texts: Is there any single word synonym from "Dream Interpreter" or the person who tells the meaning of the dream?


texts: Which tense should I use when presenting a table of data?

texts:
I have a table and the description of the table as followed:

  Table 7 presents the likelihood of OPT occurrences from the time
  annotated sentences; V-RB refers to the sentences which contain
  post-verbal adverbs and RB-V refers to the sentences which contain
  pre-verbal adverbs. The OPT phenomenon manifested 68.18% of the time
  when an already or yesterday adverb was present in the sentence in the
  ICE-SIN.

Within the paragraphs, my tenses were inconsistent. When i present the table and how to read the table I used present tense. But when I wanted to described the phenomenon that was recorded in the data, I used the past tense.

Is the inconsistent tenses grammatical? Or should I use the past tense when I present the table and how to read the table?


texts: When does the "historic/historical" in "historic/historical records" refer to the documents or to the events?

texts:
After checking many Web sites, I found much inconsistency in whether "historic records" or "historical records" is used.

Which of these terms simply means "a document, created at any time, which describes the past"?
Which of these terms means "a document of much significance, itself considered an important part of history"?
Which of the terms means "a document of much significance in itself, which also contains descriptions of prior events"?

Why is it "geometric" but "theoretical"? describes the meaning of the "-ical" ending found in "historical", but I could not see how to determine its usage in this confusing context.


texts:
This question is from College Board SAT book.(see the text below) The explanation of the answer seems a little bit strange to me. Because it says : the simple present verb “remark” is the appropriate verb
tense in this context. But,  "visitor" is a third person. So, shouldn't it have been "remarks"??? Or, shouldn't it have been in the past simple?
I'd appreciate any help.

  As I walked through the exhibit, I overheard a
   VISITOR'S REMARK, “You know, that grandfather clock
  actually runs. Its glass door swings open, and the clock
  can be wound up.”

  A) NO CHANGE
   B) visitors remarking
   C) visitor remarked
   D) visitor remark

  QUESTION 20.
  Choice D is the best answer because the article “a” requires the singular
  noun “visitor,” and the simple present verb “remark” is the appropriate verb
  tense in this context.
  Choices A, B, and C are incorrect because each contains either a noun or
  verb that does not fit the context.


texts: "X behaves identical to Y" or "X behaves identically to Y"

texts:
I thought

  an object X behaves identically to an object Y

would be correct, because the adverb identically modifies the verb behaves.

But

  an object X behaves identical to an object Y

does not sound wrong in my ears. Would you say that it is completely wrong to have the adjective identical modify the verb behaves?


texts: Another phrase for "the texts are a microcosm for marxism"

texts:
I hope everyone is doing well. I'm currently trying to write something but I've got a bit of a writer's block lol. Could someone help me rephrase this into a more concise and smoother sentence:
"The texts are a microcosm for marxism"
The idea that I am trying to convey is that the texts are a metaphor for marxism. I would like to sound concise but also sophisticated but not too sure what to say :(


texts: And so forth, and so on -- comma to follow midsentence?

texts:
Comma after "and so forth"?

He brought potato chips, pudding, and so forth, to the picnic.

Comma after "etc."?

He brought potato chips, pudding, etc., to the picnic.

Thank you.


texts: What's the difference between the following sentences?

texts:
For the following sentences:

  I was learning to play the piano for five years.
  I learned to play the piano for five years.

What's the difference in meaning in relation to the verb and the preposition?


texts: it is not clear what the structure is/it is not clear what is the structure?

texts: Which one is correct: "it is not clear what IS the structure comprising two enzymes..." or "it is not clear what the structure comprising two enzymes IS ..." ? Thank you in advance!


texts:
[1] "That picture was taken in the park where I used to play."
  (Here, 'where' is an relative adverb.

  [2] "I remember the day when we first met."
  (Here, 'when' is an relative adverb.)

Source :
https://www.ef.com/ca/english-resources/english-grammar/relative-adverbs/

  [3] "Grandma remembers a time when radio shows were popular."
  (Here, 'when' is a relative pronoun.)

  [4] "I want to visit the island where my grandma was born."
  (Here, 'where' is a relative pronoun.)

Source :
https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/parts-of-speech/pronouns/relative-pronoun.html

It seems to be confusing that "when" and "where" are relative adverbs in sentence [1] & [2] while they're relative pronouns in sentence [3] and [4].

How can we determine whether "when" and "where" are relativel pronouns or relative adverbs?


texts: A dictionary based on word occurrence frequencies

texts:
Since there are so many language resources on the internet nowadays, I was wondering if there is an online dictionary(or any other language tool) that would list the words not only in the alphabetical order, but also by the frequencies of their occurrence. I don't care how the frequencies are calculated - it may be based on something as primitive as google search results count or it can be based on occurrence in newspapers/books only.

The reason I am looking for such a tool is that I have been searching for an efficient means  to enrich my vocabulary for a while. The best I found so far is vocabulary.com. The problem with vocabulary.com, however, is that it more often than not suggests really strange (not to say weird) words that a lot of native speakers don't even know. I have nothing against learning literary words, but I think I should get to it only after I've covered most of the mainstream words. That's why I am looking for a tool which would arrange words according to their occurrence. I would then pick the next N words each day from that list, feed it to vocabulary.com and learn them using their technique.

So, is my request too absurd or is there hope I could find what I'm looking for or at least something similar?


texts:
A phrase that means "someone who used to be a servant but suddenly became the lord of the family" meaning. Someone who used to be of low ranking but due to certain factors, got promoted to a higher ranked person suddenly. Is there any phrase or words to describe that?

More emphasis on the difference in rank/status and less on the wealth part.


texts: What is the best idiomatic phrase for 'This is not going to happen'?

texts:
English is not my first language, but I do communicate a lot in non formal setting with UK born and bred very nice people. From where I come there a plenty of ways to say "This is not going to happen":

it will happen on the 30th of February
it will happen when shoes blossom
it will happen when you see your back without a mirror

What will be nice and polite way to say that in front of a native speaker, showing her I have a deep interest in the language?


texts: Which is correct in citing someone's name who has a PhD: "John Doe PhD" or "John Doe, PhD"?


texts:
Can "nothing but" be used before an adjective? E.g.:

I'm nothing but certain we will win.


texts: Using definitive article or possessive pronoun?

texts:
I have the following sentence:

  By selecting an element, a dialogue box opens in which the user selects or defines distinguishing features of the anchor node based on the node’s attributes (e.g. id , class), the whole text or a pattern in the text.

An alternative with possessive pronoun is:

  By selecting an element, a dialogue box opens in which the user selects or defines distinguishing features of the anchor node based on its attributes (e.g. id , class), its whole text or a pattern in its text.

That is an example, and there are many cases that I don't know to use "the" or "its"....

Which option is preferred? or a combination of both? How can I factor the repeated "its"?


texts: Is there a word in RP (Received Pronunciation) where the stressed vowel sound is a schwa?


texts: So is he the person who/whom you think will do the best job?

texts:
So this question came up on one of the exercise in a workbook and I am having trouble finding a clear answer.

Some suggests that "whom" is the correct word to use here: "you" is the subject, "think" is the verb and "whom" is the object. However, in this context this combination doesn't makes sense to me. I thought that maybe "who" can be a subject, "you think" is adjective, "do" is verb and the "job" is the object. So am I overcomplicating this?

I appreciate any thoughts!


texts: What is another word for a reason that is "not the real reason"?

texts:
The real reason is what you get if you go a couple of levels deep. Why do you do go to work? Because I have a job. But why? Because I need to make money. But why? Because we live in a capitalist society where goods and services are exchanged by money and I can get money by helping somebody else achieve their goal.

So how can I describe the first two reasons: superficial, smoke-screen, non-real?


texts: Adverb word order: "nicely shows" vs "shows nicely"

texts:
I have the following sentence in my dissertation:

  The even-tempered STO basis for Mg shows nicely why the virial theorem cannot be trusted as an error indicator.

However, previously I had there:

  ... nicely shows why the ...

But I was told that the "nicely shows" word order is incorrect. So I googled around and found many pages, for example [1]. It looks like that "nicely" falls into the "Adverbs of Manner" box, but those seem to go either before or after the verb, e.g.:

  I slowly opened the door.

vs

  We waited patiently for the play to begin.

Is there some rule to determine where to put the adverb, and which of the two ("shows nicely" vs "nicely shows") is correct and why?

[1] http://www.wordpower.ws/grammar/gramch24.html


texts: Where are phrases such as "my one friend" used?

texts:
I occasionally hear someone use the phrase "my one friend" to mean "one of my friends". To me it sounds like they only have one.

Where is this form used most?


texts:
I'm trying to think of a name for a game I'm creating.
Since it's underwater I thought of "Feral Waters".

Can you say that in English or is it rubbish?


texts:
There are some sentences

I see no reason to do these stupid things.
I can find no sensible explanation for you to leave your master program.

An English professor from Canada at the university said that we could put the part "to do..." at the beginning in order to emphasize what made us angry, why we were angry.

I found the following sentences to be unusual and asked my British teacher that question. He also agreed with my professor and said:"Those sentences are OK even though they are not very natural."

To do these stupid things, I see no reason!
(I see no reason. For what? To do these stupid things!)
For you to leave your master program, I can find no sensible explanation!
(I can find no sensible explanation. For what? About what topic? For you to leave your master program)

So they agreed with each other but I still want to ask you that. What do you think?


texts:
According to the context, which definition of "aspect" is appropriate here?

  The scapula forms the posterior located part of the shoulder girdle. In humans, it is a flat bone, roughly triangular in shape, placed on a posterolateral aspect of the thoracic cage.

Definitions:

  a particular part or feature of a situation, an idea, a problem, etc; a way in which it may be considered.
  the direction in which a building, window, piece of land, etc. faces; the side of a building that faces a particular direction.


texts: Is there a name for the feeling "Damn, I already asked this question three years ago"?

texts:
I'll copy from Meta:

I admit I'm sometimes too quick with the gun when firing away questions.

Does the feeling "Damn, I just asked this now, and I see it's a dup of a question I asked three years ago" have a name?

Preemptive word for the smart: "Lazy" is a good term for the asker, but not for the feeling.


texts: What is the opposite of indented (because "exdent[ed]" appears not to be a word)?

texts:
I've always used the word "exdented" when describing a paragraph of text (or, more usually, a section of computer code) where the first line is set further left than the remainder of the paragraph/block - essentially the opposite of "indented".

However, it appears that exdent isn't really a word - it's not in the Oxford dictionaries, Websters, or Wiktionary, as far as I can tell. So, is there a better word? Is there one that typographers and typesetters use?

(In the ancient UNIX text formatting package nroff, the -ms macro set included a .XP command to achieve the effect. This stood for "exdented paragraph" and I suspect that's where my usage comes from, but that doesn't mean it's the right term!)

Oblig. sample sentence: "The first line of the code block should be <exdented> to identify a new block"


texts: Renaissance pronunciation of "thither": θiðr or ðiðr?

texts:
I've seen the thread on voiced/unvoiced "thither," but it doesn't quite answer the question.

It seems like maybe the word began falling out of regular speech right around the time initial "th" was becoming voiced in "function words" (term used in that thread), so maybe the pronunciation was simply unstable for a while.

Or maybe it wasn't. Does anyone know how, say, Shakespeare would've pronounced it?


texts: Is the -ing a participle in the sentence?

texts:
I came across a sentence like this:

  The president of the World Bank says he has a passion for China, which he remembers starting as early as his childhood.

I am not sure how to understand the indefinite relative clause here. Does it mean "he remembers the passion starting as early as his childhood"? Then what is this use of starting here? Is it a participle?

And we say "remember somebody doing something", but I don't think that is the usage here in the clause. How can I understand the part of the sentence with the “passion starting as ... as...”?


texts: Does the abbreviation for Saint in a church name require a period?

texts: In referring to a local church, does the name "St Giles" require a period after the "St"?  I was told that to add a period confuses it with the abbreviation for street.


texts:
I'm tempted to use judgementality, which for whatever reason is not a word, and I don't feel like "judgement" conveys the same meaning.

  I was put off by his ________ towards my life choices.

If someone is stupid, they exhibit stupidity. If someone is judgemental, they exhibit ________.


texts: Need Help for a political terms- calling back MPs

texts:
Some political systems allow voters to 'call back' an MP mid-term if he/she doesn't perform up to their expectations. What is the formal political term used for such process ?

Thank you all for your answers.


texts:
Rewrite the following sentence by using "both .. and".

Peter is a naughty boy. He is an active boy.

Peter is both naughty and active.
Peter is both a naughty boy and an active one.
Peter is both a naughty and active boy.
Peter is both a naughty and an active boy.


texts: Direct Speech: the subordinator "that" before the reported clause

texts:
I've been taught that in "Reported Speech", the subordinator "that" is a signature of "indirect speech". For example:
He said, "I will be late." (Direct Speech)
He said that he would be late. (Indirect Speech)
But, it is wrong to say or write that:
He said that, "I will be late." (Wrong!)
However, I occasionally see counterexamples such as this Wikipedia Article:

In 2000, Robert Scheer created the website New Age Journal, which states that "We are not affiliated with any magazines printed on paper."
(link)

Is this a correct usage of the conjunction "that" in Direct Speech?
Does it depend on the reporting verb and with some verbs, such as "to state", we can use the conjunction "that"?


texts: "two President Roosevelts" or "two Presidents Roosevelt?" Pluralize the honorific or the name?

texts:
If you have two people with the same name, affixed with the same honorific, do you pluralize the honorific or the name? For example,

  There were two President Roosevelts.
  There were two Presidents Roosevelt.

or two Mister Smiths vs. two Misters Smith, etc.

I'm very heavily leaning toward the former (President Roosevelts), but I need a way to explain it. Someone else is trying to argue the latter.


texts: The /r/ sound in "drawing" in British English?

texts:
One of my pet peeves is that, in the UK, many people seem to mispronounce the word "drawing".  The correct pronouciation is /ˈdrɔː.ɪŋ/. Why then, do so many people allow that /r/ to creep in to give /ˈdrɔː.rɪŋ/?

This is particularly annoying when educated and otherwise erudite people make this mistake.

Can anyone shed any light as to the cause or explanation for this?


texts:
I'm reading James Joyce's Ulysses, and while there are enough things I don't understand in it I keep crossing the phrase "pike hoses," or "met him pike hoses." Can anyone enlighten me as to the meaning?

For example:

  Mr Bloom moved forward, raising his troubled eyes. Think no more about that. After one. Timeball on the ballastoffice is down. Dunsink time. Fascinating little book that is of sir Robert Ball's. Parallax. I never exactly understood. There's a priest. Could ask him. Par it's Greek: parallel, parallax. Met him pike hoses she called it till I told her about the transmigration. O rocks!

And:

  Poor fellow! Quite a boy. Terrible. Really terrible. What dreams would he have, not seeing? Life a dream for him. Where is the justice being born that way? All those women and children excursion beanfeast burned and drowned in New York. Holocaust. Karma they call that transmigration for sins you did in a past life the reincarnation met him pike hoses. Dear, dear, dear. Pity, of course: but somehow you can't cotton on to them someway.


texts: Word for when something turns out to be the opposite of what you believed?

texts:
I've been wondering for a while, if there is a word for when something turns out to be the complete opposite of what you believed.

So, something that would fit in a sentence like below would be great:

  It was so ____, he was at the complete opposite end of town.


texts:
I'm soliciting a position as a contractor (avoiding the status of a permanent employee).  Which is correct (or better than any of these)?

I am looking employment in a contract capacity
I am looking employment in a contracting capacity
I am looking employment in a contractor's capacity
I am looking employment in a contractor capacity

I vote for contract, but I'm not sure.


texts: What does the author actually means when he says " underestimate the value of gold."

texts:
Excerpt from  Honor Among Thieves:

  "The reason for numbers being limited on this occasion will become all
  too obvious to you. The issue we are about to discuss is so sensitive
  that the fewer people who are aware of it, the better. To suggest in
  this instance that silence is golden would be to underestimate the
  value of gold."

Here what does Jeffery means when he says "underestimate the value of gold"?
Does it means gold is really precious and at this point silence is something that they couldn't afford and if they do that it will underestimate the value of gold ?


texts:
In the 1930s almost 10,000 Jewish children arrived in Britain, escaping Nazi persecution. Britons rose to the occasion, quietly and without fuss. There is no reason why this could (NOT?) happen again, if only compassion WAS/WERE allowed back into public discourse.

Got from The Guardian. Can someone help me with the words I capitalized? Should "not" be there? Should it be "was" or "were"?


texts:
I read this in the novel 'Of Human Bondage' by Somerset Maugham.

It follows as below.
'Philip was even more than usually shy and abrupt; and whether on account of this, unconsciously bent upon exerting the fascination he knew was his only by the results, or whether from sheer kindness of heart, It was Rose who first took Philip into the circle.'

Is it all right if I suppose like this?
(For Rose being) unconsciously bent upon exerting the fascination he knew was his (fascination) only by the results

Please help me.


texts: Is "...that he doesn't even know where is" grammatical?

texts:
I was recently invited to a party by a Facebook friend. I asked him where the party was happening, and he said he couldn't remember the address. While texting someone else about the experience, I wrote:

  My friend just invited me to a party that he doesn't even know where is.

The italicized phrase is intended to be synonymous with "that he doesn't even know the location of", but I thought that alternative might sound stilted and overly formal. Would this phrase be grammatically correct?


texts: Is “Rouse me not” grammatically permissible?

texts:
In A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin, he writes that the “words” [see footnote] of House Grandison are Rouse Me Not.

Is this grammatically correct? Does English allow such word-scrambling in sentences?

Where a House’s “words” serve as the House motto.


texts: "Is there a word for a product used for killing mice?"

texts: A building in a nearby neighbourhood seems to be infested with mice.  A TV-News reporter was interviewing one of the janitors who said: "We tried to get rid of them but I don't think we used the right insecticide".   Hey, wait, mice are not insects.  I don't think we could use "insecticide" here, or could we?  Is there a word or compound-word for a substance that kills mice?  I thought of "pesticide" but I'm not sure it works in a domestic rather than in an agricultural context.


texts: "...at nightfall, tents are set up for sleeping in comfort." What type of phrase is "sleeping in comfort"?

texts:
In the following phrase:

  ...at nightfall, tents are set up for sleeping in comfort.

What type of phrase is sleeping in comfort?

I suspect it might be either a gerund or a participial. I think that the phrase modifies the word "set"


texts: What do you call someone who performs in musical theatre?

texts:
I'm just wondering what you call someone who performs musical theater. I know that, in non-musical theater, you'd call them an actor or actress, but since musical theater performer might be singing and dancing in addition to acting, do you call them something like "performer" instead?
Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.


texts: What are antonyms of "tolerant" or synonyms of "cautious"?

texts:
I posted the following on Meta Stack Overflow, and I believe that there was a better word that I could have used rather than "a little too harsh".

  Considering that my post fails all but possibly one or two of the low quality post heuristics, is something malfunctioning or is the detector perhaps a little too harsh?

Essentially, I believe that there is a word that is more precise in its definition, perhaps an antonym of "tolerant", that could have substituted in as "perhaps too [insert word here]".

The definition of the word would be something like "erring on the side of caution, possibly to a degree of excessiveness"; it would be beneficial for a Secret Service Uniformed Division agent to be [this quality].

I've considered "cautious", but I don't think it carries the right tone for that context.

Does anyone know of a better word?


texts: Which preposition to use with "diagnose"

texts:
I had an English exam today. One of the questions was fill in the gaps. It was like:

  Doctors diagnosed him with/ for hyperactivity.

So should the gap be with or for? I checked Google and there are a lot of examples of each.


texts:
As I note, is the word onomatopoeia itself onomatopoeic? Or does the use of the word not quite follow the rules?

I recall being engaged in a spirited debate about this in my high school days—I cannot recall which side I was on, mind. Nor can I recall who won, or if it was merely settled by accusations of slander at the respective parties' parenthood.


texts: What do you call people who are searching for home?

texts: I'm trying to come up with a title for my short story and the story is about people who are searching for home (whether it be a person or a place). What would be a good one word for that?


texts: Origin of "Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

texts: Google will not tell me where this phrase originates. Does Stack Exchange have the answer?


texts: Can accomplished be used synonymously with executed or carried out?

texts:
I've stumbled upon this sentence and to me it just sounds a bit off:

  The selection of shops is accomplished by our company.

I've never seen accomplished used in that context and I was just wondering if using a word such as "carried out" would sound more natural or if this is indeed a valid usage of accomplished.


texts:
I am categorizing ebooks and audio books of fiction and non_fiction works. For this I have created folders named:

audio_fiction
audio_non_fiction
prose_fiction
prose_non_fiction

Does it makes sense to call fiction prose?


texts:
I have found a word that I would like to use as an alternative to Entrepreneur.
The word is "Enterpriser" which appears as a synonym in Google for entrepreneur.

In my social/cultural experience 'entrepreneur' has some negative associations/connotations. (see below)

This article by Steve Tobak expresses the feeling that the word 'Entrepreneur' gives me.

  The problem is that entrepreneurs and leaders have another thing in
  common: Neither one is actually a job. And that might very well
  explain why Millennials have all the makings of a great
  entrepreneurial generation but have failed to deliver on that promise.

Not a real job, failure to deliver, failure on promises.

Personal experience of the same people has not helped the stereotype from my personal point of view, although that is irrelevant to the question at hand.  It just means that I would not want to use the word to describe myself.

Now I've been looking for a definition to the word "enterpriser", I've done pretty average research to be totally honest (check the meta question below); but being a very average English person, my research skills are lacking.

Can I get a definition for the word "Enterpriser"?
Can I get permutation of the word, so applicable tenths, single, plural... anything.

The Way I Think It Would Be Defined:

  "Enter" -> To go into
  "Prise" -> Comes from Latin prendere, prehendere ‘to take’.
  "Enterprise" -> To undertake something || A Business || Starting something new for gain
  "Enterpriser" -> A person ~ go into ~ an undertaking

I know it's impossible to have a 'works in all situations' drop in replacement for a word, but I would hope to apply this in the same context as entrepreneur would normally be used.

I'm struggling to find a sentence where the sound of the word works, so maybe there's a permutation of the word that might be better.  But here's my best couple of tries

Title: "Developer, Enterpris(er)/(ing), Manager"
Sentence "The person who started X was a real enterpriser"

And yes they sound really dumb, I'm not unaware of it.  But I'm really really looking for a word that is not entrepreneur, but can be used as its alternative, and wondering can enterprise be manipulated to be grammatically correct.  Even though I'm able to massage the word into being a 'technically' acceptable 'mash' of words, it would be really great to get a fix on the meaning of the word (if it 'really' does already exist) and get a handle on its grammatical forms.

I've googled synonyms of entrepreneur, found enterpriser is listed as a synonym.  Looked for enterpriser without success, online dictionaries don't have a listing for it (And I don't own a physical dictionary), Thesaurus for enterprise brings up a few options but they all 'feel' like they are heading away from the root that I am trying to get at.  Looked at the root of the words but can't hammer out something that is both technically and grammatically correct.

(Had a discussion on Meta about this question, Link for those who take interest:    Asked Question, Got closed. Seems to meet with Guidelines, how to re-ask)


texts: Can I say "Please find my yesterday’s and today’s daily reports in the documents."?


texts:
When I was in high school, a mosquito bite used to be itchy for many
  weeks. It didn't subside for a month or more.

Is the word didn't proper here or should I use wouldn't? Wouldn't sounds better to my ear but I do not know why. The itch used to last longer. That was a fact then; not any more.

EDIT: about my checked answer

The difference appears to be pretty subtle. One answer prefers simple last, the others think both are OK, but explained the context around it (different word usages). I think all three answers are valuable and worth taking a look. I up-voted all three, but decide to check one that provides a simple rule to follow. Thank you all.


texts:
As in:

  [I]n English /t, d, n, l/ are retracted before /r/. [emphasis added]
  —Wikipedia, “Allophone”


texts: Plural form of abbreviation ending with "s"

texts: I am wondering how can We pluralize the abbreviation "TS" (Training Sequence)? Is it " TSes" or "TS's", I think It can't be "TSs"


texts: Why is "to do" replaced by "for doing" in Indian English?

texts:
I've come across some articles published by Indian publishers, and there was a sentence that said,

Tiwari recalled that during the first meeting with Kalam, Swamiji asked him, “Though you have contributed many technological innovations to the country, what have you done for making Indians good human beings.”

Here is the article itself: http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/tome-on-kalams-experience-with-spirituality/article7691258.ece

Normally, I would say,"What have you done to make Indians good human beings." instead of using "for making".

I've looked at various websites and found that many Indian articles and Indian journalists use this way of speech, where "to do" is replaced by "for doing", which is not common in American, British, and other Anglophone newspapers around the world.

Is this expression specific to Indian English?


texts: Is there a word for people who deliberately disregard standard spelling?

texts:
These days, a majority of youth hate spelling here in India, not because they find it hard to grasp but because they think it is cool to deviate from standards and follow their own spelling whims. Any attempt to reason with these people is met with contempt. I was wondering if there was a word or term for intentional bad spellers.

My quick Google search threw up a word called cacography to refer to bad handwriting and/or bad spelling. I am not sure if we can derive cacographer from that word and use it for intentional bad spellers.


texts:
We didn't go to the party last night because we have had a fever
Or
We didn't got to the party last night because we had had a fever
I know the past perfect describes an completed before a certain moment in the past. Past perfect to express an action whose time isn't given and not definite. But here I don't understand which tense would be correct to use. Please help!


texts:
I'm looking for another term for "instant feedback". Something perhaps similar to how common the phrase "instant gratification" is used to mean instant results from an action.

For context, I'm trying to describe the way a video game's camera will capture and immediately display a player's movements on screen so they can react/correct their movements.


texts:
Is it correct to write the following sentence:

Maybe some of you are interested and find the time to look at it before the training day.

Or do I have to use the will-future in the second part of the sentence:

Maybe some of you are interested and will find the time to look at it before the training day.


texts: How to call the scientists who work in the natural sciences?

texts:
How to call the scientists who work in the natural, technical, biological and other sciences?
Can I call them natural scientists, technical scientists and so on?


texts: Which is better: "bidirectionally-anonymous channel" or "bidirectional-anonymous channel"

texts:
I am writing my thesis (in computer science) and me and my supervisor disagree about the correct way of describing a communication channel which is anonymous in both directions. Without delving in too much technicalities, think of this channel as if there is a special button on your mobile phone that, when you click on it, will call someone else in the country, such that you do not get to know his phone number (or any other information about him) nor does he get to know your phone number or any other information about you. You both are anonymous with respect to each others. This is a property of the channel: it provides anonymity to both its ends. So it is bidirectional[ly]-anonymous channel.

Which is the right way in English to describe it:

Bidirectionally-anonymous channel, or
Bidirectional anonymous channel?

Thank you.


texts: Is there an adjectival form of "commodity"?

texts: The adjective would apply to the word dependence. I'd like to say commodital, but Google says it isn't a word.


texts: What does "in the middle of the/a pack" mean?

texts: Does this expression mean something like "in the middle of some score list", or "average level"?


texts: "kindly request that something IS cancelled", or "WILL BE cancelled?"

texts:
Which is the correct usage?

  We kindly request that the phone line is cancelled.
  We kindly request that the phone line will be cancelled.


texts: When italicizing a noun to emphasize, italicize the article or not?

texts:
When I want to emphasize a noun by italicizing, do I need to italicize the article of the noun or not? For example, is this correct?

"Is it an apple?"
"No, it is an orange."

Or, is this correct?

"Is it an apple?"
"No, it is an orange."

A similar question for the.

It is called the curse of dimensionality.

Or

It is called the curse of dimensionality.


texts:
What's the word for "no word for"?

I've really been trying to find it, but I just can't seem to.


texts:
I always heard this phrase from school, but never understood the actual meaning of it or
how this phrase originated.

What does this actually mean, and why was it Rome and not any other city?

What is so special about Rome in this phrase?


texts:
The mouse and keyboard are the accessories of a computer, and the charger and headphone are the accessories of a phone.

My question is: what is the generic term for a computer/phone that's the complement of accessories (i.e. the main part of a system)?


texts: Why is it “Who be ye?” and not “Who are ye?” in archaic forms of English?

texts: When I was looking for “ye” in a dictionary, I stumbled upon the phrase “Who be ye?”. But why is it “Who be ye?” and not “Who are ye?”? The modern equivalent of “ye” would be “you”, wouldn’t it? “Who be you?” would be considered incorrect, whilst “Who are you?” would be perfectly fine.


texts: Word/expression for someone who doesn't reciprocate favors?

texts:
Is there a word/idiom/expression to refer to someone whom I have helped a lot but doesn't reciprocate any favors even though they are capable of helping me? For example:

  I have helped Peter a lot when he had issues, but he stiffs me when I am going through a tough time. I thought he would help me, as I had helped him a lot in the past. He is ___________.[Someone who doesn't reciprocate favors]

I am looking for a word/idiom/expression other than selfish.


texts: What do you call someone with intense love for the color black ?


texts: Is Sherlock a real name? Are there any people named Sherlock in real life?


texts: What is the difference between "so to do" and "to do so"

texts:
I believe that both are correct. I.e.

  I have got the Christmas Eve off this year but my partner has failed so to do.

is equivalent to

  I have got the Christmas Eve off this year but my partner has failed to do so.

However, are they equivalent?


texts: Is this the right usage of respectively? Is this sentence clear?

texts:
Is this the correct use of respectively?

  40% weight was placed on client evaluations, with 30%, 20%, and 10% weight attributed to manager, peer, and self-evaluations respectively.

Also is it appropriate to only say "evaluation" once in this case? Is there a better way to phrase this sentence?


texts: What's a noun for a cause of a bad effect?

texts:
What is a noun for an action or thing that negatively influences another? For example,

If you don't keep up with your school assignments, all the bad grades you've accumulated will overwhelm you at the end of the year.
The economy has been a big ? for our organization.
One ? to the driver was that his tires were going flat.
Writing them an angry letter would be a big ? for our group.

I'm looking to replace the bold words and question marks. Inauspicious would work, but I need a noun.


texts: Can "amateur" be used as a predicative adjective to describe a person ("I am amateur at X")?

texts:
In everyday usage, I would use the word amateur like this:

  (Noun) I am an amateur rock climber. (Adjective) I participate in amateur rock climbing.

It also sounds right for me to say the following:

  (1) (Adjective) I participate in, but am amateur at, rock climbing.

My question is whether the usage above is appropriate. In other words, using "amateur" in the form:

  I am amateur at [...]

Oxford dictionary gives the example sentence "it's all so amateur!" that seems to have a similar usage.

It uses "amateur" as an adjective modifying "it", so it doesn't seem like too much of a stretch to have "amateur" modify "I". Is that enough evidence to support it being used in the above way?


texts: the contract reflected all the tiny details?

texts:
"Matt's job was to make sure the contract reflected all the tiny details."

What does "reflect" in this sentence mean?  contain?
What other synonyms that have the same meaning ?


texts:
Ok, in the TV series Glee season3 episode 21, I came across this sentence: you were a smash. From the context, it might mean you were wonderful or something. Then I looked this up online, I found smash means sex in Urban Dictonary, which is definitely not what I was looking for. So is there a phrase you are a smash? What does it mean?

well, then I found this smash, slang, which says that smash can mean a successful thing, especially a movie, so can you use it to describe people?


texts:
A quick Google search gives me the following sentences:

An electron is scattered from a nucleus.
An electron is scattered against a nucleus.
An electron is scattered by a nucleus.

Which one is correct? If they are all correct, then what is the difference in the meaning?


texts: Understanding the usage of "," before "which" in a sentence

texts:
I have difficulty in understanding which of the following is correct:

  Team cannot be fully discussed without considering two
  factors which are teams’ makeup and teams’ performance.

or

  Team cannot be fully discussed without considering two
  factors , which are teams’ makeup and teams’ performance.


texts: Given the winter festival and the wearing of hats on stackexchange, I'm reminded about the expression "as mad as a hatter."  Does the term "mad" here apply to derangement or anger management issues?  Is a hatter someone who manufactures hats, or simply the retailer?  And how does a hatter come to be mad?  When we today say someone is "mad as a hatter," do we mean angry or deranged?


texts: Is there a word that describes a conspicuous building that is out of its place?

texts: I remember that I read somewhere a comment about a building that is out of place, does not blend well with the surrounding architecture, and I think the author of that comment used a specific word to describe such building. Any thoughts?


texts:
Normally, English native speakers use on  and at with the festive holiday in the following manner

We open our gifts on Christmas morning.
We're going away at Christmas

The preposition on is used for dates, days of the week, and names of public holidays
  e.g., Many florists make a profit on Valentine's day

But if a holiday covers a period of two or more days then the preposition at is used

Children often hope for snow at Christmas
We always stuff ourselves with chocolate at Easter

Recently, I discovered that  in some parts of the US this is not always the case

  While “on Christmas day” is hardly unusual, I would say that just “on Christmas” is the more frequently-heard expression, by a considerable margin. Might be a cultural thing, though (my experience is the American Northeast for the most part)

and in an old EL&U answer this phrase was submitted

  We got together on Christmas for dinner and a gift exchange.

I also found supporting  reference

  *Note that in some varieties of English people say "on the weekend" and "on Christmas".

Where do native English speakers omit Day/day and instead say on Christmas?
Does on Christmas refer to 25th December, or is it also used to cover the entire  holiday season?

This question is related, and inspired by the ELL question:
What is the difference between 'at Christmas' and 'on Christmas'?


texts:
Is the use of an asterisk and a dagger workable in the following quote which is supplied with a footnote and needs two embedded notes by the editor? (the quotation is much longer so in fact less cluttered than it appears below)
‘The [intellect]* is first of all merely a faculty of the [hu]man-person [podobnie jak właśiwością jego jest wolność].†’
FOOTNOTE: Wojtyła, The Acting Person, 158. [* ‘Mind’ in the English translation, however, ‘umysł’ is used in the original. † Omitted in the English translation but present in the Polish original—Ed.]


texts: "different" at the beginning of a sentence

texts:
Is it correct to start a sentence with the word "different"?
for example:

  Different table structures are listed below.

or should it be:

  Various table structures are listed below.

Does it make any difference?

EDIT:
More context: I would like to point out and describe similarities and differences among several tables (there are more than 2 tables I would like to compare)


texts:
I've just stumbled upon this phrase and found no direct translation or definition, so it must be a metaphor. Can anyone try to explain it? The source is Naked Lunch by W.S. Burroughs.

I awoke from the Sickness at the age of forty-five, calm and sane, and in reasonably good health except for a weakened liver and the look of borrowed flesh common to all who survive the Sickness.


texts: Is this a good written construction for replying a comment on which one acknowledges that time is passing by quickly?


texts: What's the term for becoming used to something so you don't even notice it anymore?

texts:
Is there a term for this? I had my SIL's birthday present on my desk for weeks, and then the day I went to visit her, I forgot to bring it with me because it had sort of become part of the furniture and I didn't notice it there.
Or when you walk into a room and notice the smell, but then you get used to it after a while so you don't notice it anymore.
Or you walk past a shop so often that you don't notice it, and when you want to buy something that the shop sells, you forget about the shop's existence because you don't notice it anymore.


texts: Can 'residential context' be used interchangeably with 'domestic context'?

texts:
I know that when I am referring to a home, I can refer to it using the words - in a residential/domestic context... Is it the same for different places of stay like  hostels, old age homes, refugee camps? Can I refer to them in the same way?

For example, in the residential context of a refugee camp, we can see that... Or when  the domestic context of the refugee camp is studied, it is obvious that...


texts: Is "unfiltered-Camel-smoking war veteran" hyphenated correctly?

texts: We hyphenate the adjective "five-year-old" as such, but what about "unfiltered-Camel-smoking war veteran"? Should it be "unfiltered Camel-smoking war veteran" instead? Does hyphenating adjectives apply to this sort of description?


texts:
In scientific writing,
1.appearance of some phenomenon delays
vs
2.appearance of some phenomenon retards
Which is better? Also wonder about the noun form delay vs retardation.
For example, sth delays/retards the onset of a chemical reaction.


texts: Has language begun to converge in the age of mass media?

texts:
I understand that this question may be perceived as a bit broad for this site, but I've decided to post it anyway.  I figured that with the number of linguists, linguaphiles, and all-around language geeks on this site, I might get a rather intelligent (brief) answer pointing me to more detailed discussions on the subject.

It is my belief that one of the ways language evolves is similar to all other forms of evolution.  Certain usages fall into and out of favor depending upon local necessity, and geographic separation can often lead to wide divergence in common languages (accents, sentence structure, etc.).  One need only to look at the wide variations in English spoken in England, Australia, Canada, and the USA for proof of this divergence.

Clearly loan words and other factors have a strong influence on the evolution of a language, but I would like to set those aside for a different discussion.

I have long theorized that with the advent of mass media, and particularly the growth of the internet and social media, that language is now passed without the restrictions imposed by geographic separation.  I think this should be a fairly self-evident statement, but as an example:  If Hollywood movies are viewed world-wide, then American English and idioms should be spread world-wide to no small degree.

So, after that long-winded introduction.  My question:

Is there any evidence that language (particularly English) is undergoing convergent evolution, where we are all beginning to speak more similarly to one another since the advent of mass media?  Has this been a focus of study?

While the process is slightly different in the biological sense, I think that convergent evolution is an apt term here.


texts: "Aim for hard problems" vs "Aim for solving hard problems"

texts:
In my resume, I want to communicate I enjoy solving hard problems. I used a phrase

  backend programmer with an aim for hard problems

In my natural language leaving out the solving word does not make any difference.

However, I wonder does it make any difference in English? In other words, is the meaning of the phrase above any different the following one?

  backend programmer with an aim for solving hard problems


texts: What qualifies as a "boat" or an "automobile"?

texts:
Are all crafts that travel on water considered "boats," even barges, yachts, canoes, rafts, etc?

Are all motor vehicles considered "automobiles," even trucks, semis, and motorcycles?


texts:
Is talking a gerund in this sentence?

  We hear people talking of your son’s birth.

I just need to know for my English poetry assignment.


texts: why 'The information' is correct ? and is incorrect without using the article?

texts:
The information has been a key to impact people's lives through generations. Notwithstanding the significant changes that data can cause, it is argued to keep the sensitive information hidden. In my opinion, it is best for the interest of the world to keep the delicate details undercover.

Information has been a key to impact people's lives through generations.

(This line is giving error in many grammar correction websites, and the error is not showing if 'The information' is used, any idea why ?)


texts:
Which combinations are you most likely to use? Do you drink from a cup? Eat something in a bowl?

I got into an argument with a Welsh English speaker over this. He insisted that he drinks and eats off a cup, bowl, and plate. He added that "from" would be OK, but not perfect. Me, I'm an American English speaker and I drink and eat from or in a cup or bowl, and I eat off a plate.


texts:
Thus, the differences between the critical and average delays for BCLAs and KSAs are small, and, consequently, RPTs in multipliers with BCLAs and KSAs should be easily detected than those in multipliers with RCAs according to the above conditions.

Operationally, collective behavior was detected and quantified using correlations or, more recently, by mutual information estimated either locally or globally.

My issue: The above two sentences have " and, consequently, " and " or, more recently, ".  I understand that commas are used in long compound sentences or between independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction. After the conjunction "and" and "or", consequently and more recently are followed by a comma.
Is this normal for any transition or is it a grammar error?


texts: WHY do so many people struggle with ‘who’ and ‘whom’?

texts:
When to use ‘who’ and when to use ‘whom’ seems to be one of the most common areas of confusion for English learners, and even possibly for native speakers. Personally, I don't find it confusing at all and (although I am no grammarian, as reflected in my answer) I even tried to reply to one of those questions in April 2017, my first month at ELU:

Conflicting who/whom usage rules in a sentence

I later found that members regularly and repeatedly ask about ‘who’ and ‘whom’ here:

https://english.stackexchange.com/search?q=Who+whom

‘Who and whom’ questions also get asked at other grammar websites with great regularity.

So linguistically speaking, what is it about ‘who’ and ‘whom’ that is so difficult for so many new learners?

Non-native speakers trying to improve their English often tend to go by rules rather than usage. Could it be that the 'rule' covering the use of who and whom is itself complex, ambiguous or contradictory?

Note: I am not asking what is the difference between who and whom, so somebody please don't close this question as a duplicate unless someone has previously asked specifically why who & whom create such difficulty for so many learners.

Nor is it primarily opinion-based if you can quote standard references or expert commentators to support your answer.


texts: Nouns for people getting better at some activity

texts: I am looking for a couple of nouns that describe someone who is noticably improving at some learning activity. If someone is just starting they are a novice or a beginner; at the end, there are various words (expert, master, etc.). I am looking for words for someone who is a beginner, but who is markedly getting better, and for someone who is not an expert but is approaching it. I already thought of improver. It doesn't seem very satisfactory; neither does trainee, which doesn't imply improvement.


texts: Is it correct to say open shift and close shift or is it more preferred to use begin shift and close shift? By opening shift, I mean it from the perspective of the worker that uses a cash register or cash drawer: https://www.thebalancesmb.com/balancing-a-cash-register-2890536


texts:
The one thing I never caught in English language studies is diagramming sentences. I understood much more when the focus was on rules of sentence structure instead of a tree that I then needed to identify.

Perhaps it is a demonstration of how we all do not learn in the same way. Or, perhaps I can be convinced that I missed something that could improve my language skills significantly.

Why is sentence diagramming important?


texts:
When you replace somebody with somebody else, does it refer to a permanent change usually for a better one?

In "The company replaced Alice with a new secretary", does it refer to a permanent change?

What about substitute? When you substitute somebody for somebody else, is this change permanent or temporary? Like in a game when the coach substitutes a player for another?

I know you can say "The teacher was sick, so Jane substituted for her", and it means Jane is supposed to do the teacher's job until she's able to do it herself again.

Can you also use the structure with two objects to say that we put someone in the place of someone else temporarily until they can do it themselves again, in a sentence like "The teacher was sick so the school substituted Jane for her"?


texts: What is a less vulgar, but informal phrase for "talk a lot of s***"?

texts:
For some reason the phrase "talk a lot of stick" is coming into my mind when I think of a person who talks a lot of shit, but I couldn't find anything when I Googled it.

Is there any phrase which doesn't sound vulgar but describes this action?


texts:
It's not a flattering term for Great Britain but due to its catchy alliteration it has not run out of steam among newspaper editors.

Wikipedia says

  Broken Britain is a term which has been used in The Sun newspaper,
  and by the Conservative Party to describe a perceived widespread
  state of social decay in the United Kingdom. The Sun has run frequent
  stories under the "Broken Britain" theme since 2007

In a parliamentary briefing entitled The problems of British society (2010) we learn

  “Broken society” may be a catchy phrase, and useful for encompassing a
  variety of social ills, but what does it mean? (...) Tony Blair in
  1995 asked us to look at “the wreckage of our broken society” and,
  using the now-familiar language of rights and responsibilities, called
  for a new civic society where everyone played a part.   The phrase
  then really came into its own in the Conservative leadership
  campaign in 2005, first from Liam Fox and then with David Cameron
  taking up the term in his leadership acceptance speech.

In March 2010, political commentator and Lib-Dem,  Adam Bell, talked about epithets and soundbites

  ‘adjective’ Britain
  It’s clear that the coming election will be fought over adjectives.
  Specifically, the adjectives one likes to place in front of ‘Britain’.
  Anyone with even a cursory interest in politics can’t help but notice
  the proliferation of phrases like ‘Blackout Britain’, ‘Breakdown
  Britain’ and other pejorative epithets riding on the back of Cameron’s
  ‘Broken Britain’ soundbite.
  (...)
  Unlike other soundbites, the ‘Britain’ line directly refers to
  contemporary society, so rather than being an easy way to encapsulate
  a policy pledge (i.e. ‘Education, education, education’), it becomes a
  method by which a politician can establish a shared identity with the
  electorate.

The writer Vron Ware argues in his book on the history of Britain's 21st century Commonwealth soldiers that Broken Britain is metaphorical

  The term "Broken Britain" had become a clichè, operating as an
  expressive metaphor of a dysfunctional national community.

And in a paper published by the University of  Edinburgh, by Tom Slater (2013). We have the following observation

  The Myth of “Broken Britain”: Welfare Reform and the
  Production of Ignorance
  (...)
  Cameron’s declamatory argument is clear and unequivocal: “big
  government” has  “broken” Britain, and encouraged everyone to be
  “irresponsible”. “Broken Britain” in  fact became the catchphrase of
  the 2010 general election, which many attributed to the  Rupert
  Murdoch-owned tabloids. Whilst there is no question that Tory-boosting
  tabloids  (and broadsheets) did indeed devote considerable ink to this
  moral panic, its origins lie in  the activities and publications of
  Duncan-Smith’s CSJ.

So what is "Broken Britain"? Linguistically speaking, is it a metaphor, catch phrase, epithet, or a soundbite? I suggested it was a derogatory nickname for Great Britain in a previous answer of mine. Was I mistaken? Is it a metonymy because it represents the breakdown of British society and welfare? Why is it so linguistically powerful ?

I'd also appreciate knowing if the expression existed prior to 2005, it seems unlikely that nobody thought of it during the economic crisis of the 1970s before Margaret Thatcher came to power.


texts: What is a good term for someone who refuses to debate an issue ab initio?

texts:
A neologism would be fine. I was thinking of “ruglifter”, as in someone who is wont to sweep dirt under the rug.

edit: I was aware that using "from first principles" would render the question ambiguous, but I thought my run-on would clarify it. I was partly trying to avoid using a Latinism ("ab initio"), but I guess it is appropriate, so I've edited to use it.


texts: One word to say to someone who's being in a state they're usually not (or doing something they never did)?

texts:
In my native language, there is a singe word to say to someone who apparently are doing something they never did before, or being in state they never were before. Like:

Mr. X had always been late. But today he came on time.
Mr. Y said, "[...], you're always late before."

Or:

Ms. A had never kept in touch with Mr. B. One day she dropped him a line all of a sudden.
Mr. B said, "[...]. What makes you call me? I thought you'd forgotten we're friends."

Or:

A student had always been so much lazy. But one day he finished all of his homework and listened to the teacher during the whole class.
So the teacher said, "[...]. You're being diligent. You usually are not."

I know that this condition is described by means as in you are being diligent, or you're not usually like this.. Or perhaps this is not you.?
But I need an expression for that (one-word expression, if possible), and I can only think of these:

How odd!
For the first time.
What happened? (Or what's happening?)
Hey, is this really you?

Well, I don't think I'm doing this right.
P.S.: What we say to this person (according to my mother tongue, Indonesian): Tumben!.
P.P.S.: I'm looking for an insinuating or joking expression, not swear-word interjections like the ones in the suggested possible duplicate.


texts: Why do we use the plural "heads" and "tails" when describing sides of a coin?

texts: Head or tail sound fine to my ESL ears.  What's the reasoning behind the plural usage?  I looked it up on etymonline but didn't find anything interesting.


texts: What is "that" in "The Mouse that Roared"? e.g

texts: I can't figure out if "that" in this construction is a conjunction, a preposition, or what, and therefore whether it should have an intial cap in headline style.


texts: Is counter example a valid form of counterexample?

texts:
In student writing about math, I see the term "counter example" instead of "counterexample" too often. Does anyone have good ideas about why people think "counterexample" is two words?  When I see the term "counter example" I think of something you'd find in a home furnishings store.
I don't see people misspell the terms like counterpart or counterintuitive by making them two words.


texts: Being a representative for someone to/against (?) others

texts:
I'm currently writing a job applications for customer-centric jobs and I would like to say that "I'm looking forward to being a representative for the wishes and needs of a community of customers to / against - [I absolutely don't know] developers and product managers". Means: I want to advocate community's needs in discussions with others.

To clarify:
- The community of the web service has wishes and needs (for example a new button or a new feature)
- I'm the support guy between the community and the developers who are developing the web service
- Meaning: It is my job to communicate the community's wish for a new button to the developers. This is necessary because sometimes developers don't understand why a certain feature is needed so i have to act as a facilitator to make that clear.

All this is happening in one company: The company is offering one web service that has one community that is using this service, which engineered by a bunch of developers.

Do you know what I mean? Could you please give me a hint for the missing word?
Thanks in advance!
Florian


texts:
I don't understand, why you would call it a bite, when a mosquito "bites" you.

I'm fine with saying "bite" to a wound produced by a tick or other insects that actually have a mouth or something comparable.
But mosquitos, they don't have a mouth or teeth with which they could bite you. In my opinion, they sting you.

This is even worse for wasps. They really sting you with their sting to defend themselves (and not to feast on your blood), yet still some people call it an insect bite.


texts:
Similar to this question, but slightly different. I am looking for a word or phrase to describe the act of adding in disclaimers or qualifications in sentences to not suggest a certain thing, especially if it is offensive. Take in mind that these phrases are often used in situations where one is scared of offending others, so it's likely there are ways of describing it with negative connotations.

Here are some examples:

  "I admire Hitler's military tactics, not that I think he wasn't a bad person."

Notice for this one that the second half of the sentence doesn't change the implication of the first half, but not adding something to that effect at the end might have people come to other conclusions about the writer.

  "Although I think women can do just as good as men in mathematics, there are few great female mathematicians."

Once again the first half is not really needed, it is put in to not offend people.

  "If p, then q. Not that it should be that way and not that q implies p."

Again, the second sentence is not really adding more information about the subject, its purpose is to protect the writer or to stop the reader from forming conclusions that have no basis.

This question is different from this one because, in that one the statement that follows the caveat usually contradicts the caveat.


texts: Is there a word in English that refers to proximity in grammar?

texts:
For instance, here refers to something that is near by, whereas there and refers to something that has some distance to it. Is there a word that describes this in grammar? Another example could be this and that: this implies closeness, and that implies distance.

A non-English example could be how - in Spanish - aquí / acá refer to something close (they are approximate to here in English) and allí / ahí / allá refer to something far off (approximate to there). Spanish also has este and ese, which translate literally to this and that.


texts: Why are distortion/errors in images called artifacts?

texts:
I've been combing through the posts and dictionaries, but haven't found the answer yet. The question is not about different spellings as have been asked previously, but on the semantic meaning of the word used in the errors occurring in the context of image processing, visualisation, produced by graphics cards.

Artifacts (also artefacts) are usually depicted to be man-made objects having some form of art associated with them. They seem to be created intentionally, with a purpose by some author(s).

The question that bothers me is why in video, graphics-card, and image-processing industry errors, side-effects, distortions (noise, screen tearing, etc.) are also called (visual) artifacts.

The jargon "visual artifacts" don't seem to fit under the definition, because they almost refer to the opposite of what an artifact should be.

Does anyone know how, why and when people started referring to unintended, unintentional errors and distortions as artifacts?


texts: Distinguishing "long-term" African-Americans from more-recent African immigrants

texts:
As discussed in History of "Asian American" / "African American" nomenclature, the term African-American is a euphemism established to refer to Black Americans, but seems to be generally used to refer to those whose families have been in the United States for centuries (many of whose ancestors were originally brought to the U.S. as slaves).

More recently, there seems to have been a significant increase in immigration from Africa, and there are many new Americans from Africa who are somewhat culturally distinct from the "long-term" African-Americans described above.

Is there any existing terminology used to distinguish these two different groups?


texts: Why are doctors addressed as Mr. in the UK?

texts: In the US most physicians, surgeons and dentists are addressed as "doctor". Very few other professionals receive the same title.  In the UK, however, surgeons and dentists seem to prefer to be referred to as Mr. If that is true, why?  And who is addressed as Dr. in the UK?  Those who hold doctoral degrees only?


texts: Abbreviate one noun when combined with another that has same ending

texts:
Sorry for the probably a bit inappropriate title, I also didn't really know what to google for.

My question is, if a have a sentense like "... due to the lack of scalability and maintainability" can I get rid of the first "ability" and combine it to "... due to the lack of scal- and maintainability" like you could do in German with "... aufgrund von fehlender Skalier- und Wartbarkeit"?


texts:
The intended meaning of the sentence is "They all fell to the ground, their heads touching the ground reverentially".

The sentence is - "They all fell to the ground, their heads (in line with or parallel to) the ground.

I want to say something to the effect that their heads were touching the ground in such a way that it felt as if the face were an extension of the ground.


texts: Is "aha" an appropriate answer to "thank you"?

texts: I have heard many native speakers in the United states answer with a brief and cold "aha" when someone says "thank you".  Is it really appropriate to answer like that? I myself feel offended when I receive such a response from a teacher or someone I don't know.


texts: When a foreign word or phrase becomes English

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  What are the criteria to adopt new words into English?

There are many words or phrases in English that are clearly of foreign origin yet become  so commonplace they are indiscernible from the rest of English and make their way into English dictionaries.

Examples include deja vu, carpe diem, kosher and rendezvous.

However, there are plenty of foreign-language phrases, such as c'est la vie and hasta la vista that are used in English and will probably not appear in an English dictionary or be considered English.

So, how and when does a foreign word or phrase become adopted as English and how and when does it remain foreign?


texts: Why is "....although taking..." wrong in this sentence?

texts:
The Manhattan GMAT Sentence Correction book says that

  Although I take frequent naps, I study effectively

is correct, while

  I study effectively although taking frequent naps

is wrong.

Why is the second sentence wrong ?


texts: Technical term for an outrageous exaggeration

texts:
I have a mind blank for a term in English.

I wanted to describe a sentence I made. It's a technical term for when making an outrageous claim, not based in fact, but used for the purpose of impressing.

For example "The best show in the universe!"

Jeremy Clarkson often makes this kind of statement.


texts: Proper use of hyphens for compound noun 'system model driven approach'

texts:
Possible Duplicates:
  How to connect a word and a phrase with a dash?
  Multiple compound words
  Should I use “ related” or “-related”

I'm aware of the general rules for using hyphens in compound nouns, but I'm baffled by the correct use of hyphens in the compound noun 'system model driven approach'. This is a specialty term in computer science and is interpreted as "approach, that is driven, by system models (compound noun)".

My manuscript editor wants to typeset this 4-word noun as "system model-driven approach" but my eyes tell me it's wrong because I read it as "system {model driven} approach" whereas what needs to be communicated is "{system model} driven approach".

I've tried to check this from some available style guides but can't find good guidance. So the question is which one of these alternatives is best, or are all these wrong?

system model driven approach
system-model driven approach
system-model-driven approach


texts: Is there punctuation for words treated as words?

texts:
From today's NY Times:

  Mr. Trump’s critics reach for words like treason and traitor because they, like others, are searching for an explanation for actions that are so different from those of his predecessors. Other presidents, including Mr. Obama and Mr. Bush, sought to build good relations with Mr. Putin’s Russia, but none seemed so willing for so long to overlook hostile Russian actions or side with Moscow over the agencies of their own government.

Shouldn't "treason" and "traitor" be in quotation marks (or otherwise set off)? In the quoted sentence, those words don't have their normal meanings. For example, "traitor" doesn't mean "a person who betrays their country", it means "the word spelled t-r-a-i-t-o-r". Or is this just a NYT style thing?

And I'm also curious: is there a relevant term for this usage? I'm thinking of an expression that could be defined as: "a word treated as a word rather than as a referrer to something else"?

PS: I know I've assumed an answer to my first question by the way I've punctuated it it, but couldn't think of any other way to make my meaning clear. I guess I'm asking whether punctuation is required, rather than optional as the NYT seems to assume.


texts:
Jawad Sukhanyar & Rod Nordland, In Prison Release, Signs of Karzai’s Rift With U.S. (NYT):

  The amount of people advocating for a long-term relationship with Afghanistan is pretty small in Congress,” Mr. Graham said in an interview on Thursday. “No politician in America is going to get much blowback for just pulling out of Afghanistan. [emphasis added]

Blowback is not a mass noun per se. Is the use of much blowback grammatical?


texts: Does "ripple and cripple" have opposite meaning?

texts:
ripple, cripple
"Never look down on yourself,
even a cripple can create a ripple."
I use two similar vocabulary words in spelling to make a sentence.
Does it look like strange?
Does it look like a quote?
Does "Creating a ripple" and "Cripple" imply antonym?


texts: Is it correct to use "punctuation outside of the quotations", or "inside?"

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  How should I punctuate around quotes?
  When should end punctuation go inside quotes?

Or is it region specific? I was always taught that when ending a quotation, that punctuation remains inside of the quote.

  I think he said, "we should go to the store."
  Are you sure he said, "we should go to the store?"

As opposed to:

  I think he said, "we should go to the store". Are you sure he said, "we should go to the store"?

This is just an arbitrary example off of the top of my head, and it's hard for me to come up with an example for the second usage because it looks completely wrong to me.

I actually got into a small argument with my girlfriend earlier this year because she uses something similar to the second example, and said that's how she was taught (which is why I ask if it's region-specific.)

Anyway, is there a correct usage for ending a quotation with punctuation?


texts:
Assuming I don't want to say "zero point four grams to one gram," would it be:

"zero point four to one gram"

or

"zero point four to one grams"

or neither?

I'm leaning towards the second one because it just sounds better and I would argue that "grams" refers to a range of measurements, as opposed to a single measurement (e.g. two grams). Would this be correct?


texts: Any better alternatives to "open doors to a new world/findings/horizons/etc. for sb"?

texts:
Results of experimental models show great dependency on site conditions and experiment method. Under these conditions, statistical and AI-based methods (artificial neural networks and fuzzy systems) using available data have opened  door to a new world for researchers.

I suspect "to open door to new horizons/world/etc. for sb" (in figurative sense) is not used this way in English. Is there a better alternative to this usage?


texts: "I hope it will be useful for you like" + verb

texts:
I'm writing down few notes about a technical argument, I'm doing it also to understand them better, so in my intro I'm saying:

  If you are reading this, I hope it will be useful for you like writing
  it was for me.

Mostrly my doubts are about the second part of the sentence:

  like writing it was for me

Does it sound correct in English? There is a more correct way to express this thought?


texts:
I just heard this saying recently in this conversation:

  A: Why aren't you telling him to shut up?
  B: Mr. Palm is going to do that.
  A: Oh! So Mr. Palm wears the pants!

Cambridge Dictionary says:to be the person in a relationship who makes the decisions

But I still don't understand why the word pants was used.

Why is the word pants used, in "wear the pants"? And what is its origin?


texts: Deleting the definite article 'the' before ordinal numbers

texts: Is it correct to say "Amundsen's expedition was first to reach the South Pole"?


texts: In what order should you say people's names?

texts:
I know that when you include someone, you say their name first. For example:

John and I went to the beach.

How do you order the names when there are more than one additional people? For example:

John, Sarah, Kevin and I went to the beach.

Does it matter?


texts: What is the origin of the word "washel"?

texts:
My wife's family uses the word "washel"or "washle". They are from eastern Ohio, in and about Mineral Ridge, Ohio.

They use it in place of crumple,  as in "washel a piece of paper".  Not sure of spelling, sounds like mash.

Anyone know the origin?


texts:
"May me we are not rich as (they.them),but I bet we are lot happier.
"Your husband doesn't believe that you are older than (me/I)".

I was reading from "Word Power Made Easy-by Norman Lewis" and these question struck me. In the first sentence it says the correct word in place is "they" and in second it say the correct word is "I". Both struck me in doubt cause, It seem odd to me. Are they really correct?
If yes, what is the general rule for use of these words, how can I figure out in other sentences?


texts: How to refer to someone without specialist knowledge in an academic journal paper

texts:
I'm writing a journal paper and I want to find a suitable way to refer to someone who lacks formal training in a specialist field or specialist knowledge. The only example I can think of so far is "layperson". Checking this question it seems these suggestions are unsuitable for academic style.  My specific usage example is as follows:

"For the operator, the extremes of suitable clinical training as opposed to '__________' will be considered."

However, I have had this problem before and would appreciate alternatives that may be a more general solution than for the specific usage above. Along with suitable academic style, another issue I'm specifically trying to avoid is being disrespectful towards the person/group I'm referring to.


texts:
I've seen some usages like this:

  You've got there some really nice thing, you've got there.

  He is a big jerk, he is.

Or something like that. I don't have an actual example right now, sadly, but I remember there was a verb at the beginning of the sentence and the same verb was repeated at the end.

Have you ever come across something like that? Can you point me to some sources where I can learn more about that?

Edit: I believe my question is different from the one suggested as I'm talking about usages where the verb itself is repeated, not the "do/would" in their place.

Edit2: So I guess my question is twofold:
1. Is that correct English/does anyone use it like that? (You've already answered that one.)
2. Any materials sources about this usage so I can learn when and how to use it correctly?


texts:
There is this statement:

  Children as young as five are able to take the test.

What is the question the answer to which is "as young as five"?

Is this structure correct?

  How young an age are children able to take the test?

If no, what is the exact structure? Is it a way of asking that question in English, anyway?

What about this one:

  Five-year-old children are able to take the test.

What is the question the exact answer to which is "five-year-old children"

In the following questions

  At what age are children able to take the test?
  Or
  What's the minimum age of children able to take the test?

I know these questions could be answered in different ways, but the exact answer to the first (At what age) would be "At five." and to the second (what's the minimum age) would be "Five."
What about a structure the exact answer to which is "Five-year-old children."

What about "How old children are able to take the test?" It does not sound natural to me.
But I've seen structures like

  How big a tv do I need.?
  Or
  what size generator do I need?

Is it possible to use the patterns in this case and say

  How old a child/children is/are able to take the test?


texts: Is there a triplet of adjectives to describe "having lesser rank, having equal rank, having greater rank"?  For example, is there a word for something that is neither inferior, nor superior?


texts: I heard one of Glen Hansard's song named 'grace beneath the pines' Is it an idiomarticle phrase ? I found another song with the same title, that's why I started to think about some special meaning of this phrase. I understand what Mr. Hansard sings about, and grace beneath the pines I can also understand literally. There's nothing seems unlogical. But I guess he means something I can't understand just because I'm not a native English speaking person. Thanks for your help!


texts: What does "a-crowding" mean in the following verse

texts:
From "O Captain! My Captain!" by Walt Whitman:

O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells;
Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills,
For you bouquets and ribbon’d wreaths—for you the shores a-crowding,
For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;

While I cannot recall any concrete examples at the moment, I do remember encountering the prefix "a-" in poetry a couple of times before. Can anyone explain what it is all about?


texts:
Hemingway said that "It's better to write about what you can write about and try to make it come off than have epoch making canvasses etc."
Does this mean you should focus on what you can do instead of striving for groundbreaking achievements? Did he use the word "canvas" here as the one we know from painting? To refer to an artwork in general?


texts:
In the movie Star Wars, one of Mace Windu(S.Jackson)'s line reads such that:

  I think it is time we informed the Senate that our ability to use the Force has diminished.

Is saying 'inform the Senate' rather than 'informed the Senate' technically wrong?


texts: Is there an adjective and/or noun that describes a person who is more sensitive to cold than average?

texts:
In French, we call people that are very sensitive to cold "frileux" (for a man) and "frileuse" (for a woman). This word can be used as an adjective or a noun.

For example, if a group of people is standing outside during fall season, all wearing equally warm clothes, and one is shivering, French Quebecers would likely comment with something like "Tu es donc bien frileux!", which means "You are such a cold person." The person could then confirm the hypothesis or reject it, explaining that he or she is sick or very tired, for example.

I don't like saying "I am a cold person." when I mean "Je suis frileuse." because it sounds like I say that I'm unfriendly, unpleasant or not compassionate. Is there a specific word or a better expression to express this idea?


texts: "Certificate of residence" vs. "certificate of residency"

texts: Certificate of residence vs. certificate of residency — which one to use, when and why? Please quote a reputable source.


texts:
"Another organization, the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa, offers writers from around the world a three-month residency in which to share not only stories and poems but also the experience of navigating a new environment."

Specifically, I am having problems with the bolded "to", which I feel should be replaced by "they". Can someone clarify why this is a full sentence - I am having difficulty visualizing it.


texts: What does "one's agenda going from bold to bite-sized" mean?


texts: How would you group the terms "Single" and "Pair"?

texts:
I am working on a website at the moment and I am trying to perfect the User Experience. The products on the store are either sold on their own, or as pairs. What I want is a word or phrase to put in place followed by a colon, and then either the term "Single" or "Pair".

So to spell it out (pardon the pun) it would be:

word: Single

or

word: Pair

Can anyone come up with a good suggestion?


texts: Apostrophes in contractions: shan't, sha'n't or sha'nt?

texts:
I came across the word sha'n't when reading Winnie the Pooh the other day and it cast me into a Thoughtful Mood concerning the Appropriate Spelling of this word.

This word is a contraction of "shall not", with the ll and the o removed. Where, then, do the apostrophes belong?

Here are the three options that I see:

shan't: this is consistent with other -n't words and seems to be what is typically used. But what about the ll?
sha'n't: clearly, the Best Literature uses this form. This would seem a logical form to have it in, for are there not two places where letters have been omitted?
sha'nt: based upon the prevailing wisdom of my primary school†, the first position in which letters are omitted is where the apostrophe, of which there should be only one, should go. However, it doesn't feel right in this case. Also concerning the matter of having only one apostrophe, perhaps that was intended as one per word. Or perhaps it's just nonsense, additionally considering such words as fo'c'sle.

One article I found on this matter was the Wiktionary article on sha'n't:

  This came briefly into use at the end of the eighteenth century. It is not an older form of the contraction, though, as shan't predates it in print by about a century. (Source: World Wide Words [1])

It then proceeds to call sha'n't a "nonstandard spelling of shan't". The Wiktionary article I consider myself quite at liberty to discard, for A. A. Milne was using sha'n't in the 1920s, a decade which I would not generally consider to be at the end of the eighteenth century. In fact, it seems to me they're blatantly misquoting the article cited, which speaks of it occurring in the nineteenth century plus a few years either side of it.

So then: which are appropriate? What are the general rules concerning where the apostrophes should go in contractions? Why isn't English consistent? Why isn't Winnie the Pooh mandatory reading for all English speakers? (Discard the last two questions if you wish.)

† I am not generally inclined to give all that they say credence, naturally, for they are the same schools that teach the Victorian cursive letter forms and that two spaces should exist between sentences; that aught else is a travesty on the English language and that you probably won't get your pen license if you don't do it these ways—not that I ever did get mine.


texts: Defining abbreviations/acronyms in unobtrusive ways

texts:
There are many complex acronyms that aren't necessarily built from the beginning letter of each sub-unit syllable or word (examples at the end of this post). Sometimes these terms are so common making it clear doesn't matter.  But when defining your own new acronyms for use in a formal publication, whats the best way to help the reader see the selection of letters that is part of the much easier to use acronym?

A point of clarification:  I am not specifically talking about acronyms like "laser" or "scuba" as these have become ubiquitous and even better known than the sequence they actually represent and seem to rarely be defined. I want to reiterate that I am inventing an acronym, and want it clear what combination of letters was selected in the creation of this so that it remains relatively easy to use.  I won't go so far as to say I want it to catch on, but that doesn't mean it hasn't made it easier to use.

I see two options:

emphasizing the capitals (though this can really look funny, and in science, could even change the meaning, so it's probably not a universal solution, but in cases when it doesn't change the meaning would this really be desirable?)
use bolds, but really don't think any editor would keep this...

Here are some examples taken from wikipedia and presented with my interpretations of capitals, bolds, and how in a scientific context they may not end up being equivalent:

Interpol  = International Criminal Police Organization = INTERnational Criminal POLice Organization
Gestapo = Geheime Staatspolizei = GEheime STAatsPOlizei
Amphetamine  = alpha-methylphenethylamine != Alpha-MethylPHenEThylAMINE


texts: Etymological history of "northmost" and "northernmost"

texts:
How did it happen that we have both northmost and northernmost? Was there a typo or mistake in a letter once, or was it a conscious decision to change the original word, or add a synonym to that word?

Which word came first? Has one of the words been regarded as incorrect in the past?


texts: final though-tag: That tongue at the end tho; That victory dance though

texts:
For the last few years the internet has abounded with expressions ending in a kinda of "though-tag" in final position, especially in comments to GIFs and the like, such as the following:

That tongue at the end tho. (imgur)
That victory dance though. (imgur)

I'd very much appreciate it if somebody, problably a native speaker, could add an explanation with some synonyms.
----------EDIT-----------------------
The pics in imgur are no longer titled as they were when this post was created.


texts:
Is "by the time"a subordinate conjunction used to introduce Adverb time clause as mentioned  at few sites.
Ex-I reached there by the time he started.
I feel the clause following "time"has "when/that"implied and does the work of a relative clause modifying the Noun "time".


texts: What was the original usage of 'sentient'?

texts:
In general speech, especially in science fiction and fantasy, 'sentient' is used to mean "having human-equivalent intelligence".

But on the internet, people often insist that the original meaning of 'sentient' was "having thoughts, intelligent or otherwise" and that you should use 'sapient' instead.

But is that really true? I've never seen 'sentient' used that way except in discussions about the word and the occasional work of science fiction. I've always wondered whether it really was the original usage, or whether it was a distinction invented later.


texts:
Bionics is the application of principles found in nature to design engineering systems.
Which (new) term would be better if we wanted to borrow some principles from technology and apply them in biology: “reverse bionics” or “inverse bionics”? (or maybe other word?)


texts: Is there a canonic term for "the one whose birthday party is being celebrated"?

texts:
Something along the lines of 'hero of the occasion', but specifically for birthday? If there isn't, how would you otherwise say that?

('the subject of birthday party', 'the hero of this birthday party', 'birthday's hero' all sound stupid somehow).


texts:
I have seen people say

'I am your age' instead of saying 'I am of your age'.
Similarly, a sentence like 'you have done this your whole life' instead of 'you have done this for your whole life'.
My question is: why for/of is omitted? Any gramatical reason?

Thanks in anticipation


texts: What's the difference between "bloke", "chap" and "lad"?

texts: Several synonyms are used in the UK: bloke, chap, lad. What's the difference between them?


texts:
I often see text like "... has been a premier service provider for many years" in advertisements. Sometimes I'll see "Your premier SUCH AND SUCH" These strike me as nonsense phrases unless they were the first, or one of a few early, service providers.

Am I correct in my understanding of this phrase?


texts: How to define an acronym? using capital or small letters?

texts:
Consider the following sentence:

"Those elements are called Super Elements (SE)".

It is ok to write like that ?  Or should I write:

"Those elements are called super elements (SE)".

or would it be better to also use italics?

"Those elements are called Super Elements (SE)".

or

"Those elements are called Super Elements (SE)".

...


texts:
I'm writing a game that will be deployed on both web (mouse-based environment) and Android (touch-based environment).

I would like to say, "click here" (but that doesn't make sense in a touch environment) or "tap/touch here" (which doesn't make sense in a mouse-based environment).

So is there a word that can mean both, essentially a "click or tap"? Or am I stuck with "cilck or tap"?

Edit: The exact sentence is "Click/tap anywhere to return to the main menu."


texts:
Like the title, I randomly checked my son's textbook one day and found out some interesting things, like:

"I'm on a bus," "I'm in a car," "I'm on a scooter," "I'm on a skateboard," "I'm on a bike," etc.

My son asked why is it "IN a car" only? I thought about it and just can't come up with any idea.  Maybe it's more comfortable for the seats in a car? Like you'd sink into it? Could that be the reason?

Anyway, just want to know: is there any rule when it comes to preposition-using? Or is all we can do is to recite them all not knowing why? :)


texts:
When writing, I sometimes want to refer to a word, as opposed to its meaning.  For example: when correcting someone's grammar or semantics (there versus their), or when pointing out exemplary vocabulary.
On websites like this, I can simply italicize the word in question.

Abjure is a good word.

This feature isn't always available, though - notably in simple online chatrooms, and even in this website's question titles.
I've been using quotation marks, but now I've started second-guessing myself.

"Abjure" is a good word.
Abjure is a good word.

Is there a good way to refer to a specific word without throwing off the reader?


texts: "It performs better under circumstance A than circumstance B" or "...than under circumstance B"

texts:
In my essay, I need to write many phrases similar to "under A than under B", which appears to be a bit too verbose after a while due to the many under's. I am wondering if it is grammatically incorrect to omit the "under" after "than" or informal to do so.

So,

  It performs better under circumstance A than circumstance B.

Or,

  ...than under circumstance B.


texts: What does this sentence mean? "If she were a country, she would be in the top 20."

texts:
According to the article Asian Games 2018: After CWG Heroics, Paddler Manika Batra Eyes Good Show at Asiad:

  What Manika Batra managed to achieve in the Commonwealth Games for Indian table tennis was something unprecedented. She left Gold Coast with four medals overall – the most by an Indian athlete at the games. If she were a country, she would be in the top 20.

This sentence really got me confused.


texts:
Can someone help me to understand why we use "Could' in this sentence instead of 'can'.

"GST could make some products cost less"
vs
"GST can make some products cost less"

Thanks


texts: What is the term for the sections of a Subsection?

texts:
I have been looking to write up some information about a fictional species and I understand to a point some of the legislative writing. But I never understood a few terms.

Example:

"3.2.5.4"

First Digit, 3 — I understand that the first Digit in the series represents the main section to a article of legislation (for example).

Second Digit, 2 — Also undstand that the second Digit represents a Subsection within the main section.

Third and Fourth Digits, 5/4 — This is where I am stuck on because I can't remember the term.

My Question:

What is the term used for any Digit after the subsection?


texts:
People often use sans, the French word for ‘without’ in English.

What I don’t get, is when should that switch be made. When should I say sans when I really want to say without. Are there any general rules regarding usage, or is it kind of a person-to-person basis/feeling of flowerness.


texts: "He would have done anything you [would ask/would have asked/had asked] him to"

texts:
I want to say "He'll do anything you ask him to" but in the past tense, as that was the case 10 years ago, but he's not like that anymore. Which of the following should I use?

  He would have done anything you would ask him to!
  He would have done anything you would have asked him to!
  He would have done anything you had asked him to!

Which is correct or otherwise preferable?


texts: What is a word that describes when a user assumes the system they are using knows what they know?

texts:
I write software, and I find that sometimes a user assumes that the system knows what they already know about a specific scenario.  Here's a specific example:

A bank account that was used in an ACH transfer bounces back from the bank because it is no longer an active account.  The user gets emailed from the bank that the particular account is inactive.  They must then go into the system and mark the account as bad. {Don't worry about improving my process :)}  They then continue to use the system as if it knows this piece of information, and get upset when the outcome of the scenario is different because it did not know this piece of information.

This is where my question lies:
When they forget/do not mark the account as bad because they assume the system already knows that it is bad because they know it.

My made up guesses:
pre-knowledge bias
foreknowledge assumption

But not:
foregone conclusion


texts:
I'm looking for a couple of good coined phrases that I can use in front of business people, apologies if the one I had in mind offends anyone.

I'd use "can sleep at night" but I want the phrase to imply legal liability if we don't do something.


texts: Combining demonstrative and possessive pronoun

texts:
I know of at least one language (German, although it’s considered old-fashioned nowadays) where it’s possible to combine demonstrative and possessive pronoun:

Diese deine Worte sind wahr.
These your words are true.

I’ve never seen a construct like this in English. Is it even possible?


texts:
Is there any word with that meaning or a similar one?

Example:

  Many had died in their attempt to be immortal. Kings, emperors,
  merchants, scientists—the [...] don't discriminate.


texts: Is the "of" necessary in "that of whether"?

texts:
There is a question about "that of which" in which case the "of" is necessary.  I'm wondering if the "of" is necessary in "that of whether.

Here is an example:

  A prominent question in metaphilosophy is that of whether
  philosophical progress occurs, and more so, whether such progress in
  philosophy is even possible.

It seems to me that dropping the "of" does not change the meaning.

This question seems related.


texts: Noun emphasizing the cohesivness of a team

texts:
I am looking for a noun to describe the cohesiveness and unified purpose of a team, rather than just the usual sense of overall talent used when describing a group of individuals as "the best team in the league."

I would like to write a sentence such as:

  They only win the championship when they are the best X in the league.

where X is the noun that indicates "greatest cohesion" rather than "greatest amount of talent."


texts: What is "one" in "put one over on (someone)"?

texts:
To "put one over" is a slang expression for deceiving someone. The online Oxford Dictionary defines it as follows:

put one over on
Deceive (someone) into accepting something false.
‘he was astute–no one was going to put one over on him’

I'd like to know the etymology of this expression. What exactly is this "one" that is being "put over on" gullible people?
All the dictionaries I've checked provide no information on the etymology, presumably because it is considered obvious to native speakers.


texts:
The abbreviation of the colloquial expression ohkay seems not to be o.k., but one of:

OK
Ok
ok

Maybe it is in itself an abbreviation of words that are only used in abbreviated form. Which is the correct one?


texts:
The following is a part of a Lucy Kellaway's column in FT.com.

  Why do estate agents still exist? Travel agents are gone — or going. Estate agents, who were hated long before Tim Berners-Lee gave up train spotting to invent the world wide web, were always going to be the first to go, come the internet age. Instead the reverse is happening: as I cycled through Islington on my way home the other day I counted 17 estate agent shop windows in one street.

I suppose the essence of the sentence including the phrase come the internet age is

  Estate agents were always going to be the first to go, come the internet age.

Then, what is the grammatical role of the phrase "come the internet age" in the sentence? Is "come" subjunctive? If so, what is the meaning?


texts: Is it correct? "Should I not hear from you by [date], I shall assume your kind confirmation of it."

texts:
Is it correct to write in this way?

"Should I not hear from you by [date], I shall assume your kind confirmation of it."

Most grateful for your advice!!! T_T


texts: The usage of "hadn't better" in this context

texts:
The context is F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Bernice Bobs her Hair."

  Oh, I wasn't thinking about that. I was considering whether we
  hadn't better bob your hair.

Later on in the story, we are clarified that Bernice's hair isn't the Bob cut when Marjorie offers this advice. So the situation is that Bernice doesn't have her hair Bob cut, but Marjorie is evaluating the prospect of her getting said cut. To me, it seems like the correct modal phrase to use is "had better," but "had better not" is used, implying that she already has a Bob cut when Marjorie is talking to her (and before her subsequent fainting spell).

What is Fitzgerald saying?