal origins and folk-etymology explanations. One such was the notion that it is derived from the expression "to clam up," meaning to fall silent (see Etymonline, which attests it as American from 1916 while noting that the word clam itself has been used as an interjection meaning ‘clam up’ since the 14th century). But there are problems with that. For one thing, a "clam" note is one that is played instead of the actually written or appropriate note. In other words, it sounds ... something that is the opposite of silence.

Here's another attempt at explaining the origin:

  The origin of using the word "clam" to describe a missed note is rooted in
  the theatre TTBOMK.  As I understand it, actors would describe an  untimely
  entrance or forgotten line as "making a clam."  Certainly, if  that was the
  case, horn players in the pit would have readily taken up the use  of the
  word and spread it around the musical community.

The "TTBOMK" gives it away as folk etymology, and the argument that follows is what I will charitably call less than rigorous.

Still, it does demonstrate that I'm not the only one who's ever heard the term. And really, almost everywhere I've ever played music the term has come up (though not about my playing—honest!). It's also not the only term used for a missed note (one I especially loved was "approximatura," which played nicely off the musical term appogiatura, but that's a story for another day).

And The Word Detective says:

  The likening of a closed mouth, or the human mouth in general, to the bivalve sort of “clam” may underlie the use of “clam” to mean a missed or flubbed note, especially if the term originated in connection with wind instruments. This usage dates back to at least the early 1950s and since then has been applied to an error in any sort of musical or theatrical performance (“Bing Crosby … always said, ‘Leave the clams in, let ’em know I’m human,'” New York Times, 1991). Perhaps the “error” sense of the term lies in the failure of one’s “clam,” or mouth, to perform correctly.

... which is anything but definitive. Other possibilities listed in the piece are softened by statements like "it seems entirely logical that ..."

So can anybody provide an actual origin story for use of this term in this context?


texts: Are there situations where we can use either "say" or "tell", but not both, in a sentence? Consider the following examples:

texts:
Are these examples grammatically correct?

1:

  I want to tell you something./ I want to tell you that _______.

  I want to say something to you./ I want to say to you that _______.

2:

  You just told five people we met today that they're special.

  You just said to five people we met today that they're special.


texts: When saying "vis-à-vis" in English, would you pronounce it veez-uh-veez before a word beginning with a vowel sound, as you would in French?


texts: Does "In the event of ..." take the genitive case?

texts:
Is insisting on a genitive pronoun after "In the event of ..." pedantry or correct?

For example: "In the event of ..."

his/him winning the election
my/me dying
our/us leaving

For those who advocate the genitive, would you also write "In the event of Peter's leaving"?


texts: The pronunciation of "th" in "with" in British RP

texts:
I enjoy socialising with people!

How do you pronounce “th” in “with”? It’s too confusing for me. When I looked it up in a dictionary, it was with a voiced sound like in "brother or the," but it sounds difficult when the word “with” is followed by consonants, such as “with people.” In such cases, how should pronounce "th"? Should I pronounce it with unvoiced sound as in "think"?

I don’t have problems while saying the word "with" alone or followed by vowels, such as, in "with you"; It should be voiced like in "the," but the problem is when followed with consonants I heard natives pronounce "th" in "with" as you would in "think and thing."


texts: has to do with vs has something to do with

texts:
What's the difference between the meanings of these two sentences?

My homework has to do with last week's activity.
My homework has something to do with last week's activity.


texts: "Cost" vs. "costed" in a specific sentence, continued

texts:
My friend and I are debating whether or not "costed" should be used in a particular sentence.

  "I wonder how much it costed to get all of that paint on."

I understand "costed" to be used when something like "priced" or "valued" would work, like

  "He costed the vacation to be somewhere around three thousand dollars"

meaning he calculated the cost of the trip. I don't think that using "costed" in the first sentence serves that purpose. In response to these thoughts, my friend said this:

  Verb: cost; 3rd person present: costs; past tense: cost; past participle: cost; gerund or present participle: costing; past tense: costed; past participle: costed

When I questioned him again, he said:

  "'Costed' is inflected for the dummy pronoun 'it' which is coreferential with the infinitive phrase 'to get all of that text painted on.' 'To cost' is a transitive verb where the agent is the thing being purchased, which is 'it'. Have you only ever used 'to cost' as a where the thing being purchased is a patient?"

As you may be able to tell, my friend is a bit more linguistically inclined than I am, and I don't really understand what this whole thing means. Can someone translate, and tell me if he's right?


texts:
I'm translating something into english from a teen fiction novel and there's a scene in it where one boy drops his sandwich and his friend, grossed out, asks if he still wants to eat it.

What is correct/sounds more natural?

  "You're not still gonna eat that, right?"
  "You're not gonna still eat that, right?"


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Is there a term for words that have a single meaning or are only used in a single context?

I don't think I've ever heard the word "crossbones" outside of the phrase "skull and crossbones."  I'll call it a unitasker word — a word that is used within a single phrase the vast majority of the time.

Is there a more official term for a unitasker word?

Are there other examples?


texts: Find the subject of the clause 'want both of gaiety and quickness of perception'

texts:
It is possible that a greater refinement of manners may give birth to finer distinctions of satire and a nicer tact for the ridiculous; but our insular situation and character are, I should say, most likely to foster, as they have in fact fostered, the great quantity of natural and striking humour, in spite of our plodding tenaciousness, and want both of gaiety and quickness of perception.
— William Hazlitt (1778–1830), via bartleby.com

I assume want in the last clause is a verb, not a noun, but I am not sure what is its subject. Can anyone share more insights here?


texts: "Actions taken on [Noun]" vs "Actions taken against [Noun]"

texts:
I am an Australian working in the US.

During the workday I often find myself either reading documents or being corrected in how I write them myself when it concerns this grammatical usage.

Which is correct and why (example):

"We take actions on fraudulent customers"

OR

"We take actions against fraudulent customers"

As an Australian, I would have always previously written using the latter.

I am wondering if this is a US English vs British English difference.

ie "simplified english.... :-p


texts:
There is a Russian expression "из песни слова не выкинешь", literally "one cannot throw a word out of song".

The meaning is that "when telling a story, one may not omit even unpleasant/unsavory details":

  ...during the interview he bad-mouthed his previous employers, he even call his former boss (sorry, one cannot throw a word out of a song), a 'bitch'...

or, more broadly, "a coherent structure loses its coherence when critical parts are removed":

  ...to prove this lemma, we need to consider seven cases; this is somewhat tedious, but one cannot throw a word out of a song, so let us begin with...

What is the English analogue of this expression?

Russian proverbs offered no "English equivalent" (I now added one, see below), just

  Meaning: You cannot alter the information that many people know by heart. — Also: The following may contain obscene, rude or otherwise questionable content, yet it content cannot be omitted as it's an integral part of the story.

What I tried:

google translate - does not look like an idiom
google search lead to academic which offers "Pardon my French" which reflects just the narrow meaning and, eventually, "a word dropped from a song makes it all wrong" which sounds idiomatic enough.


texts: What part of speech is 'better' in the following sentence?

texts:
What part of speech is better in the following sentence? Is it an adverb because it modifies the verb expect? Is it an abstract noun because it is an “intangible concept such as an emotion, a feeling, a quality, or an idea”. Or is it a comparative adjective?

  We expect better from our royal family on whom we spend millions and millions of pounds for training and schooling.

I'm teaching English in Japan and I am a Japanese. When we read the following material in an article (2009) by The Guardian: Politicians condemn Prince Harry over 'racist' remark

One of my students asked me about the above sentence. He asked me what part of speech is better in that sentence: Noun? Adjective? Or adverb? – I'm also wondering.

And also, I would like to ask the following, is it possible to reposition better in the following?

  We expect our royal family better, on whom we spend millions and millions of pounds for training and schooling?

or

  We expect better things from our royal family on whom we spend millions and millions of pounds for training and schooling.?


texts: Would the word "tween" be considered a portmanteau or is it just a truncation?

texts: Is it the word "between", but truncated, or a portmanteau of "in between" and "teen"?


texts: The usage of the past tense of the word ‘assign’: ‘assigned’

texts:
I understand the meaning of the transitive verb assign, however, I had a question regarding the usage of the past tense of the word assign: assigned. Observe the following statement:

If “a is assigned to b, then b is assigned a.”

So, does “a is assigned to b” mean “b is assigned a”?

For example: is “the student (a) is assigned to an advisor (b)” equivalent to “the advisor (b) is assigned a student (a)”?

Please give an explanation as to why the word “assigned” may be used this way grammatically (or grammatically, if this comes down to a grammatical problem


texts:
To skill the ecosystem, partnership is important.
I heard this, and I couldn't find the meaning of skill as a verb. What does skill mean in this context?


texts:
Cutie is a slang term used to refer to someone who is cute.

Where did the word, pie, in the expression "Cutie Pie" come from? And what is the history behind this expression?

I can't seem to find any references to it.


texts:
Let's start with an example. I asked this question over on CN@SE: Translation: “世界上，治疗心脏病最好的方式就是不要开刀。”. In the question I asked for a translation of an, apparently, well-known English quote.

The quote as been translated from English to Chinese, and now I'm trying to find the original English.

In the question I called it a retrograde translation but is there a proper term for this type of translation?


texts: Does the phrase "met fate" always refer to a death? And is it different from the phrase "met one's fate"?

texts:
All of the examples I've found have "met one's fate" as referring to a death. The dictionary also has it as referring to a death. (Merriam Webster's definition is simply: "to die".)
The phrase "met fate" is a lot more fuzzy and I am having trouble searching for it. I want to know if it could refer to a person's calling. For example, if a person was fated to become a great musician, could I say that they "met fate" when they picked up an instrument for the first time?
Is "met fate" even a phrase, or is it just an bastardization of "met one's fate"?


texts: "It stands without reason" or "it stands to reason"

texts:
This question appeared in a previous question.
Should I write "it stands without reason that accuracy is of utmost importance" or "it stands to reason that accuracy is of utmost importance?"

The latter is the only I can find in online dictionaries.


texts: Is ‘don't do’ ungrammatical/redundant? How about ‘don't ’?

texts:
‘Don't’ is a contraction of ‘do not’, and ‘do’ is a verb meaning ‘to perform/execute’. Strictly speaking, then, are these two common constructions ungrammatical?

a) ‘Don't do this/that.’ Since it expands to ‘Do not do this/that’, isn't [1] the second ‘do’ redundant? If so, why does ‘Don't this/that’ sound so wrong whereas the expanded ‘Do not this/that’ merely sounds a bit archaic?

b) ‘Don't continue.’ [2] Since both ‘do’ and ‘continue’ are verbs, shouldn't it be ‘Continue not’? [3]

-

[1] ‘Isn't’ seems to follow this remain-grammatical-albeit-archaic-sounding-when-expended rule, as does ‘shouldn't’ in question (b).

[2] Ditto for any other verb in place of ‘continue’.

[3] And if you wanted everyone to think you were odd you could presumably insist on writing ‘continuen't’.


texts: Should 'known as' be followed by quotation marks?

texts:
e..g
This is how he became known as 'the ape king'.
or
'from then on, he became known as 'the smartest man in Britain'.

Or should this be without quotation marks?


texts:
She tried to figure out how much knowledge my class had of the real Pocahontas.

Should I use of or on there?


texts: Beer is made ___ yeast, water, hops, and malted barley

texts:
Which is the correct answer to fill in the gap in "Beer is made ____ yeast, water, hops and malted barley"?

of
from
with
out of

I am leaning toward '2'. "Made from" can be used to describe a manufacturing process.

I originally liked '3', but I don't like it now. I would use '3' if I mentioned secondary ingredients, as in "This beer is made with raw apple cider."


texts:
My memory is shocking lately and would like your advice on choosing a word. See, I am building an app for a client, and there's a notification area that says (or will say), something like this:

  New Order containing 6 items.

But then I thought, should I replace "containing" with "consisting of"? So it reads:

  New Order consisting of 6 items.


texts: Alternative to the term "break-bulk" to refer to individual pieces of break-bulk

texts:
In the shipping industry the collective noun "break-bulk" is used to refer to non-containerised cargo. Usually, that means large machinery and non-uniform cargo that won't fit well in a container or would require complicated disassembly in order to do so, but also includes any cargo that is not containerised. (Most of the world's shipped cargo is containerised.)

The shipping company I work at handles a large amount of non-containerised pallets (of fruit commodities--some pallets are containerised, some not; I'm not sure why), large rolls of steel and paper, steel barrels of liquids, plates of steel, and other cargo. We don't have a general term that we can use to generically refer to any specific piece of cargo, which hasn't been a problem in the past, but now that we are consolidating all of our reporting tools into one multi-purpose set of tools, it is. Our old tools were specific to each commodity so we were able to use each term specifically (e.g. pallets), but this won't work with our new generic reporting tools.

Note that "break-bulk" is a collective noun that refers to all pieces of break-bulk. To my knowledge, there is no form of the term that can refer to a specific piece or pieces of break-bulk. (i.e. "One break-bulk" doesn't make any sense.)

Is there a term or word that we can use that refers to one or more pieces of break-bulk? So far, we've come up with "cargo unit", "main cargo unit" (as there are also sub-cargo units in the case of pallets), "typical unit", and "cargo measure", but none of them are particularly elegant or intuitive.

The air-freight industry has the term "Unit Load Device" (ULD), but that refers to the very specific metal, pallet-like containers that are built to very specific dimensions to fit tightly in airplanes and doesn't really fit our purposes.


texts: "One of the sources of water in our country ARE the rivers"

texts: "One of the sources of water in our country are the rivers" in this sentence, wasn't it supposed to be 'is' instead of 'are'? Normally we say "One of my friends is responsible for this," don't we?


texts: A word for a person who is a member of the military, police force or firefighting force?

texts: I want to know if there is a word for a person who is a member of the military, the police force, or the firefighting force.


texts: Difference between "climate" and "weather" please

texts: As a native speaker of Spanish I am confused because we don't have two different words for these terms


texts: What do you call someone who has extensive knowledge but won't share it?

texts:
What do you call a person that has a lot knowledge/information but decides to not share it?

Is it really the classic know-it-all or enlightened?


texts: I once watched some American TV show, and there was a guy, who just woke up, and he said: "I need to brush myself up". It was clear that he was going to go to the bathroom to take a shower and etc., but I didn't manage to find some examples of using that idiom that way, is that really common phrase? Or was that kind of slang or something? I know only "brush up on something".


texts: Spelling "web development" with/without hyphen

texts:
I'm trying to check the correctness of translation of some university courses from my native language to English... Is it correct to spell "web development" with hyphen?

I'm quite sure that "Web Development" is correct. Is "Ruby on Rails Web-development" correct, too?

While I remember coming across "web-..." in adjectives (for example, "web-based"), I don't remember any cases of spelling "web" with hyphen in nouns...


texts: A word for performing an act due to motivation from a prior event?

texts: a word for performing an act due to motivation from a prior act? for example, moving in together because you have just married


texts: Adjective classification in this sentence

texts:
In the phrase: "in a good many ways." are good and many adjectives? And if so, are they each descriptor or classifier?
Or is the phrase 'good many' idiomatic? And if so, can 'good' and 'many' be classified seperately or is there a different approach to this?
(I am using the Longman grammar textbook)


texts: How to interpret “if it be” grammatically?

texts:
It looks to me a subjunctive form but not contemporary, so I would like to ask how this is properly interpreted gramatically.

In the second conditional “if it were” it is clearly subjunctive, but the first conditional it would normally be written as “if it is”.

Why is it subjunctive? And when is it proper style?


texts: Question mark followed by a comma or semi colon in a list

texts:
Is it ever okay to follow a question mark with a comma or semi-colon? For example, would any of the following be valid?
1

  The main questions addressed in the literature are: who said it?, what does it mean?, and does it all make sense?

2

  The main questions addressed in the literature are, (i) who said it?; (ii) what does it mean?; and (iii) does it all make sense?

3

  The main questions addressed in the literature are, "who said it?", "what does it mean?", and "does it all make sense?"


texts: Help with punctuation in non-restrictive clauses

texts:
Would someone be kind enough to tell me whether the sentence below is OK, considering that 'fashioned' is a past tense verb, 'believe' is a present tense verb, and refuse' is also a present tense verb.

  The people who initially fashioned and those who now believe that the theory and its predictions are well grounded refuse to accept . . . ."

Putting a comma after 'that' seems to separate the subject from its direct object, and rewriting the sentence in the following way made it too wordy:

  The people who initially fashioned the theory and its predictions, and the people who now believe that both are well grounded, refuse to accept . . . ."

Thanks very much.


texts: What do you call someone who doesn't know how to swim?

texts:
Is there one word for someone who does not know how to swim?

Even better if there is one word for someone who doesn't know how to swim but dives to save a drowning person?

If no, then suggest a similar phrase.


texts:
It appears that this site does not support LaTeX, so sorry for the ugly formatting. I would like to explain the sentence

  Let X ~ N(mu_x, sigma_x^2) and Y ~ N(mu_y, sigma_y^2).

with plain english. A long version would be

  In other words, X is a normally distributed random variable with mean mu_x and standard deviation sigma_x, and Y is a normally distributed random variable with mean mu_y and standard deviation sigma_y.

However, it is kind of repetitive and long. How could I rephrase so that it is shorter, and still easy to understand?


texts: Lock picking, lockpicking, or lock-picking: Which is correct to use?

texts:
I am trying to identify which usage is correct or most common in American English: lock picking, lockpicking, or lock-picking.

I found no results in Merriam-Webster online, and data from Google Ngram and Corpus was inconclusive. There is an international association, TOOOL, that treats the phrase as a single word, and the Wikipedia article on this subject actually formats the phrase in two different ways.


texts:
sorry dumb question, but:

How do you spell "windy" as in a winding road could be described as "windy"

Not to be confuse with "the weather is windy"

Also, is there a better way I could have figured this out than posting a question on a forum?


texts:
An Amazon delivery guy rang me and told that he was waiting for me at my place and I replied by saying that "I won't be able to attend you before 12 pm" but I am a bit confused about whether I was correct in using "attend" .. I think it should be "attend to"
i.e.  "I won't be able to attend to you before 12 pm


texts:
What is the right way to pronounce 4.5 meters?

Is it

  Four point five meters.

or

  Four meters point five.


texts: Article (a or the) before a percentage? What is the rule?

texts:
When can I use an article (the, a) when speaking of percentages? Are these examples correct? Is there a rule?

This represents 10% of the British population.

Twenty scholars collaborated in the study, representing the 10% of the association's members.

Only 10% of the members surveyed have young children, while a 90% have dedicated their life to elderly people care.

Between 1999 and 2002, 10% of the factories reduced carbon footprint and a 20% have launched environmental projects.


texts:
Ancillary is already something of an uncommon word in conversation, but it came up recently in a StackOverflow chat room in the following example:

Person 1: "Are you talking about me?"
Person 2: "Ancillarily."

Now, obviously text editors are going to mark this as incorrect, but my question is, can we technically use this adverb form of Ancillary? Is it grammatically legal "to ancillarily talk" (mind my split infinitive) about someone?

To give more context, Person 1 asked a question, and Persons 3 and 4 (not appearing in the above story) discussed the answer to Person 1's question, and the merits of different methods for answering it.


texts:
I saw a post somewhere stating that using at with sleep is wrong. It said something about verb aspect.

Is it really wrong? Why? What's the correct sentence to convey the same message?


texts: It has always been interesting for me to know how words are made and where they are coming from. Is there any reliable source for etymological studies? any books, or dictionaries out there?


texts: Can I use two conjunction 'but' in a sentence?

texts: There are instances when I want to use a "but" in a sentence that starts with "but". Is that grammatically correct?


texts: What do you call that first encounter which has made a tremendous impact in your life?

texts: I'm trying to think of a word which can describe a first encounter that has made a tremendous impact in my life. Unfortunately, I can't think of one. Is there a word to describe such an event?


texts:
I hear I can use a semicolon as a "super-comma", where I'm listing three or more elements that have commas within them. I'm wondering, then, if this is correct:

  Our objective function is the annual cost of the abatement methods, which we plan to minimize; our decision variables are the amount of each abatement method we will use for each furnace type; and our constraints are such that our abatement methods are sufficient to achieve the designated amount of pollution control (and that the abatement methods are physically reasonable, i.e. no negative-height smokestacks).

I used the semicolons here because of the comma in the first element, which means the original list is of a "higher order" if you will. Then I matched all the commas of that order to avoid confusion. Am I doing this right?


texts:
While

empirical means deriving from experiment and observation rather than theory.

What is would be the word for deriving from experience or past performance.


texts: Is there such a thing as a "pre-anniversary"? Or a better word?

texts:
I suddenly find myself trying to describe a date that's an exact number of years before a scheduled event and I can't think of a better word to describe it than "pre-anniversary" or maybe even "preanniversary". Both seem rather ugly and open to misinterpretation, for example I can see how they might be interpreted as meaning some arbitrary period or point in time before a specific anniversary date.

So how might I be more specific?

Example: something is known to be going to happen on, say, 20-May-2024. I'm looking for a word to describe 20-May-2023, being exactly one year before (the "minus-oneth" anniversary). Or other 20th Mays even further back.


texts: Differences in use of "mandate" and "remit"

texts:
What are the differences in use of mandate and remit? For example, Googling for the remit of gives me examples like:

  The remit of the BBC is to entertain, educate and inform.

whereas if I google for the mandate of, I get things like:

  The mandate of the Federal Reserve is to promote effectively the goals of maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long-term interest rates.

Both describe what a given organization should do, but what are the differences?


texts: A word for 'something more' or 'missing from life'

texts: I am trying to think of a word, or phrase to describe this feeling. There is something more to my life, something meaning to happen or occur, and I don't know what it is. There is an anticipation of some sort, but I feel like I am always waiting. Everything is insignificant compared to what will happen. It may be a single event or something that changes everything. I'm not sure and I don't know a proper way to describe my wait for it. Thank you.


texts: "For example" between commas in the middle of a sentence has a different meaning

texts:
Grammarly is telling me I should put commas before and after "for example" when it comes in the middle of the sentence, but I don't think so. Let's take a look at some examples.

  The party doesn't need to be expensive. We can use some accessories from last year for example, and invite only fifty people.

The above sentence is ok for me with only one comma, but not for Grammarly. Now, let's see when I think "for example" must be between commas.

  I understand you hate parties. You could choose not to go, for example, if it wasn't your mother's party.

As you can see, if the second clause is the condition for something to happen, we must use commas before and after "for example".

Am I wrong?


texts: Is "mandatoriness" a commonly used word? I am intending to use it in a technical paper.


texts:
This morning I was pondering the things in the English language which have not been given a name, such as 'the Sun' or 'the Moon'. These do not seem to fall into the same category as 'the ground' or 'the sky' which seem a lot more spatially vague. In cases where an implicit place is referred to, for example: 'we went to the ocean', the thing also has a specific name.

Is there a reason why English has not given a name to the Sun or Moon? Other languages seem to have gone to the effort to name the big fiery thing in the sky, for example: Sol, Helios, Güneş.


texts: Difference between "to remember" vs "for remembering"

texts:
I am struggling to choose the correct / more idiomatic one between:

  A description may be added for remembering the context better.
  A description may be added to remember the context better.

What's the main difference between the two?

I mean, is using "for" kind of stronger and show the intention and speaks from point of a mentor (who knows the reason), while using "to" is more neutral and plain and speaks from point of a narrator?


texts: Name given for use of capital cities to represent the government

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

I can't come up with an example I actually read right now, but the capital city is sometimes used to represent the government. e.g "The government stated that.....", that would be "London stated that....." or "Official statements from London...." (the 1st example may not be correct!).

There is a name given when using capitals to represent the government. What is it?


texts: Term or Phrase for "Listening without Understanding"

texts: Is there a word or a phrase that describes someone listening to somebody else speak to him without understanding what is being said while acting like he's getting it?


texts:
I want to ask about the preposition that I have to use in my sentence, which is:

Aruba is an island in the Caribbean Sea.


texts: Is "than" a conjunction in "You should know better than to behave..."

texts:
You should know better than to behave like that.

In this sentence, is than a conjunction or preposition?

Oxford sense 2 has both conjunction and preposition used for comparison:

  Used in expressions introducing an exception or contrast:
  [as preposition] ‘he claims not to own anything other than his home’
  [as conjunction] ‘they observe rather than act’

It's not easy to tell how they have categorised each use. If other than is a preposition, and rather than a conjunction, what is better than? How do I decide?


texts: What can I call other students if I am also a student?

texts:
I wonder what I can call other students, if I am also a student?

For example, if I am talking to a professor, and want to mention other students just like me. I know I can use "classmates" if we are in the same class, but how about if we are not in the same class? Can I say "fellow students", or is there anything better?


texts:
When we say,

  It is not fair.

or

  It is unfair.

I'm not sure enough to say whether both of the sentences have the same meaning or not though superficially, there is no difference between them but if we say,

  Something is not possible.

or

  Something is impossible.

then there is really an observable difference in my first language. Hence, the question - is there a difference between the preceding two sentences in English?


texts: What is the meaning of "paint it black" and when to use it?

texts:
I stumbled upon the phrase "paint it black" in a tv series (Elementary) and was wondering what does it exactly mean?

Also, in which situations would you use it normally? Except when you tell the painter which color you want your oven. :p

Asking Google always returns to the Rolling Stones' song and people talk about depression, but I don't feel like that really fits here.

Also the person in the series is using the sentence to give his snipers the green light for an attack. Is it understandable for everyone to start firing when you hear the sentence or is it more like a codeword they must have agreed on beforehand?

Any explanations and insights are mostly welcome!


texts: What do you call someone who is shy, withdrawn, and fearful of being approached?

texts: What do you call someone who is shy, withdrawn, fearful of being approached, and with little interest for or even fear of social events? Sociopath would be too harsh of a term (but close) and shy too mild.


texts: Does "absent friends" have definite association with deceased family/friends?

texts:
Having gotten married this year and acting as best man for my brother, one of the responsibilities for speeches was a toast "to absent friends".

With some of our family no longer being alive, for us this evoked memories of them.

Is the implication of lost loved ones strong enough that this is a widely understood euphemism for dead family and friends?


texts: Should we write "Method proposed" or "Proposed method" for the title of a section in an article?


texts: Adjective to describe office functionary who consistently, unknowingly refers paperwork to the wrong department?

texts: Is there a single-word adjective to describe an office functionary who consistently incorrectly refers paperwork onwards to the wrong internal department in his or her organisation because he or she doesn't realise he or she is wrong?


texts: Difference in usage of "rock" and "rocks"

texts:
Recently, I came across this situation where I was asked which one was correct:

Fossils are found in sedimentary rock.
Fossils are found in sedimentary rocks.

Is there is distinction between these statements?


texts: What is the spatial equivalent of chronological or chronology?

texts:
Merriam-Webster's definition of chronological:

  of, relating to, or arranged in or according to the order of time

The spatially equivalent adjective I'm looking for would, ideally, be defined as:

  of, relating to, or arranged in or according to the order in space

American Heritage's definition of chronology:

  The arrangement of events in time.

The spatial noun would be defined as:

  The arrangement of objects in space.

I've considered sequential and sequence, respectively. I understand them to refer to order in general and not specifically to spatial or temporal order; either context seems appropriate.

Likewise for serial and series.


texts: "Most" followed by multiple adjectives - does it refer to them all?

texts:
everyone!

So, if a sentence goes like this: "He has been the most clever, cunning, Macchiavelian, blasphemously wicked, satanic deceiver", does it mean that "most" refers to them all or is it the case only with the first one, namely "clever", and the other words would actually be in positive?

Long story short, is "clever" - preceded by "most", of course - the only superlative here or all the adjectives are?

TY


texts: What is a word for a person who find it okay to hurt himself if it can help someone he know

texts: I haven't seen any person like that in real life but I have seen a show where a Person is like that so I want to know if there's a word fir that.


texts:
In my native language, there is a word that has a meaning similar to stupid, but it is friendly and usually used for a close friend or loved one. It even helps the target people to feel happy in some cases, especially romantic situation where the "stupidity" stems from a cute action or misunderstanding.

Is there any similar word in English?


texts: What does 'only' represent in following sentences?

texts:
What does the word 'only' represent in the following sentences:

I can only dream of becoming someone like Dr. Stone.

I can only do this for so long.


texts:
Mr. Alsop is getting old. He needs to be looked after, don't you think?

Mr. Alsop is getting old. He needs looking after, don't you think?

What is the difference between them and which one is more suitable one?
As I understood both of them are in passive voice.


texts:
What would young children (aged around 5-ish) have called their parents circa 1920's England? Were there specific terms of endearment, or would it just be "mother" and "father"? I'm particularly thinking of the upper classes, but all answers are appreciated.

As a side-question, would there have been informal terms of endearment for children, or would their parents have always called them by their first names?


texts: Can "very" (and its synonyms") mean less intense?

texts:
I recently found something mildly intriguing.

Very should mean more than the following adjective.

  This room is dark

Means that it is casually dark if you will. While

  This room is very dark

Would mean that the room is darker than in the previous statement.

However

If we take for instance

  This room is clean

It means that the room is 100% (absolutely) clean, right?

Well if we add very it gives us

  This room is very clean

which would mean that it is not 100% clean but almost 100% clean because it is not absolutely clean.

So am I getting this wrong or can very actually mean less intense?


texts: Is it appropriate to use "the" before an abbreviation?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Using the definite article with acronyms and initialisms

For example, which one of these is more appropriate:

  I am talking about what the UNICEF has done for India.

or

  I am talking about what UNICEF has done for India.


texts: Watergate and Marathon -- Any other invalid, but common back formations?

texts:
I was reading a question here about the use of the suffix -gate to denote a political, and later any type, of scandal. This is of course and allusion to the Watergate scandal, which lead to the resignation of President Nixon.

Another example came to mind, that of Marathon, which is the name of a long race, and is named after the battle of Marathon, and more specifically Pheidippides run back to Athens to announce victory (and then die, this secondary aspect being thankfully absent in the Olympic event.) From this the -thon suffix is used to denote any long endurance event, phone-athon, bake-athon, jump-athon etc.

I was wondering if there were any other such false back formations that have come into common use in the same way. Is there a specific name for this practice in grammar?


texts: Debt is to deficit as ______ is to surplus?

texts:
Each year a country may be in national deficit or surplus.  National deficit either increases national debt or eventually leads to debt.
National debt of the United States

National surplus either increases or leads to ______ (what word/s goes here)?

The opposite of deficit is surplus. When I searched for "opposite of debt" or "opposite of national debt" I got the following results:

  If you have debt you are the Debtor or Borrower. The opposite would be The Lender or Debt Originator.

and

  The opposite of having debt is being unaccountable.
  Quora answers

I have seen people suggest "credit". This makes sense to me when talking about finances of individuals or groups, but I'm not sure I've heard people talk about "national credit" in the way they talk about "national debt", and a search returns results that are quite different from what I have in mind.

In this context (ie., national spending), is there a word that suitably applies to "surplus" as "debt" applies to "deficit"?

Edit: Just in case, I'll explain further. If my country's government has zero debt and has a deficit of $2 billion, after two years the "national debt", "government debt", "public debt" or whatever you want to call it might be $4 billion. If we start with zero debt and my country's government is in surplus for two years, then we can expect roughly for it to be or have (what) after two years? I think the word "surplus" also fits in accordance with the general meaning of "surplus", but "surplus" has a specific meaning of:

  2.a.an excess of government revenues over expenditures during a certain financial year
  Collins Dictionary


texts: What does the title "12 Years a Slave" mean?

texts:
I have run across a movie called "12 Years a Slave" and am a bit confused with the title. The first suggestion to come to my mind is that it means 12 years of slavery, but I'm not sure.

Could you explain this expression, please?

Can it be used in another context except as a title of a movie/book/article?

And could you give some  examples of its usage, then.


texts:
Would it be incorrect to use “could” and “might” in the same sentence?

For example:

  It could be that Joseph might come this afternoon.

Since could and might are both stating a possibility, it seems kind of redundant, but is this okay grammatically?


texts:
In my native German, there is a word for a tree that has grown in a way that it lends itself perfectly for smaller kids to climb around in it – Kletterbaum, which translates, literally, as 'climbing tree'.

Here's an image of what a great Kletterbaum might look like:

Basically any tree with branches that begin low enough for elementary school kids to reach them, and close enough together they can comfortably (and safely) step from one to another.

I've looked around a bit, and online dictionaries suggest the phrase good tree for climbing as the English equivalent. I'm surprised there isn't a more concise term in English for such an essential aspect of childhood.

Or is there?

What do English or American kids and their parents say, when they speak of such a tree?


texts: Word To Describe The Repetitive Sound Of A Television In The Background

texts:
I'm looking for a word to describe the sound of a television in the background that the character has tuned out. The sentence I'm trying to put it in is
"The television [Insert word here] in the background as..."


texts: Is there an expression for a seller's talk to a customer?

texts:
"Welcome to our store!" "We have the best hamburgers in the market which we have been cooking for generation after generation with no equal!" "The best prices around for such a complete piece of work" et cetra.

Is there a good expression for such words?


texts: Is there an English equivalent for this Kurdish proverb: "every ripe and delicious cantaloupe is eaten by a donkey"

texts:
The Kurdish proverb every ripe and delicious cantaloupe (muskmelon) is eaten by a donkey is one of the most interesting proverbs that I have heard in four languages, including Kurdish, Persian, English and German. I personally use this proverb frequently.
It is obvious that the proverb is a humorous one. It is used in different contexts. Generally it is used when something good is given to an  undeserving case. But, in modern usage, many people use it when they want to say that a beautiful, attractive and comely woman marries a ugly, unattractive and grotesque man. This proverb is often used by male sex. The speaker is usually someone who carries a torch for the girl. Sometimes the speaker says this proverb jealously.

A: I can not believe that Sara has married this plain man.
B: It is not strange. Every sweet cantaloupe is eaten by a donkey.
She has probably married money.

Also  there is a Persian proverb that resembles the Kurdish one: The ripe grapes are given to jackals.
Is there a proverb that would express the same thing in English?
Unfortunately, I have not been able to find any equivalent in German either.


texts: Is there a word for a person who believes themselves to be smarter than others, but  frequently betrays that the opposite is true. For example, when dumb-shaming someone, this person uses their big words incorrectly, but confidently. Know-it all isn't quite right, because there's a chance a know-it-all  might actually know quite a lot.


texts:
If I would like to describe a target of a very small group of people, like age 14 to 16 , girls, should I say the target is narrow / limited / tight or any other adjectives?

Which one sounds better?


texts: How many stations "is it?" vs "are there?"

texts:
Recently I've come across the question in a book that says

  How many stations is it?

I thought the correct way to ask the question is

  How many stations are there?

Can you please tell me which is correct and explain the difference between the two?


texts:
The  “Royal We” is a term to indicate that, when someone is ostensibly speaking about a group of people, they’re actually referring to themselves as an individual.  Someone I know (whom I will not name for fear of incriminating myself) does quite the opposite, in that they use the word “we” to mean “everyone apart from me” or more usually “you”.  For example:

•   “We need to mow that lawn” means “You need to mow that lawn”

•   “We ought to fix the tiles in the bathroom” meaning “Fix the tiles in the bathroom”

Is there a term for this kind of terminology?  Apologies if this seems a little fatuous but I’m genuinely interested.


texts: Word for veneration due to moral example

texts:
some time ago I read this word that meant, approximately, when something is a moral example and was worshipped because of that reason.

To put it into context, the phrase was like this:

"The Old Testament, unlike the New Testament, many times is not ___" The guy argued that many actions of people in the Old Testament were not to be considered as a moral example.

Thanks


texts: Why is "closed source" used, and does it parallel "open source"?

texts:
When the source code of software is freely available, we say it is "open source".

When the source code of software is not freely available, we say it is "closed source".

Why do we not use "close source", given that it would more closely parallel "open source"?

Or would it not?


texts: Are there any practical uses of onomatopoeia in contemporary English?

texts: Do we have any practical uses of onomatopoeia in contemporary English? I can not claim to have read many materials, but I have to confess I have rarely seen it used a lot.


texts: Deaths of both Romeo and Juliet or death of both Romeo and Juliet

texts:
I was writing an essay about Romeo and Juliet when I faced this problem.

Is it "deaths of both Romeo and Juliet" or "death of both Romeo and Juliet"? I think the prepositional complement has to agree with "death" (what is this "death" in terms of grammar anyway? Subject?), but I am not entirely sure. Please help!


texts: relative clauses - when can we omit the pronoun?

texts:
When can the relative pronoun be omitted? This is not very clear for me.
I don't understand the rules.


texts: "Bikeway" vs. "bike route" vs. "bike path" vs. "bike trail" vs. "bike track" vs. "bike lane" on US road signs

texts:
To proceed further on with the "cycling topic", which of these terms are most commonly found on US roads to designate respectively a path or part of a road in an urban area marked off or separated for the use of bicyclists --- and a path or road in suburban or rural surroundings marked off for the use of bicyclists, but which also can be used occasionally for strolling, jogging, and other outdoorsy activities?
My impression is that "bike route" and "bike lane" are used almost exclusively to refer to a path, street or lane alongside a roadway, whereas the terms "bike track" and "bike trail" sound a lot more appropriate for a peripheral or rural bikeway.
As regards the expressions "bikeway" and "bike path", I think these can be used just about interchangeably for a bicycle path in both urban and rural surroundings.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bike+path?s=t
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bike+lane?s=t
http://www.wordwebonline.com/en/CYCLETRACK
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bikeway?s=t


texts:
A bag of carrots and half a tomato "was/were" sitting on the kitchen counter.

A bag of carrots and half a tomato was sitting on the kitchen counter.  Is this correct?

I was informed that the main subject is "bag," so I should be using the singular verb. Also, is "of carrots and half a tomato" the prepositional phrase? or is it just "of carrots"?  Is this correct as well?  Please advise.


texts: "second-hand X smoker" vs "second-hand smoker of"

texts:
Which one sounds more natural to a native English speaker?

Example:

  I thought about the air quality of my country and decided I was a
  second-hand traffic fumes and industrial gas smoker.

  I thought about the air quality of my country and decided I was a
  second-hand smoker of traffic fumes and industrial waste gas.


texts: How would you describe a car kicking up clouds of dust as an adverb of a car heading somewhere?

texts:
I am trying to translate a sentence from Turkish to English. I'm almost satisfied and it is something along the lines of

A black car kicking up clouds of dust was seen heading to the city from a distant road.

However, in Turkish, the act of "kicking up clouds of dust" is an adverb of the verb "heading", so it qualifies the verb and not the car itself. In other words, the way the car moves along the road is by kicking up clouds of dust, so it is heading to the city by kicking up clouds of dust. Do you think there's a way to make it into an adverb? Or maybe a phrasal verb that catches the essence of those two actions, both heading somewhere and kicking up clouds of dust? The verb "heading" is not mandatory, it can be "arriving", "coming" or something else that matches the meaning, and the meaning is the car is going towards the city and is arriving/about to arrive at its final destination.
The best I can come up with is

A black car at a distant road was seen heading to the city by kicking up clouds of dust.

but using "by" to connect those to actions seems like cheating and makes me feel I'm thinking in Turkish and not in English.
For the curious, this is the original sentence (maybe it helps)

Uzaktaki yoldan siyah bir otomobilin tozu dumana katarak şehre geldiği görüldü.


texts:
It don't feel happy with the sentence

  I busied myself with the tasks around the home.

I would prefer

  I ____ [with] the tasks around the home.

where ___ represents one word.  "Occupied/concerned/engrossed myself" are similar constructions that come to mind, but are all still two words, and are especially unsatisfying because of the sneaky reflexiveness going on.

I feel like there's a word for "busied myself" that is right on the tip of my tongue.  What is it?


texts: Can a semi-colon be followed by and adverb and then a conjunction?

texts:
In the following sentence, is the usage of the semi-colon correct?

  Developing techniques to describe this particular system is intractably difficult; mainly because there is no reference system from which it can be described.


texts: Is there a single word for "unexpectedly not as skeptical as usual"?

texts:
Suppose a particular person is well-known for being skeptical about the truth of just about everything someone tells him. That is, he requires stronger evidence (whether it be mathematical, logical, empirical, whatever) to believe a statement is true, than other people. Suppose, however, that occasionally he unexpectedly lowers his standards, so that for a particular statement he can be described as gullible or naive.

Is there an adjective to describe him on those occasions?

Writing something like, "Occasionally the usually skeptical Mike can be surprisingly gullible," conveys the intended meaning. But I seeking a word that would convey the same meaning in a shorter sentence such as, "Mike is being [WORD]."


texts: Why are some football clubs known as Wanderers?

texts:
Why are Bolton Wanderers, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Wycombe Wanderers etc so known?
The OED seems to be silent on the matter, so I searched elsewhere on line. The following answer came up. Does it appear to be a satisfactory answer in other people's opinion? Can anyone from Bolton or Wolverhampton supply any further information?

Q. Why do football teams often use the word 'Wanderers' in their names
A. As we all know wanderers are people who roam around from place to
place. The first winners of the FA Cup, in 1872, were called simply
the Wanderers, a name the club adopted in 1864 after moving from east
London to Battersea Park in south London. But the name also conveys
the rather romantic sense of a group of travelling gentlemen who play
for pleasure rather than to win - a very English sentiment,
particularly in the late 19th century when most clubs were formed. So
we have Wolverhampton Wanderers, Wycombe Wanderers and Bolton
Wanderers.
The AnswerBank


texts: Origins of the phrase "for the time being"

texts:
I'd like to understand how the common expression "for the time being" meaning "for the moment, temporarily" came into usage and what kind of grammatical construction it represents.

Is it the short for an originally longer phrase like, "for the time being (considered now)" or is  "being" used with an archaic connotation?

What is "being" in the sentence, an adjective or a verb?


texts: Is the [ʊ] sound pronounced with lip rounding?

texts:
This [ʊ] sound is the vowel sound for words like hook, pull, and good. When I  began to learn English a bit more seriously two decades ago, I used a book that taught me to pronounce it shorter and more relaxed than the long sound of [u], the vowel sound in words like pool, food, and cool. It also told me to round my lips too.

My pronunciation is fine (I hope, at least people around me seem to understand me perfectly), however I found a strange tendency in recent years, especially from Americans. (I can watch them on TV and video clips.) Many of them seem to not round their lips when pronouncing this [ʊ] sound.

The first time I noticed this was the time I heard an ESL teacher pronounced it with the [ɯ] sound (she is not a native English speaker, by the way). There is no [ɯ] sound in English, but there is one in Thai language. The [ɯ] sound, though being a close-back vowel, is always unrounded. So it sounds very strange to me at first, since [ʊ] is a near-back-near-close vowel, and I thought it is supposed to be rounded.

Wonder why she pronounced it that way, I started to watch native speakers on TV closely, and found that only some of them pronounce [ʊ] unrounded in normal speech. Most of them seem to round their lips a little (how much the little is little is another matter). But when they exaggerate the word, most of them don't round their lips, e.g., I saw one judge on a vocal-focused reality show exclaimed Good! for maybe three seconds long, and in that entire three seconds there was no lips rounding at all!

I consulted Wikipedia, and found that the matter of this rounding is unclear:

  "Its vowel roundedness is generally rounded, which means that the lips are rounded to a greater or lesser degree, but is sometimes rather ambiguous. Because no language is known to contrast rounding with this place of articulation, the IPA has not created separate symbols to show this."

So which pronunciation is standard for the [ʊ] sound? Rounded or unrounded?


texts: Do I end a Complain letter of complaint with 'Yours sincerely' or 'Yours truly' or 'Yours faithfully'? Or something else?


texts: My friend dropped a few historic samurai names A, B and C. And then I mentioned D. He said that D came long after A, B and C. Is it proper to say D is a modern samurai compared to the three? Can I say that D was a more contemporary samurai at the time?


texts: Which verb to use with "The variable [verb] a value"?

texts:
Consider the mathematical expression x=5. What would be the correct sentence?

  The variable x is the value 5.
  The variable x has the value 5.
  The variable x takes the value 5.

[Slightly related to this question.]


texts:
I want to prove the following statement.

  If a+2>0, then a>-2.

What does "assume by contradiction that a<=-2" mean?


texts: What word describes the object for which a payment was made?

texts:
This came up with regard to a leasing software application.  Occasionally lump sum payments must be made and the reasons the payments were made - i.e., the object paid for - must be documented.  I don't know what to call those objects.  Payment object sounds more like the currency used for the payment.  Payment Subject is a possibility but seems pretty vague.

Examples of the things that the lump sum payments can cover are Property Tax, Renovations/repairs, property signs.  These could be viewed as additional costs indirectly associated with the leasing arrangement.  That help any? (Thanks for your inputs so far ... altho not quite in synch with the need yet.)


texts: Pronunciation of 'has' (/z/ or /s/) before /tʃ/

texts:
When 's' comes before a voiced consonant, it's usually pronounced as /z/.

Example: He has been banned. (here 's' is pronounced as /z/ because the following consonant is voiced.)

On the other hand, when it precedes a voiceless consonant, it's usually pronounced as /s/.

Example: She has to go home, (here the 's' of 'has' is usually pronounced as /s/ because the following consonant is voiceless.)

Question:
How to pronounce 's' when it precedes /tʃ/? Will it be pronounced as /z/ or /s/?

For example:

He has changed his clothes.


texts: When referring to a specific war (or other named event), should the word "war" be capitalized when it appears alone?

texts:
The Cold War instilled a fear of nuclear war in the public; additionally, the [war] was responsible for an extreme anti-Communist sentiment that lingers to this day.

Should the bracketed instance of "war" be capitalized? Can it be capitalized, possibly as an abbreviation of the war's full name?


texts: Is "ceased away" instead of "passed away" correct?

texts: For example "I am sorry to inform you that my beloved wife Susanne ceased away!". I am not sure why, but I remembered this instead of "passed away", but I cannot find the expression with google.


texts: What part of speech does "fledgling" have in the following sentence?

texts:
"Murray has years of experience in family practice, but he is just a fledgling in surgery."

In the above sentence, is fledgling a noun or an adjective? Or, is it both? Is that why both noun and adjective definitions are present in the following Magoosh practice link?

https://gre.magoosh.com/flashcards/vocabulary/basic-words-3/fledgling

Please provide references for your answer, if possible.

P.s. My punctuation needs work. If you notice any punctuation or grammar problems in my question, please say so!


texts: Where did the phrase blue sky thinking come from?

texts:
In a question from Stack Overflow meta, the questioner has a heading:

  This is currently just blue-sky thinking

in which he's tossing around ideas and asking for feedback or a brainstorm, so they can work out what direction might be good to take.

As defined by the Collins Dictionary:

  phrase
  Blue-sky thinking is the activity of trying to find completely new ideas.
  Some consultants are good at blue-sky thinking but cannot translate that into practical change.

  noun
  creative ideas that are not limited by current thinking or beliefs

Wiktionary defines it as:

  Noun
   blue-sky thinking (uncountable)

  (idiomatic) Thinking that is not grounded or in touch in the realities
  of the present.
   (idiomatic) Open-minded thinking.

I'm wondering how this phrase originated.


texts:
If you want to describe something in general, which article do you use "a ―"(singular), "―s"(plural) or "the ―"?
For example:

  A dog is obedient to its owner.

  Dogs are obedient to their owner.

  The dog is obedient to its owner.

I think "dogs" is better than "a dog" because there are many obedient dogs in the world, but I don't know whether "the dog" is correct or not in this case.

But I've seen this sentence:

  The phonograph was invented in 1887 by Edison.

I think "phonographs" is also correct, but I'm not sure.


texts: Can someone explain me the meaning of "get in your face"? There is this guy (an amateur musical actor) talking about his acting style. He says that his acting style is in the moment and that he can "come a little bit in your face... kind of". Can someone paraphrase what he means here, please?


texts: Alternative way of saying "we largely follow the account of...."

texts:
I find myself writing the following phrase over and over again in my thesis:

  In the following subsection we largely follow the account laid out by Smith in [1].

I am looking for alternative ways to express that, in a particular subsection, I use the work of Smith and follow his account on the subject.

What are some other ways of saying this?


texts: Word for banks and other institutions taking possession of your assets because you didn't comply with the contract

texts:
Is there a specific word or expression for this process?
When a family doesn't have enough money and has to move out because their house is now owned by the bank, what's the word for what happened to the house?

The house was ____ by the bank

Or when you mortgage valuable items to borrow money and you can't pay the debt, what happens to your golden watch or your car, for example?

My car was ____ by the bank

If these are not the correct sentence structures for the situation, what's the best way to express the idea?
Thanks in advance


texts: One word for "proactive changing of behaviour"

texts:
I need to find one word for "changing behaviour". The word should imply proactive change (in behaviour) and not reactive change (such as adapting or the likes). It has got to do with changing behaviour of customers.

An example usage:

  The "proactive change" of the consumer result in benefits such as lower premiums, incentives as well as improved health


texts: Is the structure "restart + -ing" correct?

texts:
The expression to start doing something is quite common. E.g.,

  I started reading the book last week.

However, I could not find a similar structure using restart instead of start. I.e., assuming I had left it for some time and decided to resume my reading:

  I restarted reading the book last week (?)

For instance, Merriam Webster provides two examples:

Transitive (with an object which is resumed)

  They plan to restart negotiations next week.

Intransitive (when the subject itself is resumed)

  The tournament will restart tomorrow.

Similar collocations appear in Oxford's and Cambridge's dictionaries, as well as in the many examples found in Linguee.

Could someone please confirm that restart cannot be used in this way? If so, I would like to know if there is a particular reason why simply adding the prefix re- limits its use (may be it is just not customary).


texts: Fishing terminology: What phrase describes a fish getting caught on the hook?

texts:
I know nothing about fishing, but I need to describe what happens when a fish snaps at the bait and gets hooked.  Specifically, what does the hook do?  Does it catch?  Does it burrow?  Does it seat itself?  Does it embed itself?  I'm looking for vivid, evocative phrasing, not a dry, technical description.

Also, what does a fisherman do to ensure the fish is hooked properly and won't jump off the hook?  What terms describe this action?


texts: Is it acceptable to capitalize class names and attributes when referencing my programming code in a message?

texts:
In programming we often create reusable data structures that contain attributes to store information.  For example, if writing a piece of software that has to do with cars we may have a Car class that has various attributes like color, make, year, etc.  If I am writing about my software is it acceptable to capitalize these class and attribute names?

e.g.

Should the Color attribute in the Car class contain pink?

What does Make mean?


texts: What is the correct punctuation for an indirect question?

texts:
I'm wondering how it is correct to structure sentence and what punctuation should be used. In particular, is the next sentence correct:

  I was wondering if there's any progress on the issue.

Or should I put a question mark in the end of it. Also, can it be restructured to:

  I was wondering: is there any progress on the issue?


texts: Is "average age" singular subject or plural?

texts:
"The average age at which people died of heart disease are decreasing."

Can I use "is" in place of "are" ?


texts:
My local fruit and vegetable shopkeeper gave me this conundrum upon my last visit:

You are travelling down a road when you reach a junction. You must go left or right. For the sake of argument, you pick left. Was this a decision or a choice?

I could not answer him. I felt that this should be that both are, but I could not bring myself to tell him that choices and decisions are identical. Is my gut instinct right? Are they distinguishable in this scenario, or any others?


texts: Presence of resources when using "construct" vs "build"

texts:
There are similar questions to this but I want to point out the following:

When using the word "construct", does it implies that the resources are already available?

Because when I use the word "build" I already expect that I am building something therefore I should have resources available.

Example:

  "Build from scratch."

This implies that there are already raw materials to build something from scratch. But if you substitute "build" to "construct" the phrase feels lacking.

Another thing to point out is that you can "construct" from nothing. Because in other questions they said that we can use "construct" for abstract representation of making something or making something from non-existing/non-physical entity.


texts:
Is it correct to say, "so much time has gone by", or should "by" be replaced with "bye?"

What are some other things someone can say with "by" at the end?


texts: Is the last element of the expanded form of an acronym separated by a comma or an 'and'?

texts:
I am writing a report, and got to a point where I was talking about the acronym

  CALMS

Which stands for:

  Culture, Automation, Lean, Measure

and here lies my question. Should it be another comma or an and?

  CALMS stands for Culture, Automation, Lean, Measure, Sharing ...

or

  CALMS stands for Culture, Automation, Lean, Measure and Sharing.

Also similarly should the components of an acronym be capitalized? ie:

  CALMS stands for Culture, Automation...


texts: What do you call a green-land right behind a sea-shore?

texts:
I am looking for a word to describe the green, nature-lively land that stands right behind a sand-covered sea-shore coast leading into an ocean. So in trying to picture what I am looking for: imagine the ocean and then next to the ocean is the sanded shore and then next to that imagine a natural growth of trees, etc.
What word might best fit this description?
I included a rather deplorable sketch of what I mean.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated
EDIT: I just found this image. As seen in it, it describes a "coast" as land Near or next to the sea, but I am looking for a more specific word which describes the actual green-land (with the trees and bushes) as seen in this newfound image:


texts: Can one call an object 'dirty' if it was stained by blood?

texts:
So suppose a mosquito has sucked your blood, but you manage to hit and smash it against, say, your own shirt, or maybe your wall. There remains a small blood stain.
Would it be inappropriate to say the object is now 'dirty'?
Would 'bloody' apply here, or is it only appropriate if the shirt has been soaked in blood?
'bloodstained' seems to be the correct word, but I fear it might be too bookish. Would it fit in a colloquial conversation?
Bear in mind that my main outcomes in this question is to know whether 'dirty' applies and how can one informally talk about the event of getting a small blood mark on an object.


texts: Is empirical evidence different from evidence?

texts: Is it superfluous to say "empirical evidence" instead of just "evidence"? How are those two different? Is there such a thing as evidence that is not empirical?


texts: I know this is kinda stupid but what is the word for "helping someone climb by allowing him to stand on your hands" (to allow him/her see above some wall or climb something)?


texts: Term for attempting to appear intelligent or refined by taking unpopular opinion

texts: Is there a word or concise term for attempting to appear intelligent or refined by taking an unpopular opinion? I'm not sure how to best describe this concept. The best term I can think of at the moment is to be contrarian, but it doesn't seem completely satisfying.


texts:
Firstly, I'm not a native speaker.

My question is about the word 'lackness'. I've heard it many times.
Is it a valid word or do we use just 'lack'?

For instance:

  "... lack of something..."?


texts: All existing plans or all of existing plans?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Is “of ” necessary in “all of ”?

Which one of the following is correct (or preferred if both are grammatical)?

  All existing plans.
  All of existing plans.


texts: Alternatives to english legal maxim hard cases make bad law

texts:
Are there any alternative idioms or phrases, equivalent to the english legal maxim "hard cases make bad law" best suiting the context of the following sentence?

I deeply sympathise with the unfortunate victim, but hard cases make bad law. It is not the within the discretion of the judge to let sympathy lend weight to the evidence.

https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/hard-cases-make-bad-law.html