texts: Correct verb to describe relationships between processes in technical writing

texts:
I am writing a thesis, and the tone of my writing is technical. At a few places, I need a specific verb to describe how a particular process/method/technique relates to another process/method/technique.  For example, a particular process only focuses on one aspect of a second process but not other aspects of that process. I find it hard to express this.
For example, I want to say:

"the dependence computation process concerns only the connectivity relationship among nodes"

but I feel that "concerns" sound like a human word; it is weird to say that a process/method/technique "concerns" something.
I could replace the word with "cares", "is interested in", but still it looks weird.
Edit:
Let me clarify a bit: "concerns"/"cares"/"is interested in" are words that seem to anthropomorphize the process/method/technique. So I'm looking for a verb which describes the same meaning but can be used by inanimate objects.
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.


texts: Can we use singular or plural nouns with names of countries?

texts:
When asked a question about Collective Nouns, I told them that it is all right to use a singular or plural verb after a Collective Noun, as in -

The class was listening to the lecture with rapt attention.

Here the class is taken as a whole.

The class were working on their projects.

Here the the individuals are taken into consideration rather than the class as a whole.

Now the question is: Do we use singular or plural verbs with the names of countries, which are proper nouns, for the same reason?

As in:

Bhutan is said to be The Last Shangrila.
Bhutan are working on promoting their GNH Philosophy.


texts: Is it correct to say "He walked towards the direction of xx"?

texts:
According to dictionary.com, "direction" means:

  the point or region itself

Thus, the sentence can be something like: He walked towards the northern region.

But also according to dictionary.com, "towards" means:

  in the direction of

So in other words, the sentence would be: He walked in the direction of the direction of xx or He walked in the direction of the northern region.

However, even so, would that make sense? Or is having both "direction" and "towards" reductant?


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

Hello! New to English, but doing fairly fine so far... well, here's a situation I had a couple times, and... well, I kind of failed:

When my word ends with 's', and I need to use it for a... umm... possessive statement, do I use the possessive apostrophe? If yes, do I have to put another 's' after the apostrophe? Like:

  The beasts's claws!

or

  The beasts' claws!


texts: I'm writing a series of horror novellettes and in order to introduce the main characters, I've decided to write a few short stories. These stories will function as intros, but I don't want to call them that. Thinking in terms of a television show, I've seen this happened, although I can't remember how it's called. What word am I searching for? Is there such a word?


texts: The correct way to write "and/or" together in a sentence

texts: What is the correct to write and/or? I have seen it written "and or" as two separate words and I think it looks odd.


texts: What is the best word to describe the feeling of being nervous, intimidated, excited etc which may be felt upon meeting a person you greatly admire?

texts:
Every time I've had the opportunity to meet a moviestar/rockstar who I idolize and imitate in every way (and call it influence), I always flub it up. Without fail. This is because I get so nervous and I want so badly to strike up a rivetting conversation that I lose my ability to talk, or even think.
But still, somehow, I muster up the courage to approach my personal epitome of awesomeness, trusting my social instincts will kick in by the time I actually try talking to him. But the closer I appproach, the blanker my mind grows. Eventually I reach a proximity that forces him to acknowledge my intention to speak to him; and so he makes eye contact with me, waiting.
I can't just tell him how much I love his music, being just like every other annoying fan. But still... that'd be better than what I was actually being like: some weirdo who walks up and stares with mouth agape and eyes wide, as if staring into the ark of the covenant, manifested in the form of Cedric Bixler the vocalist of 2 revolutionary post-punk/screamo bands as well as half the reason why hipsters wear skinny jeans.
It was the most painfully awkward 30 seconds of my life and it took years of psycho therapy to finally heal from the trauma caused by my Oscar winning portrayal of Captain Awkward.
But what I'm really needing to know ASAP would be the perfect word and/or phrase to describe that feeling that left me speechless? It was kind of like an amalgamation of being nervous and feeling privileged to be in the presence of such an amazing human being. It's similar to words like intimidated, overhelmed, daunting, honored, umworthy, nerve wracking, mind-blowing, formidable, impressed, flustered, veneration, revery, dazed, bewildered, dumb-struck, and of course, nervous or privileged.  But I feel like there's yet another pseudosynonym that embodies the precise meaning of this word that is lodged within my subconscious state of awareness, beyond the reach of my self-awareness. Whatever that perfectly descriptive adjective is, I'll know immediately upon hearing it. It will possess all the expected connotations, implications,
and inspirations that are conjured when I unsuccessfully attempt to recall this ellusive adjective (presumably. It may turn out to be any variety probably combination of words, but used in such a way to describe a complex emotional state)
The reason I'm asking is because I have, by a stroke of luck, become engaged in an online conversation with a member of the royal family of a very rich nation. (it is a long term convo: days or weeks btwn replies) noooo it is not the Prince of Nigeria. I was skeptical at first but he seems to only be interested in the human connection and has said nothing suspicious. But I was trying to be appropriately humble as I suspect civilians are expected to be towards royalty in his culture, and I was trying to say that it made me nervous but immensely grateful at the same time to be in conversation with such a person as his lordship. But I juSt could not find the exact right word. Help me to ingratiate this genuinely regal fellow who may possibly become another one of my many friends in high places. Thank you
The exact wording of the sentence that I am planning to use this yet to be determined adjective is as follows:
"I must admit it is rather  __________ to be conversing with royalty."
I might say "a bit" instead of "rather."
If I can not find my perfect descriptor, I will just be forced to describe the 2 juxtaposed emotions separately. I've already written a rough draft as a back up just in case the unimaginable happens and it turns out I'm hunting a word that doesn't exist. Here it is:
"I must admi it is a bit intimidating to be conversing with royalty. However, it is also a great honor. I feel very fortunate that..."
I think using "a bit" makes it less formal. And I don't wAnt to address him as MY prince, but rather A Prince that I happen to be friends with. So I am trying to maintain a careful balance between formal and casual types of parlance


texts: Ogooglebar , ungoogleable or agoogleable?

texts:
If something cant be found after searching on google.
Ogooglebar  or some other term?
Predictions? Is there already an accepted term?


texts: Use of definite article in "the more" and "the less"

texts:
Why is the definite article used in expressions like the more and the less? For example,

The more you study, the more you know.
The less you study, the less you know.


texts:
What's the origin of the idiom "to blow your own horn"?

Collins Dictionary suggests the following note regarding the BrE version with trumpet:

  Note: The usual British expression is blow your own trumpet. Note: In the past, the arrival of important people in a place was announced by the playing of trumpets.

Is there some metaphor behind it with some animal horn? Does the AmE "horn" version derive from the BrE "trumpet" one or viceversa?


texts: Why they use "own" in this sentence : "who's father own notable history..."

texts:
In the movie Tron: Legacy, there's a conversation:

I'm sure it comes as no surprise, who we have to acclaim. The head of our software design team. A man who's father own, uh, notable history with ENCOM, helped make this company, what it is today. Edward Dillinger.

My question is, why they use "own" in this sentence instead of using "owns" or "owned".

Thanks


texts:
I have a ranked list (series) of documents. I want to divide it into some buckets.

For example, if I represent a document with a number and have the list [2, 8, 3, 1, 4, 9, 5, 7] and I want to divide it into three buckets I can have [2], [8, 3, 1, 4], [9, 5, 7]. Note that the order is preserved.

What should I call this process? Is it chunking the list into some buckets? or is it segementing it into some buckets? or splitting into some buckets? or dividing into some buckets? or ...

I need it for a paper, and thus want the most formal and natural word.


texts: A word for "using two words next to each other that mean the same thing"?

texts:
I'm not even sure if there is a word for this. My partner says there is but I can't find it anywhere.

The example I'm giving is garlic aioli. The word aioli is a Mediterranean garlic and olive oil sauce, so why do they put garlic in front of the word aioli? It's like saying garlic, garlic and olive oil sauce.

Another example is Loch Ness lake, because apparently loch means lake in Scottish, it's like saying lake-Ness lake.

Anyways, I dunno if that makes much sense at all. Is there a word for that?


texts: Do native speakers use phrases like "a hard date" or "a hard stop"?

texts:
Recently, I've come across these two expressions with the unusual usage of the adjective hard:

We've reached a hard date.
You have a hard stop on what you can access.

In this context, I guess, it has a similar meaning to closing date or deadline, and hard itself means nonnegotiable.

From the Cambridge Dictionary

hard adjective (CLEAR)
[ before noun ] able to be proved:
hard facts/evidence

I looked up the two phrases in COCA and found out that they're both very, very rarely used.

So, do this sentences sound fine to you, or is there a more natural way to convey a similar meaning?


texts: How many hyphens are appropriate in "Vietnam war veteran turned performing artist Joe Smith"?

texts:
How many hyphens should there be in this phrase?

  Vietnam war veteran turned performing artist Joe Smith


texts:
I would like to ask you for clarification, if the usage of the when clause is correct in the second conditional.

In one book I found the sentence:

  When the factory came online in 1990, he would control the best factory in the world.

The first part of the sentence - When the factory came online in 1990 - never happened.

Is the when clause correctly used instead of an if clause?


texts:
Consider the following sentence, "Skye will become a doctor, and a priest if he finishes theology school."
My understanding is that the comma before the "and" does not follow the rules for comma placement. So that one must re-write the sentence to be:
Skye will become a doctor, and he will become a priest if he finishes theology school.
In the above sentence the "and" is connecting 2 independent clauses and therefore a comma before "and" is justified. Am I correct in saying that only the second sentence is grammatically correct in terms of comma placement?


texts: Prepositions for the word "placement" or "clinical placement"

texts:
Which of these is correct?

I went to cardiac ward in my first clinical placement.
I went to cardiac ward for my first clinical placement.
I went to cardiac ward on my first clinical placement.

Also, is it better to say I went in or I went to?


texts: What's the difference between 'resolve' and 'solve'?


texts: Is it grammatically correct to say “Utilities Operations”?

texts:
My department is titled Utilities Operations.  We run the utilities (heating, cooling, power) for a public university.

It seems to me that the correct title should be either Utility Operations or Utilities Operation.


texts: Is there any specific word to refer to a set of school subjects?

texts:
In Mexico we use word "bloqe" to refer a set of subjects to give titles to teachers. We need electronic signatures and business cards for them and we're not sure what word to use.
As the Direction is very conservative, decided not to use "set of subjects" and prefer to use only one word which refers to that.


texts: How to ask somebody for explanation politely

texts:
Which form is more polite and more acceptable for correspondence:

For example I am do not understand something and want to get more information about it.

Could you please explain...

or

Could you please clarify...

or maybe something else?


texts:
"The birds and the bees" is a euphemistic way of referring to sex.  As in, a parent 'telling their son about the birds and the bees' would be giving them "the talk" about sex.

Growing up, I got "the talk", but no references to birds or bees.  Now I find myself wondering about the origins of the phrase, and particularly if there's some canonical story that goes along with it that somehow relates avians and insectoids to the basic mechanics of sexual intercourse.  I struggle to envision any plausible way in which that metaphor might work (to the best of my knowledge, the only thing a bird might do with a bee is eat it).  But I always like a good story.

So is there any such thing?  Or is the term just a euphemism that's even more disconnected from the act it describes than normal for English euphemisms?  What are the origins, exactly?


texts: Phrase required for "Defeated person is more dangerous"

texts:
In my native language there exists a phrase Injured snake
A wounded snake is assumed to be more vigorous/dangerous.

Are there any similar phrase/idiom/proverb in English?


texts: What does "The devil take the waltz, my only regret is for the coda—I wish that had been a success!" mean?

texts:
"The devil take the waltz, my only regret is for the coda—I wish that had been a success!", Johann Strauss II said

I don't understand what he said, and what he means to.


texts: What is the origin of the phrase, "up for it"?

texts:
I was just reading something that suggested a very, umm, risqué interpretation of the phrase, "up for it". It made me wonder where and when this phrase actually originated. Does anyone know?

Collins Dictionary limits itself by saying:

  (informal) keen or willing to try something out or make a good effort:
  it's a big challenge and I'm up for it


texts: letter closing: with love/with affection

texts:
I am writing a letter to a friend of the opposite sex. The relationship is completely platonic and there is a significant age difference. We often write long letters to each other.  I usually close the letters with "Regards" and sign with the first letter of my first name, but it sounds impersonal. I wonder if it is appropriate to close with "with love" or "with affection." but I don't want the person to take it the wrong way.

Thoughts?


texts: What's the rhetorical term for when a historical quote is repurposed?

texts:
I'm writing a point about how Donne changes the words of the Lord's Prayer to alter the meaning. Is there a rhetorical term for this, when we borrow from a historical quote to lend our point gravitas?
I would say parody, but crucially in this instance it would be to add gravitas rather than to poke fun at something? ALthough I'm not sure if I'm missing the point!


texts: When did the term 'microcomputer' become obsolete?

texts: I'm old enough to remember that (around 1980) the first personal computers were referred to, triumphantly, as 'microcomputers'. When did this usage fade out?


texts: Is there a word that describes the phenomenon of a word being an example of what it is?

texts:
According to Wikipedia, "A mondegreen is a mishearing or misinterpretation of a phrase as a result of near-homophony, in a way that gives it a new meaning"

"Mondegreen" is also an example of a mondegreen, because it is a mishearing of "laid him on the green"

My question is this: Is there a word for this? That is, is there a word that describes the phenomenon of a word being an example of what it is?  Are there other instances of this?

To provide an analogous example, onomatopoeia characterizes a word which sounds like the sound it describes (ex, boom, chirp).

This question, thought related,  is different, I think.

Thanks!


texts:
What is the difference between "file version" and "file revision" history?
Is there any difference?

Meaning the previous file versions/revisions before some changes were made.Each file can have several versions/revisions and if needed one of them can be restored.

Which word is better in this context: version or revision?


texts: Better word for "massively-multidirectional"

texts:
The print and broadcast media (radio and television) are only capable of transmitting information in one direction, from the transmitting node (the printing press, the broadcast tower) to the receiving node (the newspaper, the TV).

On the medium of the internet, there is no transmitter/receiver dichotomy - information can flow to any node just as easily as it can flow from it.

If you were trying to describe the conversation taking place over these mediums on the macro-level, what word would you use to describe these different paradigms?

For instance, I've been saying that the internet inherently capacitates a "massively-multidirectional" conversational paradigm while the print and broadcast media can only capacitate a unidirectional conversational paradigm -- but I'm looking for a better terminology - I don't think these terms fully grasp the dichotomy I'm trying to describe.


texts: 'Right' is to 'Integrity' as 'Just' is to what?

texts: Or put another way, if integrity means doing the right thing when no one is looking what is doing the just thing when no one is looking? As I understand it being right is a qualitative trait, while being just is a quantitative trait.


texts: Is the phrase "various information" grammatically correct?

texts:
As far as I know, the adjective "various" always requires a plural noun; however, the English word "information" does not have any plural form. My question is therefore as follows: Is the phrase "various information" grammatically correct or should one instead use something like "various types / kinds of information"?

I already did some research on this issue, but found contradictory statements: While it is said here that "various information" is not correct, the Linguee dictionary has an entry for "various information", but also has many examples of external ressources using the phrase "various types of information" (here) and "various kinds of information" (here).


texts: Visit of, to, or at a research department?

texts:
A non-native speaker needs help with the following phrase to be used in the acknowledgments section of a research paper:

  "Parts of the this research were conducted during a visit of the International Law Group of Kalamazoo Law School."

All authors of the paper visited that place. I'm especially not sure whether it should be "visit of", "visit to" or "visit at". The length of the visit in question was six months. Maybe I haven't even listed the correct option.


texts: a large number of/ large numbers of, What's the difference?

texts:
Tests are hard to solve for large number of users.

Checking the similar usage of such expression, I think there is something wrong with the sentence. What's the best and correct? a large number OR large numbers OR even something else!


texts: What do you call what remains to be paid of invoice?

texts: There is an invoice in a computer system. It has the "total sum" and the "paid sum" associated with it. How do you call "what remains yet to be paid" on this one invoice? And which sign, plus or minus should be displayed along this number?


texts: would you help me out with examining this sentence? "That might even could happen"  be considered incorrect? Thank you.


texts: Is "can't" a euphemism or is it ambiguous?

texts:
People often say can't to mean won't.  I am not referring to lying, but in cases where it is very clear to the listener that the speaker intends to mean won't.  For example: I can't continue in this relationship.

Similarly, people often use can't to mean You should not or I will not allow you to.  For example: You can't embarrass me in public.

Is this simply a case where can't is being used as a euphemism?  Or is there some subtle ambiguity in the actual meaning of the word can / can't?


texts: What's the difference between amusing and diverting?

texts:
I was watching Flushed Away (2006) . In one scene (00:20:46) The Toad says

I know you'll find it diverting.

and a minute later (00:21:57) Roddy says :

Yes. I'd love to see more of your collection. It's very amusing, but
l...

which makes the Toad angry. I looked it up in Longman dictionary and it says diverting means:

entertaining and amusing

It looks like they have the same meaning. So, here is my question: what's the difference between "Amusing" and "Diverting"?


texts: Latin abbreviation to use in English to replace "as such"

texts:
I was wondering if I can use "et al." in order to say "as such" after a list of elements in a sentence given as example.

If not:

What can be the correct Latin abbreviation to use to replace "as such"?

Thank you


texts: Is there a word for "specify/determine something in terms of something else"?

texts:
I am attempting to translate a greek document and there is a concept that doesn't seem to translate to a given english word; one that I know at least.

It more or less says:

" Fiscus -a legal term- cannot be determined in terms of its own self; it can only be defined in terms of imperium, its direct opposite"...

This might be enough to convey the meaning of the sentence but I'm looking for something better. Is there a single word, or a better way to say "determined in terms of itself" (perhaps self-determined?) and "determined in terms of someting else" ?


texts:
Hey, teachers, leave them kids alone!

Intuitively "them" here sounds like it works like a plural "the".

Which varieties of English is this usage found in? When it occurs, does it encode a semantic difference (sort of a demonstrative, perhaps?), or is it just a drop-in replacement for the usual definite article?

I'm particularly interested in its occurrence (or lack of same) in Southern American dialects. To what extent would (American) listeners classify it as belonging to AAVE?


texts:
What’s the difference between “Kitchen gear” and “Kitchenware”?

Are they synonyms?


texts: Is it appropriate to say 'Young children born and grow up in their community'? Or it needs to be changed to ' Young children are born and grow up in their community'?


texts: Older equivalent to “concrete thought” metaphor?

texts:
What came first, concrete as a way to express a solid thought, or concrete as a solid building material?

And what I am really getting at is, prior to the invention of concrete as a building material, was there a different metaphor used to express the idea of a concrete thought?


texts: Why does "tanking" at something mean failing at it?

texts:
Why does tanking at something mean failing at it?

As an example:

  Mate, I tanked that maths exam.


texts:
But can be used to introduce an exclamation of surprise. Here's an example from Game of Thrones (not verbatim)

  But you're a pretty girl!

The sentence was supposed to mean roughly

  My god/Wow, you're a pretty....

The Oxford Dictionary does mention this but but they call it a conjunction. And that I find weird.

What is this but conjoining?
Isn't it a modal particle rather than a conjunction?


texts: Is it grammatically correct to say: "Answer it"?

texts:
Is the sentence "Answer it" grammatically correct?
Would it be more correct to say "Answer that" or "Answer this"
Ex: "My question is simple, answer it."


texts: Is there a "name" called for a same word used in different scenario?

texts:
For eg:

If you marry a wrong girl, you are finished.

and

My work is finished.

So, I just wanted to know if the word "finished" here got any name like "multiple usage of an English word"?

Is there a specific name for this kind of words in English ?

Thanks!


texts:
Suppose I write a "story" of the earth, taking a perspective with stream of consciousness (first person perspective).

Would this be fiction or non-fiction? Because I will be using facts (like global warming) to write this.


texts:
What are the metaphorical ways to say that someone has died?
For example "He has gone to the far country where he will be happy for ages".
P.S. There is this question, but it focuses on mentioning the person, while this question is more about mentioning the fact.

This question exists because it has historical significance, but it is no longer considered a good, on-topic question for this site, so please do not use it as evidence that you can ask similar questions here.
More info: https://english.stackexchange.com/faq


texts: A single word for two and four wheeled vehicles

texts: Is there any single word that signifies both two and four wheeled vehicles. i.e. Cars and Motorcycles?


texts: Question tags when 'nobody' is the object

texts:
As far as I know, the appearence of 'nobody' makes the question negative. So the question tag should be positive, right?

But what if the subject isn't nobody and the object is?

Example : I invited nobody.

What is the tag? "Did I?" Or "didn't I?"


texts: Why the expression "put on the socks" grammatically correct?

texts:
I know, this seems so natural, but what's the logic behind this?

Is there any difference between the above and....

Put the socks on

This one seems more right to me....cause I think it's an elliptical expression.

Complete meaning can be: put the socks on your feet.

But when I try seeing the initial one like this....I don't get able to do that.

How did the use of the first expression begin and how did it evolve?


texts:
I am always hesitating in writing to put commas before and after too, because it sort of encumbers the sentence or unnecessarily interrupts the course of meaning, at least in my eyes. Should it always be used between commas or is there a rule with exceptions that can guide me?
For example, I have no problem of putting a comma before 'too' when it ends a sentence:

She did not only buy apples but oranges, too.

But if 'too' is in the middle, that's where my hesitations begin:

His desire is to make sure that the law is applied in our district so that we, too, (or we too) may be protected.


texts:
I can't seem to find which one of these two wordings is correct:

  In 2014, the best two submitted runs were from unsupervised systems.

  In 2014, the two best submitted runs were from unsupervised systems.

Context: In 2014, multiple runs have been submitted. The first and second rank were unsupervised systems. Is there any difference in both variants? I'm currently using the first one but I'm struggling ;)


texts:
Is anything wrong with saying "My guess would be that it would be nice"?

I feel that the "would be that it would be" part sounds wrong somehow but I can't quite put my finger on why.


texts:
Example sentence:

  She tried to lift herself from the bed but only managed to __ her biceps, as if she’d done arm wrestling. Still, she gave it another shot.

I thought of the word strain but I think it implies that there's an injury?


texts: Does "stipulated" in a mathematical context mean "assumed"?

texts:
I don't have a specific example, but I seem to remember mathematical texts using the word "stipulated" to mean "assumed". Say something like

... and the validity of the last statement follows from the properties of the stipulated underlying
topological space...

But I'm not sure I got this right. Can "stipulated" be used in such a way?


texts:
Is there an idiom for telling my client to leave the lawyers to one side and sign a contract later on in the process -- something like "Let's not throw money at lawyers at this stage"?

Thanks,

Assaf.


texts: Word for something done for no effect, but makes people feel good about themselves

texts: What's a word for something done for no effect, but makes people feel good about themselves. For instance, in an argument about drug testing welfare recipients, if the facts say it doesn't actually do any good, but taxpayers feel better about having it there regardless, what word would sum that up?


texts: What terms and expressions can be used in English to show one's love to his/her girlfriend/boyfriend?

texts:
I know in every language there are a lot of ways and cute names to address your girlfriend or your boyfriend to show you love her/him. The names can be creative for any couple. As Andy mentions these names are called terms of endearment.
These are some very ordinary I know for examples:

Come here, sweetheart.
Relax baby, we're on holiday!
Look, darling, there's Mary.

What else can be used to address your girlfriend/boyfriend?


texts: 'I like their another app!' - 'Other' versus 'another'; grammatical usage

texts:
I am helping a foreign language partner with English, but she asked me a question that stumped me.

If I understand correctly, 'Other' is an adjective. 'Another' is also an adjective.

Theoretically, if they are both adjectives, then they could be switched in a sentence without having to change the syntax.

However the sentence was given to me, "I like their another app."

I told her to use, "I like their other app."

It just doesn't sound right, but I cannot find any grammatical justification for saying what I am saying.

Please help.


texts: Can I say "let's soak" meaning "let's get soaked"?

texts:
I'm having a hard time with some lyrics that I've been writing.
The verb "to soak" got me stuck, because I'm not sure if I'm using it correctly.

At first, I wanted to say:

"Girl, by tomorrow we will be apart/
Until the morning, let us soak as feelings pour."

However, I'm not sure if it's right. When I say "let's soak as feelings pour", I want it to mean "let's get soaked". I've seen a couple examples in the internet where "soak" is being used instead of "get soaked", as in "I wanna soak in your sea" (excerpt of a song by "Cactus"). So, can anyone help me with this? I'm really stuck.

Another little thing, I have these other two options. I don't like how they sound with the melody, but they work:
"'til then, wanna soak in you as feelings pour."
"'til then, let us soak in love as feelings pour.""

Is it correct? Or ar there any problems with the way it's written?


texts:
When two phenomena are interrelated, the linkage between them may be characterized as either strong or close. Google suggests that the two are equally common in both academic and non-academic contexts. Are the two completely synonymous, or are there nevertheless differences between them (as slight as they might be) in meaning or linguistic register?

A few examples from Google Scholar:
 1. "strong linkage between inequality and political violence"
 2. "close linkage between cultural ideals of masculinity and femininity and
    sexual expression."
 3. a strong linkage between cultural values and constitutional choices"
 4. "close linkage between social rank and access to resources"


texts: Word for the removal of a marked property

texts: The use-case I'm working with is pretty simple. A record can be marked as deleted or removed by a method I named mark_deleted. However I can't find a good word for the reverse, the closest I've come is simply unmark but I feel like there should be a better option.


texts: What is the difference between "How close is your house to the highway" and "How far is your house from the highway"?

texts:
I was talking to a friend of mine when I asked:

  How close is your house to the highway?

He said that, since I was discussing distance, it would have been more grammatically correct to ask:

  How far is your house from the highway?

Is there any real difference between the two when speaking to someone (or in this case, texting)?


texts: Using "who" for things (nonliving beings)

texts:
On an online typing tutor site I came across the following phrase:

  We're now going to move on to words who's first letter originates on the top row.

Can "who" normally be used in this way (to refer not only to people)?


texts:
Can I use gerunds with the word "concede" without using preposition "to" as in the sentence below?

  He concedes killing his wife.


texts: Is the phrase "large number core machine" correct?

texts:
I would like to use the following phrase for a machine with large number cores. Is this correct? Please let me know.

large number core machine


texts: Why is there a lack of use of the subjunctive mood in this section?

texts:
I was reading a novel called Pilgrim and on page 85, I stumbled upon the following:

  It was as though the little cage of the elevator was a miniature stage—and its operator a stage manager.

In such a situation, why isn't were used instead of was? It's a hypothetical situation and contrary to fact (the elevator isn't a stage), so the subjunctive mood should be used, right?


texts:
I think in the following sentence:

  Adam's answer was similar to that of clergy.

"That of clergy" can be replaced by "clergy's" or "clergy's answer":

  Adam's answer was similar to clergy's.

So, if my understanding is correct, can we say the following two sentences are grammatically equivalent too?

  This is my book. This book is of me.

Since in the first sentence, "of clergy" was indicating possession, I expect "of me" to mean "mine" and indicate another form of possession too.


texts:
I am not a native English speaker. I am working on a computer program whose purpose is to recognize whether an English word is a "nominalizations" or not.

I have consulted Wikipedia and other resources. Is the following method, to identify if a word is a nominalization, correct?

See if the word is a noun. If it is a noun, check if it ends with "ment", "ation", "ing" or "ance". If it ends with any of these, then it's a nominalization otherwise it is not.

Do you think that approach is correct? If not, can you kindly point out how should I go about it? Thanks in advance.


texts: "She did not report for work" vs. "she did not report to work"

texts:
Which of the two is grammatical or is better in style — "report for work" or "report to work"?

I've always used the first, "report for work", following the pattern of "report for duty", which I always hear law-enforcement folks use.


texts: phrase or idiom meaning 'I don't have enough money nowadays.'

texts:
Is there any phrase or idiom meaning 'I don't have enough money nowadays'?

I just want to know sentences which are used in everyday life.


texts: Completely, Utterly, or Tremendously excited?

texts:
What intensifier would be good for "EXCITED"? And why?

I would also need an article or something to strengthen my knowledge of intensifiers, whether (and why) adjectives (or whatever) are gradable or ungradable. Thank you.


texts: What category includes "news", "articles", and "stories"

texts: I have created a dropdown menu for my website. In this dropdown menu I have put a tab for audio, a tab for video, but I don't know what to call the category that include (News, articles, and stories altogether). I'm looking for a word that says something like this: "The reading stuff found here". In other words, even though the word video includes many different subjects, someone understand this is a category that has all videos. Is there something similar for the reading part ?


texts:
On my bag, I have a quote: Be not inhospitable to strangers lest they be angels in disguise. I thought the quote was from Shakespeare on my bag.

However, it is also a quote from the bible.

If I repeat the quote, am I quoting the bible or my bag?


texts:
As far as what I've learned, this is how you use the phrase "as a result".
e.g. He was late, as a result, he didn't catch the bus.
   = He was late***,*** he didn't catch the bus as a result.

I would like to know whether you need "and" as a conjunction with phrases like this.

---He was late, and as a result, he didn't catch the bus. (correct?)
  ---He was late***, and*** he didn't catch the bus as a result. (correct?)
  ---He was late. He didn't catch the bus as a result. (correct?)

How do I know whether I need conjunctions when dealing with phrases like this?


texts: What's the reason for calling cheap seats at the theatre nosebleed seats?

texts: I've never heard of this idiom before today and thought it was an especially curious one. What's the origin of calling the cheap seats the nosebleed seats at the theater?


texts: How does suffixing adjectives with "ass" work out grammatically?

texts: Why is it grammatically correct apparently to say, for example "My annoying-ass art teacher"? Or is it? If ass is a noun normally, then what part of speech is it when used to suffix an adjective? Can someone please explain how suffixing adjectives with ass grammatically works out? Is it even technically grammatically correct? If so, what part of speech is it? My question is not a duplicate as it is not related to origins.


texts: Use of 'e pluribus' as an adjective and meaning?

texts: I came across a sentence that uses 'e pluribus' as an adjective. I can't give the exact sentence, but it's something like 'They have many e pluribus quizzes'. Is this commonplace, and what is its meaning? Thank you!


texts: Is there an equivalent of "bless you" for coughing?

texts: This guy over here... he keeps coughing.  I want to say something like "bless you" to express the I-feel-for-ya-man kind of sympathy token, but I've got nothing.  No good way to say it.  "Nice coughing" doesn't seem right.


texts: How is 'frappé' correctly pronounced? I know that it is from French origin and I used to pronounce it \fra-ˈpā\ (as I've seen on Merriam-Webster). But when my classmates heard me, they corrected me and said it is a one-syllable word without the long a sound. I also hear the local celebrities and other people ordering frappés without the long a. I am from an English-speaking Asian country.


texts:
I was reading a blog post, titled "7 Ways to Get Smart", and it just come to my mind, If it can be titled also "7 Ways to be Smart". I really feel lost, when I try to distinguish between 'to be smart' and 'to get smart'.

Considering the two statments :

- 7 Ways to Get Smart
- 7 Ways to Be Smart

Is the first statment is strongly the right one ? or both are already correct?


texts: Name of 'rule for sequential possessive'

texts:
I've been unable to successfully search for or determine the name of this scenario that involves multiple possessive words in sequence.
We purchased some flowers for the mother of our friend, Jane. I would like to say,

"Here are Jane's mother's flowers."

Is there a name for this construction (not 'compound' or 'joint' possessive since the word "and" is not used)? Is this an unfortunate choice of wording that should be replaced with some other phrasing?


texts: What connotation does, "to have something on someone" have?

texts: Does "to have something on someone" connote wrongdoing, or is it innocuous?


texts: Origin of "he's 6 feet tall if he's an inch"

texts:
I have heard this pattern used before in American English:

She's 6 feet tall if she's an inch.
It was a gallon of blood if it was a drop.
The baby was 10 pounds if it was an ounce.

I assume that it means something like, "She is 6 feet tall, which is very tall." But this to me is such a bizarre and illogical way of conveying the message that it's distracting, and I cannot get myself to say it even if it comes to me. Anyone know the origin of this, or can breathe some reasoning into this phrase to justify its appreciation?


texts:
Is this sentence correct? Could anyone explain why it is correct or not?

After you have done everything you could, you will always find that someone else did more.

I find it hard to understand this type of sentences. First we have a past tense and then there's the future tense. Could someone explain this to me, please?


texts: What does the sentence "You never said anything about playing musical people." mean?

texts:
I saw this sentence in a work of fiction. A man invited a woman to his house. It turned out that the man was having some kind of licentious party with nude people playing in a pool. The woman was a bit pissed and complained to the man: "You never said anything about playing musical people".

Does it mean "people who play music"? Although the context has nothing to do with music. Or is there any other implication?


texts: Is there a secular, non vulgar alternative to "for heaven's sake"?

texts:
I know for heaven's sake, for Pete's sake, for God's sake and for Christ's sake. All of those, however are religious references. The only non-religious equivalent phrases I know are for fuck's sake and its variations.
Are there any non-vulgar, non-religious alternatives? I am very used to the general construct of for X's sake and am looking for something along the same lines that I could use in cases like

C'mon, it's just a scratch for X's sake!
That's not even true for X's sake!

It does not need to also be applicable as a general exclamation of frustration (Oh, for chrissake!) but that would be nice. Basically, I'm looking for a synonym for the "Oh come on!" sense of for fuck's sake rather than the Oh shit! one.

EDIT: Since this has gotten quite a bit of attention, I would like to urge those who answer to read the entire question, not just the title. I am not just looking for polite swearwords but for something that can be used in the example phrases above.


texts: Should we use a comma after the word that is after OR?

texts:
Specks of kryptonite, gorgonite, kraterite, or reddite, or sometimes all four, can cause Superman to become sick.

Should there be a comma after "four"?

I know that in most sentences we do not include a comma after the word "or" such as the following example. John, Jane, or Sally will come to the party.

But I'm wondering if in the first example, there is some special rule about using the phrase "sometimes all four" which makes it a non-restrictive clause.


texts:
What is the meaning of this sentence?

  They had heard so very little of this; yet it was enough to build up wretched dolorous dreams upon, there in the shade of the night. (Thomas Hardy, Tess of the d'Urbervilles, 1891)


texts: When speaking, how to link "barged her" in "She barged her way through the shopping crowds"?

texts:
She barged her way through the shopping crowds.

The complete form should be [bʌdʒd hər]. I'm not sure in order to link those two words when speaking, it should be [bʌdʒ ər] or [bʌdʒd ər]? Thanks.


texts: Name for homonymous words in one language and when translated are also homonyms

texts:
Is there a name for when there are two homonymous words in one language that, when translated, are also homonymous with the parallel meanings as the other language? Since I find it very difficult just to explain, I will give some examples.

Second - Second (English)

It will just take a second.
The runner came in second place.

Segundo - Segundo (Portuguese)

Só ira levar um segundo.
O corredor chegou em segundo lugar.

Cold - Cold (English)

It's freezing cold today.
The school was a cold, unwelcoming place.

Frio - Frio (Portuguese)

Está frio hoje.
A escola era um lugar frio e hostil.

Note: The Portuguese sentences and words translate exactly to the ones in English.


texts: Is this usage correct? “versions N and prior”

texts:
Or is this correct "version N and prior"?

Mainly, I'm asking about this because in

  version N and prior

I think that "versions" are implied by prior, hence one would read it as

  version N and [versions] prior

while in the first example

  versions N and prior

the usage of "versions" is incorrect since after this we have direct one version.

First example could be corrected to

  versions: X and prior

however, without ":" it looks incorrect to me.

Thanks for your help.


texts: A word for someone who gets scared easily

texts:
I have looked online and most websites reference words such as cowardly and spooked. Those however don't seem to reflect what I am looking for.

I am looking for a simple word to call someone who gets scared easily.

Sample sentence:

  Bob is so _______. He gets scared so easily!


texts: How to determine the complexity of a sentence?

texts:
I am working on an app to help people learn English as a second language. I have validated that sentences help in learning a language by providing extra context. I did that by conducting a small research in a classroom of 60 students.

I have mined over hundred thousand sentences from Wikipedia for various English words (Including Barrons'800 words and 1000 most common English words)

Entire data is available at https://buildmyvocab.in

In order to maintain the quality of content, I filtered out sentences which were longer than 160 characters since they might be difficult to understand.

As a next step, I want to be able to automate the process of sorting this content in the order of ease of understanding. I myself am a non-native English speaker. I want to know what features I can use to separate easy sentences from difficult ones.

Also, do you think this is possible? As English experts do you think we can make a machine understand the complexity of sentences?


texts: ‘…funding {on/in/for} a small number of departments’

texts:
"Funding on" versus "funding in" versus "funding for"? Which of the three is correct.

E.g.

  The government concentrates research funding on/in/for a small number of top departments.


texts: some of his most characteristic work or some of his most characteristic works?

texts:
I am a Korean English teacher. I am teaching about Monet.
But I have encountered a grammatically strange expression like the following first sentence.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1551703/Cataracts-the-key-to-Monets-blurry-style.html
Monet suffered from cataracts for much of his later life.
During that time, he produced some of his most characteristic work.

During that time, he produced some of his most characteristic works.

I think that in the sentence, the word “work” must be changed into “works.”
Am I wrong or is the original incorrect?
Could you please explain which is correct or incorrect?


texts: "The more time a person invests" vs. 'the more time a person will invest'

texts:
Consider the following two sentences:

  Because the more time a person invests into specific interests, the better their results.
  Because the more time a person will invest into their specific interests, the better their results.

Why is it that the first one is preferred on stylistic grounds?


texts: Single verb meaning "to become more interested" or "to let your attention be caught"

texts:
Is there is a single verb that describes the action of becoming more alert and attentive to something?

If a teacher were to rivet students with an engrossing story or if a passerby were to strike up a conversation with a preoccupied stranger sitting on a bench what would be a word for the action of the students or the stranger in letting their attention be engaged?
We use the phrase "catch someones attention" to describe the action of the teacher or passerby, but we don't often describe the way the students or stranger lets themselves be distracted.

EXAMPLE: "So and so was sitting on a bench absorbed in her thoughts when she heard her friend's name mentioned in a nearby conversation and immediately ________ with curiosity."

I'm specifically looking for a word similar to straightened/perked/piqued, however these examples are insufficient for one reason or another. Although straightened captures the bodily gesture I am looking for it is too general of a word and neglects to signify curiosity. Perked signifies a cheerfulness or liveliness rather than a stimulation of interest. And piqued too frequently carries the connotation of irritation or resentment.

EDIT:

I find it necessary to add this clarification to my question now that I have observed the direction of the answers. As FumbleFingers pointed out, I have "unwittingly restricted the scope of possible answers" to a precise context, and I apologize for not originally providing the sentence in which I intend to use the word. I neglected to do so because I thought the context would be difficult to explain in a concise manner and wrongly assumed it would be unnecessary to the discovery of a suitable word.

The sentence belongs to a novel I am writing in which a building, named Mançion, is sentient. Madee, the so and so, grows up in this building and is its close companion. It communicates with her via telepathy. At this particular point in the story Madee is wandering around Mançion as is her regular wont for the past decade since the building has countless rooms of incomparable wonder and beauty. While she is wandering absentmindedly the building asks her if she is ready to go for a walk. Given how normal walks are for her, (and the fact that she is already on a walk) the question strikes her as peculiar and catches her attention. Understanding this context I am looking for a word that will express the way she alters from absentminded wandering to a rather calm curiosity. Most of the words that have already been suggested carry too much liveliness or energy in their implication, which is out of keeping with the mood of the scene and therefore why I cannot use them.

The actual sentence in which I will be using this word is as follows:

Madee _____ with curiosity and followed Mançion down a passageway that opened in the wall.

It is true that I have chosen to retain with curiosity in the sentence. I feel that the mood would not be conveyed as adequately without it. Perhaps I just assume that no word would capture the almost absentminded perking of attention while still conveying a hint of curiosity.
I apologize for being so persnickety. It is more than likely that no word exists which precisely conforms to the definition I am seeking and I will merely have to satisfy myself with one of the answers that have been provided or adjust my sentence.

P.S. alwayslearning seems to have caught on to the gist of what I'm looking for.


texts: What's the origin of "cold" being used roughly for "no (proper) introduction"?

texts: E.g. cold call in marketing, cold open in movies. Also "unsolicited" and "unexpected" seem to be synonyms  but is there a better one?


texts: What is the difference between 'decrease' and 'reduce' in the context set out below?

texts: While walking at a brisk pace with a friend, I said we should "reduce our pace", but immediately corrected myself to "decrease our pace". I then went back and forth, not being able to decide which one is correct. Could you guys please help me decide? Thank you!


texts:
I'm looking for a single word that means "little gift":

  Sorry I couldn't buy you anything, but here's a _____ of ten dollars to spend.

As for the context, it should be like one you'd see in letters between close friends i.e. informal and the word shouldn't be too long.


texts: Where is the verb in a "What about...?" clause

texts:
As a teacher of ESL to children, I teach the importance of finding/adding both the subject and verb, in their native language, before translating to English. I've come across a grammar construct which I don't fully understand myself, so teaching it to others is even more problematic.
Given the following constructs:

A: "I'd like some coffee. What about you?"

or

A: "Michael is ill."
B: "What about the doctor?"

how would one explain the subject and verb in the "What about...?" clause? Is it even a clause or rather a phrase?


texts: How does one pluralize a name that ends with a silent x?

texts:
My friend Paul Robichaux (noted O'Reilly author, Exchange MVP, and all-around good guy) was tagged in a Facebook post today in which the poster lamented that they “were missing a few tall Robichauxs.”

A plural that reflects pronunciation looks sensible and certainly less awkward than Robichauxes. Is it correct in this case?


texts: Healthcare or Health care ? Which one is correct?


texts: How does this Chinese phrase translates back to English?

texts:
This had been news for a while now.

We've had reports on TV and net blogs about inappropriate videos known as "儿童邪典" which translates literally to "children evil compendium". These videos depicts inappropriate adult content using well-known children cartoon characters.

According to the reports, western video sharing and social media sites such as YouTube and Facebook also had faced similar problems, and "now these videos are penetrating the Chinese Internet".

So what I'm deadly curious about, is what had these types of videos been called in English, do they have a shorter name, when they're reported in English media, and if possible, the historical background of what happened.


texts: Difference between "leverage" and "utilize"

texts:
Sooner or later, you want to leverage Zend_Application better by
  creating your own resource plugins.

Can leverage above be replaced by utilize?


texts:
This is a paragraph from Kent Beck's book on Test Driven Development:

  Clean code that works – now. This is the seeming contradiction that lies behind much of the pain of programming. Test-driven development replies to this contradiction with a paradox – test the program before you write it.

What is the seeming contradiction in the first line of the above paragraph? If I take the meaning of seeming as apparent, I don't see the connection between seeming and contradiction in the above paragraph. What is it that is apparently contradictory in that line?


texts:
What kind of word form is "analytica"? It sounds English enough, but does it mean anything?

Googling doesn't really doesn't turn up anything helpful.


texts:
I was doing some exercises on error spotting and I came across this sentence:

"Iodine deficiency is an easy and inexpensive nutrient disorder to prevent." (1)

The answer suggested is to replace "to prevent" with "to be prevented", as the sentence should be in passive voice.

It occurred to me that the sentence "It's an easy thing to do" (2) is fairly common. Is this sentence grammatically wrong? "It's an easy thing to be done" sounds awkward to me.

If (2) is right and (1) is wrong, then what is the difference between the two sentences?


texts:
In my language there is an older form in which you use kinship term in the middle of a sentence, in which normally you would use "you". Here's how this would look translated to English

Normal -> "Dad, why do you think it's a bad idea?" (second person)

Older form -> "Why does Dad think it's a bad idea?" (third person)

They both mean the same thing in my native language. My question is, does the second form actually exist in English as a form to refer to your dad while talking with him?


texts:
I saw a short paragraph today which is using 'endless' to describe 'features'. Could you advise me whether it is a suitable usage? It sounds strange to me. Following is the original paragraph.

  Check out the endless features included in the easy to set-up forward folding camper trailer! We've packed it with features such as a huge toolbox with two fridge slides, slide out kitchen complete with a 4 burner stove, stainless steel sink and electric tap connected to a 80L stainless steel water tank and so much more. Watch Camping Cam take you through all the inclusions of our Coorong GT package.


texts: What is the correct passive form of the word "checker"?

texts:
I'm not a native speaker.
Earlier today I struggled to find the passive form of "checker", that is, the one who was checked.

Maybe more precisely, the one who received the checking.
My context is a peer reviews project. Consider an assignment handed to students in school, where the students check each other's work. In such a situation, there's the checker and the one being checked.

Can you help me figure it out?
Thanks!


texts:
Awfully is a word, as noted in Merriam-Webster's definition of awful. I recently said this:

  Your snoring is awfully bad.

I was in a group, and the majority agreed that awful was correct:

  Your snoring is awful bad.

Which is correct: awful bad or awfully bad, and why?


texts:
I'm a studying English using a book titled "Grammar in use".

I've learned that "all day" means "the complete day from beginning to end".

The book says, "Note that we say "all day" (not "all the day")".

I know that we can say "all the ____", e.g. "all the time", "all the flowers", etc.

However, I want to know why the book states that we can't say "all the day".

So — why can't we?


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  When is the use of “north” more appropriate than “northern” and vice versa?

Are there any differences in meanings of South vs Southern, North vs Northern, and so on, when used in to modify a location? If yes, what is it?

One example I can think of is that South America normally means the area where Brazil, Argentina, etc. are, and Southern America normally means the southern part of the US. Is this only a special case or is this an instance of a more generalized rule?


texts: How to guess/divine definitions from etymology?

texts:
I've been using the word 'intuition' to characterise such questions, of which I've asked many, so I'd like to learn or be enlightened about the general methodology. Is there a formal term?

Supplementary: Thanks to the answer below about etymological fallacy, I've emended this question. I don't expect 100% precision with this modality, but it can lessen the need to memorise definitions, review >3 times each new word, or post a new question for each word? I prefer to try 'intuiting' or glossing words for myself, also to improve my remembrance.

If you weren't educated about this formally, then how did you acquire or develop this skill? Books? Online resources?


texts: Which one is grammatically correct: "peoples who" or "peoples which"?

texts:
I am very confused if I should use the pronoun "who" or "which" when referring to nations. Here is the quote:

  This was partly due to diseases, but it was also due to the African peoples, who/which were able to undermine the British at every turn.

As the word "peoples" is in the plural, I think it refers to separate African nations not to the people Africa.

So which one is grammatically correct:  "which" or "who"?


texts: What is the name for the walkable area above a stadium?

texts: Generally, in some indoor stadiums or arenas or theaters, if you will...there is a walkable space in the roof or the area directly above the stage...from which many technical activities are performed...


texts: Why is the spelling of rhythm so exceptional?

texts:
Rhythm has a very unusual spelling, breaking a lot of the common rules of thumb for spelling words. The rh is unusual; the use of y as a vowel in the middle of the word is unusual; and the lack of a normal vowel between the th and the m is extremely unusual

What is its etymology, and why does it have such an unexpected spelling?


texts:
I found the word “laser-focused on the bottom line” in the following sentence of the New York Times (August 6) op ed titled, “Dream, Baby, Dream!”

  “We also know – look at Syria – dictators who have spent decades ruling through fear do not go quietly into the night any more than great powers readily abandon their profitable dominions. And I thought these finance guys were hard-nosed realists laser-focused on the bottom line.

  Dream on, Mitt, dream on! Even if your dreams, to use that word you let drop on the Olympics in London and then scrambled to retract, are “disconcerting.”

I think laser-focused simply means “pinpointed” or “sharply focused.” It doesn’t seem to be any foreign word to me. However, curiously enough, this apparently easy-to-relate word is not found in any of Oxford, Cambridge, and Merriam-Webster online dictionary, or in Ngram inventory.

Other online vocabulary site e.g. www.wordnik.com says 'laser-focused' hasn't been added to any lists yet.

But I found the catch phrase, “Wal-Mart ‘gets laser-focused’ on lowest prices again” in DailyFinance.

Is laser-focused a received English word, or a business jargon, or just an up-and-coming word?


texts: Is "Proteases functions" correctly written?

texts:
A protease is a type of protein; there are several proteases, each with different functions.

If we want to refer to all those functions in general, is proteases functions correctly written? Should it be protease functions?

I mean to say functions of proteases.


texts: Another phrase for "a chicken and egg situation"

texts: Is there any other phrase that conveys the same meaning as  the phrase "a chicken and egg situation" especially if one has to use this phrase in an official/corporate set up?


texts: Where does the phrase "Job Lot" come from?

texts:
The phrase "Job Lot" is used in auctions to mean an often assorted quantity of something, for example a "job lot of bicycle parts" could be a load of tyres, wheels, handlebars, frames, chains, etc.

I figure that 'lot' probably comes from the 'lot number' in an auction, or from the fact that there is a large quantity (a lot) of the items. But what about 'job' - what does that mean in this context?


texts: Why are the past and present tenses of "read" spelt the same?


texts: Is it correct to put 'the' before uncaring?

texts:
There was an article on local daily titled 'To all the uncaring people'.
Is it correct to put the before uncaring?
Your take on this.


texts: Word for "putting an end to one's solitude" or "be with someone"?

texts:
In Arabic there is a one-word verb that approximately means "being with someone and not letting them be alone". It could be used in phrases like:

"يؤنس وحدتي "

"أنت تؤنسني"

"يؤنس وحشتي"

It is used in Arabic when someone is feeling lonely and you make them feel not so lonely anymore and make them feel safe .. it could be used in a romantic way..

The verb in Arabic is "يؤنس", it is transitive and usually takes 'loneliness'/'solitude' as an object.

Is there a transitive verb in English that has the same meaning?

Could it be that English speakers don't have this feeling because there is no equivalent/accurate translation?!


texts:
What is a noun for identifying with someone? In Hebrew there is quite a good word for it.

I'm not looking for sympathy or empathy, but a proposed definition of sympathy does reflect my intent although the use of the word seems misleading:

  Agree with a sentiment or opinion

or

  Sharing the thoughts of someone (not with someone)


texts: Difference between "detection method" vs "detecting method"

texts:
I'm not a native speaker of English. So, I don't know English Grammar well.
What's difference between "detection method" vs "detecting method"?
Which one is correct?
Is it related to
I'm writing this sentence "This paper proposes an automated intersection detecting method."
The intersection means cross road on the map.
Thanks.


texts:
What are the roots of the word aluminium?

I am interested since English and Americans spell the word differently (with and without the final i respectively).

Edit: If aluminum was the original word and was later amended to aluminium (as OpaCitiZen states below), why did the change take place? There are other elements which end in -um rather than -ium (e.g. platinum). Also, why was the change not universal?


texts:
Dictionaries(dictionary.com, OALD etc.) suggest that leave (absence from work) is a noun- uncountable, which means it has to be "leave" for plural. Also, searching SE to find Applying/earning/validating leave and What does the "leave" mean in "parental leave" and "unpaid leave"? did not help. The title I used might not be explanatory per se, I couldn't think of a way to better phrase it.
I forwarded a combined leave request to my boss at work for several occasions at once. For instance, I requested for a casual leave on Friday, 6th July and Friday, 13th July and additionally a long planned leave from Wednesday, 25th July till Friday, 24th August.
In reply, the approval e-mail read

Approved, forwarded leaves are granted.
N.B: Please remain reachable on your cell phone and e-mail during all your
leaves.

In my understanding, it should still be leave, but somehow leaves started sounding more correct as the reference was made to several instances of my leave (M-W illustrates an example and uses it for plural and wiktionary too). Is there a word "leaves" for multiple instances of leave if combined? Please quote a reference and any other usage.
Edit: added references which caused more confusion.


texts: What do we call the little cape that just covers the shoulder?

texts:
The Coneheads wore little capes that just covered the shoulders.

What's the word or phrase for these little doodads?


texts:
I noticed that in banks' publications, they speak of notes and coin (rather than coins).

So, is coin a non-count noun, like fruit and fish?

We'd say, "Do you have any fruit/fish in your fridge?" (rather than fruits/fishes).

Should we also say, "Do you have any coin in your drawer?"


texts:
"How much ever you prepare, it is your attitude in the exam hall that matters"

From a previous question concerning the same phrase, I realize "how ever much" could be used.But I am asking this because of 2 reasons.
1. It does seem to make a little sense, that is
how much- doesn't it imply the level of preparation
and ever- for whatever period of time you might have prepared.
2. I have seen the phrase being used in a lot of sites.

Is there any chance for the phrase to be used by a native speaker of English ?

If I use how ever much, would it mean the same thing ?


texts: Is there a better way to say "since the hour last changed"?

texts:
I am looking for a better, possibly idiomatic, phrase to describe the place in time "since the hour last changed".

A simplistic example: if the time was 6.31pm, it would be thirty-one minutes since the hour last changed. Another usage could be for whenever a counter is reset every hour, on the hour. For example, if a counter estimating the children born in the world was reset each hour, is there a better way to say "X children were born since the hour changed"?


texts: When phrases with the same words are combined by "and"/"or"

texts:
How are phrases with the same words joined by the conjunctions "and" and "or" to avoid repeating the same ones? If I intend to say sentence 1 below, which of sentences 2 to 5 has/have the same meaning?

What are the differences between the North Pole and the South Pole?
What are the differences between the North and the South Pole?
What are the differences between the North and the South Poles?
What are the differences between the North and South Pole?
What are the differences between the North and South Poles?

Would you rewrite the following sentences to make them more concise?

There are a red flag and a blue flag.
South Korea and North Korea are located on the Korean Peninsula.
Which continent is bigger, North America or South America?

Thank you.


texts: What is the origin of "rag" meaning newspaper?

texts:
In Australia and the UK, some folks refer to a newspaper as a rag, and I am curious how this term was coined.

Although most people would ask for a newspaper, I have gone around asking "Have you got a copy of today's rag?" today and only one out of twelve people I asked (I asked in coffee shops and the like) didn't know what I meant straight away.

I am trying to make a connection - dirty rag, newspaper commonly used to pack stuff or for cleaning (not a good idea anyhow) but I am stumped as the actual origins of the word.


texts: What do you mean by "co-operation, not collaboration"?

texts:
Two words, "co-operation" and "collaboration", sound similar to me. But what do you mean by this subtitle in this context? Thank you.

Co-operation, not collaboration
Thus, if Mr Abbas’s Palestinian Authority (PA) is weak, then Israel needs to build it up, not undermine it. Without progress to a state, the PA cannot maintain security co-operation with Israel for ever; nor can it regain its credibility. Israel should let Palestinians move more freely and remove all barriers to their goods (a freer market would make Israel richer, too). It should let the PA expand beyond its ink-spots. Israel should voluntarily halt all settlements, at least beyond its security barrier.

The legacy of the six-day war, The Economist, 20 May 2017 Issue
http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21722162-more-ever-land-peace-also-means-land-democracy-why-israel-needs-palestinian-state


texts:
"Environmentally-friendly" sounds completely normal to me. So does "Environment-friendly". But I'm pretty sure I favour the former (despite the fact that I normally prefer the shorter of any two equivalent terms).

According to Google, I'm in good company. At least, the 'allies' massively outnumber those who say "Environment-friendly".

Why is this? Environment seems like a straightforward noun. All the other -friendly constructions I can think of just bolt on to the uninflected noun...

User-friendly software, Gay-friendly bar, Dolphin-friendly tuna, etc.

I hesitate to ask "What's so special about the environment?", but there it is being asked.

Later... Note that my focus is on why the inflected form apparently 'just happens' to be used with environment, but not with other nouns.


texts:
I've found out that there are several prepositions for the word alternative that all seem to be correct, however, I think there should be a best choice. Do these prepositions affect the meaning in some way?

For:

  Ensure that the text alternative for CAPTCHA images identifies the type of task and what is required from the user to complete it

To:

  This solution is far from perfect, but it is a potential alternative to Captcha nonetheless.

Of:

  In this tutorial, we discussed an alternative of captcha, a plugin called GASP (Growmap Anti spambot Plugin).

Personally, as in my recent article, I do prefer to use "To" as preposition.


texts:
I'd like to know which is the correct option:

  He went to bed without my telling him to.
  He went to bed without me telling him to.

I was pretty certain it is the first, but I am unclear on why.

Is telling a gerund or participle?


texts: Word for the object that encircles another object

texts:
What is a single word for something that is used to encircle another object?
For example, a general name for rings that encircle Saturn. 'Encirclage' is my guess, but it seems the word doesn't exist.

Sample sentence:

  The encircled regions are complete events. The geometrical shape of the ______ could be any closed polygon.


texts: How to start email if I am not sure other party remembers me?

texts: I had a contact with a person a long ago. If I want to contact with him now, is it okay to write something like 'I am not sure if you remember me, we met ....'? Or you will suggest other ways which sound milder?


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Why do some words have “X” as a substitute?

I came upon the word "xfered" recently. From what I gather, it means "transferred", and I believe it is used in computer-related areas. Am I correct and does anyone know the origin of this word?


texts: Will we ever come up with non-gender specific pronouns and possessive pronouns for the English language? It seems that there are many new words in the English language every year, so why not gender-neutral pronouns? This would solve many problems, in literature and in everyday life.


texts:
I noticed the usage of go they went in the TV show How I Met Your Mother:

Marshall: Where are all my underpants?
Lily: Did you check your suitcase?
(Marshall checks his suitcase, gives a thumbs-up)
Marshall: Let's go.
Future Ted VO: And go they went, all the way to St. Cloud, Minnesota, Marshall's hometown.

Is using this expression correct?


texts: Is it possible to say "I have to take 5 stops by/on bus to get to my school"?  meaning: my school is 5 stops away from my home, I get there by bus.


texts: What does it mean to beat one's hands together?

texts:
In Bram Stoker's Dracula, characters are described as beating their hands together (see chapters 21, 17, and 11), typically in situations of stress or helplessness. What is this gesture? At first, I read it like "clapping", but that makes no sense in context. Is it to clasp the hands and move them up-and-down in a mime of supplication? If so, how do you do this with "open hands", as in chapter 17?

As a follow-on, has anyone seen this phrase elsewhere?


texts:
Now, over several years after the first experiment, more than one hundred similar studies have been conducted all over the world.

Which parsing of 'over several years after the first experiment' is right? and what is the appropriate meaning of 'over'? 'during' or 'more than'?

1) If the meaning of 'over' is 'during', then the structure will be as follows:
[over several years] [after the first experiment]
In this parsing, each preposition phrase is separate.

2) If the meaning of 'over' is 'more than', then the structure will be as follows:
[[over several years after][the first experiment]]
In this parsing, 'over several years' modifies 'after'.
According to "A comprehensive grammar of the English language", 'Before' and 'After' may be modified to indicate relative proximity of time by a range of modifiers, eg: just, right, a long time, many days, a year, etc.


texts: Word/expression for inclination toward using disadvantageous tools

texts:
What is the best word/expression to describe a phenomenon or tool that, despite its disadvantages, is used by people? In fact, there are some alternatives for them, however, there is a weird inclination toward them.

As an example, smoking is a good one that most of people know its harms and probably its alternatives, however do not give it up.

Update:

As another more specific example, take Microsoft Office. There are several (probably more powerful) alternatives for that, however, remarkable numbers of users are still using MS Office. Is it only a habit?


texts: What do you call a quote that is a modification/derivation of another quote?

texts:
There is the quote, "The truth will set you free".
And then there are the quotes,
"The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off."
and
"When you believe a lie for too long, the truth doesn't set you free. It tears you apart.".
I'm not concerned about who said the quotes or why. My question is focused on whether a single word phrase exists that you could call each of the derived quotes, which are based on another quote (particularly, the first one, in this example). So something with meaning similar to "modified quote", "derived quote", "adjusted quote", "inspired quote", or "allusion quote", but as a single word if possible. Does such a word exist?


texts:
What does "I'm flattered" mean in context.

For example; you find out someone is developing feelings for you and you say "I'm flattered.. I guess"


texts: What to call statues that flank entryways?

texts:
What's the term for statuary, usually paired, which flank entrances?

Ex: The Lion pedestals at the NYC Public library; Assyrian Ox-God statues built into gates of ancient cities.

My placeholder term is "sentinel statues," but I suspect there's an official one.


texts:
Is there one word for "being deceived into complying"?

Example sentence to use it in would be:

  I will not be <deceived into complying> with the rules you have stated


texts: Does the Word "laden" Carry a Negative Connotation?

texts:
So normally one could use the word "laden" to say,
The trees are laden with ripe fruit. ;
This sentence doesn't have any negative emotion linked to it.
But when used with other sentences, like,
The banks are laden with debt. ;
Then laden carries a negative connotation, dictionaries describe "laden" as being burdened with something, so does it always carry a negative connotation?
Just for the purpose of questioning its usage, what if one were to say,
He came in laden with presents. ;  One would find it to be a happy situation, so is it appropriate to use laden in ways like this?
Thanks for Your Help!


texts: If pogonotrophy means to grow a beard, is there a term for shaving a beard?

texts:
If pogonotrophy means "to grow a beard", is there a term for shaving a beard?

How would you use pogonotrophy in a sentence? And if there is an antonym for this word, how would you use it in a sentence?


texts: Is there a verb describing someone on his elbows and buttocks, struggling to escape?

texts: I'm trying to describe a scene where a man wakes up and is scared by something in front of him. He's in a lying/propped-up position, and he tries to move away from the object. All I could think of is "scram" or "thrash", but there aren't many examples where either of these words is used in the context "He was on his elbows trying to ____ away from the object". Is there a better verb to describe this motion? Thanks a lot for your help :D


texts: What would be a word for the part killing the whole?

texts:
E.g.: organ failure kills a person. Cancers do this too. Or, figuratively, a person bringing down a group. Like synecdoche and metonym but for murder. Maybe “metacide”?

In a literal sentence: “His heart committed _________ against his body.”

Or, used figuratively: “Aspects of the U.S. are now so poisonous to the body politic that they are on the verge of _________.”


texts: What's up with the -es/-eth inconsistency in "O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus"?

texts:
This hymn was written more than a century ago, back when more people were aware of how Early Modern English arranged its conjugations. But in the second verse, there appears to be an inconsistency between two otherwise identical instances of "watch" — tense, person, meter, and so on are all the same.

  O the deep, deep love of Jesus,
  Spread His praise from shore to shore!
  How He loveth, ever loveth,
  Changeth never, nevermore;
  How He watches o’er His loved ones,
  Died to call them all His own;
  How for them He intercedeth,
  Watcheth o’er them from the throne.

Mostly this is using -eth, including the last occurrence of "watch", as one would expect. But the one in the middle is really strange. It's not an accident either; the version with -eth corrected is an order of magnitude less common than the one I quoted. Is there some hidden meaning to this difference?


texts: Restrictions on including TO BE in "the only one [to be] X"

texts:
This English Language Learners question prompted me to wonder about...

  Q1: Why was John annoyed?
   A1: Because he was the only one [to be] refused entry to the pub.

  Q2: Why was only John refused entry?
   A2: Because he was the only one [to be?] less than 18 years old.

To my ear it's purely a stylistic choice whether to include to be in A1, but I really don't like it in A2. Is it just me, or is there really some generally-acknowledged principle involved?

My own feeling is including to be works better when the "subject" is obviously being subjected to some (usually, bad) experience. It seems somehow "awkward" to use to be when the distinguishing feature of the unique person/thing being referenced is an "attribute" rather than an "experience".


texts: What does "like a [expletive] wazoo" mean?

texts:
I was video-documenting on my cellphone like a goddamn wazoo.

What does wazoo mean in that sentence? I googled it, and the results seemed to indicate wazoo means ass. Is that what it means in the sentence?


texts: Can the present tense be used in the past tense to refer to something that always happens or to something that hasn't happened yet?

texts:
I'm new here so please excuse me if this question's already been asked, I just couldn't seem to find it anywhere.

What I want to know is, can the present tense be used in the past tense?
Let's say I'm in school, and my teacher asks " Why do people cry?". What would be the correct way to write that in the past tense? "My teacher asked why people cried" or, "My teacher asked why people cry"? I've heard of backshifting, but I'm not sure if this is it. I've only recently started worrying about this, and now I feel like I have to contemplate every sentence before I say anything. Please help me if you can. I'm sorry if I seem ignorant, it's my first time using this kind of website.


texts: I'm looking for phrases which could be used in a similar way to "Best of a bad bunch"

texts: I'm trying to find phrases i can use to label four quadrant is a graph. The one i'm struggling with is low on the x axis but high on the y axis. The best I've come up with is "best of a bad bunch" but for political reasons i'd like something without "bad" in it.


texts: Is a semicolon or comma more appropriate in this case?

texts:
I'm wondering whether a semicolon or comma is more appropriate for the following phrase:

Whether or not it succeeds depends on the third option; namely, how well the program computes the values.

Whether or not it succeeds depends on the third option, namely, how well the program computes the values.

It seems intuitive to me that the semicolon seems more appropriate. However, "namely, how well the program computes the values" does not seem like an independent clause (it seems dependent on "Whether or not it succeeds depends on the third option", which is an independent clause), so I'm unsure if it is technically correct. On the other hand, the use of the/a comma in the second option just seems intuitively wrong, given the resulting structure.
So which one of these is the correct (or "best") way to structure this phrase?


texts:
In the English language, the letter X has a connotation of mystery, intrigue, or excitement.

Examples:

Planet X: A theoretical planet of mysterious origin, or an unknown planet. [Edit: Bad example, the X here refers to Roman numeral 10.]
Mr. X: A person remaining intentionally anonymous
X-Factor: What makes something unique or exciting.
Xylophone: Possibly the most exciting of all instruments, begins with X. [Author's note: Meant to be humorous, but apparently only to me]

How did this come about? What made X the grapheme of choice, instantly recognizable as carrying this meaning?

As a linguist, I could see it being how the grapheme X is the only reverse digraph in the English language, but I'm pretty sure that doesn't apply to the general populace. Another idea is that there are some cool sounding Latin phrases with the preposition Ex, e.g. Ex nihil nihil fit, "from nothing comes nothing", or Deus ex machina, "God from the Machine" (a literary device). I recognize, however, that the popularity of these could be a byproduct of the connotation of X and not the other way around.


texts: "I went to bed hungry" vs. "I went to bed hungrily"

texts: What is the exact difference between "I went to bed hungry" and "I went to bed hungrily"?


texts: Why does English use the present continuous so often?

texts:
Why is the present continuous used in English so often in comparison to the simple present?

For example

  I eat

is possible, but the preferred way

  I am eating

meaning roughly the same thing, is much more complicated.

In most languages, the simple present is the standard form. But in English, the more complicated form is favored.

Why has the more wordy present continuous mostly displaced a simpler form verb?


texts: Is there a name for this ambiguity problem or for the construction that solves it?

texts:
I read a sentence,

  John has published research in academic journals of philosophy and law.

The author meant John has published research in academic journals of philosophy and in academic journals of law. But one could take the sentence to mean John has published research in academic journals that cover both philosophy and law.

I remember reading an article about these sorts of 'and' constructions;  I don't have any sufficiently specific keywords in mind to search for the answer.

Do you know what keywords relate to these sorts of constructions?


texts: Adjectives with "-ing" and "-ed" and Present Simple

texts:
I'm wondering if it's correct to use Adjectives ending with "ing" or "ed" in Present Simple.

For example:

She is stunning.
He is boring.
The Earth is amazing.
I am always depressed.

Is it Present Simple? Or not?


texts: What is the difference between "a lack of confidence" and "lack of confidence?"

texts:
Below are some example sentences:

Her only problem is a lack of confidence.

Lack of sleep had made him irritable.

If he fails it won't be for/through lack of effort (= he has certainly
tried).

We won't be going away this year - lack of funds, I'm afraid.

What are the differences in those sentences?


texts: There were injured on both sides - grammar

texts:
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ukraine-says-30-pro-russian-insurgents-killed-071845546.html

  Avakov said Monday that pro-Russia forces in Slovyansk, a city of 125,000, were deploying large-caliber weapons and mortars in the region and there were injured on both sides. Government troops were facing about 800 insurgents, he said.

Is the way it's written grammatically correct? Do we not have to precede the word with the to denote that we are talking about a group of people?


texts: Does the past participle always imply that an object was, at some point, not in its current state?

texts:
When someone says

  This is a dried handkerchief

It is usually implying that, at one point, the handkerchief was not dry.

However, does this apply to all past participles?

If I say :

  I would like a medium-sized burger

Does that imply I want a burger that was previously a different size made into a medium size?


texts: pronunciation for consecutive /d/ and /ð/

texts:
Mr. Barnett has slammed the figure as outrageous. (Aussie ABC News)

/d/ and /ð/ are made at different places, we don’t drop any one of them when pronouncing, like the news anchor, do we?


texts:
When it comes to tell what is the next move or states of someone, which one of these two words are more appropriate?

A couple of examples :

You go for a job interview and you don't get a good feedback, which sentence in your opinion is more proper :

I don't expect them to call me
I predict that they don't call me

Someone is watching his very favorite football match, you know there is a high chance that his team to be defeated and he will be disappointed after the game, which sentence is more proper :

I expect him to get disappointed after the game.
I predict him to get disappointed after the game

You see someone eat junk food everyday and don't move, you know if he countines like that he will gains fat, which is the more proper sentence to describe his future :

I expect him to get fat soon
I predict him to get fat soon


texts:
'We are one, a global team that makes/make each other better.'

Which would be the correct?


texts: Is there a word similar to infallible that means "incapable of being right"?

texts:
The word infallible can mean "incapable of being wrong".

The word fallible can mean "capable of being wrong".

Is there a word that means "incapable of being right"?


texts: Help me understand what man says in the video

texts:
In this clip staring on about 00:21 sec, Elijah says:

  Yes, ... the most human of experiences.

Can't understand what words is he pronouncing in the place of three dots. Pleas, help me, I really have trouble with understanding British accent.

Thanks to all of those who help people here. :)


texts: Is it considered derogatory to describe someone as "self-sufficient"?

texts:
I am grappling with the term self-sufficiency.

The OED quotes three senses:

1a, it indicates is not now of persons and as the most recent example of its use is 1899, let's forget about that.

1b.spec. Of persons, groups, or nations: able to provide enough of a commodity (as food, oil) to supply one's own needs, without obtaining goods from elsewhere; self-reliant, self-supporting, independent.

Most recent example:

  1978   Lancs. Life July 54/2   He was soon back in the Lake
  District.., becoming self-sufficient through selling his paintings and
  wood sculptures, doing odd jobs and growing his own food.

In an unfavourable sense: Having excessive confidence in oneself, one's powers, etc.; characterized by overweening or self-conceited opinion or behaviour.

Examples:

  1738   tr. C. Rollin Anc. Hist. (ed. 2) I. 330   Haughty and
  self-sufficient behaviour.

  1824   R. C. Dallas Corr. Ld. Byron (1825) I. 51   Self-sufficient
  free-thinkers and witty sophs.

  1842   S. Lover Handy Andy vii,   A self-sufficient jackanapes

Sense 1a is said not to be "of persons".Ib would appear to relate to physical needs such as food, income etc. And sense 2, which is the only one relating to a person's social needs would seem derogatory.

So is it an insult or slanderous to describe someone who lives a perfectly honourable, though slightly reclusive life, as self-sufficient? Can anyone quote any examples of hearing it used in a less than derogatory sense?

.


texts: What are alternatives or metaphors for the idiom of discovering a "gold mine"?

texts:
The context I am writing in is along the lines of: When we can identify and appreciate our emotions, we are able to carefully engage both emotion and cognition in the decision making process which makes it a "very valuable" destination point when we are able to get to that stage.

I'd like to use an idiom to describe this "very valuable destination point", the best I've come up with so far is discovering a gold mine:

  When you are able to use your knowledge to transform your feelings into a positive and productive force, you will have found a gold mine.

Is there a more common idiom that would work here? Is there one that would fit better within the context of emotions?


texts:
I used to watch an anime titled Golden Boy. A few years after I saw it, I heard the lyrics of a Shins song say "you're finally golden boy". In both cases it seems to refer to a young man coming of working age or maybe the first signs of success (probably in terms of a carrier or something).

I was wondering how widespread that usage is, where it comes from, and if I'm right about the meaning.

Anyone know of this?


texts:
There is a brisk, chill wind blowing in my part of the world, and I was reminded of the saying:

  "The hawk is out"

Some people claim it originated in Chicago in black communities, but I have only heard it from people from New Jersey.

What is the origin of this saying?


texts: Future prefect and Future perfect continuous tense

texts: Can anyone please clarify/ explain when to use these two grammar tenses? Especially the future perfect continuous. It is quite confusing. Thanks.


texts:
In recent times, people have started using the word beast as a verb (i.e., beast it, you've got to beast harder).

Is there any information about when this trend started and how it came about?


texts:
Here is where I first heard the slang: Champion for Democracy? - Woodrow Wilson

Towards the end of the video, Neidell urges viewers to post their views about Wilson and says: "Please keep it civil!", in a seemingly cautioning, still friendly, manner.

I looked up its definition and as per Urban Dictionary, I concluded it's best suited for a heated discussion or a raw, not as friendly advice.

The question is: When should I use it? Does it reflect anger or intimidation? Could it be used in a friendly manner? And is it old-fashioned?


texts: Meaning of "fact of nature" in a paragraph

texts:
A friend of mine is translating a text about the Millennial Generation and asked me about the meaning of "fact of nature" in the excerpt "technology wasn't a fact of nature at these times". It is part of a paragraph where a person (who is not part of Millennial Generation) explains that he or she is not a "digital native".

This really got me. Is this supposed to mean "something that was natural", or something else? Is there another way to say it?


texts:
What is the meaning of this sentence:

  What is the Need you are going after?

**Edit** here is the context

  1) PowerPoint presentation

  Intro (4 – 5 slides)

  a)      What is the Need you are going after?

  b)      What is the problem we are trying to solve?

  c)      Your Solution to problem


texts: What should I use in this case: "despite", "though," or "even though"?

texts:
That way my mom can move on, find someone else, despite having sworn
  she'd only marry God."

  That way my mom can move on, find someone else, though she swore
  she'd only marry God."

  That way my mom can move on, find someone else, even though she swore
  she'd only marry God."

Which is the correct option? Or at least the one that sounds most natural/less formal?


texts: Word for a person who likes to torture himself by learning something difficult

texts:
I want to describe myself as someone who likes to torture himself by learning something really difficult and not very useful.

I know there's such a word for describing someone who likes to be tortured sexually. But it's not what I'm looking for.


texts: "For all those playing at home" - origin of the idiom?

texts:
I've been wondering where this idiom comes from and what the original meaning is. My guess is it comes from a radio or television broadcast of some kind of a game, but I haven't been able to confirm it via Google.

Also, is this the only canonical form of the idiom or are there other common forms?


texts:
How do you define hit here in this comment, does it mean attack? This comment was made by a poster in response to a discussion on car wheel thefts.

  New model Chevy rims are hot as f-k, every Mexican wants them for his truck he bought as a base model. Around Houston they hit entire dealerships for the rims.


texts: Is my usage of the term "context" and its related verbs in this context meaningful?

texts:
In speech and writing, the meaning of context is:

  1.1 The parts of something written or spoken that immediately precede and follow a word or passage and clarify its meaning:

HTML or XML codes seem to use the broader sense of context:

Consider the hierarchical structure of a document in XML

<document>
<header> English language Usage </header>
<body>
   <question>
     Is it a good object?
   </question>
   <answer>
     No this is a good for export!
   </answer>
</body>
</document>

For example any container in a webpage could be counted as context for the sub-elements (e.g. header, body, question, answer,...), but those containers are not necessarily immediately before or after.

Imposing boundaries (e.g. starting and ending points) on this context within a webpage, we might apply the verbs open and close metaphorically in sentences like these:

  This element opens a context which expands to its related elements...
  To close this context, we should specify an ending ....

Are there any other useful verbs that could be used to talk about imposing these boundaries of context?


texts: English equivalent of Polish saying "Uncle replaced hatchet with stick"

texts:
Consider another nice Polish saying "Zamienił stryjek siekierkę na kijek" that literally means "Uncle replaced hatchet with stick" but I managed to form it into a little rhyme just like in Polish (I know it doesn't rhyme very well or at all). It goes: "Replaced an uncle hatchet with cudgel" (not the bludgeon or baton). I'm looking for similar word/idiom.

Explanation
This ironic and playful saying is mostly used to describe a situation in which one has made a very adverse exchange/replacement. It's been made completely unforced and as comments below say it's a regrettable choice because one thought it'd be good but it turned out to be opposite.

Example

  I bought that Volkswagen but sometimes I still miss my BMW. Heh, _________ [replaced a hatchet with cudgel].

Will you help me improve my little rhyme? :-)


texts: Is "Love at worship" a valid grammatical construction? The intention is to express that love is worshipping, similar to "men at work."


texts: Avoiding use of "who" while maintaining proper syntax

texts:
How do I say the following phrases - typeset in bold - without using "who"? The situation is children on a playground, and attention is given to those on the swings. If I wanted to say something slightly different, the first phrase in bold could be simply stated. "If a child already on the swings were to leave the playground, the fraction of children playing on the swings would be 2/7."

Here is the situation.

There are some children on a playground, and some of them are playing on the swings. If another child were to enter the playground and play on the swings, the fraction of children playing on the swings would be 3/10. If a child already on the playground who had not been playing on the swings were to leave the playground, the fraction of children playing on the swings would be 2/7. Compute the number of children on the playground who are not playing on the swings.


texts: In what circumstances can we omit commas when using adverbs at the beginning of a sentence?

texts: it is a common practice to separate an adverb at the beginning of a sentence from the rest with a comma. However, I have read somewhere that we can omit the comma when no pause is needed. Is this correct?


texts: Why can't they have him get caught or killed? - do I need "get" here?

texts:
Reading about the movie character, Dexter, a fan was wondering about how the series will end:

  Why can't they have him get caught or killed?

It got me thinking..it is "have sb do smth" used here? I somehow cannot understand the usage of "get" which I can (from context) see references to passive.


texts: What does the phrase "throw someone back on his wit" mean?

texts:
It's from an article at the economist.com, and it's in the 2nd line of the 17th paragraph(the paragraph right above the 3rd image).

  Like Holland or Portugal, it was a country whose poverty of natural resources threw the people back on their wits.

Does it mean “leave the people on their own”?


texts: What is the word for words that oppose all the things they describe?

texts: I am looking for a word but I'm not sure if it's a real word or if I just don't know it. I am discussing George Orwell's novel, 1984, and how the titles oppose all the things they describe. For instance, the "Victory Cigarettes" fall apart and are horrible, not the victor of anything. The "Victory Mansions" are small and crappy apartments. The word "victory" is describing something that is the opposite of victory. It's like a euphemism but instead of using it to lighten the blow, is is completely wrong and opposite of what it really is.