texts: When should we say 'Thanks' and when, 'Thank you'?

texts:
While I'm communicating with my colleagues and clients, I used to say 'Thanks' and 'Thank you'. I normally use 'Thank you' when I want to express it to a single person usually through e-mails, otherwise I use 'Thanks' generally.

To improve my communication methods, I just want to know explicitly when I should use 'Thank you' and when, 'Thanks'.

Or, which is better professionally?


texts: Use of the term 'disappeared' - meaning 'exterminate'

texts:
Is it correct to say “...a young man who had been ‘disappeared’.”

I need this to align with a statement used earlier in the text: “Many civilians simply ‘disappeared’ with no trace found afterwards.”

Many thanks in advance for all input.


texts: Adjectival form of 'beauty' or 'grooming?'

texts:
I have a primary and a secondary question!

The first is whether there is an adjectival form of the word 'beauty', or better still 'grooming'?

The second is what is the proper way to describe an adjective that means 'of or relating to' something? So something of or relating to fashion is 'sartorial', something of or relating to the church is 'ecclesiastical', something of or relating to bears is 'ursine'. I want the 'of or relating to' form of beauty/grooming, but also to know what that is called? I've been trying to Google it, but typing things like 'what is the word for when something is of or related to something else' is - obviously - not getting me very far!!


texts: What does “the bully pulpit has splintered” mean?

texts:
The article of New York Times (April 29) written by a former White House speechwriter, David Litt under the headline,” What it’s like to write jokes for President Obama” wraps up with the following paragraph:

  “But I do think that presidential comedy has played a role in this
  chapter in American history. The bully pulpit has splintered. It’s
  become harder than ever to get people’s attention. And the White House
  has recognized what class clowns have known all along. Being funny
  helps.”
  http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/30/opinion/what-its-like-to-write-jokes-for-president-obama.html?action

I’m not clear with the phrase, “The bully pulpit has splintered.” Though I know the meanings of individual word of “bully,” “pulpit” and “splinter,” I’m unable to associate them with the concept of the meaningful set of a phrase.

Why is the President's speach stage a "bully" pulpit? Can you translate it into a plain and simpler phrase?


texts:
Example context: "I vouch for this user."

What would be a good antonym/opposite sentence?

I've seen people use "I devouch this user" on forum boards, but it doesn't sound right.


texts: Punctuation of sentence ending with the word "period" for emphasis

texts:
I really enjoyed The Dark Knight Rises and want to send a grammatically correct tweet about it. Unfortunately correct punctuation of the following eludes me:

  In other news The Dark Knight Rises was better than The Dark Knight.
  Not just a good super hero or action movie just a great movie, period.

What is the correct punctuation before the word "period?" Am I correct in using a comma or should an ellipsis or emdash be used instead?


texts:
What I wrote is:

"However, just as any other data carrier, images not only contain important data, but also such of lesser significance to us. "

I want to say that images not only contain important data, but they also contain data of lesser significance. How can I write it without repeating "contain" and make the whole sentence sound more natural?


texts:
I wonder if the following sentence conveys the right meaning.

  Even if they make a big mistake, expediency entails to forgive each other for the bigger cause of friendship.

Can expediency entail something?


texts: Word for 'when someone perceives life as a game'

texts:
I've heard of the Tetris effect, which is essentially the same thing with the difference being that the brain does it subconsciously.
The word I'm looking for is when someone knowingly pretends life is a game to do things in a gamified manner.
For example: If someone thinks that they are speedrunning a task in life, they do it quickly and hastily as if in a game.
Is there any similar word if there isn't any?


texts: How do I deal with quotation marks, parenthesis and period all at the end of a sentence?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Where does the period go when using parentheses?

I have never seen this particular issue addressed; I looked around and couldn't see anything that specifically addresses this. (Is there anything?)

In a sentence in which we have this scenario: quotation marks, period and closing parenthesis, what goes where?

Any of these are possibilities:

  I love Diablo Cody (Oscar-winning writer of 'Juno.')
  I love Diablo Cody (Oscar-winning writer of 'Juno).'
  I love Diablo Cody (Oscar-winning writer of 'Juno').

I know I could use a comma instead of parentheses, but what if I wanted to use parentheses? There has to be a way to do it correctly.


texts: Is there a word for "able to be conducted"?

texts: Is there a word that means that something is able to be conducted, like heat or electricity, but more generally/in a metaphorical sense? "Conductible" means "able to conduct" which is counter intuitive.


texts: What do you call someone who gets along with children?

texts:
What do you call someone who gets along with children/babies?
A simple example:

He is such a ________, he makes all children smile.

A single word noun would be ideal but a phrase is acceptable also. There might be a colloquial word or phrase too.

For example, there is a phrase good mixer which means someone who can get along with everyone [See: second meaning of mixer]. So, what we are looking for is almost like a subtype of this characteristic.
There are words like likeable or easygoing but they are too general.
The closest word I could find is avuncular but it does not sound that suitable for this usage. I have never used this word in this way.

Kind and friendly towards a younger or less experienced person: he was avuncular, reassuring, and trustworthy
[oxforddictionaries]

Also, I'm not sure if we can use avuncular as a gender neutral word for this sense. [Because it is a masculine word for its anthropological sense]. It seems like there isn't a common word as a feminine version. Amicular and materteral is proposed in this previous ELU question: Is there a feminine equivalent to the adjective “avuncular”?


texts: "low educated"? "poorly educated"? Other

texts:
Sample sentence: "In contrast, low educated women who are employed in low-fertility countries are more likely to decide against second childbirth than those who are not employed."

That sounds awkward. Is there a more standard way of saying that in academia?

"Lower educated" doesn't seem much better. "Poorly educated" sounds rather qualitative, judgmental  and pejorative.

Related: "High educated"? "Middle educated"?


texts: Looking for a word (best describes) that means breaking a loop

texts:
I'm currently writing an academic paper. It involves the neverending cycle of human evilness in our hearts. I was looking for a word that breaks such "eternity" like

  unless we dare ourselves to (word) the eternal cycle of stepping on others . . .

was looking for a word something powerful and perfect for that kind of sentence.


texts:
When you are expressing something in an exaggerated and ironic way, often to prove a point, can you say that you are hyperbolizing? Could it be used in a way where you could end the statement with it?  For example: “No, I'm just hyperbolizing (but there’s some truth to it)”.

Any synonyms for this?

  hyperbolic

  2 (of language) deliberately exaggerated.

(Oxford Dictionary)


texts:
I have sent a document for review by a peer, and I know he has a very short time in which to complete the review.

What is the formal way of telling him that I am sending the document at the last minute?


texts: What is the difference between talk with people and talk live with people? I think all kinds of talk is live. If so, why we would say talk live with people?


texts: Why do we use "executed" in referral to carrying something out?

texts:
The wording, given the standard meaning of "executed" - which is often in a negative light, as per the term - seems strange.
Has the term been adopted into it's current (stated) usage or has it always been defined to where you can use it like that?


texts: What does the phrase, “there is properly no history, only biography” mean?

texts:
I found Ralph Waldo Emerson's famous words, “there is properly no history, only biography,” in his “Essay I” being quoted in the article titled “Keeping the dream alive: A biography,” appearing in June 21, 2012 Time magazine. The article deals with the collapse of American Dream, and “there is properly no history ...” comes in the following sentence:

    “There is the crisis of our time. The American Dream may be slipping
    away. We have overcome such challenges before. To recover the Dream
    requires knowing where it came from, how it lasted so long and why it
    matters so much.

  Emerson once remarked that there is properly no history, only
  biography. This is the biography of an idea, one that made America great. Whether that idea has much of a future is the question facing Americans now.”

The author, Jon Meacham seems to relate the word, “the biography of an idea” to American Dream, but I don’t get a clear idea about the phrase, “there is properly no history, only biography” meant by Emerson.

What does it mean in specific connection with “American Dream”?

By the way, what is the function of “properly” used as an adverb here? Does it mean “in proper (exact) sense, there is no (abstract string of) history, but for (individual) biography (of heroes or historic characters)?


texts: Does the use of 'piece' instead of 'coin' depend on the value of the coin?

texts:
I ngram-viewered 'a fifty-pence piece' and 'a fifty-pence coin' and found 'piece' to be more common than 'coin'.

But for 'a one-pound piece' and 'a one-pound coin', it is the opposite.

Any idea why? Does the noun 'piece' imply the idea of a fraction of a pound, of less than a pound?


texts: English idiom for only being able to act in the way you were raised

texts: I'm looking for an English (UK) idiom which I think might be similar to "I can only follow my roots" and means that I can only act in the way I was raised.


texts: We [have]/[had] been friends up until this moment

texts:
Sentences:

We have been friends up until this moment, but John has just stolen my wallet.

We had been friends up until this moment, but John has just stolen my wallet.

Question:
Sentence #1 says that either we may remain friends or our friendship may end, whereas sentence #2 says that we are no longer friends. Is that interpretation of the bolded tenses correct? Thanks.


texts: "trust the fact" vs. "trust to the fact"?

texts:
I think "trust the fact" is more natural than "trust to the fact", but the search result shows that the latter is more popular. What's the difference between them? Thanks.

Yet another derived question:

What's the difference between "trust to the fact" and "trust in the fact"?


texts: Should I use "who" or "that" when referring to an organisation?

texts:
I generally use the rule of thumb of using who when referring to a person and that when referring to an object. Example:

Jim is someone who makes me smile.
I was nearly knocked out by the ball that hit me.

But what about when we're talking about an organisation?

I am forever indebted to the charities who helped me.
I am forever indebted to the charities that helped me.

The former seems somewhat warmer, if that makes sense, although the latter feels more correct. What should I use? And how about this:

I'm really happy with the insurance company who helped me with my claim.
I can't stand them, they're the insurance company that ripped me off.

To me the former evokes a team of helpful people while the latter evokes a cold heartless corporate entity. Is this just a matter of style and so should go with my instincts, or should I aim for what is 'correct?'


texts: What is the earliest use of the noun "rookie" and why has it become the most common synonym for newcomer? What were its vectors?


texts: What's the origin behind the phrase "assume room temperature" which means "to die"?

texts:
I stumbled upon this phrase in Urban Dictionary and was rather taken  by surprise to know that it is a slang expression for a person who has died (or will die in the immediate future.)

Medical speak for recently dead.

Since UD is not the most reliable of sources(although I find it useful to understand slang usage), I tried to find the phrase elsewhere and got a Wikipedia entry under "List of expressions related to death"

(Euphemistic slang) To die.
Used frequently by talk radio icon Rush Limbaugh on The Rush Limbaugh Show, generally when a dictator or an avowed enemy of the United States has died. Originally used in his first book, The Way Things Ought to Be. See also Jargon of The Rush Limbaugh Show.

What I think...
Normal body temperature is 37°C. Comfortable Room temperature is around 20°C-25°C. If somebody "assumes room temperature", their body temperature has gone down, thereby indicating their death(?)
I decided to consult Ngram and I did get lot of usage results. However, they seem to be related with scientific experiments ("Experiment assumes room temperature" and so on...) rather than a slang phrase in English.


texts: Men and women ...have the most stressful life/lives

texts:
I was wondering if you could tell whether life or lives should be used in the sentence below:
Men and women between the ages of 25 and 54 have the most stressful life / lives.


texts:
I am sure that I know (or knew) a word that would mean the time it takes for something to occur after setting it in motion.
The closest I can conjure up is "timescale" but that is not what I am looking for. "Duration" is also close, but duration suggests the act is ongoing, rather than occurring later.
I need a phrase which would look something like:

refund "X"

and which should explain to a user that their refund can take up to seven days to process. You can see here how "duration" is not appropriate.


texts: "Here he comes", "Here comes he" : The order of pronoun and verb in inversion

texts:
It's very common to say:

"Here he comes."

"Here comes the man."

But what about:

"Here comes he."

"Here the man comes."

Is there a rule about the order of noun and verb in inversion?
It will be too much if all the inversions are considered, so let us talk about adverb inversions only, such as:

"Here comes the rainbow."

"Off we go."

"In the room is the man lying."


texts: The proper way to say "Mocha" the coffee drink

texts:
I have noticed that most of the time when I go to Starbucks and order a mocha, the cashier doesn't seem to understand unless I repeat it.

I am trying to think why is that the case since it is a very easy word to pronounce. I pronounce it as 'moka' but I am wondering if I should put a light w 'mowka' instead? If that's the case, does this really make such a huge difference between being understood or not?


texts: Word or intuitive neologism for "(unhealthy) infatuation with gold"

texts:
The easy picks:

greed
avarice

They get the message across, but are too general. I want a word that narrows the meaning to only gold -- not just desire for wealth / material gain.
I tried a neologism: aurumphelia but google only turned up 7 results, leading me to conclude it's too much of a stretch; it requires too much mental acrobatics to make sense of it.
I could simply say "love of gold," but that would take away from the medical/psychology/academic/pompous tone of language I am going for. Though the word is to be used within a fictional setting, I want to maintain as much of an anchor to reality as possible (not just conjure up words willy nilly)
Intended sentence:

Doctor Sebastian has diagnosed these Dwarves as suffering from a
severe case of _______________.

Question
Are there any existing words for this task, and if not, how would one construct a more intuitive neologism?


texts: Etymology of certain words ending in "-en"

texts:
Tchrist's comment here on my answer to an etymology question brought the following to mind:

Ox (from Old English oxa) maintains the same vowel in the plural oxen that it has in the singular. But child has a different vowel (an English short vowel) in the plural.

Brethren, an archaic or specialized form of the plural of brother, is a similar case; it changes its vowel in the plural as well, through i-mutation. (Yet brothers does not.)

I've looked at http://etymonline.com to find these two words, as well as looking briefly in an introduction to Old English published by the Medieval Institute at Western Michigan University, and discovered that child has an older plural, which might be childer in Modern English. But I'm still not entirely clear on its history; and I'm  confused about what the text says about brother.

Why do these two words with (standard, archaic, or alternative) plurals ending in -en have vowel changes in the plural, when ox does not?


texts: Origin of phrase "open-and-shut" as in "it's not an open-and-shut case"

texts:
I used the phrase "open-and-shut" today, as in, "It's not an open-and-shut case", meaning that the item under discussion has not been decided and the outcome is not obvious.

I don't think I've ever heard the positive, only the negative. "It's not an open-and-shut case" seems to be the idiomatic way to use the phrase. I'm curious:

What's the origin of "open-and-shut"?
What's the origin of the idiomatic usage, "not an open-and-shut case"?


texts: Is there a passive for the sentence "Be quiet."?

texts: How to say "Be quiet.", which is a command, in passive voice?


texts:
So I am trying to name some interfaces in my code, and I can't seem to find an appropriate name for one of them.

I have Target for the Enemy, what would the thing "Targeting" it. It is not shooting it, it could be a sniper, a tank, a missile etc.

What would you call something that can target an object?

An answer on here suggests "Aimer" but that does not feel right at all, "Targeter" is not even a word, or at least not according to a Dictionary.

Any ideas?

First post here so excuse my terrible grammar and structure :p.


texts: How to distinguish the gerund with the object and the -ing form in the meaning of the adjective

texts:
I read this in Wikipedia: "The program becomes modal, switching between interpreting commands from the keyboard or passing keystrokes on as data to be processed."

The word interpreting makes me confused. If it is an adjective, then it has an active form. But then there is a mismatch - the commands are interpreted. But it sounds like they are interpreting something.

It can also be a gerund with its own object. For example: Smoking cigarettes is bad for you. How can we distinguish between these two cases?


texts: Device used to count number of customers that enter a store

texts:
What is the name of the device used to count the number of anything (e.g. the number of people that enter a store)?

I'm thinking of a.. thing.. that fits in the palm of your hand and it has just one button, so that when you click it the number on the screen increments by 1.


texts:
It is quite confusing every time I see the word "yet" placed at the start or middle of a sentence or phrase.

For example: (Copy from somewhere)

  Here is a very simple, yet attractive, list of basic English words.

As far as I know, the word "YET" should perform like this:

  Not yet, I'm still working on it.

In this case, YET means something is in progress.

Does the word YET have any other functions?


texts:
Proofreading a friend's work, I came across the following phrase:

  [teachers and students] work collaboratively to change long held, potentially incorrect and deeply believed views

Now, while I'm sure that in suggesting hyphenation for "long-held" and "deeply-believed" I'd be correct, for a reason I can't quite put my finger on I don't think hyphenating "potentially incorrect" would be appropriate.  Am I correct, and if so, what distinguishes this phrase from the others?


texts:
How do we translate 1210 into words:

1) one thousand, two hundred, and ten

2) one thousand, two hundred and ten

or without the commas

3) one thousand two hundred and ten

4) one thousand two hundred, and ten ?


texts: Is there a word for "timeless" that doesn't imply the passage of time?

texts:
I know this is really weird, but I think I'm essentially trying to describe Death as an entity that is to a temporal stream of events what a painting is to a film; both are complete entities, but are fundamentally different in how they deal with time. The painting is temporally static, whereas the film has a changeable moment - like life, it has a "present", past and future.

If I try to write about death in this way, is there a word to express that?

Infinite, unchanging, eternal and constant don't quite seem to work because they imply a passage of time around the subject. I'd considered "timeless", but I'm not entirely sure about it because I feel like it has too many connotations of "classic", or again, that it simply implies something unaffected by time rather than something alien to it.

I realise this is a bit of a longshot, but does anyone have any ideas? If there isn't a word for it, I'd even be up for suggestions for a new word, so long as it's meaning is recognisable.


texts: Which is correct: 'Drafty' or 'draughty'?

texts:
I have been changing 'drafty' for 'draughty', or because of my confusion, removing the word altogether while subbing online articles.

I'd appreciate guidance on which term is correct for UK English.


texts:
I have questions about 'other than'...

  She couldn’t do anything about her bad luck other than suffer through it.

1) What’s the exact meaning and usage of 'other than' in this sentence?

2) Isn’t it a preposition? Then why use 'suffer' instead of 'suffering'?


texts:
Please can you help.  Here is my sentence:

For best results, you’d be sensible to ensure they’re songs which are suitable for your voices current skill level.

Where would you place the  apostrophe on the word ‘voices’

Thank you


texts:
In a lot of sentences when speaking people use adjectives after verbs. In some examples it sounds right, however, and I was wondering if such uses were valid in formal writing.

The only example I can think of:

"I'm hungry," she said, shocked.

There are of course many cases in which I'm sure doing such a thing is incorrect:

He ran slow

I ate quick

But I ask about less blatantly incorrect examples such as the first one above.


texts:
I heard a lawyer say "I move to speak" in a sitcom and I wonder what its nuances are.

Searching for the phrase doesn't give many results, so it seems like it's not a common phrase.

Is it only used for taking one's turn to speak? Announcements, etc?


texts:
When do we use "to" after the verb before an omission? Because I promised or because I promised to? Because I want or beacause I want to?

Is the "to" optional?


texts:
I got below error while writing content for a ebook. I am using grammar verification tool online and it throwed the below error message "This sentence appears to be written in the passive voice. Consider writing in the active voice. "
What will be the correct voice conversion option?

My content:

  'the output is displayed in the browser with links to all developed web pages.'


texts: Is there a word for something that is perfectly or aptly named (the opposite of a "misnomer")?

texts:
My spouse took a picture of a bird with a yellow head and a black body. The bird is called Yellow-headed Blackbird. He wants to say that the bird is aptly named. I am looking for a single word that means perfectly (aptly) named.

If misnomer is connected to a meaning that is wrong, is there a word for a meaning that is "spot on"? I've done a Google search to try to find the antonym (in this sense) of "misnomer" with no success.


texts: Fill in the blanks with either of the words guilty or suspect

texts:
There are two sentences:

Police believe my neighbor robbed a bank.He is a/an ..........

She stole the money.She was......... of the crime.

I think for firat sentence we should use "guilty" and for second one "suspect". Because suspect of the crime make more sense than guilty of the crime.but I am not sure. On the other hand I think we use suspect when we are not sure who is the criminal.In the first sentence if the word 'believe' means polices are not completely sure the answer to first one should be suspect  and second one guilty.


texts:
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/al-qaeda-chief-urges-westerner-kidnappings-prisoner-exchanges-114335980.html

"The Ummah (Muslim world) must support this jihad with all that it can, and the mujahideen (Islamist militants) must unite around the word of Tawhid (unity)," said Zawahiri, an Egyptian-born doctor.
"So everyone should prioritize the interest of Islam and the Ummah over his organizational or partisans interest, even if he gives up for his brothers what he sees as right."

What does partisans interest mean?


texts: What do you call a person who is your friend only because you benefit them?

texts: Looking for a word to describe a person who only makes friends to benefit themselves.


texts: A phrase for a small role in a much larger project?

texts:
I'm writing a thank you letter for a professor whose lab I am working in and I play a fairly small role. Although I have a very tiny part, for me the lab is a huge part of my life.

Is there an English saying that describes a small part of the whole? Like a tiny screw in the machine or a walk-on in a play? I was going to go something like "a small keg in the brewery" but I don't know if that makes much sense.

Thanks so much!


texts:
Can a person be "thought-provoking"? Or is this term only properly applied to concepts and things such as articles, theories, concepts, questions?

The dictionary says thought-provoking means "causing people to think seriously about something." And, sure, people can certainly cause one to think seriously about something. But I think the term is meant to suggest a conceptual or intellectual element.


texts: Three sentences regarding the definitive article in technical/mathematical writing

texts:
I am writing a 40-page (technical) paper about mathematics. Most grammar advice is easy to find. But, the hardest part I have been struggling the past days is when to use the definitive article.

The reason is that I would like to have my paper written as close as possible to what a native speaker would write (not caring whether it is British or American). My native language is German and a particular difficult problem is the use, or the omission, of the definitive article "the". I Did quite some research that is got me to my guess formulated below.

Sentence 1:
This sounds like native English:

  Using the variance 'v' of inductive type 'I' in its argument 'a', we
  can finish the proof.

In the above sentence I highlighted the mathematical variables with ' '.

My interpretation/guess: Since "the variance" and "the inductive type" is a repetition, we are allowed to omit the second "the". Thus, my guess, if we do not omit the second "the", the sentence sounds redundant and less  like native English:

  Using the variance 'v' of the inductive type 'I' in its argument 'a',
  we can finish the proof.

Sentence 2:
Which version sound more native:

  To obtain the right hand side of required type A, we map the function
  F over the list L.

OR:

  To obtain the right hand side of the required type A, we map the
  function F over the list L.

Sentence 3:
Here, I have no clue, which version sounds more like native English:

  Furthermore, monotonicity of G gives us the isomorphism I.

OR:

  Furthermore, the monotonicity of G gives us the isomorphism I.

Finally, what grammar rules am I missing? Something I can google in the future?


texts: What do we call someone whose English is weak?

texts: I am a student, and I am interested in knowing the formal (polite) and informal (insults) terms.


texts: A fun, catchy way to say the opposite of a 'no-brainer'?

texts:
A no-brainer is "something that requires a minimum of thought" (Merriam-Webster).  I could use some help with a catchy way of saying the opposite.

Sample sentence:

"I have to make a decision and it is definitely not a no-brainer, in fact, it's a real ___________."

I almost want to say, "...it's a real brainer." but that just sounds silly.

You could always say "...it's a difficult decision" but that's pretty bland.

Someone suggested brain-teaser in the comments, but I'm thinking of the context of a life decision like, "Should I accept this job?" or "Should I get married?" -- something of that order -- rather than a riddle.

I searched for 'antonyms of no-brainer' online but the first three hits came up empty.


texts: Word for to have the same thing become different

texts:
I know there is word "discriminate" meaning to constitute the difference,
but it's usually used in negative sense.
So what are the neutral and positive words?


texts: A Question About Quantifier Shift for "each of you" to "you each"

texts:
I understand from reading similar posts on this topic that if I want to write a sentence using "each of you," I should follow this with a singular verb. So, for example, "Each of you has given your all this year" is correct, and "Each of you have given your all this year" is incorrect.

If I'm right on this point, could someone explain how the quantifier shift would work if I wanted to rewrite the sentence beginning "You each"?

To my ear, "You each have given your all this year" sounds correct, and "You each has given your all this year" sounds horrible and wrong.

But is it wrong? If so, why is it wrong?


texts: Why was someone considered mentally unbalanced or crazy called a "crackpot"?

texts: I believe "crackpot" dates back to the last decade of the nineteenth century; however, I'm curious to know why "crackpot" was used to describe someone mentally unbalanced or crazy. Any thoughts?


texts: Confused with the interpretation of the restrictive relative clause

texts:
The sentence:

  My sister who is from Chicago visited me last weekend.

The interpretation from YouTube: I have more than one sisters and I am specifically talking about my sister who is from Chicago.

Question: If I say,

  "The car that I bought last week is red"

Will people think that I have more than one cars? (Ooops, do I have to add s at the end of car in this sentence?

I am a nonnative speaker who enjoy learning English. Please help me with this interpretation.


texts: One word for "Having to accept something after numerous co-incidences even though it is against your rationale"

texts:
Sometimes you have to accept something based on numerous events asserting it without any tangible proof. For example, let's say a person survives an accident thrice in a day. It is likely that people, in such a case, would accept the reason to be some divine intervention, even if it is against their rationale. Perhaps because of lack of proof. Is there a single word for this situation?

UPDATE: It would be preferable if that word can be used as a verb.


texts: What is the name of this game? And what type is it?

texts:
I need to research more about this game strategies, but I don't know what is its name in English.

The game is like this (the gadget is just named Picture Puzzle):

The objective is to slide the blank cell to the lower-right cell.

What exactly is its name? And is it considered a board-game?


texts: Use of possessive in "seven years' experience"

texts:
I am attempting to write a personal statement at the beginning of a resume and am having a quandry as to how to write the following:

  I am a super hero with seven years' experience in blowing out fires with my exhalation...

I assume that since the experience doesn't belong to the seven instances of years, this is incorrect use of the plural possessive.

How can I write this statement properly?


texts: When to capitalize titles such as mayor (for the SAT)

texts:
Studying for the SAT I came across the practice sentence "By next month, Ms. Jones will be Mayor of Tallahassee for two years."

I know that it should be corrected to "will have been" instead of "will be" but I was confused on why mayor is supposed to be lowercase.

If a person's name is never mentioned is it not a title? Would this also apply to other job titles such as "Director of Communication" or are there special rules governing this?


texts: What is an alternative to 'pre-' vs. 'post-' or 'before' vs 'after' that sorts in the order of events?

texts: If ordered alphabetically , pre goes after post, because the 2nd character r of pre goes after the 2nd character o of post.  Same issue with before and after because of their 1st characters.  Is there an alternative to these pairings that, if ordered alphabetically, would place the equivalent of pre or before before its counterpart post or after?  Like in Spanish, 'antes' vs. 'despues', but in English (antes means before and despues means after).


texts: How to sleep with your mouth closed/open

texts:
In my opinion, we could say "..sleep with your closed/open mouth."

Please explain to me why we use adjective closed/open after the noun mouth? Please tell me the difference between the two usages.


texts:
How well do common variants of Received Pronunciation distinguish between "autistic" versus "artistic"?
Wiktionary gives the distinction that the former uses for the leading syllable  the open-mid back rounded vowel whereas the latter uses the  open back unrounded vowel,
but it may be hard for many lacking strong familiarity with these designations to imagine just how clear the distinction is for   a listener.


texts: Is the phrase "awaiting customer" bad English?

texts:
In customer support software, issue tracking systems and the like, I frequently see a state titled awaiting customer to signify no action is required until the person (customer) who raised the issue has responded.

Is this use of the word await incorrect, should it be waiting for customer?

My reason for asking is because I found a description of the difference between wait and await where it says the object of sentence is not a person and normally inanimate:

  The verb 'await' must have an object - for example, 'I am awaiting
  your answer'. And the object of 'await' is normally inanimate, not a
  person, and often abstract.

Customers are people, so why use await?

Unfortunately the example given has confused me further:

  I am awaiting your answer

In this case your must mean a person, not an inanimate object.

I'm guessing the use of awaiting customer is just a convenient short phrase to put in the software, but is it correct?


texts: What is a word to describe one's actions that seem to stem from ignorance, yet actually do not?

texts:
So I know that acting without the foreknowledge of those actions is down to ignorance. This has various implications, the main one being that the responsibility of one's actions is not entirely eradicated, though maybe diminished. We may say, 'how could he know better? He doesn't know what he's doing/the consequences of his actions.'. Or maybe the person should have known better not to act because of their ignorance, in which case they still bear the weight of blame, but their actions weren't necessarily bad.

What if however, a person does a seemingly stupid thing, but where they knew exactly what they were doing, or what the consequences would be? Maybe they acted in a way where they wanted to seem ignorant to use this as a pretense for their ultimate aim, but where they don't have to take responsibility for their actions (or at least less responsibility).


texts: Grammar of "married" in "getting married"

texts:
What is the grammar of the word married in this sentence?

  They are getting married in April.


texts:
I don't know whether the phrase "go spare" is used in the US, but it is very common in the UK.

  e.g. You're an hour late. Mum's going spare upstairs!

I would like to know where the phrase comes from, and how it came to get its meaning. Also, what sense of the word "spare" is being used - none really seem to fit?


texts:
How to name a written guide which grants you expert knowledge about a certain topic (after reading it).
Is it an

expert guide
experts guide
experts' guide
expert's guide
expert' guide
experts's guide

Also knowing why that's the case would be nice.
(what would be other tags but apostrophe?)


texts: Where is the correct place to put the "is"? I speak several languages and get confused when switching from one to the other.


texts: Are "unestimated" and/or "non-estimated" correct English?

texts:
When something is not estimated, is it correct to say that it is unestimated or non-estimated?

For example, in certain project management techniques, tasks can be "estimated" which means one or more humans have given an estimate on the expected cost, effort, or duration of the task. Here, "estimated" is used as an attribute of the task, so a task is either "estimated" or "not estimated". In some texts, I have seen the expression "unestimated task" (or with a hyphen, "un-estimated") or "nonestimated task" (or with a hyphen, "non-estimated").

Are any of these correct English?

(The context here is software projects, so a sub-question is whether any of these expressions can be considered part of the professional English vocabulary in that field.)


texts: Other word for discrimination based on demographic categories?

texts: I am looking for a stronger word than "discrimination", which somehow remains ambiguous because of its multiple meanings. I am especially interested in referring to discrimination in the sense of partiality and prejudice towards certain demographic categories. The word "discrimination" could be used in combination with an adjective such as "racial", but again that would be to specific, because it would omit discrimination based on other categories such as religion, gender or culture. What I would require is a word describing the thought process by which one purposely, unfairly and hatefully excludes an entire population from courtesy and tolerance one would apply to oneself.


texts:
Could anyone explain when to use a noun or a gerund?

Are these sentences correct? What is the difference between usage of gerund and noun there?

  I worked on the improvement of the article.
  I worked on the article improving.
  I worked on the improving of the article.

  The investment idea was published.
  Investing idea was published.


texts:
When did you born?

Can you please tell me which of the items below is the literal translation of the question?

When did you give birth?
When were you given birth to?

Also, how do we answer to this question?

I'm trying to ask my friend his birthdate.


texts: ‘Go on... have a listen.’ - ellipsis or comma?

texts: Would I use an ellipsis or a comma for ‘Go on... have a listen.’ or ‘Go on, have a listen.’?  I guess the true sentence would be ‘Go on and have a listen.’; would you say that’s correct? Thank you in advance and if someone could give a reason why whichever one is correct, it would be much appreciated.


texts: Alternative for "found something accidentally even when it was lying really close the whole time"

texts:
Let me give you an example of the situation where I would like to use this "word/phrase/idiom/expression". A friend of mine who had a laptop for 3 months now accidentally discovers that it is screen-touch enabled when his fingertip brushed against his monitor when he was pointing something to his boss. "Discovered" does seem like a good fit but it sounds pretty dull, at-least in my mind.

I have thought of two phrases: "right under his nose this whole time" and "Eureka Eureka" when I would like to tell this anecdote to someone but I am not sure if it is appropriate in this instance. Also I need alternatives to carry a humorous tone not bothering about if it is a bit exaggerated form.


texts: What is a noun describing the sense of an adjacent train moving off?

texts:
Picture this. You are sitting on the station on a train nestling your coffee, sandwich and newspaper.
That train moves off, briefly making one think one's train is moving backwards when it is not. Or - more often still - the other train is arriving so one thinks one's train is leaving already.
I know there is a German word for this, but is there an English word or phrase that succinctly describes this (neither
special nor general) relativistic effect?


texts:
Which one is correct?

"Kids is mean" or "kids are mean"?

I saw the first one in Ghostbuster's subtitle on netflix, and was wondering why would it be correct if Kids is plural.


texts:
I was a bit surprised to find a word, “womb owners” in the article titled, “Women can be funny, admits Jerry Lewis (sort of)” in Time Magazine’s online edition (April 15, 2014).
The article begins with the following lead copy:

“Back in 1998, Jerry Lewis said he didn't like women comedians.
Recently, the aging laughter legend clarified that Lucille Ball and
Carol Burnett were alright, but he's still very uncomfortable when
womb owners take the mic”
http://time.com/61560/funny-women-jerry-lewis/

The meaning of the word is obvious, but none of CED, OED, and Merriam-Webster carries this word.
Is it accepted as being used straight in the leading English language publication like TIME? Did the writer use this word just for embellishment or fun? First of all, isn’t it a politically incorrect word?


texts: What's the origin of "wife-beater" when used as a sleeveless shirt and why is it not frowned upon?

texts:
I'm a native English speaker (from Ireland) and to this day I'd hesitate in saying "wife-beater" when referring to a sleeveless shirt. It seems to be much more common in the U.S.

Where did this term come from and why? Another answer here gave conjecture that apparently it's from how people are dressed as they are arrested on the TV show "Cops" and/or men who commit domestic violence, but I find that really unconvincing to lead to such widespread usage while also not maintaining the negative connotation.

And how is it so commonly accepted without implying the more literal meaning? I just don't understand how it became natural usage and something people ultimately say without needing to clarify or lose a straight face.


texts: Past Perfect Negative Plus Future Perfect while in the Present

texts:
Given the situation:

I enjoy a podcast that has ended
There is a bonus episode of the podcast that I am not aware of that, if I were aware, I would listen to it
Somebody tells me about the existence of the episode

The best way I can think to write this, that isn't super cumbersome, is to say:
"If you hadn't told me about that episode, I never would have"
But the "never would have" part implies that I have already listened to it.
"If you hadn't told me about that episode, I will have never listened to it"
While this gets closer what a theoretical future me would not have done, it makes it seem like I'm not planning on listening to it.
Is there a better way to phrase this that I'm missing?


texts: expression of strong feeling starting with "never"

texts: Please, how can I express strong feeling starting with the word never?


texts: Explanation of the English in this University of Cambridge graduation certificate

texts:
I recently came upon this certificate of award of a BA degree at the University of Cambridge, which was written in a strange form of English which I didn't find very grammatical or logical according to Modern English grammar.

Transcript:

I hereby certify that XXX of YYY College in the University of Cambridge was at a full congregation holden in the Senate-House on 24 June 2016 [sic] admitted to the degree of Bachelor of Arts.
Witness my hand this twenty fourth day of June, two thousand and sixteen

The sentence seems to be rather strange, especially nearing the end of the first paragraph, where the sentence abruptly jumps from the date to "admitted".
How does one explain the meaning of this certificate in Modern English?


texts: Recently, I finished my phone job interview with the phrase "Thanks for having me". It was a reply to the other person's "Thank you for your time". So, does "thanks for having me" sound alright in this context?


texts:
Can someone please answer this burning question? Is the following sentence correct?

  Her and her voice were truly a gift.


texts:
Does the following sentence have both a definite and indefinite noun?
Surely with hardship comes ease.
Thanks,


texts:
I'd like to focus in on the meaning of 'pale' which is used in color description.

My dictionary, OALD, says 'pale' in such case means "light in colour; containing a lot of white".
It shows me some examples; pale blue eyes: I understand; a paler shade of green: ditto.
Then I have two questions.

a pale sky (from OALD) … Does it mean its basic color depend on time and weather, or  pale blue? Or is there another tacit agreement on its basic color?
pale eyes (Ollivander's eyes, from p.308, Harry Potter 4) … Does it mean a specific basic color, or a color depending on readers' imagination?

I’d be happy if you could help me.


texts:
I'm writing a rhetorical analysis paper on Grendel and I'm quoting the following:

  The monster laughs.

  Time-space cross-section: Wealtheow.

  Cut A:

Do I block quote? I think the paragraph breaks in the passage are significant and will be part of my analysis so I want to make sure that visually it will be seen, but I'm not quite sure if that would be the correct way to quote it.


texts:
Albert Einstein once said:

  “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.”

With quotations, can you put a period after the quotation marks?


texts: Is my StackExchange-Description written correctly?

texts:
This is my profile-description of the StackExchange-Site:

  "Dösbaddel" is a (North-)German word for "Dummkopf" which probably means "fool" in English.

Is it written properly or do I need to insert a comma right after "Dummkopf"?

  "Dösbaddel" is a (North-)German word for "Dummkopf", which probably means "fool" in English.

If you find more things one could/should change, I would be glad if you would inform me about that.


texts: 'I don't know WHOM he is' or 'I don't know WHO he is'?

texts:
I don't know who(m) he is.

I'm trying to figure out if I should use 'who' or 'whom' in the sentence above. I'm attempting to reach a conclusion by identifying the deep structure, but I'm not sure what it would be. Ideally an answer would include a syntactic tree.


texts:
Despite the tag, I'm actually looking for two words: you have ghosts, which are "otherworldly" in their nature with their intangibility (looking for an adjective), and then you have regular things from our world (also looking for an adjective). I know there are words for both in that context, but I just can't remember what those words are.

I'll try to specify more: lets say your ghost had a necklace that is part of their ghostly..."body". Just like the ghost itself, you can't physically touch that necklace. If you had to compare that necklace with a regular necklace, what would you call the ghost necklace and what would you call the regular necklace?


texts: 'Team of economists': singular or plural?

texts:
I am writing an ad and would like to write: "Our team of economists are at your service and available by phone or email.  They will be happy to respond...".

I know that grammatically speaking, 'team' is the subject of the sentence and, being singular, would dictate that 'it' is "at your service".  BUT, it just feels better reading this and it evokes a picture of a bunch of economists doing what they do rather than a single unit".

Is what I'm doing OK?  Should I be arrested by the grammar police?


texts:
The other day I was watching a video, in which one white teacher was being accused of using the word "nigger" in reference to one of his students who was black. The newscasters, before showing the video report, didn't dare to say the whole word "nigger" and instead just said "a teacher used the n-word in class...".

So, I guess, this word is really bad since the newscasters can't say it in the full length. But this reminded me of the song by John Lennon "Woman is the nigger of the world". I am kind of puzzled here: As far as I know Lennon had already moved to the USA by the time he released this song. I know that some radio stations refused to put it on air because of the n-word in it, but that was 40 years ago. Have things not changed since that time? If newscasters don't dare to say "nigger" even today, how would they refer to that song today if they needed to?

EDIT:

Just found this video on YouTube where Lennon himself explains the situation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5lMxWWK218


texts: What’s particular about an October kiss?

texts: I bumped into this comic strip from long ago, which piqued my interest. Does an October kiss constitute something? Is it an autumn tradition, an ancient wizzardry enchantment, an October surprise, or is it just a kiss?


texts: object pronounce "you" or "yourself" preceding primary object

texts:
We would like John and _____ (you/yourself) to come to the party

Regarding the above sentence, I've done quite a fair bit of Googling and still haven't found a substantial and satisfactory explanation for this. I'm a native speaker of English, yet, I find this question nonetheless perplexing; I can't quite put my finger on it.

My arguments for  'you'

It's an objective pronoun. The example shown below seems grammatically correct and is commonplace in English.

  I would like to see you here tomorrow.

My arguments for  'yourself'

The example shown below seems grammatically accurate as well.

  You love yourself more than anyone else.


texts: Why does English hypenate compounds, while German just mashes them together?

texts: Since starting to learn German, I find myself wanting to use a non-hyphenated word in English, but I always end up adding the hyphen because otherwise it just seems wrong in English. Why is this? Is it merely convention?


texts: Is there an English equivalent to the Syrian proverb: “Throw meat to the dog, and he'll forget the bread and salt”?

texts:
When they throw meat to the dog, he forgets the bread and salt (companionship one had with someone else).

This Syrian phrase is said to someone who throws away years of friendship and gregarious company with someone or people, and betrays, abandons or leaves them etc.

Imagine being with someone who you've shared many meals with; you have both been through the good and the bad, the happy and bitter times, simply everything. Arabs value companionship like no other. It is considered shameful if someone leaves his longtime companion when the going gets tough, or when he is abased, when he is down after he was at the top. We say he is a man of companionship, he who honours friendship and really cares.

Is there anything like this in English especially pertaining the second part 'forgets the bread and salt'?

Bread is referring to the bread they broke.
Salt can refer to the bad they went through together somehow. It's a cultural thing.


texts:
In the opening paragraph to “The Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Watson writes:

The story has, I believe, been told more than once in the newspapers,
but, like all such narratives, its effect is much less striking when
set forth en bloc in a single half-column of print than when the facts
slowly evolve before your own eyes, and the mystery clears gradually
away as each new discovery furnishes a step which leads on to the
complete truth.

I was curious about this "half-column" reference. After several searches I found many other contextually similar references to both "half-column" and "half column" referring to the printed word, perhaps implying concision or something similar, but no definition for this phrase that fit these contexts.
I do understand how newspapers and simlar periodicals have traditionally been formatted, and being a bit of a graphic design enthusiast I started down that avenue and eventually concluded that the "half" was in reference to the length being half a page. This is supported by similar specifications such as "double half column" and "triple half column" which mean two or three columns wide respectively, and half a page in length, and "quarter column" which is a single column wide and quarter page long.
But then in another instance that I encountered it seems to be used figuratively:

About Printing-house Square, mayhap you may light on an honest man, a
squeamish man, a proper moral man, a man that shall talk you Latin by
the half-column if you will but hear him.

I am not familiar with the text but apparently it's from "The Kickleburys on the Rhine" by William Makepeace Thackeray:
Given what I could find I drew the conclusion that "half-column" literally means one column of text (about 1-1/2" or 4 cm in width in period relevant print media), half a page long, and can be used metaphorically, perhaps meaning terse.
If anyone has an actual dictionary definition, or source they can cite, then I would grateful for a clarification, expansion, or refutation of my conclusion. I thank you in advance.


texts: Is it "so damn difficult" or "so damned difficult"?

texts:
Both "so damn difficult" and "so damned difficult" return about 3-4m hits on Google. Though with the latter, Google asks me "Did you mean: so damn difficult".

Ngrams:

Related.


texts:
I remembered a phrase this morning "Where do you get off...?" (last entry), which is similar to "Who do you think you are...?" or "What gives you the right to...?" or "How dare you...?".

Due to its scarcity in my favorite online dictionaries, I wondered if the phrase was new. But it's been used as early as 1913.

Wanting to know its origin I found this discussion with several good ideas, including "Where do you get off...?" being:

The same as "Where (on Earth) could you get away with...?"
About transportation, whether related to ego trip or a physical stop of some importance
Related to Schadenfreude

But the discussion is informal. Is there formal evidence for what the original implication of "Where do you get off...?" was?


texts:
I'm French and I need your help for one little thing.

I'm about to write a status on Facebook for some users of my app (most of them talk English) and I am wondering if I should say :

  Who want to get some coupons for my app ?

OR

  Who wants to get some coupons for my app ?


texts: What is a word that means contrary and funny

texts:
I am trying to describe my sense of humor to be contrary and funny, a bit silly and irreverent (not choosing between 2 choices but making my own choice), and not disrespectfully so.  I thought about "snarky", but googling that it shows:

(of a person, words, or a mood) sharply critical; cutting; snide

These words feel negative and hurtful.  I want to find a word that is more humorous and light and happy, playful.

It doesn't have to be a word, a good phrase will work.

Thanks!


texts:
I am developing a software in which I use the following terms:

subscriber
publisher
subscription

When a subscriber subscribes to a topic, something like this happens:

subscription = subscriber.subscribe(publisher)

I am struggling with the proper word when I subscribe from the aspect of the publisher:

subscription = publisher.properWord(subscriber)

I thought of relay, but it simply does not mean the same. It should have an opposite as well. It is unsubscribe by subscribe, but there is no derelay...

So what does the publisher do with the subscriber when they create a new subscription?


texts: what does "get a fist in your face" mean?

texts: i heard it in a musical and the full sentence was "Keep it up, get a fist in your face". can anyone explain this to me? Thanks a lot!!!


texts: To what reading level does a specific word like 'verbose' belong?

texts: How does one determine the reading level to which a specific word belongs? For example, I want to use the word 'verbose' in some software. So, if I want to determine if it is appropriate to use the word based upon the users of the system, is there a web site where I can enter the word and get feedback?


texts:
a/b  =   a or b
     =   a and b

Or this can mean anything as per context .

Do we use "/" symbols in English and what is its meaning ?


texts: When ending a sentence with a ? and a !, is there a rule which one comes first?  That is, ?! or !??  If either is okay, are they interchangeable, or for difference circumstances?


texts: The pronoun 'he' used generically, as well as a lot of words including "man-kind" or generic "man" are sex-biased and are not acceptable. However, not so long ago, they were the proper used terms for describing the general. For example, "Man must adjust to his environment." or "He that loves must forgive." etc. Was this always the case or did there use to be a difference in terms between male and female?


texts: 'Drop us a line' - letter or phone call?

texts:
According to the Free Dictionary, dropping someone a line means sending them a short message.

Is this correct? I always thought it meant phoning someone, the line referring to a telephone line.


texts: What's the word for people who give an opinion unnecessarily?

texts:
What's the word for people who give an opinion unnecessarily; when it is not required or it's not their business or they are not asked to?
Can we call them 'critics'? Or loose tongued?


texts: What does ( his never came from stepping on everyone along the way) mean?

texts:
I'm trying to improve my English by reading books and i have found this sentence which I coudnt understand.

  He works hard, as a military police captain so I don't get to see him as much as I want . Ma tells me that his never came from stepping on everyone along the way

and what does the pronoun his for  ? This is the text:

  They were financially stable until Pa turned to gambling. At first, he was good at it and won many times. Then one day he went too far and bet everything on a game his house and all his money. He lost that game and almost lost his family when Ma threatened to walk out on him if he did not stop gambling. After that, Pa never played card games again. Now we are all forbidden to play cards or even to bring a deck of cards home. If caught, even I will receive grave punishment from him. Other than his gambling, Pa is everything a good father could be: kind, gentle, and loving. He works hard, as a military police captain so I don’t get to see him as much as I want. Ma tells me that his never came from stepping on everyone along the way. Pa never forgot what it was like to be poor, and as a result, he takes time to help many others in need. People truly respect and like him. “Loung is too smart and clever for people to understand,” Pa says and winks at me. I beam at him. While I don’t know about the cleverness part, I do know that I am curious about the world—from worms and bugs to chicken fights and the bras Ma hangs in her room.

The last question: what does he mean by clever for people to understand ?


texts: Which preposition to use after "careless?"

texts:
Is there a difference in meaning or usage between careless with/about/of?

I found dictionary examples of all three, but I failed to grasp the difference (if there is any):

  He was careless of details;
  She's rather careless about her appearance.
  He's very careless with his money.

Thank you.


texts: When did "while" and "whilst" become interchangeable?

texts:
I think most folk happily use either "while" or "whilst". I've a vague recollection that at one time "while" indicated the passing of time and "whilst" was essentially the same as "whereas" or "although".

So using while for time passing...

  While I was walking down the street the sun was shining.

... and whilst for whereas/although...

  Whilst I was walking down the street I often prefer to hop.

Any views?


texts: A confusing sentence structure that uses "by example"

texts:
Here is a sentence from an article by The Economist that talks about the Saudi revolution that has recently allowed women to drive:

A more normal Saudi Arabia should moderate the Islamic world, by example and because the flow of petrodollars to zealots would slow.

The sentence structure bothers me, especially the "by example" part and the comma that precedes it. At first, I thought "by example" is some sort of a bizarre phrase that somehow makes the sentence grammatical; after googling, I am inclined to say the sentence is a mistake. Or is it not?

How should I interpret the sentence?

Thank you.


texts: When a person makes their voice squeaky it’s called falsetto, often by men to imitate or mimic a woman. When a person deepens it, what’s it called? I’ve heard both men and women do it.: women to imitate or mimic a man, or by a man to sound like a baritone or bass.


texts: Definition of "loaf" in terms of a street suffix

texts:
The USPS has a list of street suffixes (like Street, Avenue, road, etc.) and acceptable abbreviations for them (like ST, AV, and RD)
One of them is Loaf (LF). I've done a bit of research and cannot find a definition of loaf that makes sense in the context of a street suffix.

We have the common definitions of the noun (bread) and verb (to lounge around), and a region-specific (UK) one where loaf=head/brain, ie, loaf of bread (rhymes with head) that I found on Wiktionary.

(https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/loaf)

So what is a loaf in terms of a street name suffix?


texts: “He told me that Trump will/would win the re-election.” Will or Would?

texts:
He told that Trump {will/would} win the re-election.

I know "will" should be used in the present tense. What is confusing me is that: his words were said in the past, but his statement is actually a prediction about an event that is in the future.


texts:
This is a scholarly footnote: "Ferrarius, lib. i.c. iii p. 108."

I do not understand what "i.c." means.


texts: Is there a word that means "multiply by ten"?

texts:
I'm wondering if there is a word that means to 'multiply by ten'.

I'm curious based on my interest in the word decimate, which used to mean to remove a tenth of something.


texts:
I'm translating a sentence to English, and want to use the phrase:

  All material is produced sustainably.

But my spell-check doesn't like the word sustainably, so I looked it up, and have found mixed results as to whether this is the best word to use.

Dictionary.com doesn't list any adverb form of sustainable.  Miriam-Webster does have an entry for sustainably.

Should I use this word, or is there a better, more accepted way to convey the same meaning?


texts:
I'm pretty sure that I know a word for a person who takes leave without informing in advance but I am not able to recollect it.

Don't count on him to finish the work today. He is a _______.
"We don't encourage people who are _________. Serious actions will be taken against them", said the manager.

An absentee is a person who is expected to be there but they're not. But the person might have given a heads up that they will be absent. So that doesn't fit well.


texts: Should words in email subjects be capitalized?

texts:
How should email subject lines be written? Like this:

  Question Regarding Tomorrow's Meeting

or like this:

  Question regarding tomorrow's meeting

For some reason, I would consider the latter to be less "professional." However, capitalizing each word as in a title may be a bit tedious, and it may even look awkward if someone has many emails with capitalized titles. Furthermore, this website seems to suggest that the people are less likely to click on an email if each word is capitalized (though I'd probably take that with a grain of salt).


texts:
From "Butcher's Crossing" by John Williams:

"The faint afterlift of a smile hung on Francine's full, pale lips; she nodded; her hand moved softly, soothingly, over his bare chest."

[Butcher's Crossing by John Williams]
What does "afterlift" mean here?


texts: Hate people touching or using his things

texts: What do we call a person who don't share his or her personal belongings or things with others? or hate people touching his things


texts:
For example, both of these sentences seem fine to me.

  I'll do everything I can to make sure she's happy.

  I'll do everything that I can to make sure that she's happy.

Is "that" really needed?


texts: Between last name and surname, which one is British and which one is American? If I talk with somebody from Great Britain, which one is preferable?


texts:
I came across this sentence while surfing on the Internet:

Now I'm calculating how many pages I should do per day (that) would be reasonable.

When read out loud, the sentence sounds sort of natural, but grammatically speaking, it's wrong because after the verb "to calculate" isn't a clause but a noun.
Should the word "that" be added back in to the sentence, or is the sentence itself not wrong in the first place?
Thanks for your assistance!


texts: Is "soliciting" in the example sentence an adjective or a noun?

texts:
In the following sentence, I would like to understand if the word "soliciting"  is a noun or an adjective.

"Is my reluctance that soliciting?"

Here, the word "soliciting" appears to be a kind of noun, as in the state of soliciting. However, it also appears to be adjectival as it describes the subject of the sentence, which is the word reluctance.

Furthermore, what would be the specific name of this word - is it a "verbal noun" or a "participle" etc.


texts: Why do people so often use "jive" when they actually mean "jibe"?

texts: I often hear people use the word "jive" when I'm pretty sure they mean "jibe."  It's a subtle sound difference so it's hard to catch.  But why do so many people mix these two up?


texts: What does “the government picks winners and losers” mean?

texts:
I heard the phrase, “pick winners and losers” in AP Radio News (aired on March 19), relating GOP presidential candidate, Mitt Romney’s attack on President Obama’s economic policy:

  -Republican Presidential candidate, Mitt Romney says President Obama is wrong to pick winners and losers to try to boost the economy:
  “Because he has not worked in the economy, he doesn’t understand when the government picks winners, they think, and losers that the rest of the free economy shatters.”-

There are many “pick winners and losers” quotes in Google search, for instance;

  “Aside from this disparity and the empirical evidence that suggests the ineffectiveness of such efforts, it turns out there is one more problem with picking winners and losers: sometimes the winners you pick turn out to be losers.” - www.ctnewsjunkie.com.

But I find the definition of this phrase nowhere.

I remember that Chinese government took 'winners first' policy once to try to make the rich richer first, then making the poor rich subsequently as if trickling its effect when they started to steer their economic policy toward the open-market.

Does “the government picks winners and losers” mean to try to protect or benefit everybody, i.e. the rich and the poor equally?
What does it exactly mean?


texts: Can I use an interjection like "by God" to imply I'm talking about God later in the sentence?

texts:
Can I use the phrase "by God" to imply I'm talking about God, while also using it as an interjection?

So e.g.:

By God, it was a difficult thing to do, who has long since given up on me.


texts: Is there a word that describes a person who spreads gossip and false rumours or just simply undermines group relationships?

texts:
Amongst sailors there is a superstition that assigned the expression "Jonah" to anyone who is considered to bring misfortune or bad luck (Ref. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonah#Jonah_in_sailors.27_superstition).

I would like to know if there is any equivalent slang for a person who intentionally spreads gossip or false rumours, or, let's say, someone who is considered the rotten apple (or black sheep) in a group and normally the one responsible for destabilizing or segregating this group. (I have such person in my family!)

I've already read the article What is the single word that describes a person who always gossips? but those expressions don't quite fit my question since i'm looking for a slang or popular expression.

Cheers!


texts: Should 'good morning' be first greeting irrespective of the time you meet a person. Whether its afternoon or evening

texts:
Is there any kind of rule that the first greeting to a person should be 'good morning' irrespective of the time you meet that person. Whether its afternoon or evening.
Please clarify with with facts and proof.


texts: Which adjectives can be built from the word "atlas"?

texts:
We are interested in things that are like an atlas. What are the possible adjectives that can describe such things.

Four choices that came to mind are:

1) atlantic
2) atlantian
2) atlassian
3) atlassic

Regarding "atlantic": This coincides with the proper name of the ocean between the Americas and Africa/Europe.

Regarding "atlassian": Wikipedia only knows a company called https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlassian. I didn't find any online dictionary that would have this word.

Regarding "atlantian": Again nothing found on Wikipedia nor on any dictionary.

Regarding "atlassic": Nothing found, neither on Wikipedia nor on any online dictionary.


texts: "They interviewed several candidates who/whom he thought had the experience he required."

texts:
They interviewed several candidates who he thought had the experience and qualifications he required.

My test prep book says this should be "who" because of the subordinate clause's predicate:

  They interviewed several candidates who he thought had the experience and qualifications he required.

I feel like it should be "whom" as it's the object of the main clause.

  The interviewed several candidates whom he thought had the experience and qualifications he required.

Who's right?


texts: What do you call the child who doesn’t resemble his / her parents in English?

texts:
There are sons and daughters who don’t look like their parents at all. We call them “Onikko 鬼っ子” in Japanese, which literally means the child born or brought by an ogre, not by his / her biological parents.

Onikko doesn't necessarily mean derogatory. For instance, when we have a brilliant child brought up by mediocre parents, we describe the child 鳶が鷹を産んだ子 - tobi ga taka wo unda ko - a hawk born by a kite. The hawk (child) can be a kind of Onikko.

What is the expression in English for the son or daughter who doesn't resemble his / her parent in face, figure and temper though they are their parents' real child?


texts: Term to describe an individual with skill level beyond expert, possessing abilities that should not be used conventionally in their field of expertise

texts:
I am writing an instruction for using some software at my work, and have a somewhat tongue-in-cheek section that covers techniques that should only be used in the most dire of circumstances when there is absolutely no other way to produce a result.
I have an "Expert-Level Techniques" section already, and am trying to find a good word to replace "expert" in this tongue-in-cheek section that does justice to the type of techniques being described. These are techniques that would be frowned upon by other experts in the field, but can deliver results in the most dire of times.
Originally I considered "God-Mode" (referring to the similar usage in many video games for when you cheat) and I've had "Black-magic", "witchcraft" and "Voodoo" suggested to me, but I want to avoid using a word that might be seen to reference race or religion.
Single or compound words, or phrases would be fine in this circumstance.


texts: Can 'must have -ed participle' have the present meaning?

texts:
In an Oxford dictionary, ‘must have –ed participle’ is used for supposing a past event.

  He must have known (= surely he knew) what she wanted. I'm sorry,
  she's not here. She must have left already (= that must be the
  explanation) (Advanced Learner’s)

However, a case below seems to have some different meaning. Although, yet, I do not have found the explanation, from a grammar textbook for Korean language, I guess the case seems to express an awareness of realization, perfection, or the continuity of the perfection at present with a past form. Can my guessing be right, or am I to learn about some other explanation?

  “Jane,” he recommenced, as we entered the laurel walk, and slowly
  strayed down in the direction of the sunk fence and the
  horse-chestnut, “Thornfield is a pleasant place in summer, is it
  not?” “Yes, sir.” “You must have become in some degree
  attached to the house,—you, who have an eye for natural beauties, and
  a good deal of the organ of Adhesiveness?”(Jane Eyre)


texts:
What is the correct way of using the word "host" as a verb? Should I be using "at" or "in"?
Ex:

He hosted the party at his house. They host parties at the gym.
He hosted the party in his house. They host parties in the gym.

Would there be any difference if the sentence was switched to 3rd person?
Ex:

The party was hosted at his house.
The party was hosted in his house.


texts: English proverb or idiom for 'If you have means, you can do any thing you like.'

texts:
If you have means, you can do any thing you like.
This phrase means that if we have money, we can implement our plans or start doing something productive.

Also, it money is used in a generic sense here. It could broadly mean the necessary resources. Also, I am looking for something that implies a positive tone.

What is the English equivalent proverb or idiom for this one?


texts:
Clunky title, sorry.

An example: "Lots of pizza" sounds right, as does "many pizzas." "Lots of pizzas" does not sound right (in my dialect; I think it's fine in others), nor does "many pizza." "Lots of tortillas sounds right," as does "many tortillas." "Lot of tortilla" does not sound right, nor does "many tortilla."

Why do some words stick with the singular plural when following "lots of," and why is it strictly followed (to my knowledge) that all words are pluralized following "many"?


texts:
I have come across a sentence comparing two nouns as follows:

Mr. Hafner is German and has a buttoned-up manner that is more
boardroom than barn.

In the sentence, the nouns boardroom and barn are compared much the same way as two adjectives are. Or, they are treated as quasi-adjectives.
Is this kind of comparison a standard practice and widely accepted in both formal and informal writing?
I appreciate grammatical or any suggestions.


texts: After a wedding ceremony, "the bedding" took place.  Would that mean the bride and groom had conjugal relations?  I ran across this in Scottish court proceedings.


texts:
I'm preparing some marketing materials for my boss, and one section contains the phrase "Here are a few examples:". The list that follows contains two items, which strikes me as being incorrect, though I can't find much evidence of this.

Is it semantically correct to refer to two items as "a few"? Is there a solid rule for this, or is it just personal preference?

Edit - As Armen correctly pointed out, this question is about semantics rather than grammar. I changed my phrasing to reflect this.


texts:
In the song "It's now or never" by Elvis Presley I encountered this line:

  Just like a willow

  We would cry an ocean

  If we lost true love

  and sweet devotion

I know "willow" is a kind of tree, but "just like a willow" doesn't seem to be an idiom. Are there any subtle meanings hiding under "just like a willow"?


texts: My question is about inanimate things doing things - like the new smartphone will ship out tomorrow; the ship will launch tomorrow; the book will publish next month. We see that often these days. Is                    that now standard English?


texts: Can this sentence be grammatically correct?

texts:
Can I say, “He was one of our favorite students among us the teachers”? I want to say that all of us the teachers were counting him as one of our favorites.
Thanks.


texts: Better word and abbreviation for single month instead of year-to-date

texts:
In a report I would like to switch between a view which shows year-to-date figures, for example January 100, February 210, March 330 and a view which shows single month figures, in this example January 100, February 11o, March 120.

I am curious wether there is a common expression for single month and an abbreviation for it, like YTD is common for year-to-date.


texts:
I remember my English teacher saying that there are only two valid ways to make a one-word sentence:

A question:

  Why? Where?

A command:

  Go! Stop!

Is this correct?


texts: Looking for a word to describe several short discussions or presentations in a row

texts:
Let's say you attend a presentation, but instead of a single presenter, you have several presenters come up one right after the other in succession, each with their own (but related) topic. Can this be described with a single word? Kind of like speed dating but for presentations.

For example:

"For our meeting on Monday we'll have a [series of short but related] presentations on such-and-such topic. Let me know who'd like to participate."


texts: The predicate nominative and the predicate adjective is to subjective complements as the ___ and the ___ is to objective complements

texts:
What do we call those words which are adjectives used as objective complements and nouns/pronouns used as objective complements

See the terms that describe adjectives or nouns/pronouns used as subjective complements is used appropriately, but I've never come across the corresponding terms for objective complements, despite the obvious parallel that they have with their subjective counterparts.


texts: "Facility for speaking" vs. "facility to speak"

texts:
Which one would you use:

  I lost my facility to speak.
  I lost my facility for speaking.

Or does either work?


texts: How can I "streamline" my inquiries to customers?

texts:
Usually everyday I tell each patient,

"Did you want a 3-months supply on all your current and future maintenance medications? As far as your prescriber and plan allow, we can go ahead and fill your prescription for three months. Is that OK?"
"Would you also like to sign up for text alerts, that's the fastest way to let you know about your prescriptions status"

In a fast paced pharmacy it is very boring for a patient to listen to this and then decide if he or she wants that, so I want to be more persuasive, efficient and customer friendly.

I need to know how I can convey the same message but more efficiently even for the audience to enjoy what he or she would like to hear. Thank you.


texts: Single word for logical but obstructive responses

texts:
Consider the following situation.

A prosecutor in court is asking questions of an expert witness. The responses are all negative with the expert always adding another explanation to the prosecutor's conclusions/diagnoses. The expert witness's attitude could be interpreted as obstructive but logical. The questioning continues and the responses are appropriate for the question but continue being negative.

  The prosecutor feels that the witness is being [adjective I'm looking for] in their responses.

I know the word exists, but I've forgotten it.


texts: Is "our friends" being used sarcastically here?

texts:
Generally speaking when we say "our friend" we are referring to someone who is a friend of ours.

However, I have noticed that at times these words  are used sarcastically to refer to someone who is actually not a friend but an enemy/adversary.

So with respect to the sentence below, is the term our friend used as a form of irony?

  Our friends the Saudis, who never persecute women, gays and other
  religious minority groups, have somehow managed to lead the UN Human
  Rights Council


texts: Can "What" or "Which" be used as demonstrative pronouns?

texts:
Can "What" or "Which" be used as demonstrative pronouns (this, that, those)?

Instead of

  "What colors are you using to paint the waterfall and how are you using those colors?"

is the following also grammatically correct?

  "How are you using what colors to paint the waterfall?"

Instead of

  "What information are marketers trying to convey in the advertisement and how are they trying to convey that information?"

is the following also grammatically correct?

  "How are marketers trying to convey what information in the advertisement campaign?"


texts: Is the meaning of the acronym "FAQ" generally understood?

texts:
When people see the acronym FAQ, I wonder if they really know what it stands for or whether they just understand the concept.

Is this true for most native English speakers?


texts: Why do so many people speak 'to' topics rather than 'on' or 'about' them? Is this a recent phenomenon?

texts:
"I will speak to that later."  It seems to be most common in lecture theatres.   Surely the preposition 'to' can only accurately refer to the hearer in this context.  The topic itself is not the recipient.  One may speak 'about' a topic or 'on the subject of' something or even 'around' it.  They may 'touch upon' it but not speak 'to' it.  Unless they are 'referring' to it...   Have I answered my own question?  Can speak replace 'refer'?  One may refer people to topics.  Can one say, 'I will speak to you to that later?' Can one speak people to a subject?  I don't think so.

I really think there are so many other options that 'to' should not be one. When someone says, 'I will speak to that', I feel that it makes the listener rather unnecessary.


texts: What do you call a person who is easily replaced?

texts:
I was thinking "interchangeable", but isn't really used on people.
How do you describe someone who is easily replaced by another person. The implied connotation is that they have no inherent qualities that make them more suitable for the job than any of their peers, it is just a matter of selecting one of them at random to do it.
Example I wish to fill:

"I complained that I didn't want to be in the conference call so they had Joe do it.
Feels awesome."
"Feels awesome to be [interchangeable]?"


texts: Word for the act of trying to change a new environment to match the one you came from

texts:
I heard this word years ago and can't seem to dig it out of my brain or search engines.

Specifically, the conversation was about the type of people who move from the city out to a rural town to escape, but instead they immediately start trying to change the town into the city they left. This could be minor like how they decorate their lawn, or larger, like starting an impractical business or getting into politics.

My friend was using it judgmentally, but I don't really know if the word itself has a negative connotation.

It's sort of long, and I think it could be used in a context like this:

  Brian just moved here from Toronto, and he's already trying to ________ the village.

But I'm not 100% sure. If you can think of any words that don't quite fit that sentence I'd still appreciate hearing them!

The closest in meaning I can think of is "co-opt", but that isn't it.

Edit: I feel like I should add that I have never heard this word outside of this specific context. It's not a very common word as far as I can tell.


texts: In my example, comma or no comma before the word respectively?

texts:
In the graph for all arrests, and DUI arrests, the effect of the MLDA is about 125 and 50 increase in arrests rate respectively.

I personally think no comma should be put before the word respectively. And what about the comma before the phrase and DUI arrests? Should I remove it? I want to say there is one graph for each and make that clear.

So maybe I should change the first part of the sentence to something like:
.

  In both graphs for all arrests and DUI arrests, the effect of the MLDA is about a 125 and 50 increase in arrests rate respectively.


texts:
I would like to know whether to use the singular or plural verb in the following sentence:

  In cases where there is/are headroom, ....

It seems to me that the subject ought to be "In cases where", hence the plural form should be taken. BUT, it could be argued that we are actually referring to the individual cases instead, and therefore, the singular form should be employed.

Thanks for the help in advance.


texts:
Braggart is a noun meaning someone who boasts about their achievements. Exhibitionist is also a noun meaning a person who acts in an extravagant way. Another example of a word in this synonym-family is "show-off".

I am having a lot of trouble thinking of a true antonym for these. Sure, humble or humility work well, but one is an adjective and the other is a noun that someone possesses.

What is a word for a PERSON who is humble or someone who has humility. A word that means "humble person" in the same way "braggart" means "boastful person".

Thank you.


texts:
I found this in the Congressional Record. How can I reword it simpler, while keeping the same meaning?:

  Indicative of the public’s difficulty in obtaining an answer to this
  and other questions, the Senator cited a personal experience...


texts: What literary or author's style is this writer channeling?

texts:
In The Washington Post, Alexandra Petri wrote a satirical opinion piece criticizing anti-abortion laws in the United States by parodically lamenting the routine death of spermatazoa.

I was struck by this passage, and thought maybe it was an allusion or a channeling of some other writer's literary style.

  What passing bells for those who perish, uncoupled?  Who patters out their hasty orisons?  What of those who move into the great beyond as islands, entire of themselves... Naturally, we must provide for them just as we have for their more fortunate brethren — indeed, we ought to do more for them, surely!

At first glance, this reminded me of an anachronistic writing style maybe slightly reminiscent of Melville.

The word "orison" is listed in the OED as archaic or obsolete, which further leads me to wonder if this writer is channeling an anachronistic writing style or invoking a particular author.

Is there any evidence or comparable literary passages that could explain whether this is a direct or oblique allusion?


texts: What is the word for the state of being offended?

texts: For instance, if I am mad, I can manage my madness, grumpy people exist in a state of grumpiness.  What is the noun associated with being offended?  Offendedness doesn't seem right


texts: Word for someone who "sees the best in others"?

texts:
At the risk of being DRY:

  What's a powerful word for someone who "sees the best in others"?


texts: “Jumping” over a person’s position who is of higher rank

texts:
What term would I use to describe the act of “jumping” over a person’s position who has held office longer or in a higher position than oneself.

e.g: Being promoted to become the boss that my current boss reports to.

Basically I get the opportunity to move up the rank that my own boss (who has held his post longer than myself) would have been up for, hence skipping him as he now reports to me not the other way around.

I hope that made sense.


texts:
I'm unable to figure out if the following sentence is correct:

"After I watched the movie, the first thing I did was shutdown the laptop and go outside"

Is this grammatically correct? Or should it be "..went outside".
Please help.


texts: Use of "golds" when "gold" is countable in context?

texts:
I'm wondering whether "golds" is an acceptable usage, if "gold" is countable in the context of the usage

For example, an online game where you have countable gold, or when you find a finite amount of gold, for example, "32 golds"


texts: Is the expression to "mature with age" a tautology?

texts: Given that to mature is to develop over time and that age is time-dependent, isn't "with age" redundant?


texts: What's the difference between 'mark' and 'grade', in an educational context?

texts: It's been suggested to me that "mark" carries a slight presumption of a numerical grade, whereas "grade" implies a letter grade like A, B, C, etc.


texts: Where using "title" instead of "name" is justified?

texts:
Merriam-Webster and many other dictionaries defines Title as something that can be used instead of the Name of that thing. For example, based on what I understood, it seems logical to use these sentences interchangeably:

What is the name of the book you're reading?
What is the title of the book you're reading?

My question is, how can we understand the scope of things which are included in this rule? For example, can we use title instead of the name of a person, like his title is Jack instead of his name is Jack? Is there any general rule for this?


texts: When using the French word "sans" in an English sentence, should I use italics?

texts:
In the sentence, below, I am using the French word sans to mean without. Should sans be italicized? Or, should all of "sans human civilization" be italicized?

  Planet Earth sans human civilization is imagined, at least by Teasdale, to beautiful, harmonious, and ultimately superior to the human-centred world we live in now.

OR

  Planet Earth sans human civilization is imagined, at least by Teasdale, to beautiful, harmonious, and ultimately superior to the human-centred world we live in now.


texts: The grammaticality and function of "people ages 20 to 30" (as opposed to "people aged 20 to 30")

texts:
I have seen/heard constructions similar to "people ages 20 to 30" many times. However, several discussions, including questions on ELU, suggest the aforementioned construction is ungrammatical/typo: see here, here, here, and here (of course there was some debate over this issue). These questions all seem inconclusive and undetermined. It's intriguing how on the one hand there's a plethora of attestations of this usage all over the Internet and on the other you have people one after another saying it is ungrammatical and/or a typo, not without comments to the contrary.
Examples include:

There, every day, dozens of children ages 3 to 5 come to have adventures on Irvine’s more than 200 acres of woodlands, wetlands, and meadows. (The Atlantic)
Teen suicide is a growing health concern. It is the third-leading cause of death for young people ages 15 to 24, surpassed only by homicide and accidents, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (APA)
In 2012, 87.6 percent of people ages 18 or older reported that they drank alcohol at some point in their lifetime. (NIAAA)

So can we definitely determine this construction is ungrammatical? If that's not the case, then how do we parse these sentences? I am having the same issue a lot of people apparently had/have. While aged 15 to 24 is a participial phrase, what kind of phrase is ages 15 to 24 and how does it modify the preceding noun? A parse tree would be very helpful.


texts: Etymology of "Seasoned" (experienced) --- salt or Summer?

texts:
Hey just curious explaining "seasoned" as in veteran to a non-English speaker.
Like "he's a seasoned golf player."
I can't seem to find answers on Google.
Does "seasoned" derive from a food dish "seasoned" --- meaning the guy has been around, so he's been honed and colored through time?
Or is it more "seasoned" --- he's seen many seasons (fall, winter, spring ... years) of X activity?
Just curious.


texts:
What is the player called who has a turn?
I am guessing something like turning player. But I would like some confirmation or maybe is there an idiom for it?

Explanation:
In a round based game what is the general term to refer to the player that everyone else is waiting on?

With my current knowledge I would have to resort to

  "I am playing a turn-based game, and it's my turn."

but I would rather say something like

  "I am the ... player."

Offtopic:
My use case:
Programming a card game, I am trying to come up with a short variable name to store whose turn it is. The variable will contain the player object.


texts: Is the word "patch" appropriate for source code update?

texts:
I've just checked in Wikipedia for some context where I could use the word patch, but most of the example usages I found only refers to "Software update" but not "Source code update"

Is the word patch appropriate for source code update?

For example:

  Could we use that repository to submit our source code patches?


texts: Are there English toponyms that are pluralia tantum?

texts:
There are toponyms that are pluralia tantum in a few languages.  What come off top of my mind are Mediterranean cities in classical languages, such as Athenae and Pompeii.  A modern example I can come up with is Karlovy Vary (literally, Charles' Baths) in the Czech Republic.
These toponyms are plural not only morphologically but also syntactically.  For instance, this paragraph from the Czech Wikipedia article on Karlovy Vary starts off by saying that it is a regional city: Karlovy Vary jsou krajským městem.  Here the copula jsou is in its plural form.
I am wondering if similar toponyms exist in English as well.  Cities like Las Vegas or Los Angeles are plural morphologically, but I don't think anybody says "Los Angeles are beautiful in winter."  The second paragraph of the Wikipedia article on The Bahamas reads "The Bahamas were inhabited by the Lucayans," but I'm not sure if this is strictly about the country, or they are talking about the islands.


texts: Is there a word that means "to hate beauty"?

texts: For example, to love beauty is called "philocaly". Does this have an opposite?


texts: Can the position of an adjective be used to determine the noun it applies to?

texts:
Given the sentence:
"A mother beat up her daughter because she was drunk".

Is there a grammar rule that can help resolve the ambiguity of whether "drunk" refers to the mother or the daughter?

Update:
The question isn't about how to rewrite the sentence. If you found the sentence already written and had no access to the author in order to sort out the ambiguity, what would be the most correct interpretation?


texts:
I came across this sentence in a novel:

I wonder if she had been the same as me, always being showed off by that genius...

Usually the phrasal verb "show off" is used in active voice, so I was wondering if the passive voice of it also conveys the same meaning.
(the "show off" in this context means "boast").
Thanks for your opinions!


texts: “Woman” is to “coquette” as “man” is to what?

texts:
Wiktionary reads:

  coquette: a woman who flirts or plays with men’s affections.

Is there an English word which fits the following definition?

  ???: a man who flirts or plays with women’s affections.


texts: "do you have" pronounced [djuv] d'you've

texts:
I hear contraction d'you've from "do you have" quite often, broadly [djuv], yet google throws back no result for such a phonetic word. I'd like to know how it's orthographically represented.

For example, in the series Shameless, s07e03., min 21:13

Orthographic examples

D'you've any links to pictures of that?

the answer is "yeah, d'you've a problem with that?


texts:
What is the purpose of colon ":" in this sentence "everyone: and reason"?
"The state of nature has a law of nature to govern it, which obliges every one: and reason, which is that law, teaches all mankind, who will but consult it, that, being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions."


texts:
Which preposition should be used after the adjective 'nice'?
It is nice (of/for) you to share some motivational tips with your students.


texts:
I came across the figure of speech litotes and it seems that it is the use of a negative to mean and emphasise the opposite. Now, take the following examples:

"I just tried the soup. It's not the worst soup I've tasted."
"We tried to get George Clooney on our show, but he's not the most jobless of actors."

In the first case, the negation doesn't seem to directly mean the opposite. The soup may just be 'not bad', meaning worth a taste, but not necessarily GOOD or AWESOME soup.
The second example seems more to be what litotes is about, at least by definition. Here the negation clearly means that George Clooney is a very busy man. Not that he's the 2nd or 3rd most jobless man, and hence fairly jobless.
Am I right in therefore concluding that litotes uses a negative to firmly underline the opposite, rather than merely mean the negative? In which case if someone asks me "How's the new book by XXX" and I answer "Not bad"


texts: Is it possible to use present and past in one sentence?

texts:
In On The Road Jack admits to Justin W. Brierly that he loves Neal Cassady because he reminds him of his brother, Gerard, who dies when Jack was five years old.

Is this grammatical?
The first part of the sentence is in the present whereas the other in the past!!


texts:
Direct speech: He said to her,"I help you because you are a good girl."
 While forming the reported speech for the given sentence shall we write " ... because she was a good girl" or "....because she is a good girl" ? for her attribute of being good must still be with her. Please do help with your views.


texts: A single word for a person who doesn't know or feel the difference between pain and pleasure?

texts:
I am looking for a single word which would define a person who doesn't know or feel the difference between pain and pleasure.

I have looked around a lot, but I am unable to find the proper word. There are words which revolves around it such hedonism , paradox of hedonism , sadist , masochism. But none make the exact sense. Masochistic, I find is the closest one, but as per it's meaning it means when your pain gives you pleasure, which is not the same sense I am looking for.

Usage of the word would something like this:

"He is a _________ , it is futile to torture him."


texts:
I am currently writing my cover letter for a PhD application and I want to list to events, one in the past and one currently happening with the word "both". I am trying to reconcile the following:

  "Both my BSc and MSc theses were (are) supervised by Prof. X."

The problem is that I am currently working on my MSc thesis so he "is" supervising me now but he "was" also supervising my on my BSc. How can I rephrase this appropriately?