question stringlengths 0 34.8k | answer stringlengths 0 28.3k | title stringlengths 7 150 | forum_tag stringclasses 12
values |
|---|---|---|---|
I often hear news reports of rapidly increasing problems use the word "exponentially" for emphasis. For example, tonight's BBC America World News included a segment on the growing Syrian refugee problem, saying the number of refugees was "increasing exponentially". Now clearly this usage is not consistent with mathemat... | There is no single word that is close to exponential . You are correct, of course, that the growth is not exponential. But exponential connotes a rapid and increasing rate of growth. In reality, your example might more closely represent a sigmoidal growth curve, but we don't generally say that of growth. The closest wo... | What is a better word for "exponentially"? | english |
I usually hear people use the phrase "I don't/didn't want to believe it," and I've always been curious as to what it meant. Does it mean that the person is in denial of something? Or does it mean that the person does believe something but doesn't want to? How's it different from when people say "I don't believe it?" | Usually when you're faced with something that you think is impossible, but has happened, you come to believe it slowly, in stages. It's not just a matter of -poof!- it happens, and you believe it happened or is happening. The process goes something like: I don't believe it. You must be making it up. Is this some kind o... | To not want to believe something has happened | english |
I am wondering if there is a word that characterizes this specific type of question. Given this series of questions, it would be understood that one must continue answering if the answer is no, or stop once the answer is yes. Example (the question type would imply the parenthetical instructions): Can you do A? (If no, ... | I could not find a word describing this type of question. When I see these, they are usually preceded by an explanation, such as, continue to answer until you reach a question whose answer is "yes". Sometimes each question has a direction: "If no, proceed to next question." | Word for this type of question? | english |
The field of artificial intelligence, abbreviated as AI, has been quite turbulent and polymorphic since its creation. If not, what other word or construct could I use? By polymorphic I meant that it had changed its subject and scope over time. | I'd be very wary of doing that, as polymorphism already has quite an established definition in the field of computer science. From Google, Polymorphism (Computing) A feature of a programming language that allows routines to use variables of different types at different times. Trying to apply a different defintion with ... | Can I say that a scientific field has been "polymorphic" if it has changed dramatically over time? | english |
I need a word to describe the arrangement of mammalian teeth, which is strictly speaking bilateral, but can also be thought of as having four quasi-homologous quadrants. "Quadrilateral" doesn't seem to be used this way by dentists according to a quick Google search, although they do use the word "quadrant." Thanks to t... | The proper answer, I believe, was provided by Edwin Ashworth in the comments: quadripartite. Since he has not posted this as an answer though, I am providing it here to allow for an accepted answer (especially given that the OP seems unable to upvote comments without further reputation) Quadripartite consisting of or d... | Word for having four sides or parts | english |
(Re)instate? -- Seems too specific. (Re-)employ? -- Seems to apply to both machines and people, which is useful. But re-employ seems too general. Activate? -- Seems most appropriate perhaps, although for soldiers (people in general, even), you would say "return (them) to active duty" rather than "activate (them)". In f... | When Michael Jordan first retired from basketball in 1993-94 he rejoined the Bulls in 1995 and led them to three additional championships in 1996, 1997, and 1998... Jordan retired for a second time in 1999, but returned for two more NBA seasons from 2001 to 2003 [...] Despite his January 1999 claim that he was "99.9% c... | A word meaning "To bring out of retirement" / "To bring back into use" | english |
I was reading Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm , and I came across the phrase "April smile." I was unable to find a meaning of this phrase using Google, so I thought I'd ask here. Here is a quote where the phrase is found: "Give me some more examples of the subjunctive, Rebecca, and that will do for this afternoon," she said... | Romantic poet Robert Southey used the phrase in one of his letters , as a postscript to a somewhat melancholy letter he writes : A momentary recollection has just brought an April smile upon my cheek,... The editor gives that definition of the phrase in a footnote: A smile that comes after great distress, like sunshine... | What is the meaning of "April smile?" | english |
Over on Stackoverflow, I keep seeing questions wherein posters say: *I have an item named <code> SoAndSo </code> (a table, a file, etc.). Shouldn't it be: *I have an item called <code> SoAndSo </code> . Is "named" an acceptable word in this context? Are those words specific to a particular English speakers, e.g. UK vs.... | If the name of the item is indeed SoAndSo , then it is reasonable and correct to refer to it as an “item named SoAndSo ”. If in addition to being named SoAndSo it usually is called SoAndSo , it still is ok to refer to it as an item named SoAndSo (and also would be ok to refer to it as an item called SoAndSo ). But if, ... | "Named" vs "called" | english |
What is the English word for "collecting money for a special event from a group of people"? For example, say some friends are planing a party. Each one has to contribute some amount of money to the event. What is the word or phrase that can be used to explain this kind of activity? I have found "fund raising" to have a... | The words whip, whip-round or kitty may work here. The whip or kitty being the account or purse where these group funds are held and from where group purchases are made. | Word for "collecting money for a special event from a group of people" | english |
Italians often get confused by sensible and sensitive . If I tell them He's a sensible boy; he studies hard, saves his money, and plans ahead. They are quite bewildered. To them, sensible is indistinguishable from the Italian "sensibile" which means impressionable, easily moved to tears and sentimental. È un ragazzo se... | The English meaning of the word sensible seems to stem from a medieval theory of mind. The word sensible is an adjective which in the 19th century had two different meanings, related to the two different nouns sense and sensibility : sense : 3 [ mass noun ] a sane and realistic attitude to situations and problems sensi... | Why and how did "a sensible boy" become "intelligent and prudent"? | english |
I am endlessly perplexed why the country Sudan has a the in the name: "I am from the Sudan". Why not "I am from the Kansas" or "the China"? I understand the the in "the United States" because a non-personal noun "states" is part of the name. But why "the Sudan"? | This is a nice explanation from a professor of etymology, via the BBC: Professor Liberman says the habit of putting "the" in front of place names is heard throughout the English-speaking world and is common to Germanic and Romance languages. "In general, use of the definite article is unpredictable. Why should it be Lo... | Why does the Sudan have a "the" in the name? | english |
Proper English sentences can end with various types of punctuation characters: periods ("."), question-marks ("?"), exclamations ("!"), etc. Is there a proper terminology for these kinds of sentence-terminating punctuation characters? Ending punctuations? Terminating punctuations? Finalizers? Thanks in advance! | I have seen it called, among other things, terminal punctuation end marks end punctuation sentence-final punctuation sentence-ending punctuation terminating punctation In fact, I have found a similar mix of terminology across fields— music, informatics, linguistics, writing— and across levels from elementary school to ... | Proper term for "ending punctuation"? | english |
Is it appropriate to use the term "mileage" to refer to distance that is not measured in the literal units of miles? For example, would you say that a car "has a lot of mileage on it" in a country that measures distance in kilometers? Is there a more unit-neutral term that is better to use universally? | Mileage can certainly be used without having to be associated with literal miles. Freedictionary defines it as an informal noun, meaning usefulness, or how much service something has provided, or may provide. Cambridge dictionaries defines it as an advantage that can be obtained from a situation A person may get good m... | Mileage as unit-agnostic term | english |
So I started writing a new blog post titled "My personal struggle with mental retardation" about how impossible it is for me to think in the simplest terms and come up with the simplest solution to a given computer programming problem. No matter what I do, I can't help but overcomplicate almost every piece of code/appl... | I don't think you want a word. I think you want a device such as an oxymoron or some other kind of play on words. Obviously, over-thinking is the opposite of retardation. So, I think you want something like "simple complexity" or "elegant retardation" - both of which are oxymora. Some other examples that are probably m... | Looking for a word that describes mental retardation in computer programmers | english |
Can we say <code> works in harmony with other groups </code> . I understand the adjective is <code> harmonious </code> and all what I found in web is using as harmony as a name here . Can we use it to express state . Further, is <code> In accordance with </code> a good replacement? What about 'In concord with'? | Yes, you can say that someone works in harmony with other groups . in harmony (with someone or something) is an idiom. TFD : 2. Fig . agreeable or compatible with someone or something. (*Typically: be ~; get ~.) This is in complete harmony with our earlier discussions . Fred's position is quite clear. What you have sai... | Harmony as a state usage | english |
I'm using an English financial application to keep track of my spending. When trying to categorize a transaction as a student loan payout, the closest built-in category I could find was "Loan Principal Received". What does that mean? The definition ( according to Google ) is The total sum of money borrowed If I receive... | The principal of a loan is the total amount of the loan. With student loans, which are yearly loans, the principal would be that amount, and yes, it is usually broken down monthly. For budgetary purposes (but not for income tax purposes), that is income . Loan payout is fine. | What is "Loan principal"? | english |
I was listening to a song called 'Bedshaped' of English band 'Keane'. But, I couldn't find any meaning of it from any dictionaries. Maybe I can guess, but I would like to make sure about this. How do you think about the meaning? And, also, 'legs of stone' got me confused. Here are the lyrics below. You'll follow me bac... | wikipedia : … in hospital when someone is ill and has to spend a lot of time in bed they can become 'bedshaped'. It sounds a bit depressing (...) but in the context of the song I wanted to suggest old age and frailty(...) keaneshaped : The word 'bedshaped' - I don't know if it's a made up word, but my mum's alwa... | What is the meaning of bedshape? | english |
Suppose somebody pays pro rata every three weeks. I understand that if they cut short during that period, "pro rata" means the amount is recalculated according to how many days they use and only goes up till when they stopped. Suppose a company like a phone company takes into consideration if somebody's phone has been ... | The term pro rata just means proportionally . It is derived from the longer Latin phrase pro rata parte meaning according to the calculated share . In US usage, the term can be used for any adjustment that divides an amount or an obligation into parts, usually an equal allocation among people or categories. How the pro... | can the term "pro rata" include cutting for non-use in the middle of a period? | english |
I am an ESL student and I wonder what the following sentence means. During 1985 to 1988 , I worked at X company Does it mean that 1988 was included? I am not quite sure about the meaning since when this sentence was translated into my language, it meant that the person stopped their work in the beginning of 1988. Howev... | The phrasing indicates that employment at X began sometime between 1985-01-01 and 1985-12-31, and ended sometime between 1988-01-01 and 1988-12-31. Best usage would be to use common date notations on a CV, with the dates abutting each other. For example: From 1985 to 1988 he worked at X. From 1988 to 1993 he worked at ... | "During 1985 to 1988 , I worked at X company" — does it mean that 1988 was included? | english |
Suppose I have a work to accomplish today, but I am not in the mood to finish it. I need the word to comprehend all these ideas. The sentence to be put in would be like "Request to free me from the work that I had been assigned today". "Request to _ from the work that I had been assigned today" or "Request _ of work th... | Release or liberate. Liberate is more ideological, release is more legal or relating to protocol. Of the two I would choose release: I request release from work. | I need a word encompassing the meaning of free from something | english |
What are some good terms for a collection of lines. My actual use-case involves networked collections of lines of thought, but I'm interested in hearing mathematical/scientific terms. Differently put, as the title states, I'm looking for creative alternatives to the term web. | A set (related terms: union, intersection, complement, difference, symmetric difference), a power set, a truth table, a Venn diagram A collection An aggregation Classifications A "string theory" of ideas A think map (see http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/set?&o=100074&s=t ) An organizational chart Class Pr... | creative alternatives to "web" | english |
The pronunciation of blood is 'bləd\ while words such as moon and spoon (with double 'o') are pronounced as \ˈmün\ and \ˈspün. Why isn't blood pronounced like \ˈblüd\ ? | An attempt to a historical explanation could be found in the Great Vowel Shift . Before the Great Vowel Shift that started around the 14th century "oo" was pronounced [oː] and it then evolved into [uː], see chart . Evolution continued and some words evolved in different ways and are now pronounced differently. But as t... | Why doesn't blood sound like \ˈblüd\? | english |
The other day I read a question about nouns being used as verbs. An answer informed that in English any word can be used as a verb, but that it is not so in other languages. Beyond verbs, English is a very flexible language in general. (This is based on my own experience of English, Spanish and Arabic. I would gladly h... | I'll bite. But it's going to be a long answer. English is a moderately inflected language. The more inflected a language is, the less flexibility there is in it, and. vs versa, the less inflected a language is, the "looser" or more flexible it is. The most heavily inflected language I know is Ancient Latin. They didn't... | Flexibility of English: Always so? | english |
Hi I want to clarify in the following sentence: "One of the processes is brought by aversive emotional responses, and is likely to be controlled by the xxxxx pathway." We usually use "One of the __ " followed by singular verb "is". However "emotional responses" is plural? Is this correct? Second following question woul... | Since " one of the processes" is the subject of the sentence, the singular "is" should be used. "... brought by aversive emotional responses..." serves as an adjective clause , describing "one of the processes," so the plurality of "emotional responses" is irrelevant to the conjugation of the previous "to be." To answe... | Use of single and plural in the sentence structure "one of ______ is..." | english |
I know that when we're talking about something that is possessed collectively by all children it is "children's". What about a scenario where one of the possessed nouns belongs to each individual child? | Well, childrens isn't a word, so it's still children's . Just one more ambiguity in the English language. | "The childrens' blankets" or "The children's blankets" | english |
There was the following sentence in New York Times (December 12) article, titled “ Govern in poetry ”: This guy can write and he can speak, but he’s put those talents in a drawer for much of his presidency. In just the last few weeks, though, Obama has shown that his lyrical gifts could still get him off a road leading... | The idiomatic expression here is really "on the road to (X)", meaning that your current actions will lead you to achieve X, whatever that is. (Common variations are "on the road to recovery" or "on the road to ruin".) (see a definition here. ) In the writer's estimation, Obama is "on the road to a mediocre presidency";... | Is “get sb / sth off the way” an accepted idiom or ‘theatrical nerd’s line’? | english |
Is this sentence grammatically valid or not? People who achieve they do this with perseverance. One of the two answers to the earlier question stackexchange-url ("Unnecessary pronouns: “The President he issued…”") says clearly it's not "correct grammatically", as it is redundant . The other says it is grammatical, [but... | No, it is not quite correct. People who achieve they do this with perseverance. This sentense is correct: People who achieve do so through perseverance. People (who achieve) is the subject, so you do not need the pronoun they . They achieve through (that is, by doing something), not with (in this case.) to do (the achi... | Is this redundant pronoun use "grammatical"? | english |
Today I listened to a performance by Stephen Lynch in which he said "A public service anouncement from Stephen Lynch" which confused me, a non-native English speaker. Is the usage of "from" correct here? When can I use "from" instead of "by"? | Either is possible, with slightly different meaning: the origin ( from ) or the immediate channel announcing it ( by ). Because he himself is speaking it, you might expect by . But here it is a joke based on the common pattern A public service announcement from ... where from is used I think because the announcement ma... | When are "from" and "by" interchangeable? | english |
Skyscrapers are of various shapes. Skyscrapers are various shapes. Why do we use of in the sentence above? Is there any difference in meaning between the two sentences? | Ellipsis occurs in many constructions in English. Words considered non-vital are often omitted. Here, the post-modifying adjectival prepositional phrase 'of various shapes' is seen to be ellipted by the omission of the preposition: 2) Skyscrapers are of various shapes. 1) Skyscrapers are various shapes. The use of a pr... | "Skyscrapers are of various shapes" vs. "skyscrapers are various shapes" | english |
When I was taking a Biology class in 2005, we were assigned to do an animal experiment. So what is wrong with that sentence? I am using a free grammar checker website and it says the tense is wrong. | If grammar checker were perfect, there'd be no need for ELU. You've identified a bug in the program you are using. There is no error. | Past continuous vs Past Perfect continuous | english |
Does this sentence: When no data is being transmitted, D remains high has the same meaning as When there is no data transmission, D remains high | They might be interpreted the same way if the context is set appropriately, but the second, (When there is no data transmission) could also be referring to an error condition where transmission was expected but not achieved.) In other words, the first specifies the intent to transmit, the second only specifies the stat... | Regarding the usage of "being" | english |
After eight bits are [being] transmitted, D must go high for at least one bit time, which is referred to as stop bit. Is "being" required there? Why or why not? | No, not required, not even desired. Are being is present continuous and means that they are still in the process of being transmitted, but your use of after intends to place the reference time for the statement subsequent to their transmission. Incidentally, my boss likes using the present tense are the way you have it... | "Are transmitted" vs. "are being transmitted" | english |
In Pride and Prejudice, when an old woman (Catherine) asks a young lady (Elizabeth) whether she is engaged with her nephew or not, the young lady neither confirms nor rejects such relationship in a dissembling way. Lady Catherine censures Elizabeth and criticizes the scandalous elopement of her sister. Then she says th... | Here's my interpretation: Preserving structure while modernising and clarifying as much as possible, "Heaven and earth! Are the shades of Pemberley to be thus polluted?" becomes Heaven's above! (a softer form of "Oh God!") Is this how the family line of Pemberley will get corrupted? (referring to intermarriage with som... | What does this sentence mean ? "Heaven and earth, are the shades of Pemberley to be thus polluted?" | english |
The placeholder text in the title input box stackexchange-url ("here") reads: What's your Islam question? Be specific. Is that sentence grammatically correct? Islam being a noun . | Yes. Nouns function as adjectives all the time in English - this actually distinguishes English from many Romance languages. "I have a marriage problem." "He's a football player." or even "Try this new dessert - it's like a donut croissant." In Spanish, you could not say "What's your Islam question?", but rather you wo... | Is "What's your Islam question?" grammatically correct? | english |
My programming peers suggest to use the term count with discrete things: count of words, count of sentences and so on. Then again my instructor suggest me to use the term "number" for the discrete things in a thesis. I have used the word "amount" but my instructor says that is only for continuous measures. Please, clar... | I believe that amount should only be used for uncountable things, like "pudding" number and count should only be used for countable things, like "baby aardvarks" quantity can be used for either, and all of the above are measures of "quantity" | Differences between Amount, Count, Number and Quantity | english |
What are some grandiloquent, or simply better, ways of expressing "an idea/thought suddenly came to me", or "an idea/thought struck me", or "I was struck by an idea/thought"? | I had an epiphany. (a moment of sudden and great revelation or realization) | a better way to express "an idea/thought suddenly came to me" | english |
The valves, by way of the flaps are able to control the flow of blood through the heart because the flaps open and close during the contractions of the heart. I think the bolded part especially, but also the sentence as a whole sounds a little bit awkward. Is their a way to make it more coherent? | I would write the sentence as follows: "By opening and closing the flaps with each contraction, the valves control the amount of blood flowing through the heart." This construction is still a bit awkward because of the lack of definition. Flaps and valves both need descriptors unless they are earlier defined. Here is a... | Akward sounding paragraph | english |
My question is: are the following sentences acceptable in English? "I have never had a car, nor a bicycle either" "I have never had a car, or a bicycle either" I am not asking what the best structure is (probably "I have never had a car, nor a bicycle" or "I have never had a car, or a bicycle"): just if the two structu... | Both of them sound okay to me. :) . For your first example: 1.) "I have never had a car, nor a bicycle either." Grammatically, that seems fine. In the 2002 reference grammar by Huddleston and Pullum et al., The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language (CGEL), page 1309, there's a section on " Nor as coordinator", and ... | "... nor X either" and "... or X either" | english |
My baby has a t-shirt with "I dig my auntie" on it. What does this mean? | To dig is slang for liking something. I dig my auntie is a hip way of saying I like my auntie . | "I dig my auntie" — what does this mean | english |
The structure "...no sooner...than..." is reported to be used only in past tense, yet I wonder whether it is OK to use it to describe a daily habit. For example: Every day, as soon as I return home, I turn on the computer to post some messages. Is it Ok to say: I have no sooner returned home every day than I turn on th... | In my opinion, no sooner works best in past tense No sooner had I returned home than I turned on the computer In today's English, I would use As soon as if I need present tense Every day, as soon as I return home, I turn on the computer to post some messages. If you MUST, then the construct would be No sooner do I retu... | How to use "no sooner... than..."? | english |
I have written four similar sentences using surprised : I was deeply surprised at the news. I was deeply surprised at learning the news. I was deeply surprised at being told the news. I was deeply surprised to learn the news. It seems certain that 1 and 4 are grammatically right and smooth. What I'd like to know is whe... | 'Surprised at' (like 'surprised by') requires a noun group indicating the actual situation / event, so sentence (1) is fine. (3) means that you are surprised that you were told the news! (2) means that the fact that you learnt the news surprised you, which is very probably not what is intended. (2') I was deeply surpri... | What are the differences between the following sentences containing "surprised"? | english |
I am looking for a word that would describe being obsessed with the details of a larger entity such that the "looker" neglects to see the whole or (perhaps more importantly) the purpose of the whole. Basically, "not seeing the big picture". What can [more] succinctly describe this? Edit: I just found this post: stackex... | How about myopic , which means short-sighted and therefore, both literally and figuratively not able to see the big picture? | A single word for "not seeing the big picture" | english |
When it comes to cities and boats named after saints, it seems that "Santa" is always female and "San" is always male. e.g. Male Saints : San Diego, San Francisco, San Antonio Female Saints : Santa Barbara, Santa Maria So why isn't "Santa Claus" a woman like all the other "Santa"s? | The city names you quote are all derived from Spanish, where "San" (or "Santo", as @tchrist clarifies below) is the male inflection and "Santa" the female one. However, Santa Claus isn't derived from Spanish, but from Dutch, where it was originally rendered as Sante Klaas , and was modified to Santa when it was adopted... | Why is Santa Claus a man but Santa Maria a woman? | english |
I work as a software developer. At times I have to talk about virtual, non-tangible things, like images for a website etc. In these cases, the pronoun that I use is it . E.g. Colleague: "Add the image that I mailed." Me: "Didn't get it yet!" I feel that using it in this case isn't right as the image is a virtual thing ... | The pronoun it can have as its antecedent any single inanimate object. It (see?) doesn’t have to be tangible. Nouns can be broadly classed as concrete nouns or abstract nouns, and it can refer to even the most abstract concepts. | Use of "it" to refer to virtual things | english |
I have been taught to use only one tense in one sentence/paragraph, but I've always been confused... For example, in the following sentence: "In one study, there were only deficits observed in adolescents and not in children, and it was proposed that development of the emotion recognition ability is slower in adolescen... | This is a very common misunderstanding in my view. The idea of restricting tense within a paragraph (as I've heard it) is intended to be a restriction in narrative for the sake of clarity, to show the reader when things were happening. If that's clear, then that "rule of style" certainly doesn't mean that ideas within ... | Tenses in sentences | english |
What's a suitable word for "A person who has a busy life but still manages to do everything on time"? Thanks in advance. | This is an interesting question. Many words capture the "busy" side or the "punctual" side, but those qualities are often mutually exclusive in people. I can certainly be a multitasker yet show up slightly late for all my appointments. :-( On the other hand, I can easily be punctual when I do not have a busy life. The ... | Word for "A person who has a busy life but still manages to do everything on time" | english |
Apparently HR folk have taken to using the word "onboard" as a verb , to be used as a synonym for "bring up to speed", as in: We need to onboard new staff to our dynamic way of thinking. instead of We need to bring new staff up to speed regarding our dynamic way of thinking. There is already a question that asks for an... | I vote for orient , or familiarize . They've been around forever, as in orientation manuals, or freshman orientation, with a clearly defined meaning of imparting information that helps one navigate something. First Known Use: circa 1741, French orienter, from Middle French, orient meaning to provide one with guidance d... | Alternative word to the new verb "onboard" | english |
The idiom is defined on Dictionary.com as: bust one's chops, Slang. to exert oneself. bust someone's chops, Slang. to annoy with nagging or criticism. Looking it up on Google, I couldn't find much info on its origin. The only source I found that seems credible is this site, which mentions that the idiom's origin could ... | "Chop" just literally means jaws, or sides of one's face. It's the second noun definition for "chop" in the OED. Its usage extends back to the early 16th century. Its etymology is from "chap," which is a jawbone, and an ever older word. So, the phrase is literal: "Don't bust my chops," means "don't hit me in the jaw." ... | What's the origin of the idiom "bust one's chops"? | english |
Does it seem to anyone else that in the past few years people have been saying "I like!" in a new, playful, ungrammatical way? I am not plugged in to popular culture so I wonder if some of you could comment on this, and, if you have noticed the same, shed some light on the origins of this idiom. Here is the context I'm... | LIKE or I like is a Facebook-inspired phenomenon that has metastasized into public speech. On Facebook , there is an option to show support for or agreement with something another user puts forward by clicking on a "like" icon . The system tracks likes for the user's comments to their wall . It is an abbreviated way to... | Is "I like!" a recent idiom? What is its origin? | english |
Nothing in the court papers suggests Grayson was anything but a victim of the scheme. Does this mean papers suggest he was a victim? | It's arguably awkward phrasing, but yes, it means that the papers suggest (by omission, perhaps) that he was a victim. Or rather, he could not be anything other than a victim based on what is in (or omitted from) the papers. | What does this double negative mean? | english |
[i] It was lucky that Harry had tea with Hagrid to look forward to, because the Potions lesson turned out to be the worst thing that had happened to him so far . –– Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone [ii] a. Ed made the most mistakes of them all. b. It sold for the highest price ever paid for a Cezanne. –– CGEL, p.1... | At first blush, it seems that your example sentence involves both an integrated relative clause and a set comparison. (For relative clause: another member has already addressed that.) For "set comparison": The set is "the things that had happened to him so far", and a member of that set is "the Potions lesson" which al... | Is this that-clause for set comparison or a relative? | english |
Please have a look at these sentence pairs: When I worked as a teacher, I met a good friend. While I was working as a teacher, I met a good friend. When I had a dream, I thought of the idea. While I was having a dream, I thought of the idea. Which ones are correct? And why? | When I worked as a teacher, I met a good friend. This sentence means, "During the time of my life when I worked as a teacher , I met a good friend." While I was working as a teacher, I met a good friend. This sentence means, "While I was on duty working as a teacher, I met a good friend." The difference is that "when" ... | How to use "when" vs. "while" on the following occasions? | english |
..., whom I mentored during his final semester's project. ..., whom I mentored on his final semester's project. Which of these two is grammatically correct? Since I am not talking about the final semester but the final semester's project , I am not very sure about during . Can someone help me with this? | "..., whom i mentored during his final semester's project" vs "..., whom i mentored on his final semester's project" Which of these two are grammatically correct? Both are grammatically correct (you might want to use a capital 'I' though). Since i am not talking about the final semester but the final semeseter's projec... | "To mentor someone during a project" vs. "to mentor someone on a project" | english |
Where (what Internet site) can I get a good, continuous conversation in real time from? I need some sort of resource where I have the possibility of just sitting there listening to the conversations of others and optionally being able to answer, but that it isn't like a between just me and somebody else. I feel that I ... | Is your question about learn to speak fluent English? If so, podcasts would probably be a good choice. Some may follow scripts, but others can be very spontaneous and free-flow discussion. Radio broadcasts (talk shows) also follow such a format. In this case you might not be able to answer audibly. If you podcast is st... | I need live conversation | english |
Context: As a teacher who loves writing, I am interested in posting messages on the twitter. Which of the following options is correct? Please explain the reasoning. I am so interested in posting messages on the twitter that everyday I had no sooner returned home than I immediately turned on the computer to write somet... | The normal sequence of tenses would require the first sentence to be written as: I was so interested in posting messages on Twitter that every day I had no sooner returned home than I immediately turned on the computer to write something. The second sentence brings the events one stage forward in time, and uses the pre... | "I had no sooner returned than I turned on" vs. "I have no sooner returned than I turn on" | english |
Can delinquent be used to describe something like a school assignment? You still have some delinquent assignments. Or does the word only apply to monetary matters? | The word delinquent does not only apply to monetary matters. While the noun delinquent refers to a young offender, the adjective is more forgiving. In AmE, bills in arrears are most commonly marked 'delinquent' by credit agencies. If you are writing for an AmE audience, I think it is quite appropriate to label one's mi... | "Delinquent" to describe something non-monetary | english |
Today I came across an idiom I have never before seen. Joe Garagiola, his lifelong friend from the old neighborhood in St. Louis, a fellow catcher, and great raconteur, got a lot of mileage telling Yogi stories on the lecture circuit. He often reworded Yogi-isms to make them funnier, and some he made up out of whole cl... | I've never encountered the idiom before, but did some quick research. From what I can see, yes, the idiom is related to fabricating something. I can't find an origin, but according to Merriam-Webster , the first known usage was in 1840. It's defined as Whole Cloth pure fabrication —usually used in the phrase out of who... | Origin of "Made out of whole cloth"? | english |
Are these two sentences correct? This is as good as ... This works as well as ... Edit: This one is as good as the other one. This one works as well as the other one. | Your edits are correct. Good is an adjective and describes nouns, in this case the subject of the sentence ( this ). Well is an adverb and modifies verbs, in this case works . | Use of as good and as well | english |
I'm working on some software programming documents where certain types can be inferred from the code*. I have this tendency to then called these inferred types the implicit type. This makes sense because it's a contrast to an explicit type. What bothers me is that the word implicit appears to have imply as its root. Kn... | According to google: implicit adjective suggested though not directly expressed. "comments seen as implicit criticism of the policies" always to be found in; essentially connected with. "the values implicit in the school ethos" Looking at the above two definitions, implicit can be used as the qualities are 'indirectly'... | Is "implicit" a suitable adjective for both "implied" and "inferred" properties? | english |
I have been wondering in my head when is it more appropriate grammatically and more appropriate in terms of the English language to use word selfsame instead of same. The research that I have done suggests that 'same' can be used as an adjective and a pronoun and as an adverb. While selfsame can only be used as an adje... | Macmillan has: selfsame ADJECTIVE [ONLY BEFORE NOUN] FORMAL . . . used for emphasizing that something is exactly the same as another thing He asked me the selfsame question. So you wouldn't say 'the colours orange and amber are nearly the selfsame' or 'orange is the selfsame as amber'. You'd use it when adding emphasis... | Usage of "same" vs. "selfsame" | english |
Person A stated some noble motives behind actions person B found suspicious. [Person B] answered with very measured words, her smile not quite reaching to her eyes. "If what you claim is true, then you can count me as your friend." The unsaid counterpart of the sentence hung heavily in the air. I'm not quite sure if co... | I personally prefer the formulation "...the unsaid corollary ..." (I might even use "unstated" rather than "unsaid"). m-w.com gives this as one definition of corollary: "something that incidentally or naturally accompanies or parallels." In this case, the unstated "If what you claim is a lie, then you can count me as y... | Statement complementarily reverse to given | english |
This book is mine as much as anything! What does this mean? Does this mean, "This is REALLY MINE!!" I would want native speakers' opinion. | The idiom here can be correctly identified as ' as much as anything ', as you state. It would only make sense in certain contexts: _"Only the paintings and the silverware are yours." _"This book is mine as much as anything!" | What is the meaning of "as much as anything"? | english |
Sponges ( Porifera ) come in three body forms - asconoid (vase-shaped), syconoid (pleated vase), and leuconoid (network of chambers, like bath sponges). I was wondering what the etymology of these terms was. Since they are scientific terms, I'm assuming Classical origin, but I don't know enough Greek or Latin to recogn... | asco - prefix Lt. < Gk. ἀσκός Websters : Modern Latin; from Classical Greek askos , wineskin, bladder syco - prefix Lt. < Gk. Wordinfo : fig sweet, hollow, pear-shaped, multiple fruit that has numerous tiny seedlike fruits that are eaten fresh or preserved or dried Reference.com 1885–90; < Neo-Latin < Greek... | Etymology of sponge types | english |
Kindly, what are your thoughts on the following sentences: The maximum number of wordbooks (%d) have been saved. The maximum number of wordbooks (%d) has been saved. My opinion is that (1) is more appropriate as "save" relates to wordbooks (a plural noun) and "The ... number" is some kind of determiner. The dissenting ... | As explained in ‘The Cambridge Guide to English Usage, when number of is preceded by the , it is the head (the most important word) of the phrase ‘the number of . . .’ It is singular, and so requires a singular verb. The case is different when number of is preceded by a . Then, it is a pre-modifying element, leaving th... | "The maximum number": plural or singular? | english |
What will you call someone who is prepared in advance for all the events/things? I want a word which i can use in context where it's good to be prepared in advance. Ex. If a person is well prepared for any event/meeting then it's a good thing. I want to use it as a adjective. | Ever-ready is an adjective meaning permanently accessible, available, or prepared . It is probably more widely recognised as the trademark Eveready , associated with the international flashlight and battery manufacturer. Colloquially, one might refer to someone who is always prepared as Mr Eveready. | What's the word for someone who is prepared in advance | english |
"But, oh, Marilla, I really felt that I had tasted the bitterness of death, as Mr. Allan said in his sermon last Sunday, when I saw Diana go out alone," she said mournfully that night. "I thought how splendid it would have been if Diana had only been going to study for the Entrance, too. But we can't have things perfec... | I assume it means that she was opening her copy of ‘De Bello Gallico’, Julius Caesar's comentary on his campaign in Gaul. | What is "opening her Caesar" referring to here? | english |
I have three books and CDs. Does this mean I have three books and three CDs? Or are there three items in total? Are both possible? I am asking for a native speaker's opinion. | It depends how you want to divide the phrases in the sentence: 1) I've got [3 books] and CDs. This means you have 3 books, and some CDs. 2) I have 3 [books and CDs]. This version is more clunky, but it means you have 3 in total. Unless, however, " books and CDs " is referring to a specific single item meaning one book ... | Meaning of "I have three books and CDs" | english |
What's the meaning of "to reach opinion leaders" in the following text ? He called for concerted efforts to reach opinion leaders and policymakers in the nuclear weapons states: “Many of them have already acknowledged the essential bankruptcy of deterrence doctrine in a world where non-state actors are seeking access t... | Opinion leaders are people with an active voice in a community.They are influential members of a community, group, or society to whom others turn for advice, opinions, and views.These are the people who shape opinions on things in a community or society, something akin to intellectual trendsetters. Hence the author tal... | What's the meaning of "to reach opinion leaders"? | english |
In reading the contents of a card, I have come across the following doubt regarding joining the two clauses with a semi colon or keeping them as two separate sentences. The phrase is the following: Thank you for all of your help these past days; without which, my study would not have been as successful. The doubt is wi... | ‘Without’ has nothing to do with it; ‘which’ is the crucial word here. A semicolon is used to join two independent clauses. ‘Which’ is a relative pronoun and as such only found in dependent clauses. If you wish to separate the two clauses with a semicolon, you must make sure that both clauses are independent. You can d... | Should the clauses in these two senses be joined? | english |
Please share with me how would you understand meaning of "at the way" in the context below. He smiled at her now and she looked away from his face at the way his shoulders sloped in the loose tunic he wore with the four big cartridges held in loops where the left breast pocket should have been, at his big brown hands, ... | She looked .. at the way (=how) his shoulders sloped. Not exactly the most concise of prose, but there you have it. | Meaning of "at the way" in "she looked away from his face at the way his shoulders sloped" | english |
Normally I live in Australia where winters are quite mild. But right now I've been travelling in Asia and seeing all the trees which look dead but are not, due to it being winter, have got me thinking. There must be a term for the state a tree is in that has lost all its leaves and resembles a dead tree but will "come ... | Dormancy is a term that applies to some plants (including trees). From wikipedia : Dormancy is a period in an organism's life cycle when growth, development, and (in animals) physical activity are temporarily stopped. ... For example, photoperiod and decreasing temperature are used by many plants to predict the onset o... | Term for the state of a deciduous tree during winter? | english |
I noticed a USA Today article today that said "Mary Barra has been a growing force within General Motors. While she wasn't necessarily a shoe-in to be named to the CEO job...". I was pretty sure sho e -in should be sho o -in and m-w.com confirmed that for me, but didn't give any etymology. In other sources, I have seen... | According to the OED, the adjective (and noun) shoo-in comes from the the collocation of the verb shoo and the preposition/adverb in . ‘Shoo’ in this case has the basic sense of being urged on or in a certain direction (as in “She shooed him away”), and ‘in’ is obviously in the sense of ‘getting in’, i.e., reaching the... | Shoo-in vs Shoe-in and etymology | english |
I work at a company that publishes standards. These publications have a designation and a title. For example, the designation might be "Standard 100." The title might be something like "Machines Handbook." Most (but not all) of our publications punctuate the in-text reference as follows: Standard 100, Machines Handbook... | I'd first look for examples of similar styling, as you've done. You might find more examples if you think of the standard number and title as being like the volume number and title of a book in a series, and see how different style guides handle that. MLA and Chicago styles separate the volume number and its title with... | Treatment of Designation and Title in Text | english |
What is the meaning of "As it so happens" and when do we use it? Refer to a synonym if you can please. Thanks. | "As it so happens" is used as a connector phrase to bridge parts of a conversation, usually things that are closely related or lead into each other. Might be in reference to an unexpected or unlikely fact. 1 Example: "My car just broke down." "As it so happens, my husband is a mechanic." Phrases that could be used simi... | "as it so happens" idiom meaning and usage | english |
I want to write a sentence that has a list of descriptive terms and then names, but I'm unclear as to how to do it... Herman my brother, George my nephew and I went to the market. If I put commas between Herman and my brother then it can be understood that someone named Herman as well as whoever my brother might be wer... | Ignore the people telling you to re-write. Punctuation is part of writing, and there's a wonderful punctuation mark waiting on your home row right now that's eager to help out: the semicolon. Herman, my brother; George, my nephew; and I went to the market. Semicolons aren't just for related sentences like this one; the... | How do you punctuate a list of titles and names? | english |
I'm reading Time Machine by H. G. Wells. And there is a sentence: "At first I scarce thought of stopping, scarce thought of anything but these new sensations". What does "scarce" mean in this context? Usually "scarce" means "not very much of something", but in this case .. it is like "to be scared of". Is that mistake ... | I don't think it's a mistake as I've encountered this phrase "scarce thought of" elsewhere. Scarce = not much So I think it means: I didn't think much about(consider) stopping, I didn't think much(consider) about anything but these new sensations. | Meaning of "Scarce" | english |
Here is the sentence ... let us call the relevant, overall sets of scientific belief ‘theories’; different, conflicting theories are consistent with the data; the data exhaust the evidence for belief; therefore, there is no evidential reason to believe one of these theories as opposed to another. What is the meaning of... | The data is/data are issue (stackexchange-url ("covered before on ELU")) makes no different to the meaning here, which depends solely on the specific usage of to exhaust - defined by OED as... To draw out all that is essential or interesting in (an object of investigation or exposition); to treat or study (a subject) s... | What is the meaning of 'exhausting the evidence' in the sentence? | english |
There have been debates raging both stackexchange-url ("here") and on stackexchange-url ("ELL") about this, but the question has, to this point, been focused solely on expletive constructions with compound subjects. This is not intended to ask that very same question. I'd like to clarify that I'm asking about a much br... | The easy answer is, no . None of the first sentences are correct, except for the first sentence in the first set. This I have seen and heard regularly. The rest of the sets, numbers 2 and 3 are correct. Edited: 11 December, 9:25pm EST I have searched and searched, but have not found a single source that will allow for ... | Can altering the syntax of a sentence, without in any way changing the diction used in describing the subject itself, change the subject's number? | english |
Inspired by stackexchange-url ("this question"), we have 80's : "The Eighties" 90's : "The Nineties" 00's : "The Naughts" or "The Naughties" 10's : ??? | Although "the teens" are to be avoided per the CMS, I would still refer to that decade as the teens . if "the Nineteen-" or the Twenty-" **does not precede the word. The only precedent I have to go on is how the medical profession refers to, say, illnesses in the second decade of life, e.g. The incidence of Hodgkin's L... | What is the name for the second decade in a century? | english |
I'm modeling a database and I have these three fields (among others): created_by , updated_by , and deleted_by . I'm using author as an alias for "created_by", and editor as an alias for "updated_by". What choices do I have as an alias for "deleted_by"? | *What choices I have to aliase deleted_by?* censor, scrubber, excisor, witholder, concealer, expurgator, excinder, publisher, appraiser. | "Created" is to "creator", and "updated" to "editor", as "deleted" is to what agent noun? | english |
Does the following phrase mean it must be true? This fact had to be true. Or it must have been true? I would like a native speaker's opinion on this. I often hear it used in the second interpretation. | It depends entirely upon context. "I knew this fact had to be true, because my wife wouldn't lie to me." Both lines (must be or had to be [or have to be]) generally, but not always, imply that there is some evidence to the contrary of the fact being true. The actual truth (or the author's perception of the truth) can o... | The use of "had to" | english |
I've heard a single word before that means "withholding medicine from a sick person" or "withholding food from a starving person" or "refusing to alert an airplane pilot flying in the dark that he's about to crash into a mountain". The basic idea is not taking some action knowing that inaction will later lead to harm f... | Perhaps you are referring to omission : a failure to do something, esp. something that one has a moral or legal obligation to do. Synonyms: negligence, neglect, neglectfulness, dereliction, forgetfulness, oversight, default, lapse, failure. Perhaps you have heard of sins of * o *mission, as opposed to sins of * co *mmi... | What's the word for withholding medicine from a sick person? | english |
The established criteria on which to make these determinations was recommended by the Committee. These criteria are as follows: ... or should I write, ....Those criteria are as follows:... Jenn | Criteria is the plural of criterion . Whether it will remain so is another matter, but for the moment it needs the plural verbs, were and are , and a plural determiner, those or these . | Grammatically correct use of criteria | english |
The sentence is Removes the first occurrence of a specific object from list. I don't understand why 'occurrence' is used. Is its meaning like 'encounter', so the sentence could be rephrased as below? Removes the first encountered object from list. Their meanings are the same? | An occurrence refers to an instance, event, encounter. Imagine you are moving your finger down a list. Your finger will encounter a specific item on the list. That will be the first occurrence of it. oc·cur·rence əˈkərəns/ noun: occurrence; plural noun: occurrences an incident or event. "vandalism used to be a rare occ... | Why used 'occurrence' in the sentence? | english |
I came across the word "budge" in a dictionary, and it said about this word: "Usually used in negative". Why does this specific word always come in negative form? | Generally, you're trying to move something. If something just "budges" that means it moved so slightly as to be an insignificant change in its position. When trying to move something, it is often useful to indicate that it didn't budge and thus one did not even get close to the desired movement. But it is rarely useful... | Why does the word "budge" always come in negative form? | english |
What does "All in a day's work" mean? The online dictionaries aren't very detailed on that. How did this idiom come to be? Was there some meaningful context to it originally? | "All in a day's work" refers to any task that is done routinely. It can be negative (e.g. tasks you don't care for doing), neutral, ironic, etc. based upon speaker preferences. As for origins, the definitions made reference to nautical navigation, and I believe they were referring to Celestial Navigation. Celestial Nav... | "All in a day's work" | english |
New York Times just published an article where they use the word "yearslong": Federal agents charged 18 current and former members of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department on Monday, accusing them of excessive use of force and obstruction of justice as part of a sprawling, yearslong investigation into allegations... | Dictionary.reference.com doesn't list <code> yearslong </code> , but it does list <code> yearlong </code> . I think the more proper spelling would be <code> years-long </code> (and, to be honest, <code> year-long </code> as well). | Is "yearslong" a word? | english |
I have a quote in parentheses, and I was wondering whether the comma should go inside the quotation marks or after the closing parenthesis: Now, with weapons like Laser Lipstick (“gives a whole new meaning to ‘hot pink,’”) he fights crime in drag. vs Now, with weapons like Laser Lipstick (“gives a whole new meaning to ... | Assuming everyone is supposed to recognize the quotation about the new meaning of hot pink, and I admit I missed it, the material in parentheses is, well, parenthetical. The role of the comma after the parentheses is to set off the introductory phrase. If you add another comma, the parenthetical information is twice se... | Comma after quotation in parentheses | english |
My boyfriend and I are arguing whether thousands of miles means 1000+ or 2000+ miles. The first argument is that 1000+ is over 1000 and therefore 'thousands of miles' by rounding up. The other argument is that thousands are a unit, and if you only have one unit plus a fraction of that unit it is not 'thousands of miles... | If your argument was that thousands means 2000+, then you could show your boyfriend the following dictionaries, which define thousands in your favour: merriam-webster freedictionary collins Do not show him the following dictionaries, which define thousands in his favour: oxford dictionary.com cambridge I'd say opinion ... | When does thousand turn into thousands? | english |
What is the difference, if any, in the use of the verbs to air and to broadcast ? | They're synonymous. Of course, senses other than media-related do not overlap: These clothes need airing. The old way to sow seed was to broadcast by hand. Also, air is probably more amenable to ergative usage (though 'broadcasts' is acceptable here too): 'Sherlock' airs on January the First. There are some constructio... | Is there a difference between "to air" and "to broadcast"? | english |
What does this saying mean? It was said by Augustine of Hippo, but I do not exactly understand it. Thanks. A man has as many masters as he has vices. | He's paraphrasing his Boss: John 8:34 Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. | Meaning of "A man has as many masters as he has vices." | english |
I'm in the process of purchasing a house and reading through the contract, I can't find a single instance of the comma. (As if legalese wasn't hard enough to read already!) This includes the segregation of sentence clauses, separating lists, following certain leading adverbs (however, therefore, etc.), etc. Are commas ... | Commas are regarded as dangerous in legal documents - they introduce ambiguity in the meaning. "The agreement shall continue in force for a period of five years from the date it is made, and thereafter for successive five year terms , unless and until terminated by one year prior notice in writing by either party.” htt... | Are commas considered superfluous in legal documents? | english |
What is that sound called, when one produces a short demeaning (almost as if looking down upon the other person) sound, which might be followed by a very cunning smile. Example: A: The US is pressurizing Iran on genuine grounds. It has no horses of its own in that race. B: That Sound , Are you really that dumb? | Alice: "The US has no horses of its own in that race". Bill: ( snorts ) "Are you really that dumb?". ...where Google defines snort as... an explosive sound made by the sudden forcing of breath through one's nose, used to express indignation, derision, or incredulity. "he gave a snort of disgust" | Word for a sound of insult-with-a-smile | english |
Read as many books as suit(s) your schedule. Singular or plural agreement? | The expression 'as many [X's] as' is a compound quantifier virtually synonymous here with 'the number of [X's] that'. I don't think many people would object to 'Do it as many times as is necessary' and this seems to be preferred over 'Do it as many times as are necessary' [Google]. Compound modifiers behave rather stra... | "As many books as suits your schedule" vs. "as many books as suit your schedule" | english |
I am looking for a word that captures the severity or extent to which someone is busy. This is the word to be used for showing a measure for the extent to which a person or team is occupied with stuff to do. | workload : 1. The amount of work assigned to or expected from a worker in a specified time period | What's the more appropriate word for busy-ness? | english |
I am using a concept that was developed for one subject area and applying it to a different area. However, there is a one-to-one correspondence between the objects in the original concept and the objects in the area I would like to apply it to. Specifically, I am drawing an analogy between voters in a shareholder meeti... | Per Kris' response: Applicability comes with its inherent sense of its rationale, why the redundancy? Applicability would be understood as providing a rationale, so I will simply use that. | Term for providing a rationale for why a concept applies | english |
"X might not have been made had money been a priority" We are discussing with friend about this sentence, which I had trouble understanding at first. To me, it'd have been more idiomatic adding "if" or a comma in the middle like : "X might not have been made if money had been a priority" "X might not have been made, ha... | The protasis (the “iffy” part) of an English conditional sentence has never strictly required an if or an unless , no matter whether it should fall before the apodosis (the “thenny” part) or after it. You just need a bit of inversion: Should anyone call, we shall notify you immediately. Were it not so, I would have tol... | Is a comma or "if" needed in this sentence | english |
I am not an native English speaker and I would like to know if the use of the word "vacuous" is offensive. I am writing a reply to a request where I am asked to do something that has no sense at all in a mathematical context. Basically, I was requested to do some calculations on a mathematical object that is provably n... | Vacuous definitely carries negative and/or offensive connotations in English, varying with the tone of voice employed when uttering the word. At best you'd sound flippant, at worst you'd sound extremely rude! You'd probably be better served by sticking to simpler language - "performing these calculations is unnecessary... | Is "vacuous" offensive? | english |
I read a paragraph in a book: Three months passed and then one morning, he found his wallet outside his front gate. It had been wrapped up in newspaper and contained half the money he had lost. My question is whether 'had been wrapped up' in the sentence can be replaced with 'was wrapped up'. Please explain in detail; ... | It can be replaced, but the meaning, the tone, would be different. Both are correct, though. The past perfect tense is most often used for the following: For actions that happened before a past event In reported speech In if (conditional) sentences Using Past Perfect The distinction here is the focus of the phrase. Pas... | A question about the usage of Past Perfect Tense | english |
It seems I put a stackexchange-url ("stick in the anthill at ELL.") Bounty assigned by outside party, two lengthy, reference-citing answers, one "-1" (awarded the bounty), one "-2", two others scored "0" and "-2" respectively, the answers suggesting one or the other is correct, 73 comments and no consensus so far - and... | ‘The Cambridge Guide to English Usage’ deals with this pragmatically, as with much else: Existential there couples with either singular or plural verbs ( there is / there are , according to the following noun phrase) . . . This formal agreement is strictly maintained in academic writing. But in narrative and everyday w... | "There Is"/"There are" depends on plurality of the first list element or not? | english |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.