texts: Verbs like "go" and "come" which can be followed by another verb directly?

texts:
With most English verbs (apart from modals), if you want to put another verb after it, you have either put "to" in front of the verb or use the gerund (if such a construction is even acceptable). For example:

want to eat
like to run / like running

However, for a few verbs, this is not necessary:

Go fetch me some water.
Come eat some food.

Now, they don't necessarily have to be used in commands. For example, you could say

He needs to go fetch me some water.
They should come eat some food.

But in any case, those verbs cannot be used in the ordinary present tense:

*He goes fetch me some water.
*They come eat some food.

The first sentence is jarringly incorrect. The second sentence sounds unusual, albeit not as bad as the first, but it's probably still wrong.
It seems that these verbs can only be followed by another verb directly if the first verb is used in the infinitive or imperative. Can someone give a good linguistic explanation for why this is the case? Is there a name for this phenomenon? Are there any other examples of such verbs besides "come" and "go"?


texts:
A user at my site can offer to delete an article, she can add an explanation to her deletion proposal if she feels her proposal isn't clear enough.

The message for asking for an explanation would be:
"If you feel an explanation is (in order?), please provide one:"
[and here comes a text-box for providing an explanation]

Replacing that message with:
"If you feel your deletion proposal isn't clear enough, please provide one:"
sounds awkward in its context.


texts: What does "dolphins ... get second billing" mean?

texts:
The dolphins had deduced, correctly, that they would get second billing.

What does this sentence mean? Is "second billing" an idiom of some kind?


texts: "Thought of" vs. "thought about". What's the difference?

texts: What's the difference between "thought of" and "thought about"? One difference I'm aware of is that you use "thought of" when something comes to mind but you don't analyze it, and "thought about" if you analyze it. Are there any other differences?


texts: Can someone help me analyze this sentence?

texts:
The list tells us "Alulim reigned 28,000 years as king; [his heir] Alalgar reigned 36,000 years."

The length of these reigns may suggest that both of these kings are actually demigods, drawn from mythology rather than history.

Can someone tell me what function the bolded part serves? What is it doing? And can you give me examples of this in other sentences?


texts: Is "they" plural or singular when it's someone's preferred pronoun?

texts:
Andy's preferred pronoun is "they". They goes to school in Denver, where they studies philosophy.

or

  Andy's preferred pronoun is "they". They go to school in Denver, where they study philosophy.

Also, should Andy refer to himself as "I" or "we"?


texts: What is the difference between idiom "so ... as" vs "as ... as"?

texts:
I was going through a GMAT question and stumbled across this question:

Never before had the gardening crew harvested so many carrots at once as it had in the fall of 2006.

The options contained:

D. as many carrots at once as it did in
E. so many carrots at once as it did in

I marked (E) which was wrong but I don't know what is the difference between idiom so ... as and as ... as. Can someone please explain?


texts:
Today, searching for the term "cloak", I came across these definitions

From Longman DOCE 5th Ed.

  cloak noun [singular] an organization, activity, or way of behaving that deliberately protects someone or keeps something secret

From Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary 8th Ed.

  cloak noun singular (literary) a thing that hides or covers sb/sth

I really expected to see "uncountable" rather than "singular" for this meaning. What difference between the two noun types that I am missing?


texts: Avoiding language repetition: grammar still ok?

texts:
I'm not native, but feel that the following text proposed by my collaborator

  The elements of Pluto are of interest, among other reasons, because
  Pluto has a large eccentricity, Pluto has a large inclination, and
  Pluto’s orbit crosses with Neptune’s.

is a bit repetitive and can be improved as

  The elements of Pluto are of interest, among other reasons, because
  it has a large eccentricity, large inclination, and
  crosses Neptune’s orbit.

However, my collaborator (an American) argues my change has incorrect grammar and that his original is completely acceptable and fully in line with recommended writing style (he mentions Strunk & White 'Elements of Style').

Is this really so (both incorrect grammar and repetition good style)?

Edit 1 elements refers to the orbital elements and is perfectly clear in the context of this sentence. I didn't ask about this.

Edit 2 What about changing it to Pluto in my 'improvement' (my actual text communicated to my co-author)? Would that still be grammatical?


texts: Perfect tense with knowledge only up to that point?

texts:
I'm trying to find out if there is a term to describe the style of literary narration where you tell the story in the perfect tense, but you only have the same knowledge that the character in that moment has. For example (based on a real example I read recently):

With future knowledge:

  They spelt my name wrong on that night's performance lineup sheet in Tokyo.

Without future knowledge:

  I (Chris) looked at the performance lineup sheet for the Tokyo show and didn't see my name on it. I wasn't selected to perform that night, and felt deflated. And I envied the guy who was, with a curiously similar name to mine - "Clise". Then the director came up to me and said, "Are you ready to break a leg tonight, Clise?" Then I realized he'd spelt my name wrong.

EDIT - a clearer example

With future knowledge:

  The team lost their first of many cup finals against their deadly rivals.

Without future knowledge:

  The team lost against their deadly rivals in 1930.


texts:
Is there any semantic distinction between the words comedic and comical?

I usually use the former to describe people and the latter to describe things, situations, etc.


texts: Is this phrase "The red jacket wearing guy" correct?

texts:
I am about to say this to my friend:

The guy who is wearing the red jacket is so handsome.

But I ended up saying like this:

The red jacket wearing guy is so handsome.
The red-jacket-wearing guy is so handsome.

Is the latter grammatically correct? And if so, what is the grammar point here?
Thanks in advance!
Update:

Fix punctuation


texts: What's the difference between " classic"and "classical"?

texts: I have run into quite a few occasions when I confused " classic" and " classical".


texts:
What form is the most correct?

This justifies the permanence of the candidate in the current institution

or

This justifies the maintenance of the candidate in the current institution

Is there any suitable alternative?


texts: What percentage of characters in normal English Literature is written in capitals?

texts: I'm talking about percentage of letters, not words, in case it isn't clear. Is there a way to gauge this?


texts:
Today I was told I would not be hired because I give the impression that I'm not a team player.

I shrugged my shoulders and never denied the accusation.

If someone is a team player, what kind of person are they? If someone is not a team player, what kind of person does this make them?

I believe this was a euphemism for me being a cold, emotionally detached--perhaps rude--person. Is this completely nonsensical?

EDIT: Yes I know what being a team player literally means. I want to know what it infers, or what it could possibly infer. What characteristics are synonymous with people who aren't team players?


texts: "We have showed that"/ "We have shown that" or "We showed that"?

texts:
In the summey of my physics paper, for a scientific journal, in the start of a new paragraph in the discussion, what is more correct to write?

"We have showed that" the system obeys this and that rules,

or:

"We have shown that"...

or simply:

"We showed that"...?

Thanks!


texts: Why is window "tinting" not window "toning" or "shading"?

texts: In color theory, tinting means to add white while toning adds grey and shading adds black. What is the origin of the use of tinting then in terms of windows? Are they unrelated?


texts:
I found out from a previous co-worker that his company is hiring a "Strategic Account Manager".

If I interpret this to mean:

  one who manages accounts which are strategic

then which word can I use in place of strategic to describe:

  one who manages the remaining accounts which are not strategic

Edit:

I'm seeking a word that conveys opposite of strategic; as quick is to slow, ___ is to strategic (if such a word even exists).

The above anecdote about an what this imaginary job title would be is just the origin of the question, to provide context.

I don't know or care much about account managers, although the idea of someone whose role is explicitly to manage things of no strategic value was funny enough for me to wonder how to elegantly word it.


texts: Meaning of "The second step was to break the hold of Ottoman culture on Turkey itself."

texts:
From a Stratfor article:

  The second step was to break the hold of Ottoman culture on Turkey itself.

Does it mean to maintain the Ottoman culture or to break it from?


texts: How did "biscuit" come to have a distinct meaning in North American English?

texts:
The Oxford Living Dictionary makes a clear distinction between the usage of biscuit in Britain and North America:

  British: A small baked unleavened cake, typically crisp, flat, and sweet.
  ‘a chocolate biscuit’

  North American: A small, soft round cake like a scone.

When I hear biscuit being used in a British context, it usually refers to a confection (what Americans call cookies).  In a U.S. context, it never refers to a confection. [See also: Biscuits & Gravy]

Why did this distinction come into being?


texts:
I went to a place with my friend yesterday, and we got some problems when we was trying to grab a uber.

I couldn't find a suitable term to tell the driver where we were that time.

There were no significant building except for a McDonald's across from the street .

Which way is correct or more proper or more common
1.We are in the opposite to McDonald's
2.We are in the opposite of McDonald's
3.We are across the street from McDonald's

Or I should add some noun in the sentence, like

4.We are at the curb, which is opposite to McDonald's.

Thanks!


texts: What does “chemical Mickey” that drives a man to love-making mean?

texts:
I happened to read an old article about the mechanics of “human Love” which appeared in TIME magazine (Jan. 28, 2008) under the title, “The science of romance: Why we love,” and was drawn to the word, “Chemical Mickey” in the following sentence:

  “At the moment of a kiss, there's a rich and complicated exchange of
  postural, physical and chemical information," says (psychologist
  Gordon) Gallup. "There are hardwired mechanisms that process all this.
  What's more, every kiss may also carry a chemical Mickey, slipped in
  by the male. Though testosterone is found in higher concentrations in
  men than in women, it is present in both genders and is critical in
  maintaining arousal states.”
  http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1704672,00.html

I noticed that ABC News (Jan. 1, 2008) also picked up the similar research by incorporating the same word into the news;

  “The man is sort of slipping a chemical mickey that acts as an
  aphrodisiac on the woman," Kluger said. That kiss could potentially
  determine whether a couple's genes are compatible enough to produce a
  healthy offspring.”

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/OnCall/story?id=4147929&page=1

What does “Chemical Mickey” mean? Is the word, Mickey used as a metonym of a mysterious or powerful substance?


texts:
I know that Longman dictionary gives "in" as a correct preposition to use after "trade". But I am confused  by a number of examples from British corpus and Google Search where they say "trade of", such as "increasing number of local taxes on the trade of goods", and "these people enjoyed a peaceful existence, engaging in the trade of nuts, apples and rice with India".

Does it depend on the context?

The most important part of the question: I need to translate the qualifications that will be written on a diploma, bachelor of International grain trade. It seems to me that if I place "grain" after "trade" it sounds more profound. What preposition is better to use in this context? It is appropriate to say "international trade of grain"?


texts: "Reducing degeneracies of/from/in FKK transmitter"

texts: As stated in the title, I'm trying to get correct preposition — of/from/in. The sentence corresponds to the title of my work that addresses degeneracies that occur in FKK transmitter. However, this "in" somehow does not sound correct, and I just wanted to consult someone, since this is a title, and should be correct. I suppose that "from" would work, right?


texts: Acronym within an acronym, academic writing

texts:
I'm preparing a manuscript for publication in a medical journal about Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). I understand that I have to define the acronym IBD once, when first used in the text (technically twice, both in the abstract and main text). 'Inflammatory Bowel Disease' is also part of the study name, which has its own acronym. If I have already introduced 'IBD', can I use this acronym when defining the acronym for the study name?

Example:

  "Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a chronic disease [...] The Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Daily Practice (TIBDDP) study..."

Or:

  "Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a chronic disease [...] The Treatment of IBD in Daily Practice (TIBDDP) study..."

Just as a note: IBD is an acronym that is commonly used and well-known among my target audience.


texts: I know that "Stick to your knitting" means to stick with what you're familiar with/good at rather than giving your opinion or trying your hand at something out of your area of expertise.  But I can't find anything about where this comes from.  I've seen some theories about chauvinistic dismissal or women knitting during executions during French Revolution, but the sources sounded highly speculative.


texts: What word describes someone who isn't exactly optimistic, but has a positive outlook?

texts:
I need a word to describe someone who knows better than to expect the best, but can be happy in unfortunate circumstances.

I know phrases like "positive outlook" and "good disposition" could describe such a person, but I don't know any single words that would.

To differentiate between an optimist and the person I'm trying to describe:

When asking for a promotion, an optimist will expect to receive the promotion.
The other person will hope for a promotion, but won't be disappointed without it.


texts:
In my text, many concepts are introduced (defined) by a sentence with 'called'. Examples are:
This condition is called eigenvariable condition.
This procedure is called the truth table method.
A filter defined like that is called a trivial ultrafilter.
Should 'called' be followed by an article? I have a feeling that 'called' makes a difference, and that in 'this formula is the interpolant of A and B' the article is fine. Is it so?


texts: Is there a term for an past-tense adjective that implies transformation (e.g., "melted ice")?

texts:
Recently, someone objected to my use of the terms "melted ice" and "condensed steam," saying that those materials are no longer ice and steam, respectively. I agreed and said that the corresponding meanings are obviously "ice that has melted" and "steam that has condensed," i.e., liquid water for both. They maintained that the terms are meaningless. They appear thousands of times in the engineering and scientific literature, so they clearly have meaning to practitioners.
This made me wonder whether such adjectives are distinguished; e.g., "dirty ice" is ice that is dirty, but "melted ice," if it is indeed a meaningful term, isn't ice. Is "melted" then a specific type of modifier?
I searched Google Scholar for a while with a variety of terms but couldn't find this concept in the linguistics literature.


texts: Should a semicolon be used before both a coordinating conjunction and a conjunctive adverb?

texts:
Please see: http://academics.smcvt.edu/writingctr/semicolons.htm for reference.

Now I understand that a semicolon could be used before a conjunctive adverb (eg: also, furthermore, therefore, etc..) but not before a coordinating conjunction (eg: and, or, but, etc..), but how about using it before both of them?

Examples:

My hobbies include being a couch potato, eating lots of food ; and accordingly, sleeping.
He can use English to speak, write ; and hence, read.

P.S. Please excuse the extra space before the semicolons in my examples.


texts: Would using "ergo" be appropriate in social sciences-related academic writing?

texts:
An example would be

  Yet, this process is by definition neutral, ergo affecting all factors in the same way.

I would like to use it sometimes, as an alternative to therefore, so, in consequence, etc. But the truth is I have never seen it in academic papers in my field.

PS: if used, I guess it has to be in italics.

Update: I was thinking on ergo as the latin word (no idea it existed in English). It is common to use other latin expressions like ad-hoc, ex-post, ceteris paribus, etc.


texts: When addressing my 'Sensei', should I omit the possessive "my"?

texts:
In English, when (if ever) is it appropriate to use the possessive with a formal title when addressing someone?  Kind of like I would say, "As you wish, my greatest of loves."

For example,

  Thank you, my Sensei.

Or should it simply be,

  Thank you, Sensei.

Or, would the 'my' be used always and only along with the subject of learning? As in

  Thank you, my Sensei of Swordsmanship.

but not

  Thank you, Sensei of Sauciness.

I believe there is a component of cultural understanding and lingual comprehension of Japan and the Japanese language that may be necessary to answer fully with regards to "Sensei" in particular, but in general, how are possessives and titles combined?


texts: US English — "primary grains being produced" vs. "major cereals being produced"

texts:
I am correcting a Spanish-to-English translation that states,

  The primary grains being produced in the world are maize, wheat, rice, barley, sorghum and oats.

I would prefer to use cereals rather than grains, but am not sure whether I should use "the major cereals being produced" or "the primary cereals being produced", or perhaps "most of the cereals".

It is referring to the quantity of cereals which are being produced globally at present.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.


texts: "Responsible" Author? or "Corresponding" Author?

texts: Is "Responsible Author" equal to "Corresponding Author", regarding the co-author who take the responsibility of  an academic article.


texts: Word for hidden or implicit social policing?

texts:
I am looking for a word or phrase meaning a system of social policing, the operation of which is implicit, or is explicitly hidden.  Examples include:

Salem Witch Trials.
The Gestapo.
Secret youth police groups in the Chinese Communist Revolution.
McCarthyism.

Preferably, I would like a word or phrase that is both precise and non-dramatic.  Usage:

  The social pressure toward political homogeneity in this company forms a _______ .


texts: Is using "as-clause" at the end of the sentence grammatically correct?

texts:
Just checking a sentence for my friend and in the last paragraph, I found this sentence long and difficult to follow, yet he claimed that this is grammatically correct, what do you guys think?

  From my point of view, despite the possible demerits of using robots, the merits brought by robots are so significant and irreplaceable that people should continue using robots as they are playing a vital role in boosting future development.

My problem is with this as-clause. I think this should be written into a separate sentence, like:
They are playing a vital role in boosting future development.


texts: What is the word for when you are scared on someone else's behalf

texts:
For instance, if you were running through a crowd and could not find someone, and you are scared for them, what is that word?

What could fill the blank:

He was running through the crowds, _________ as he tried to find her.


texts: "I can't well start a day" vs. "I can't start a day well"

texts:
I can't well start a day not running at least a few kilometres.
  I can't start a day well not running at least a few kilometres.


texts: What Sound (onomatopoeia) does a launching Rocket make?

texts:
I searched all the internet and comics but couldn't find any onomatopoeia for Rocket blasting into space.

Any ideas?


texts: Is there a word for someone that forces progress?

texts:
I'm looking for a word or phrase that describes a person who is a force of change for progress's sake, even at the discomfort or adversity of others.
I'm aware of the word progressive, but its closest definition is:

favoring or promoting change or innovation

This doesn't describe the position of being a force I'm looking for.


texts:
I want to know if what certain orders or positions in the orders are in English.

The following are my questions, assume that we have ten apples, I put my questions on these apples:

What is the name of the order when all apples are red? We say the apples are all red?

What is the name of the order when one apple (the first) is red, the next one is yellow, and then the third one is red and the forth one is yellow again and this continues to the last apple.

What is the name of the order when one is red, and the next two are yellow and the forth one is red and again the next two are yellow and ....

You see, I'm seeking for word/phrase to describe this orders.

My second concern is the position of the items in an order.

We say the first apple is red.
We say the last apple is red.
But, how do we say one apple to the end is red? I mean an apple before the last one?

Thanks


texts: Is there a word for making a shoddy version of something just to get it working?

texts:
I'm a programmer, and when I have a large task to complete I often write some "bad" code that just about does the job, and then flesh that out into a more robust and higher quality solution to the problem.
Is there a word for this sort of practice?
I've considered "making a proof-of-concept", but it doesn't quite fit what I'm looking for – to me, the term "proof-of-concept" suggests that there was actually a need for someone to prove that a solution exists. The situations I'm thinking about are more about solving a big problem badly and then making the solution better, rather than simply proving that the big problem could be solved.


texts: What does the phrase "bounce the moon" mean?

texts:
What does the phrase "bounce the moon" as found in this song
mean?


texts: Can the word "customer" be used in all sorts of places (shops, organizations, etc) to refer to people who have gone there to run errands?

texts: For example, a person who goes to a registry office to change their name. Or someone who goes to a hospital to donate blood. These people aren't paying anything because they are not buying anything. So when the person in charge of the hospital (or the registrars) wants to tell their employees that they have visitors, can they say, for example, "get up John, you have a customer"? Is there any more general and all-inclusive word for someone who attends a place to run errands but is not necessarily buying anything?


texts:
Be careful. Don't bump the waiter holding the food. Otherwise hot food will be spitted/sprinkled over you.

Which is the most appropriate and common verb?
What is the difference in meaning between "spitted" and "sprinkled"?
Is there a better verb that means to accidentally throw hot food?


texts: Is there a name for this type of construction? E.g. a scorcher of a day; a geyser of a character, etc

texts:
I've seem a lot of such constructions, e.g. a spasm of a rant. What do grammarians call such constructions, and is there anything in particular that an EFL teacher needs to know about them, to teach them to their students?
Thank you very much for taking your time to answer my question. Have a good day!


texts: A word that describes a core feature involved?

texts:
I have made an application which is mostly programmed in PHP, but have also used some other languages. Now I want to describe that I have made a program that is "corely" programmed in PHP, but still remember that my application have mostly made on PHP.

Corely is not in dictionary. What should be a word for that?


texts: What is the term for a city that is supposed to be a utopia, but is actually evil?

texts:
Once of the best examples of what I'm trying to get the term for is Wonder City, in the Batman games. It was built to be a futuristic haven with clean energy, robot sentries, and laws to "stop the sinners."

I know of the word dystopia, but I'm not sure if it applies here. This city looks like a utopia.

Thank you very much for your help!


texts: As of + present perfect continous sentence

texts:
As of July 2019, how many Indian players have been inducted in the ICC hall of fame?

In this sentence, is the month of July included or not?


texts: Is it okay to make up your own words at times?

texts:
Let's say you're writing an essay and you want to convey a message as concisely as possible with a time-constraint on your hands, and you don't really get the right words.
Is it okay to make up words to express what you want to say, as in "the stock prices dropped so low,the entire company was 'blue-d' out" (as opposed to severely demotivated)?


texts:
Could you tell me which is proper in English:

I don't remember.
I can't remember.

And if both are possible and good English, what is the difference?


texts:
I read information here, and in other places. But I can't come up with the perfect example that move away my doubt.

I found this in Oxford Dictionary which help me a little bit. But no really entirely.

so as to do something

In order to do something:
She had put her hair up so as to look older.

So, if I understood well, I think that I can use so as for get accomplish something. Right?

I mean, Can I ,literally, replace so as by in order?


texts: What does "consequence-free chance" mean?

texts:
I read this sentence on TIME (Oct.23 2017),

  Having announced that he will retire at the end of 2018, Corker, once a key Trump ally, could emerge as a leading check on some of the President’s worst impulses. As enduring as Trump’s support is among his shrinking base, the war of words was a reminder that rest of the GOP would turn on Trump in a minute if given a consequence-free chance.

I don't understand the meaning of the "consequence-free chance", will somebody please be kind enough to explain it?


texts:
I'm not sure if rubbernecking is the term I should be using, but what do you call the act of commenting on an Internet discussion, just for the sake of letting other people know that you want to butt in, but not actually add anything to the discussion.

An example of this would be watching a heated argument on Facebook and you adding a comment, "Pass the popcorn", which is pretty annoying and does not actually add anything to the discussion.


texts: How to express the skill of "thinking focused and clearly"?

texts: Is there a word to define the skill of "thinking focused and clearly"?


texts:
Some [number] [plural noun] means "approximately [number] [plural noun]". For example:

Some seven speakers preceded me, so no one listened to my speech.
= About seven speakers preceded me, so no one listened to my speech.
He had some thirty jellybeans and threw up.
= He had about thirty jellybeans and threw up.

Some [plural noun] means (roughly) "more than one [noun]". For example:

Some speakers preceded me, so no one listened to my speech.
= A number of speakers preceded me, so no one listened to my speech.
He had some jellybeans and threw up.
= He had jellybeans and threw up.

But some words that mean numbers aren't syntactically numbers (numerals) but instead nouns, like dozen and score and hundred and quintillion and googol: a dozen eggs, two score years, several hundred people, a few quintillion seconds, but no *a two eggs, *two three years, *several four people, or *a few five seconds.

What does some [that kind of word] [plural noun] mean? For example:

Some dozen speakers preceded me, so no one listened to my speech.
He had some hundred jellybeans and threw up.

Does some have the meaning in these sentences that it normally does before a number, "approximately", or that it normally has before a plural noun, "more than one"? In other words, do those example sentences mean:

About a dozen speakers preceded me, so no one listened to my speech.
He had about a hundred jellybeans and threw up.

— or do they mean:

Dozens of speakers preceded me, so no one listened to my speech.
He had hundreds of jellybeans and threw up.

—? (But of course those are just two example sentences: I'm asking about words like dozen and hundred in general.)


texts: Second sentence with similar meaning to the first one

texts:
-We had a long discussion about the problem but we couldn't solve it.

-We discussed(length)________ but we couldn't solve it.

Thanks.


texts: Socially acceptable term for "job" to use in email

texts:
The word "job" has some negative baggage attached to it when asking people for things. On a resume or personal website, saying "email here if you want to give me a job" would be considered heavy-handed. More socially acceptable is to use the word "opportunities" which doesn't carry with it such a direct association with money and labor.
I recently purchased a web domain for myself, and in my efforts to organize correspondence I've made a few email addresses for different purposes. I've made spam@johnsmith.com for emails which I strongly suspect are of the unwanted variety, tutoring@johnsmith.com for my tutoring work, and so on.
I'm currently looking for a term I can use for my "send career opportunities here" email. I've considered:

jobs@johnsmith.com — Heavy-handed
careers@johnsmith.com — Better than jobs, but sounds like I'm hiring
work@johnsmith.com — Ugh, I mean it works, but it doesn't sound good
opportunities@johnsmith.com — Not bad, perhaps a bit vague
careeropportunities@johnsmith.com — Clear but a little direct and very wordy

Any ideas for a term I can use in professional settings to mean "job" that doesn't carry negative connotations and clearly expresses a willingness to pursue new career opportunities without being too overt?


texts:
In describing the changes made to a scientific paper, I want to say that I removed a footnote and inserted its contents into the main text. More specifically I want to write something along the lines of:

  I defootnoted a footnote that addresses this issue.

As this sounds rather clumsy, I am looking for a verb to replace defootnote here.

Straightforward choices that do not fit include:

remove [the footnote] – does not capture that the content of the footnote is preserved.
include [the footnote] – can be misunderstood as a new footnote having been created.
include [the content] – does not capture that the content existed before.

Also, searching the Internet for defootnote and unfootnote yields all sorts of unrelated stuff.

I eventually came up with a satisfying solution but would be interested whether there are other or better suggestions.


texts: "Ridiculous" - what an ambiguous word. Please help to understand

texts:
I've been trying to understand the meaning of "ridiculous", but I am still confused. I can see it is used in both positive or negative ways.
When someone likes something, they say with a smile and a happy look - "That's ridiculous".
When someone dislikes something, they say furiously, as if complaining. Or laughing at something - "That's ridiculous".
How can I make the distinction between the two uses?


texts:
The free dictionary provides two definitions for "rich with" and "rich in".

rich with: having a lot of something; abundant in something
rich in: having valuable resources, characteristics, traditions, or history

It seems like the differences between the two definitions is rather subtle. My understanding is the following. The former case means that an object contains a lot of something (and we don't know anything about the quality of this something). The latter means that the object contains something which is valuable (and we don't know how many instances of this something our object contains).

Is this observation correct? Can someone clarify the difference and provide some further references?

The context of this questions is that I want to write something like "The literature is rich in/with examples".


texts: Does any English dialect use any non-English foreign letters in their alphabet?

texts:
Which English dialects use non-English foreign letters in their alphabets?

Does any English dialect currently include any foreign letters as part of their alphabet? Are any English dialects currently planning to add foreign letters to their alphabet in the future?

For example, under the international treaty known in English as the Portuguese Language Orthographic Agreement of 1990, the official Portuguese alphabet was officially extended by three foreign letters:1

K: capa, pronounced like "kappa"
Y: pronounced ípsilon or ipsilão or i greg
W: pronounced dáblio [think diabolically] (Hmmm, Portuguese speakers certainly do hate W.)

There are many English dialects. For example, I know about the existence of British English and American English, and I guess there are a couple of hundred more English dialects beyond those two alone.

Do any of these English dialects include any foreign letters?

From Wikipedia’s article on the 1990 spelling agreement:

  Base I – Do alfabeto e dos nomes próprios estrangeiros e seus derivados: Descreve o alfabeto com a designação usualmente dada a cada letra, introduzindo a letra w e restaurando k e y, proscritas do alfabeto português desde 1911 em Portugal e desde 1943 no Brasil. Mantêm-se, no entanto, as regras fixadas anteriormente que restringem o seu uso às abreviaturas, palavras de origem estrangeira ou seus derivados, assim como unidades de medida de curso internacional (p.ex., kilowatt, citado explicitamente no Acordo).

  (translation)

  It will also add three letters (K, W, and Y) to the Portuguese alphabet, making it equal to the ISO basic Latin alphabet.


texts:
I love you more than your dad

Does it mean:

I love you more than your dad loves you   [OR]

I love you more than I love your dad
Does this type of construction have a name in Linguistics?


texts: Is there a rule for describing the posture of different kinds of items on a table?

texts: It seems that a plate lays on the table, while a vase stands. I'd say utensils lay, and a pitcher stands. So the rule appears to be about whether the item is vertical or horizontal. But if the milk was left out, I'd probably say it was left sitting on the table, not standing; same for the roast. Am I wrong? If not, what's the rule?


texts: Much and many: the opposite of less - fewer debate?

texts:
This morning, I corrected my little son on his use of much.

  I don't have much Star Wars guys.

He seems to use this word quite frequently in place of many, although he doesn't often use many in place of much.

As I reflected on the general rule - much for continuous and many for discrete - I thought about how it's the same rule that I use for less or fewer.

Now there is an interminable debate over the distinction of less and fewer, which it seems boils down to less is always fine, and so I wonder if there is the same debate for their opposites (though I've never heard of it).

How often is much substituted for many? Is it often enough to be considered acceptable usage?


texts:
Is there a word/phrase for that?
Urge to go out to the woods or another remote place and experience nature and yourself and gain enlightenment


texts: What do "resolved" and "improved" mean when they are used about recovering from a disease?

texts:
Please have a look at the image below.

What does the underlined words

resolved / resolution
improved

mean in this image?

And, what is the difference between the meanings of "improved" and "reduced"?

In my native language, when a disease is said to be "improved", we understand that it went worse. Is "improved" used in an opposing meaning in English?


texts: an idiom for a solution that "triumphs all others"

texts: I'm looking for an idiom which in my mind is "the golden egg", but apparently I just made that up. An idiom for a solution that "triumphs all others"


texts: What is a word for when you pass the responsibility of something to someone or something else?

texts: e.g. I x my responsibility of self-defence to the state.


texts: articles like "the" carrying over using conjunction reduction

texts:
Jon had used the scientific approach of his brother and artistic approach of his sister.

Would definite article "the" be implicit before "artistic" due to conjunction reduction? Since the phrase before "and" is long, the lack of "the" before artistic may initially appear to have the potential to sound incorrect.


texts: Word for "the entire back part of the body"?

texts:
When we lie down, the "back part of the body" is in contact with the bed. It includes the heels, the calves, the backside, the back, and the back of the neck, and the back of the head etc.

How do we refer to the entire "back part" of the body?


texts:
Is there any antonym for "diminutive" when specifically used for names?
For example:

Joe is a diminutive of Joseph
Joseph is a ______ of Joe


texts: Was the pronunciation of “symmetry” different in the past?

texts:
First published in Songs of Experience in 1794, the first stanza of the poem “The Tyger” by William Blake is:

  Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
  In the forests of the night,
  What immortal hand or eye
  Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

It is easy to guess that  in those years that was the way tiger used to be written.

On the other hand, symmetry  is not a rhyme for  bright, night, eye by today’s  usual pronunciation.

Was it ever a rhyme?


texts:
In the following sentence:

  If you saw anything that you feel was suspicious between these time frames, please do contact us.

Is the clause "That you feel was suspicious" acting as an adverb or adjective clause?

Also, if the clause is an adjective clause, is the pronoun "that" functioning as the subject or object of it's relative clause?


texts:
I just heard (for the first time)

  onset

being used as a verb in a scientific talk. According to ODE and Webster, there is no verb "onset". However, wikipedia does mention it. Could the native speakers please weigh in?


texts: What are some common examples of Homeoteleuton?

texts:
A Google search reveals only a handful or arcane examples. Maybe the brilliant minds here have some ideas.

From the Wikipedia definition:

  As rhyme, homeoteleuton is not very effective. It is the repetition of
  word endings. Because endings are usually unstressed and rhyme arises
  from stressed syllables, they do not rhyme well at all.

For example from TV:
"Bounty: the quicker picker upper"

But what other more contemporary examples can you think of?

Thanks!


texts: Should I write "a n-tuple" or "an n-tuple"

texts:
While writing a math paper, I have met many places to determine which indefinite articles should I use before a math symbol. Another example  is "a/an f-exceptional divisor", here f is a math symbol to denote a map.

Thank you for your advise!


texts: About two mutually related, future actions

texts: Is it correct to say: "I will do that thing when I will talk to him."?


texts: Term for if-then statements where the "then" part does not logically follow

texts:
First, I'd like to apologize for the awkwardly-phrased title.

Instead of trying to explain the structure I'm thinking of, I'd like to give some context and then an example or two. I've used and seen this construction used conversationally, and if my memory and intuition serve, conversationally only. I'm curious to know if there is a formal term for it.

Ex 1

"If you don't like what I'm offering, the door is that way."

A purely logical interpretation would make little sense with this example. In this context, the inference is that the speaker is indicating to whomever he is speaking that they should leave, which suggests that there might be an elision, e.g.

"If you don't like what I'm offering, ... [then you may leave. T]...he door is that way."

Ex 2

"If you're hungry, I have food."

This is a similar context. The implication is that the speaker will offer food to whom she is speaking if they are hungry. A (strictly) logical interpretation would, again, make little sense (if you are hungry, then I have food doesn't convey any intent to provide it, nor does it make sense; the speaker always has food, she just will offer it if her guest is hungry).

I recognize that this might be too specific to have a term associated with it. I'm just curious to know what it is if it does exist.


texts: Usage of "could" in past to indicate "statements of fact"

texts:
I am aware of the usage of COULD in the following cases (list from Cambridge Grammar (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/modals-and-modality/could)):

possibility in the present and the future.
suggestions and permissions
past ability
past single events with verbs of senses and mental processes

Also, this makes clear that sentences like "I could visit you yesterday but I was lazy" or "He could travel to China a week ago" are incorrect.

But then the are sentences like:

Hundreds of years ago, even a simple injury could be fatal.
In the ancient Rome, you could have both male and female lovers and nobody wondered.

For the following examples, I was told that these are statements of fact:

I could buy it yesterday and I did.
Back then, travelling could be dangerous.

What usage of "could"would that be? I cannot see a fitting case in the overview. Why those are correct even when "COULD" refer to the past events?


texts: How to describe something that continues after the conditions that led to it no longer exist?

texts:
Q1. Is there a phrase to describe something that is formed or done in response to conditions or circumstances, but which continues after those conditions or circumstance are no longer applicable?

Q2. If there is not a common English phrase for this, is there any technical term (e.g., from physics) that might have metaphorical value (i.e., in the way the mathematical term ‘asymptotic’ is sometimes used to describe chasing something but never catching it)?

Examples of what I am trying to describe:

‘It is the same with God: even when we no longer believe, we continue
to believe that we believe.’ — Jean Baudrillard, The Gulf War did
not take place
The moment in a lava lamp where a blob breaks off from the base and floats away on its own.
Oxfam formed as the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief in response to a famine in Nazi-occupied Greece, but continues today
A police force formed along the line of 'the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full-time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen', but which have become so large, powerful and specialised to the point that they become distinct from the average citizenry.
(controversially) Continued adherence to traditional religious cosmologies and folk remedies in the light of more convincing explanations and efficacious treatments (i.e., hewing to pre-scientific methods).

Terms that I don't think quite apply:

‘archaic’ - just because something is old-fashioned doesn't mean its original context doesn't apply
‘outdated’ - close, but I don't think it fully captures the idea of something being untethered from its cause of origin
‘zombie’ - seems too negative, and could also just refer to an organisation acting zombielike (i.e., not thinking)
‘mission creep’ - I think that what I'm after is a subset of mission creep, but that that term itself does not imply the loss of original conditions on its own.


texts: Using "so isn't" or "so can't" instead of "so is" or "so can"?

texts:
Lately I've heard people using what I think to be a negative response to indicate a positive affirmation, like so:

Example 1

  You can touch the basketball rim?  Well so can't I!

Example 2

  Person A: "Dave can't go today, he's feeling sick."
  Person B: "Yeah, so isn't Mark."

In example one, the speaker is re-affirming that he can touch the rim.  In example two, Person B is confirming that Mark is also sick.  So why can't and isn't instead of can and is?

If this usage is incorrect, is there any root to its prevalence?

For background, I live in New England.


texts:
Medical examiner: Kids can survive incredible trauma, but when they crump…they crump quick.
Detective1: Crump?
Detective2: All the vitals go south all at once.

It's a dialogue from TV drama.
I found out what 'crump' means in medical situation.
It is a slang medical term indicating that a patient's medical condition is rapidly worsening. (I found it on Urban Dictionary)

But I couldn't find what 'vitals go south' means.
Maybe it means 'the pulse is dropping'?

Help me please. :(((


texts:
Is there a word for motion that a bull makes when it kicks back with his legs before charging?

Kind of like at 22s in the following video

http://youtu.be/pjM_67aOT3Y?t=22s

Even if it's not an English word!


texts: Is the title of Randy Newman's "You've got a friend in me" Grammatically correct?

texts: I'm a native english speaker and "you've got a friend in me" sounds correct to me but I'm having trouble figuring out exactly what kind of construction it is. Can anyone shed light on this?


texts:
John was waiting for Tammy, while, in the tavern, Tammy was waiting for Jim.
John was waiting for Tammy, while in the tavern Tammy was waiting for Jim.

I'm not too sure which is correct. I feel the first example is correct, but it sounds awkward. I realize the sentence can be rewritten, but I want to know which one is right.
Edit: Also, does this fall under non-restrictive/restrictive, or is it something else? Also, would there be a comma behind the "or" in the previous sentence? Thank you.


texts:
Mary is sleeping in the living room while we redecorate her room.

Why is the present simple "redecorate" used? Present simple is used when there's something permanent, but they don't want to redecorate her bedroom forever.


texts: Is it grammatically incorrect to follow the abbreviations *ie* and *eg* with *etc*?

texts:
Is it grammatically incorrect to follow the abbreviations ie and eg with etc? My daughter's English teacher told her that this in an absolute no-no and is never permitted under any circumstances. He also said that this could warrant an F on an English submission. This must be an egregious grammatical error!

Consider these examples.

Mike brought the goodies (eg chocolate fudge, lemon meringue pie, etc) to the party.

When eating a squirrel taco, Bigfoot always added extra condiments (ie ranch dressing, ketchup, pepper, etc).

Good or bad?


texts: Literal breakdown of the phrase "case in point"

texts: A "case in point" is something like a relevant example. How does the phrase break down literally, though? For example, "with bated breath" makes sense because "to bate" means to hold, so "with bated breath" means with breath held in anticipation. What about "case in point"?


texts: The sentence : I don't like her, even though I admire her achievements . Can I transform this sentence like this: Much admiring her achievements may be , I don't like her. Is my sentence correct grammatically or wrong?  Please explain clearly and comprehensible.  Thank you very much.


texts: Which one is correct: "You've got no life of/for" your own?

texts:
"Let's face facts here. You took care of your parents for so long, you've got no life of your own."

"Let's face facts here. You took care of your parents for so long, you've got no life for your own."

Thanks a lot.


texts: Is there a word for side-by-side translations?

texts:
A lot of translations are done side-by-side, such as the following example:

 In principio creavit Deus   In the beginning, God created
 caelum et terram            the heaven and the Earth

Is there a special name for when the translation is arranged like this, i.e. a _ translation? I seem to recall there being a special name for this, but I can't recall it.


texts:
We are trying to convince people that they can use our product no matter if they are at their working place, travelling or somewhere else, so my question is how we should say it:

Protect your home from "everywhere or anywhere"!


texts:
What is a word that can function as the inverse of a duplicate question on Stack Exchange? I was looking, in the context of this question on meta, for such a word to distinguish the closed duplicate from the one it was closed as a duplicate of. The relationship is not simply an equal one between duplicate and duplicate, but more like the one between original and copy (where I seek the word for the original). I eventually just coined the word anti-duplicate, but a coined word hardly seems a satisfactory solution.

Possible words include:

Any of original, pattern, model, and example/exemplar seem to imply designed similarity. I don't completely understand the nuances of paradigm, but it sounds like it belongs in this category as well.
Standard, ideal, and benchmark come close, but imply official or objective standards, which no question on SE can be. (Can it?)
Archetype/archetypical comes close, but the NOAD under the Usage for "model" says, "An archetype is a perfect and unchanging form that existing things or people can approach but never duplicate." Duplicate questions, however, have approached and duplicated the anti-duplicate.
Prototype/prototypical comes close as well, but under the aforementioned usage entry the NOAD says, "a prototype is an early, usually unrefined version of something that later versions reflect but may depart from." The anti-duplicate, in contrast, is the refined version, at least in theory, and again, the duplicate has been thus marked because it did not depart from the anti-duplicate.

While I seek a different word, I note that if any of the above can be shown to be correct, or if no single word can be found, but a phrase can, either of those will do as well.


texts:
I'm a copy editor at a law firm and need to give a quick-and-dirty explanation of the difference between "sell" and "sale" to a native English speaker (a legal secretary) who is very self-conscious about her grammar knowledge. I've already given her info about how they are different parts of speech, and some example sentences. She's still not comfortable with her understanding but doesn't know or isn't able to articulate the area(s) of difficulty.
Any suggestions?


texts:
What would be the proper placement of commas before "and" in this situation?

I think that A, B, C and D are useful qualities and will help her complete the assignment.


texts: For what values of x does one write the number of x, the amount of x, or the quantity of x?


texts:
When it says
Documents received in Our office by July 27, 2020, will be processed by August 7, 2020.
Does this include date 27 july. Can we say that documents received on 27 july also processed. Or we have to use “till” 27 july.


texts:
The Merriam-Webster dictionary says that "A1" means "of the finest quality" and it says that the term was first used in the year 1801 (with no reference):
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/A1#h1

However it does not give any information about the origin of the word.

Wiktionary says the phrase comes from the classification of ships. A1 ships were the best, A2 and A3 were not as good. However they say the first use was in 1837 (again with no reference): https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/A1

This page: https://www.thehindu.com/books/know-your-english/know-your-english-meaning-and-origin-of-a1/article6210180.ece, says that a ship is A1 if both the hull and the equipment are in excellent condition.

So by doing a lot of research, I have found out that the term "A1" comes from a ship classification dating back to ~200 years ago, but two dictionaries have given different dates for the etymology (1801 and 1837) and neither give any reference! Does anyone know a reference that would help me study better the origin of this term?


texts: I'm writing an email to an investor. Please help me to improve my sentences

texts:
I am sending a detailed document about our idea, as requested by an investor. Are the sentences correct? Do they need any improvement?

  As per our conversation yesterday, I am sending you a detailed
  description of our idea. Please find it in attached PDF document.
  Hoping for your positive feedback on this.


texts: Is "Firestarter" something that native a English speaker would think as negative?

texts:
I'm thinking of Firestarter as a name for an upcoming software project. However, I justed Googled it and as it turns out, Urban Dictionary says it's when two males rub their parts together.

Can I use this name without fearing someone is gonna look at it negatively?


texts: Phrase for expressing victory and teasing the opponent

texts:
I'm looking for a slang term that can be used when someone has defeated their opponent and the opponent is speechless and gave up the challenge. So he might want to to brag about how weak the opponent was. To be more clear, something like:

  Haha! Don't have anything to say eh?

Update:
Seems like there was a misunderstanding about what I'd like to know. I've seen a scene in which a scientist was answering every question he'd been asked. Suddenly a guy asked a silly question which doesn't have a clear answer and when the scientist remained silent, the guy started jumping up and down and bragging about defeating him. The video was not in English and I was curious what that guy could say if he were speaking English.


texts: Why are the "hands" of a clock called "hands"?

texts: Why are the hands of a clock called hands? To me, this makes little sense; they do not resemble hands in any way, and if anything body-part related, they should be arms. So why are they called hands?


texts:
Is there a good word for someone who shows contempt for others? Especially when it's a pattern, and anyone who threatens that person's self esteem is held in contempt?

The first thought that comes to mind is, Person X is a contemptuous person. But the word "contemptuous" is a little unwieldy. If you're trying to sum up this attitude neatly in a single word or phrase, it doesn't seem to suffice.


texts:
I have a question regarding vocative commas when placed at the end of a sentence.
If I said the following series of words, "I will go to the wedding chapel when I am in Las Vegas Jonathan (paused for 1-2 seconds) will I buy a ring today?" By saying Jonathan at the end of my speech or spoken word,
Which of the following choices is true?

Am I stating that everything I said before Jonathan is addressed to Jonathan?
Or can Jonathan just be a separate part of my speech that is independent from what I said before it?
Or do we need more context to decide if what was being said was being spoken to Jonathan or if the name Jonathan was said as a separate and independent entity from what was said before it?


texts: Rhyme that matches the entire last syllable

texts:
I'm looking at a phenomenon in certain Hebrew poetry whereby the rhyming words have the entire final syllable (CVC) matching, instead of just the end of the final syllable (-VC).

Using English examples, that would mean that "report" rhymes with "support" but not "abort" (because the final syllable in "abort" starts with a "b" sound, not a "p" sound).

Is there a technical English word for this kind of rhyme? Something like "complete rhyme" or "full rhyme" or "syllable rhyme"?


texts:
I have been teaching others how to use various files, and I always wonder if I am using the correct grammar when I say we need to copy and paste data from one file to another.
So which of these is correct?

Copy and paste the data into this sheet/file.

Copy and paste the data in this sheet/file.

Thanks in advance!


texts:
I wonder which of the following is correct.

  "A" outperforms "B" by two orders of magnitude.

and

  "A" outperforms "B" two orders of magnitude.

Personally I think both are correct but I am not sure. In an answer to a related question, a sentence

  "The computer was orders of magnitude better than the abacus."

"orders of magnitude" is used like an adverb which makes me think that my second sentence is also correct.


texts: What does “Legacy of the void” in terms of “Gray tsunami” mean?

texts:
There is a subhead, “Legacy of the void” in the Economics magazine (April 26 201f) article titled, “Demography, growth and inequality: Age Invaders” which deals with the influence and future prospect of rapidly aging population, particularly in developed countries.

The caption, “Legacy of the void” is preceded and followed by the following passages:

  “In most of the rich world the workforce looks likely to shrink even
  if skilled oldies stay employed.

  A smaller workforce need not dampen growth, though, if productivity
  surges. This is not something would expect to come about as a result
  of an ageing population. Plenty of studies show that most physical and
  many cognitive capacities decline with age.— A new analysis by
  Canadian academics suggest that raw brainpower peaks at 24. And ageing
  society may ossify."
  http://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21601248-generation-old-people-about-change-global-economy-they-will-not-all-do-so

I suspect if it (Legacy of the Void) is a play on words with the title of the third version of computer game, “Star Craft II,” but don’t understand what the author meant by incorporating this phrase?

What does “Legacy of the void” mean in the context of the globally aging society, and how can I rephrase it in a short phrase?


texts: Is whiz deletion used with this sentence?

texts:
I don't want to go to a not nice place.
I don't want to go to a place not nice.

I know that the first one is correct, and the second one is too. My question is, is whiz deletion used for the second sentence?


texts:
"Above maturity, is intelligence and self respect.
OR
"Above maturity, are intelligence and self respect.


texts:
Is punctuation required between the repeated in's?

  "...users who are still active yet haven't logged in in more than
  x days..."


texts: Pronunciation of “SUS” in “Stainless Steel SUS 304”

texts:
How do engineers and the like who are native speakers of English pronounce “SUS” (stainless steel)?

Like the verb “suss”?

Like “SOS” (mayday) but with “U”?


texts: What does it mean to sy: Mobius strip of a parable

texts:
I understand that Mobius is a strip with only one side. But I ran into this sentence in a book (The Uninhabitable Earth), which I am not able to comprehend. I am providing the context leading up to the sentence, whose meaning eludes me.

Fatalism has a strong pull in a time of ecological crisis, but even so
it is a curious quirk of the Anthropocene that the transformation of
the planet by anthropogenic climate change has produced such fervor
for Fermi's paradox and so little for its philosophical counterpoint,
the anthropic principle. That principle takes the human anomaly not as
a puzzle to explain away but as the centerpiece of a grandly
narcisstic view of the cosmos. It is the closest thing string-theory
physics can bring us to empowering self-centeredness: that however
unlikely it may seem that intelligent civilization arose in an
infinity of lifeless gas, and however lonely we appear to be in the
universe, in fact something like the world we live on and the one
we've built are a sort of logical inevitability, given that we asking
these questions at all--because only a universe compatible with our
sort of conscious life would produce anything capable of contemplating
it like this.
This is a Mobius strip of a parable, a sort of gimmicky tautology
rather than a truth claim based strictly in observed data. And yet, I
think, it is much more helpful than Fermi or Drake in thinking about
climate change and the existential challenge of solving it in just the
few decades ahead. There is one civilization we know of, and it is
still around, and kicking--for now, at least. Why should we be
suspicious of our exceptionality, or choose to understand it only by
assuming an imminent demise? Why not choose to feel empowered by it?


texts: Usage of the 'abstract' in this sentence?

texts:
he loved her only in the abstract--not in person

Source

definition - A concept or idea not associated with any specific instance

My question is how can he love her not in person? How is that possible?

Definition of Love(verb) -

a person or thing that one loves.

Maybe I don't understand abstract. If someone could help?

Also
why the symbol -- was used? Why not something like ';'


texts: Borrowing concepts from another religion?

texts:
Looking for a word that defines the practice of borrowing religious concepts from one religion to another.  The two best I found are 'plagiarize' or 'pirate' but they feel more commercial than religious.

Example concepts;

A great flood is shared by many religions.
Many winter holiday traditions have religions roots other than the currently popular ones.

Example Sentence

Much of our religious history is lost to antiquity but several popular religions (carry over our beliefs; plagiarize/pirate),


texts: Someone who takes inspirational quotes seriously

texts: Is there a name for someone who takes inspiration and other quotes too seriously or to heart?


texts: Motorcycle driving license or riding license

texts: One needs to have a license to ride a motorcycle. What is that license called? A motorcycle driving license or a motorcycle riding license?


texts: Do you put a comma after an introductory clause if it's a part of a dependent clause?

texts:
E.g.

  I knew that although he had a problem we could still work through it.

` OR

  I knew that although he had a problem, we could still work through it.

Usually, when using conjunctive adverbs, I've always put a comma there, but it looks strange to me with a relative dependent clause, and now I'm rethinking the whole thing.

  I knew because although we wanted to work through it, it wasn't working.


texts:
Consider the different locations of the subject, adjective, and conjunction in the following sentences.

A boy as trim as Bob should be a fast runner.
As trim a boy as Bob should be a fast runner.

The second sentence sounds unusual to me, but I am not a native speaker. Is it ungrammatical or merely a literary form of the first? If the second version is grammatical, does it change the emphasis (e.g. from the adjective to the subject)?


texts: An idiom meaning someone's doing something useless and has no result at the end

texts:
In my native language, we use an idiom to warn someone that they're doing something which has no result at the end:

  Trying to convince him is like squashing water ...

Is there any idiom in English with the same meaning?


texts: Origin of "janky" as in, "This setup is janky."

texts:
The term "janky" is common in specific gaming communities and refers to using tactics that are bad or subpar. A specific example from Reddit:

  So Reynad just climbed about 800 ranks in legend with this Echo of Medivh Mage deck... Janky as hell but he went 12-1 with it tonight.

A comment explaining the meaning of the term:

  "Jank" in [Magic: The Gathering] has come to mean a card or deck which either isn't or doesn't appear to be good. (From "janky", which I think was borrowed from computer science slang.)

The computer science usage is typically something like, "This setup is janky" which is the example I have used in the title of the question. I have personally encountered this usage when referring to computers and various machines that seem to be falling apart or built from subpar pieces.

But where did this word come from?

"Janky" doesn't have an entry in all dictionaries and etymonline doesn't show anything interesting for "janky" or "jank".

Wikitionary also mentions a connection to computer science slang:

  (jargon, computing, rare) Unresponsive (of a software application’s user interface), sluggish.

But I am still not seeing anything particularly revealing about this word's etymology.


texts: Non-derogatory term similar to "inflexible"

texts:
I'm looking for a word that's somewhat similar to inflexible, but non-derogatory, used to describe a characteristic of a person or their habits.

For example, let's say we have someone who really cares about their oral health. He brushes his teeth on time shortly after every meal and tries to keep his teeth-brushing to no more than three times daily because he believes brushing too much is harmful to the teeth. As a result, he tries to avoid snacking whenever possible. So, he doesn't take any snack beverage or any food like chocolate, chips, coffee, fries, etc. outside of his three main meals during his commute or at social gatherings, parties, etc. even when offered. When offered he will politely refuse or save them for later until a main meal.

Now, this is not necessarily a bad thing. His behaviour shows that he is a pretty [...] person, or he is being pretty [...] about his oral health?


texts: Using a proper noun (specifically an acronym) as an adjective

texts:
Is it colloquial to use a proper noun as an adjective if there isn't a corresponding proper adjective? Going further, is using an acronym/initialism as an adjective okay/formal? I'm trying to prove why a specific sentence bothers me so much, and if it's not technically correct English, that'd be why. I know you can say "the HTML tag" and I can't think of a better way to say that, but my coworker wants to use IRS as an adjective describing different emotions and it just bothers me!

An answer is totally fine with me, but a nice linked source would be awesome. My googling skills are just off today. Thanks!


texts: A word to describe a situation where something said has multiple meanings?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  A word with a wide range of meanings

Is there a word that describes a situation where someone says something that has multiple meanings?  or can be taken multiple ways.

An example that comes to mind is when someone is being both serious and sarcastic, and they could be taken either way or both ways.

Example:

  Person X: Why do you work in the dark?

  Person Y: I like the dark side.

Update:

The meanings above are clear and not unclear, or at least if you disagree then please provide a better example.


texts: What are the proper terms for these star shapes?

texts: Both figures are star pentagrams. But as you can see, the shapes are different due to the degree in the angles. Are there proper terms for these two shapes? I find myself having a hard time describing the different type of stars to my designer friends. I'd say something like "I meant the straight edged ones, not the relaxed ones."


texts: What is the English equivalent of the Telugu word 'Thalimpu'?

texts:
In most of the Indian recipes for dish items, we do heat up the pan with some oil, put some mustard seeds, cumin seeds, etc., and let them pop. What is the process called in English?

In the Telugu language, we call it "Thaalimpu", as shown in this video. The ingredients are shown at 00:24, and the process is from 00:30 to 1:51.


texts: Which spelling is preferred: "retriable" or "retryable"?

texts:
I've seen both spellings. The meaning I intend is, "an action which is capable of being tried again."

Example usage: "A database operation is retriable/retryable if it is idempotent."


texts: Is the meaning of terrific in "He is terrific" context-dependent?

texts:
As many dictionaries suggest, the word terrific could mean frightening in some cases Collins Dictionary, however it seems that most of the time it means very great or very good. Now I want to know if a simple sentence like:

  He is terrific

could mean He is frightening depending on context and if yes, is it likely to happen in daily conversations?


texts: We should seek common ground while maintaining different opinions. Does this sentence make sense?

texts:
I am not sure whether "maintain different opinions" can be used here.
Thanks a lot for your corrections or suggestions.


texts: Word for mildly popular (used as a compliment)

texts:
I'm trying to find a word for something meaning not explosively popular or successful, yet not a failure. It should not be intended as criticism and should represent something not necessarily new but more forthcoming or predicted to be destined for eventual greatness.

  Alphie's _______ novel Xyz is a ....


texts: what do you call a person who doesn't believe what another says anymore because that person is always lying?

texts: a person is always lying about where he is going to be or what he is going to be doing.  So, when he tells me something, I don't believe him anymore.  What is a word that describes me?


texts:
What does driving me crackers mean in the following content?

  On the other side of the Atlantic, Coming Up pricked up the ears of the creatively dormant Lennon, the maddeningly catchy tune firing him up to begin writing songs again. “It’s driving me crackers,” he told his personal assistant Fred Seaman. In recent years, Coming Up has found a new life as a guilty pleasuresstyled dancefloor filler, not least because of its ambiguous, party-starting title


texts:
I am not a native English speaker, and I learn from people.

I often hear people say “I have come to a place where there is no end…”.
I am wondering, isn't the right way to say it: “I have came” (I know that sounds awful, I am asking what's proper)?


texts: What does "And she promises the earth to me..." mean?

texts: I like the famous song. But I can't understand what does "to promise the earth" mean. Does she want to give the Earth to him? I suspect native English speakers find it a strange question. Maybe I don't know all meanings of 'promise'. Could anyone explain to me this line?


texts: should have done vs should had done (sequence of tenses)

texts:
imagine you want to use "should have done" in a subordinate clause when there's some past tense in the main clause.

e.g.: "He said I should have(had?) done it."

which one is correct?
or should i use some other modal verb for this purpose?
thanks


texts:
Scenario: I 'look good' and I 'feel well,' how do I compare the two as being equal?

consider the following two sentences:

"I look as good as I feel" -and- "I look as well as I feel"

I would choose the former, even though I don't 'feel good,' it just sounds right. However, consider these two sentences:

"I feel as good as I look" -and- "I feel as well as I look"

I would still choose the first one!

Is that right? to always use 'as good' in comparisons?


texts: Looking for name of rule regarding indefinite article

texts:
In the following sentence (which I took from a random article): "A robust but puzzling fact about the way people trade, a fact known as the 'disposition effect'", I would like to know what grammatical rule dictates the the article should appear before the noun ("fact") referring to another noun previously mentioned. I know this is the correct usage, I just need the terminology in order to show someone else this is right.
Thanks!


texts:
In L.P.Hartley's "The Go-between", one of the characters says

  "I didn't think I would find anyone here, being a Sunday and all."

In the 2002 English film "All or Nothing", a woman says:

  "I'm very lonely".

Her husband replies:

  "Me and all."

Is "and all" just a filler with no meaning whatever ?  Is it used only in England ?


texts: How do 'within' and 'which' form a relative pronoun clause?

texts:
Routines offer a structure within which to prepare for performance.

I'm having trouble untangling the relative pronoun clause into a sentence of its own. At first glance, the two sentences combined seem to be simple. However, when attempted, there seems to be no subject for the relative pronoun clause.

Routines offer a structure.

Within the structure to prepare for performance. (lacks subject)

This has me questioning whether or not the original sentence is grammatically correct, which seems intuitively implausible. Any tips?


texts: It's the size of a brick; What size shirt/shoes do you take?; I have a daughter your age

texts:
What is the grammar of the English words "size", "age", etc?

According to Quirk (1985:1293)

  Some noun phrases of measure, denoting size, age, etc, can also be postposed:
  A man the size of a giant came up to me.
  Somebody her age shouldn't do such exercises.

According to A Functional Analysis of Present Day English on a General Linguistic Basis (2013:92), such usages are attributive appositions.

Also "plain NP minor determiners" in Cambridge Grammar of the English Language, page 355


texts:
Can you help me to identify the right word that can match with the following description for a product:

  basic and budget-friendly but not holding the negative context of
  "cheap."

I have come up with many options: simple, basic, traditional, etc. but the "right" word has not come to mind yet.

Any helpers? I would very much appreciate it!


texts:
I write and revise policy at work, and I often see the phrase "authorized designee," as in "The Chief Executive Officer or the authorized designee is responsible for ensuring . . ."
This, to me, seems redundant because designating someone to act on your behalf means that you have given them authority to do something. However, this wording is found not only in old policies we developed internally but also in policy templates we have paid for.
Would I be justified in arguing that we should instead write "The Chief Executive Officer or designee is responsible for ensuring . . ."?


texts: Question regarding conditional sentences

texts:
" If you are coming to the races, bring that pretty mermaid of yours"
I wonder if someone could tell me the type of conditional sentence was used in the above-mentioned example?
Present tense was used in two clauses of the sentence which is similar to zero type conditional sentence but it definitely isn't a scientific fact!
Thank you for your assistance


texts: Use definite article or not in conjunction with a German institution's name which contains a strongly declined article?

texts:
Picture some German university's arthistory department, and its official title would be "Kunsthistorisches Institut". "Kunsthistorisch" is an adjective, and "kunsthistorisches" is its nominative case. Moreover, "kunsthistorisches" is the strong declension case which is used without a definite article.

Now when I'd like to refer to said department's bibliography rules in an English text, I would have to use the definite article "the", which would be at odds with the strong declension in the institution's German name.

Still, what would be the correct alternative,

"...the bibliography rules of the 'Kunsthistorisches Institut'..." or
"...the bibliography rules of 'Kunsthistorisches Institut'...",

or would I even have to adapt to the appropriate German declension case (genitive or dative)? (My instinct makes me shudder.)


texts: I have never seen whale “in nature” before

texts:
I am not a native English speaker, and I imagined this scenario:

I am talking about whales, I only see whales on TV and magazines I have never seen them “face to face”.

I have difficulty expressing this “face to face”.
Should I say

  I have never seen whales in nature before, only on TV and magazines

Or

  I have never seen whales in real life before, only on TV and magazines.

Or there is more correct phrases?

Thanks in advance!


texts: How to punctuate perceived dialogue - e.g. she gave him a look as if to say

texts:
I want to know how to treat dialogue that is only perceived. E.g. She gave him a look as if to say, “be quiet”
Obviously this isn’t actual dialogue so should the “be quiet” be in speech marks? Or single quotes? Italics maybe?


texts:
I recently received a mark-down for the following phrase:

  With this regard, will you please accept the Takeover agreement on this quote so that we can proceed with the validation process?

The quality evaluator (I work with a Customer Service Team) told me that the use of a question mark in this sentence is incorrect.

Is his evaluation correct, and why?


texts: Equivocal meaning of "Have a backlog of (something)"

texts:
Isn't there an equivocal sense to saying "I have a backlog of (something)"?

I have a backlog of work and would be unable to help you out on that.
I have a few outfits that I haven't shot yet -- have to keep up or there will be an unwanted backlog of outfits since September.source
I have a backlog of fruits that have been sitting in the bottom of the fridge for a couple of weeks now -- have to eat them now or else they are going to spoil!
My main reason for making yogurt this week, though, was that I had a growing backlog of milk in the fridge.source
My main reason for eating a stick of butter every day, though, was that I had a backlog of these sitting in the bottom of the freezer.

vs.

I have a backlog of work which will keep myself, my designer and my technician busy all through the fall.
I have an unexpected backlog of cash which should keep my family and myself safe from necessity in these times of hardship.
Some states have an unexpected backlog of money which will enable them to award new grantssource
Some colleges and universities have an unexpected backlog of money which will enable them to catch up on the longstanding housing shortage.
I have an unexpected backlog of cash this year. I'm going to buy a Porsche!

Please also consider these links:

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/backlog

https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/backlog

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backlog

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/backlog


texts:
I cannot determine what does this mean and what the sentence members the words are.

  A highway wide that slopes ahead.

Is "highway" an adjective here? Is "wide" a substantive? Why is "that" here?

It comes from a poem:

Throughout that day the rivals traveled
By Dneper's bank a common trail,
Till shades of night from orient leveled
The sloping banks and filled the vale;
Deep Dneper lies in mist; the horses
Must need be rested now and fed.
A highway wide that slopes ahead.
"Here it is time to part," they voted,
"And chance the fated aftermath."
Each changer then, by steel ingoaded,
In freedom chose its random path.


texts:
What word or phrase adequately describes a series of words which may have a distinct meaning, but fail to adhere to normal grammatical rules? In particular, they might not have any finite verb or even proper noun.

"Morphine 20mg prn."

"God almighty!"

"Sleepy now: less tired later"

"Implacable November weather."

Nominal group is the closest I can come up with, but I'm not sure that this is quite accurate. More generic terms such as "chunk", "phrase" or "segment" also feel inappropriate.


texts:
Is there any difference between the meaning implied by:

  Is that good?

and

  Is that any good?

I would appreciate if you give examples to show the differences, if there is any. I can't see exactly what the difference might be, although they certainly feel different.


texts:
What's the difference between a few, few, the few?
Which one is formal or informal?


texts: Humorous word for the situation when people know your thoughts

texts:
The question is at least 4 minutes long.

Statutory Warning: The link leads to a Facebook page.

I saw this video recently. What is the word to describe the situation in which the girl has fallen into at the end of the video? Looking for a comic word.

If you don't want to or cannot see a link on Facebook, here's the question for you:

What is the word to describe the situation you have fallen into when all (or at least all the important) people around you have become aware of the wicked (not evil) things you say or think about them? You aren't a gossipmonger or a backbiter. You are a good person and the situation is humorous. Kind of like your boss was behind you when you were mimicking him/her.


texts: Does "Fat Fighters" mean that the group fights against fat, or that they are fatty?

texts:
We are having an argument about whether naming a gym "Fat Fighters" communicates the right message. The name should suggest that they fight against fat (obviously). The "fat" is both noun and adjective and so in both usages

noun noun (kitchen sink) - fat fighter -> a fighter that is fat
adjective noun (tall man) - fat fighter -> a fighter that is fat

Similarly freedom fighter means fighting for freedom, not against freedom.

What is the correct meaning? What rules apply here? Is this a known collocation? Or simply a mistake? Does using it without the space (fatfighers) change the meaning?


texts: Translating the feeling and heritage of "Portugalidade" to proper English term

texts:
When translating from Portuguese to English the word "Portugalidade" (ancient "Portucalidade"), that means basically "being Portuguese" or "Portugueseness", in a socio-scientific paper setting, how would one best put it?

"Being Portuguese"
"Portugueseness"
Other?

The word "means to" explain the feeling and heritage of "being Portuguese".

Thank you.


texts: Punctuation when using a list of adjective pairs set apart by "yet"

texts:
I'm proofreading something, and came across this sentence:

  We believe the strength of our design is in our ability to be dynamic yet focused, clean yet inviting and organized yet exploratory.

It kind of feels like it needs some more punctuation to be more readable, but the only idea I had was to add semi-colons, which made it feel kind of choppy:

  We believe the strength of our design is in our ability to be dynamic, yet focused; clean, yet inviting; and organized, yet exploratory.

Thoughts?


texts:
Is there a single word or small phrase for "a list of tasks that a town or village has set out to accomplish, specifically for the improvement of the community"

The best I have so far is "agenda" but it's not quite what I'm going for.

If it makes any difference / influences your word choices, this word/phrase is to be the title of the list of achievements in a town-builder game.


texts: Why we are not translating western institustion names?

texts:
I saw this in many places but want to ask my question in a specific example.

In Wikipedia article on European Central Bank there is a section Preceded by 17 national banks

National Bank of Austria
National Bank of Belgium
Central Bank of Cyprus
Bank of Estonia
Bank of Finland
Banque de France
Deutsche Bundesbank
Bank of Greece
Central Bank of Ireland
Banca d'Italia
Central Bank of Luxembourg
Central Bank of Malta
De Nederlandsche Bank
Banco de Portugal
Bank of Slovenia
National Bank of Slovakia
Bank of Spain

Intuitively I can understand that Banca d'Italia means Bank of Italy but why it is written in Italian? Why in French or Dutch not in English?

Another question id why "Banca d'Italia" in Italian but Bank of Spain in English?


texts: How would you invent the word for 'fear of standing next to beds'?

texts:
It is known that there is a proper word for almost any phobia you can think of. What is the etymology of such? And how would one construct the word for the phobia of standing next to beds; because of what may be lurking underneath to grab your ankles.

I know, this is ridiculously specific, but this is just for a bit of fun, I know that many people at some point in their lives have shared this fear.


texts:
Is on needed a second time in this sentence?

  There is a bad effect either on human health or environment.
  There is a bad effect either on human health or on environment.


texts: Preposition use: targeted on/at distinct patient populations

texts:
Should I go for on or at?

To guide policymaking, high-quality systems-level research targeted on
distinct patient populations is needed.

To guide policymaking, high-quality systems-level research targeted at
distinct patient populations is needed.


texts: What differences are there between "famous" and "famed"?

texts: We sometimes see both cases, such as "the famous church" and "the famed church". In what situation or objective do you use "famous" and "famed"? Please advise.


texts: "to enable you to see" or "to enable you see"

texts:
"to enable you to see the..."
"to enable you see the..."

Is one more correct than the other? The first sounds more natural to me, but I can find references for both usages.


texts: Can we use future continuous in the following sentence?

texts:
"I have instructed that the cheque latest have to be issued by 15th every month, is there any problems? Please voiced out earlier if there's any issues in future. This will be the last time I'll be reminding on this."

I would be wonder, whether the last sentence is correct or no!? "I'll be reminding on this" i think it must be "I am reminding on this" or "I reminded on this".

Thank


texts: Is the second preposition necessary in "operated on on Jane's knee"?

texts:
I  came across this construction in which  the same preposition was used twice:

The doctor operated on on Jane's knee last night.

Is the second preposition necessary here?


texts: Word for a Refined idea which is a combination of two previous ideas

texts:
I'm looking for a word which means that my current solution is a refined version of my previous one, but it is also a combination of my previous idea and a 2nd idea. I found the following question, but it still isn't the word that I'm looking for.

A word that means that when two elements are mixed they become stronger


texts: When a proper noun is converted into a verb, should it be capitalized?

texts: If a proper noun (e.g. Google) is converted into a verb (e.g. Let me (G/g)oogle that for you), should it still be capitalized when used as a verb? I recognize that English has no such concept as a "proper verb," but writing a brand name like Google in lower case seems odd to me.


texts:
Recently I was proof reading an email that a coworker was going to send to a superior and I pointed out that the valediction wasn't capitalized. He said it didn't need to be because it was the start of a phrase or clause and not a sentence, and that people only do it because other people do it. But in the back recesses of my mind I'm thinking that there is a rule that says that it should be capitalized.

Is my coworker right and capitalization is unnecessary in this case? If I'm correct, what rule or guide can I point to, to prove my stance?

(T/t)hanks,
Jeremy


texts: The “open-ended Irish backstop” (Brexit)

texts:
Downing Street let it be known that May’s withdrawal agreement might after all be acceptable, if only the open-ended Irish backstop could be removed. Brussels in return let it be known that Johnson’s new Whitehall sherpa, David Frost, was in town, and that the backstop was the issue under discussion.
  The Guardian

This excerpt is awashed in metonymies; Downing Street refers to the appointed executive power in the UK; May is short for Theresa May, the former Prime Minister of the UK; Brussels represents the European Parliament; Johnson refers to the current Prime Minister of the UK, Boris Johnson; Whitehall stands for Parliament, a Sherpa (The Guardian spells it lowercase) is a Himalayan mountain guide; maybe that last one is a metaphor.

But what is an Irish backstop? Is that also a metonymy? A synecdoche? A euphemism? What?

The BBC has an article that explains what it means in a single sentence

  The backstop is a position of last resort, to maintain a seamless border on the island of Ireland.

But until Brexit, I had never heard of a backstop being applied to an inland border. Lexico (formerly Oxford Dictionaries) defines it as

  1. A thing placed at the rear of something as a barrier or support.
  1.3 An emergency precaution or last resort.

Online I found an infographic that uses the term, but it's enclosed in quotes, which suggests that the meaning might be unfamiliar or ambiguous.

Why is the solution by Brussel, which is meant to preserve the free movement of goods and people within Ireland, called a backstop? Since when? Did someone came up with this baffling term? And is the Irish backstop a metonymy, a metaphor, or something else?


texts:
He said, “I saw two men runnin’ out, they looked like middleweights /
They jumped into a white car with out-of-state plates”

- Hurricane, by Bob Dylan and Jacques Levy

It seems like we always say "out-of-state plates" in the plural, although when all is well each car has only one license plate. Why not "an out-of-state plate"?


texts: What is Eliot doing with "between two worlds become much like each other" in Little Gidding?

texts:
For last year's words belong to last year's language
  And next year's words await another voice.
  But, as the passage now presents no hindrance
  To the spirit unappeased and peregrine
  Between two worlds become much like each other,
  So I find words I never thought to speak
  In streets I never thought I should revisit
  When I left my body on a distant shore.

I'm definitely interested in interpretations of the line, should people feel inclined to comment, but I'm really asking for is a technical breakdown of the grammatic structure.  It's been bugging me for several decades.

Source: Little Gidding

Full text of the Four Quartets


texts: List of adjectives: order and conjunction

texts:
Which one of these is the right way to write a list of adjectives?
I have a tool that can be described with three adjectives: small, lean, and minimalist. How do I talk about it?

Nano is a _____, _____ (, or and?) _____ tool.

For example, is the following correct?

Nano is a lean, small, minimalist tool.

Should there be a conjunction?

Nano is a lean, small and minimalist tool.

Should the order of the adjectives be changed?

Nano is a small, lean, minimalist tool.

I would like to understand the rules for a list of adjectives like this.


texts: Sometimes when you put powder on your face after applying a foundation it leaves white patches due to heavy sweating.What are such patches called?


texts: There is an idiom/euphemism for a person who angers, puffs up, blustery.  I am searching for the name of that bird. Or maybe a term for this behavior?


texts: are the sentence "He couldn't be lost now" "He couldn't have been lost yesterday" (expressing a deduction) wrong?

texts:
Most websites say that must, might, may, could, can't can be used to make a guess of something or to deduce something.
British Council says:

must

We use must when we feel sure that something is true because there’s
very strong evidence.
He must live near here because he comes to work on foot. We don’t know
where he lives but we’re sure it’s not far away.

might, may, could

We use might, may or could to say that we think something is possible but we’re not sure.
Did you hear that? I think there might be a burglar downstairs. She’s
not sure there’s a burglar but she thinks it’s possible.
We’ll try to get there early but we may arrive late if there’s a lot
of traffic.
Don’t put it up there. It could fall off and hit someone.

can’t

We use can’t when we feel sure something is not true (an opposite of
must).
It can’t be a burglar. All the doors and windows are locked. He
doesn’t know it’s not a burglar but he feels sure it’s not.

I agree that the negative form of "must" is "can't", but what about the negative forms of "might, may, could?
So, we have: He might / may / could be lost (We think it is possible but we are not sure).
Now how about their negative forms?
This site (slide 19) says we can say:

It may / might / could rain later

and we can say:

It may not / might not rain later

but we cannot say:

It could not  rain later

Can we say  "He couldn't be lost now"?
Also, the past of "must / might / could / may / can't + infinitive" is "must have / might have / could have / may have / can't have + PP".
So, we say

"He must / might / could / may / can't be lost now"

"He must have / might have / could have / may have / can't have been lost yesterday"

We say "It may not / might not rain later", then
Can we say: "It may not have / might not have rained yesterday"?
Can we say "It could not have rained yesterday" to express a deduction?


texts:
Oh, I'm not sad. I made sure I've got a lotta dreams, so if one breaks, I can/could pursue another.
Should I follow up with can or could after the "if" clause?


texts: Greek mythology: the underworld vs the Underworld

texts:
I have just read the myth of Orpheus here. The writer used the underworld and the Underworld alternatively - not to mention the upper world and the Upper World - which made me wonder which would be more appropriate to use.

I am editing some texts concerning the myth - the reason I should be consistent - and so wanted to hear from you.


texts:
I was thinking about how little I use the word among and how I would phrase the dictionary's example sentences for it. Most of it involved substitution with the word with. Then I noticed something. For the sentence, "There are peanuts among the almonds," I say, "There are peanuts in with the almonds." However, Dictionary.com, the O.E.D., and Merriam-Webster only list "in with" as meaning "associating with" or "on friendly terms with."

How common is this use of "in with" to mean among; would this be understood by a majority of speakers on both sides of the pond; and would this be acceptable under the three Cs (context, convention, and circumstance)?


texts: How to write a message if I need a new job (searching/looking, contact me/turn on me)

texts:
Which makes more sense?

  Don't hesitate to turn on me  / Don't hesitate to contact me

Also,

  I am searching for a new job  /   I am looking for a new job


texts: The infinite, in my understanding, means huge/countless. So in what sense can we call a verb huge/countless?


texts: Is "use" a negative word in the following sentence?

texts:
I heard somebody say:

  I used my mother to find my socks.

The moment I heard it, my first impression was that it meant something bad — a rather negative word choice. Then I looked up use in the Oxford English dictionary and chose the following two entries which may suit here.

  employ sth for a purpose; bring sth into service
  exploit sb/sth selfishly

Which is correct here?

Likewise, in

  We have to use the police.

Is use here negative?


texts: Is one or ones correct when mixing countable and uncountable forms of a noun?

texts: Is the sentence "Tanya likes coffee, especially one made by Victoria." grammatically correct and why? I've been thinking of substituting one with "ones", "those" and "that" but I am not sure which is correct.


texts: Is there a name for the relationship between two unconnected hypothetical arguments?

texts:
I was watching the Sound of Music and the song "How do you solve a problem like Maria" was playing and then they say "How do you keep a wave upon the sand" and "How do you catch a moonbeam in your hand"

I am just wondering if there exists a term from the realm of logic to describe the connection between the latter two "How do you"'s and the first.


texts: What is the part of the iceberg that is not the tip called?

texts:
I was explaining that something is the "tip of the iceberg".  I then wanted to explain what the other bit of the iceberg consisted of.

What's the bit of the iceberg that is not the tip?  Or should I just give up on this metaphor?


texts: Difference between accepter and acceptor

texts:
What is the difference between these two words:

accepter
acceptor

On Merriam-Webster, each word's definitions are linked to one another,

  Definition of accepter

  one that accepts
  acceptor

  Definition of acceptor

  accepter
  one that accepts an order or a bill of exchange
  an atom, molecule, or subatomic particle capable of receiving another entity (as an electron) especially to form a compound — compare donor

Do both words mean the exact same thing or are each used differently depending on the context they are in?


texts: Straight quotes vs. curly quotes in formal writing

texts: Should I use “ or " in very formal English writing?


texts: Is there a word for the selective removal of items from a list (other than cull)?

texts:
Let's say I have a list of books, and I want to remove some of them from the list. Is there a word that describes this process? Ideally a verb that can be applied to the list.
For example:

I want to ____ this list of books.

The best I could come up with is "cull", but cull usually refers to the selective slaughter of animals and I'm not sure it would be appropriate in this case.