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I tried to find an answer to this question. But no luck. Can somebody explain it to me? An American friend of mine said, "I've never heard about 'What does it mean?', I've always used 'What does that mean?'". My other English friend said: "It depends on context." I asked, what context? He tried to explain but couldn't.... | Both are acceptable. That is more specific. You would probably use it for a very particular thing whose meaning you wanted to understand. For example: You are looking at a sign written in a foreign language and you turn to a native speaker and ask "What does it mean?" You are looking at several signs. You understand mo... | "What does it mean?" vs. "What does that mean?" — what's the difference? | english |
When typing a sentence, accidentally dropping a word is much more common than accidentally adding a word. I do it often enough in long emails that I have to double check any important draft before I send it. Is there a term that describes the class of words that, if accidentally dropped, completely invert the meaning o... | There are really two concepts at play here. The first is logical negation : In logic, negation , also called logical complement, is an operation that essentially takes a proposition p to another proposition "not p", written ¬p, which is interpreted intuitively as being true when p is false and false when p is true. So ... | Is there a term that describes the class of words that, if accidentally dropped, completely invert the meaning of the sentence? | english |
Some islands are called isle like "Isle of Man", "Isle of Tortuga" and the "British Isles". Other islands are called island, like "Island of Malta" or "Island of Cyprus". What is the difference between the words? How to know if a land mass confined by water is called an isle or an island? | In practice, there is no difference, they can be used interchangeably but isle is archaic. Anything called isle can also be referred to as an island. I had thought that isle was just an archaic version of island , but it turns out the words are actually not related: island (n.) 1590s, earlier yland (c.1300), from Old E... | Isle vs. Island | english |
We have heard what you told us. We've heard what you told us. We heard what you told us. As far as I know, the first two are OK. There have been enough discussions here on the subject. The third variation however does not seem right but does seem to be entering into common usage. It sounds better if it's followed by so... | As both Bradd Szonye and John Lawler point out in their comments, your example #3 sounds right because heard is the correct simple past tense of hear. But let's take an example where the past participle differs from the simple past tense: We have known what you did last Walpurgis Night. We've known what you did last Wa... | Dropping the 'have' before a past participle | english |
I want to talk about things being either “laminodental or apicodental”, but would rather avoid repeating “dental”. Omission of the second part of hyphenated compounds is straightforward (stackexchange-url ("e.g.,") “user- and hardware-friendly”). But I’m not mad about the asymmetric hyphenation of: lamino- and apicoden... | These are often called suspended hyphens . From Wikipedia : A suspended hyphen ... may be used when a single base word is used with separate, consecutive, hyphenated words which are connected by "and", "or", or "to". For example, nineteenth-century and twentieth-century may be written as nineteenth- and twentieth-centu... | Asymmetric hyphenation? | english |
A quick web search shows several pertinent results for the etymology of the phrase stick in the mud , for example http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/stick-in-the-mud.html , which indicates early usages referring to people stuck in mud who were unable to help themselves, and thus either in trouble, or criminals. This se... | A Google Books search doesn't turn up only one example of "stick in the mud" or "stuck in the mud" used metaphorically in the 18th century: an item in The London Magazine of 1733 that lists, as one of 14 "Malefactors [who] receiv'd Sentence of Death" at the end of the December 8 sessions at the Old Bailey, "John Baker,... | Origins of the current meaning of stick-in-the-mud | english |
Today’s (October 16) New York Times reported that “Congressional Republican leaders conceded defeat Wednesday in their budget fight with President Obama over the new health care law.” under the headline, “At 11th Hour, G.O P. Blinks in Standoff,” http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/17/us/congress-budget-debate.html?hp&_... | A staring contest (or blinking contest) is a game in which two people stare into each other's eyes and attempt to maintain eye contact for a longer period than their opponent. The game ends when one participant blinks or looks away. (Wikipedia, 'Staring'.) So the Republicans were the first to flinch in the schoolyard g... | What does “blink” in “G.O.P. blinks in standoff” mean? | english |
This quote in its context means "death caused by the opulence (wealthy life)". Opulence is the end because it can make people do things they wouldn't do otherwise. My question is: can this quote also reference to an achievement I want to goal? Like "the opulence is my objective! (the end)"? | I've never heard this phrase, so I don't know it's normal context. As a stand-alone phrase, I'd personally assume that it means "opulence is the objective," per Merriam-Webster's 4(a) , " an outcome worked toward; purpose ." Imagine a conversation where it might be used: "Why did you get into the stock-trading business... | "Opulence is the end": has this a double meaning? | english |
Like, say, books in a bookshelf. Example: The books were [...] perfectly side by side. If objects are orderly positioned vertically we say they are stacked . What's the word to use when they are positioned horizontally? | Aligned align 1 [with object] place or arrange (things) in a straight line:the desks are aligned in straight rows facing forwards That emphasizes the order - not just the setting side-by-side, but the perfect placement. | Verb to refer to objects that are orderly positioned side by side? | english |
What is the difference between retreated into and retreated back into ? They retreated into Pakistan | I don't know what contexts you're looking for, so let's take the simplest, military. "Back" implies return to origin. We charged the enemy lines, but met with heavy fire and loses, we were forced to retreat back into trenches. After a day of march we encountered an enemy patrol. As they called artillery support, we wer... | Difference between 'retreated into' and 'retreated back into' | english |
I would like to know which of the following fragments is correct when referring to somebody who is part of the team that won a championship: Member of the winning team of... Member of the winner team of... | Winner is uncommon as a modifier— Google Ngrams didn't turn up a single instance of winner team for me. We would say She is a member of the winning team, ABC. She is a member of the winning team of ABC. She is a member of ABC, the winners. | "Winner team" vs. "winning team" | english |
Consider the following sentence: <code> This takes a lot of time and money to keep going, ... I have little. </code> Which would fit best in that ellipsis? <code> of both which </code> or <code> of which both </code> or <code> both of which </code> In my mind (and to my ears), <code> of both which </code> sounds correc... | "Both of which," but you need another "of": This takes a lot of time and money to keep going, both of which I have little of. | "of both which" or "of which both" | english |
Recently I read a sentence - The French Rooms, at least until modern periods are reached, are a demonstration that in the sphere of aesthetics, science does not produce the greatest artists - that something other than intelligent interest and technical accomplishment are requisite to that end, and that system is fatal ... | You're right. It is singular, and so the verb should be is . The writer was clearly, and wrongly, influenced to choose are by the proximity of the coordinated intelligent interest and technical accomplishment . That apart, the sentence is not well constructed. The reader is distracted from the start by the strange use ... | Grammatical correctness of a sentence | english |
I'm flummoxed by how these bolded clauses from The Theory of Moral Sentiments by Adam Smith should be parsed, structured, and interpreted. I'm not asking about its philosophy. The produce of the soil maintains at all times nearly that number of inhabitants which it is capable of maintaining. The rich only select from t... | I agree with Mark Thorin. The sentence could be split into two and the punctuation modernised, which might help your difficulties: They are led by an invisible hand to make nearly the same distribution of the necessaries of life which would have been made had the earth been divided into equal portions among all its inh... | Made + Advance and Made + Afford? | english |
KATIE COURIC: Some newswomen dress like they’re going clubbing. RACHEL MADDOW: It’s un-businesslike. … But there’s an interesting question in there: If you make a decision about trying to succeed on the basis of your looks, is it less objectifying than if it’s somebody else’s decision? Could someone please elucidate th... | Definition 2 is correct. When you or someone else emphasises your looks and physical attractiveness over your character and skills, you are turned to some degree in a mere object of people's physical attraction and desire, instead of being an agent, a subject yourself—or so says the newswoman. Your paraphrase is not co... | Less Objectifying Than If | english |
The Piraha people of Brazil communicate(A) almost as much by singing, whistling, and(B) humming than(C) they do(D) by pronouncing consonants and vowels. No error(E) I had chosen E, no error, but the correct answer is c, than. Why is C the right answer? | Than should be as : as much X as Y is the idiom. More X than Y and less X than Y , though. | How do you most correctly use the word "than"? (SAT writing question) | english |
I can only think of the word European as a word that doesn't go after the word an . Is there any other words that start with a vowel, but don't go after an ? | That would be true of pretty much any word that started with a "you" sound, regardless of how it is spelled since "a" or "an" is based on the pronunciation, not the spelling. A union A utility A eulogy, a eunuch, a euphemism, a euphoria A uniform standard of spelling, which we don't have in English A useful rule of thu... | Is the word European the only word that doesn't go after "an?" | english |
Which is correct, are both equally possible? "I've had a cold for the last three days." or "I've been having a cold for the last three days." "I haven't felt like this for ages." or "I haven't been feeling like this for ages." Is there a rule? I browsed similar topics here but I can't find an answer. | This gets a bit complicated. There are a number of verbs that express bodily or mental conditions, which hardly ever take continuous forms. I am cold , I have a cold/a headache/an itch/flu , I am in love , I'm tired/bored/excited are all examples. This has little to do with the meaning, because I am suffering from a co... | Present Perfect Continuous vs. Present Perfect | english |
Which is correct: Electric power engineering student Electrical power engineering student | When you are describing a task or job the normal usage is " electrical ". Let's take out the other words and you would be an Electrical Engineer not an Electric Engineer. | Electrical/electric | english |
The security office recommends that, when asked to provide a computer password, do not choose any string of letters that can be found in a dictionary. a) do not choose (incorrect, I think this would make the sentence a run-on) b) not to choose (what I had thought was correct because "The security office recommends not ... | Andrew is correct. They placed an adverbial phrase between the transitive verb and the direct object (phrase). I believe that you omitted the word that , following recommends , when choosing your answer, which led you to believe that option B was correct. It is an easy mistake to make if you are not paying close attent... | How to better reword this sentence? (SAT Writing question) | english |
How should one refer to the changes in gravity? Should one say: "gravity became higher/lower" or "gravity became lighter/heavier?" | Gravity is a force, and forces are strong or weak (and hence stronger and weaker ). While one might hesitate to quote Wikipedia as justification, its crowdsourcing can be valuable. Parameters affecting the apparent or actual strength of Earth's gravity include latitude, altitude, and the local topography and geology. R... | What are the right adjectives to refer to changes in gravity? | english |
I found a writing skills question in Barron's PSAT test guide that was confusing to me. Mary is as fast as, if not faster than, anyone in her class and should be on the team. The book states that the sentence is erroneous and should be changed to: Mary is as fast as, if not faster than, anyone else in her class and sho... | It's not: the book is incorrect. The issue they have with the sentence is a logic/math one, not an English one: she cannot be faster than everyone in her class, since she's not faster than herself. However, the use of as fast as obviates that problem: she is as fast as herself. So the sentence is fine without else (tho... | Why is it necessary to use the word *else* in this sentence? | english |
All of a sudden the scales fell from my eyes: OxFORD and CamBRIDGE. Is there a serious reference for this - not so surprising, but linguistically amusing - fact that these two prominent university cities (by the way both of them doubled across the ocean) share their names by ways to cross a river? | A rough count using the List of towns in England gives: ~30 town names with bridge ; and ~120 with ford . Cambridge The earliest clear evidence of occupation in the area of Cambridge is the remains of a 3,500-year-old farmstead. There is also evidence of widespread Roman settlement, including numerous farmsteads and a ... | OxFORD and CamBRIDGE | english |
Why achievement is unlocked? Achievement is not a lock, door or safe. You don't get anything after unlocking. I have an assumption that it came from gaming history, word "unlocked" just transferred from secrets to achievements by similarity of their concept. My hypothesis is based on this wiki article . There were ... ... | Achievement unlocked originated in computer games and spread to other applications such as Foursquare, via gamification , the process of encouraging participation through turning something that's not a game into a game (for example, Stack Exchange gamifies asking and answering questions with rep points and badges). Fro... | Where did the expression "achievement unlocked" come from? | english |
The art of cooking is called culinary art. Is there a comparable term for the art of eating or dining? Is there a more sophisticated term? | I think you may be looking for gastronomy the art or science of good eating | "Cooking" is to "culinary" as "dining" is to what? | english |
Should I say Some people use the word "flat" to describe their phone when its battery is dead. or Some people use the word "flat" to describe their phones when their batteries are dead. (I wanted to use "their" here to refer to the phone's instead of the people's) or Some people use the word "flat" to describe their ph... | From the comments, it appears that you want to refer to 'some people' for which the pronoun is obviously their ) and 'their phones', but use a singular battery . Put like that, it is clear that you will have to rephrase, since there is no correct pronoun for both singular battery and plural phones . Your first example ... | Should a noun after the determiner *their* take in the form of singular or of plural? | english |
Should I capitalize the word "the" when speaking of God as "the/The Lord"? I praise the Lord. or... I praise The Lord. | No. Articles and prepositions are usually not capitalized. In fact, they are usually deliberately not capitalized. e.g. "Revenge of the Nerds". Regardless of religious disposition. Even in Christianity or Judaism, the convention is followed such that the article "the" is but a pedestal/footstool in distinctifying "Lord... | Capitalization of the word "the" in "the Lord" / "The Lord" | english |
I have noticed that some native english speakers use the "-" sign to explain some additional things in a sentence: eg Sophie is going to the shop - which happened to be around the corner - to buy some groceries. Before knowing this notation I would write the same sentence as follows: Sophie is going to the shop, which ... | Dashes, commas, and parenthesis are similar in that they are all used for parenthetical elements in a sentence, but they are are not identical. The 'normal' is to use commas: the cat, which was dead, was in the middle of the road Dashes are used when you want to 'shout' the parenthetical element, or it is surprising in... | Difference between using a "-" and a "," in a sentence | english |
Erratic doesn't have a meaning related to error . It means eccentric, or unsteady instead. Error has its adjective form as erroneous and errant . So what is the noun of erratic ? | ODO shows erraticism as the noun. adjective not even or regular in pattern or movement; unpredictable: erraticism noun It is related to error in that they both stem from Latin errare, to stray (from the truth in one case, from the straight and narrow in the other). Increasing Monsoon unpredictability and erraticism Tho... | What is the noun form of "erratic"? | english |
Is there a term for when a word is co-opted and converted into a derogatory variant of the original term? For instance, "OCD" is defined as: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts that produce uneasiness, apprehension, fear, or worry; by repetitive behaviors aimed... | I think you are referring to the phenomenon of semantic drift , a change in meaning of a word over the course of time. In the particular examples you describe the semantic change would take the form of semantic broadening or generalization . This is of course the commonest type of change. So your blank could be filled ... | Is there a term for co-opting one word into a secondary, derogatory meaning? | english |
Are there any differences between these phrases for example in the following sentence: a) I did my homework the whole day . b) I did my homework all day . c) I did my homework all day long . And what is a specific difference between ''all day'' and ''all day long''? | Those three phrases mean the same thing in almost any circumstance that I can think of. They are all ambiguous too. All day to one person may be a few hours, to another a full work day, maybe daylight hours to another person, and maybe another person would say it means during all waking hours. I could give you examples... | "The whole day", ''All day'' or ''All day long" | english |
I'm using emails in my professional context to contact with my client. (We are external auditors <code> ABC </code> ). We are given access to a common email account in which we have to use to correspond with the client <code> XYZ </code> . Since there are lots of emails sending in and out of the mail box and there is o... | This is better solved as a technology question than as language question. You need a good email admin. Even a mediocre one should know what to do. It is not so much as what the email admin needs to do but to provide or upgrade you with the proper services and tools, as well as administer the proper privileges, that wou... | How to indicate the "attn" person in an email | english |
I first cite the definitions of "but" as an adverb or preposition : adverb : no more than; only. Preposition: except; apart from; other than: Could someone please elucidate/explicate but only below? Does it mean "only", "all but", "nothing but", ... ? Also, is the "but" redundant? Please also illuminate how you sussed/... | The Oxford English Dictionary defines but only (which can also occur as only but ) as meaning ‘(a) only, merely; (b) except only’, and comments that its use is now poetical. | "But Only" - How to Figure Out the Meaning? | english |
Does it mean being composed of "both A and B" or "neither A nor B" or anything else? Where to affect "out"? My concern is this sentence: A combinator (or supercombinator) is a function which is composed entirely out of bound variables and other (super)combinators. A Gentle Introduction to Parsec ¶ blog.barrucadu (p.s. ... | It means that it is entirely made from. Example: Water is composed entirely out of hydrogen and oxygen. | What does "be composed entirely out of A and B" mean? | english |
Some business premises have these small areas just outside the building that employees can go during break to sit, smoke, and hang out. It has benches or picnic tables, garbage cans, and a cover for protection from rain, etc. What do you call these areas? Is there a name for them? | Since it isn't a room, you might call it an employee break area . That link is a Google image search for the phrase, which returns several results that fit your description. | What do you call these area outside premises for employees to hang out? | english |
I am wondering which is the correct version? Furthermore, the official length of my programme of study: 3.5 years of full-time study and 16 weeks of internship. Furthermore, the official length of my program of study: 3.5 years of full-time study and 16 weeks of internship. | It's programme in the UK, except when it's a computer program . | programme or program | english |
I personally would say "to sit at the computer" , but a friend of mine said he heard "to sit on the computer" from a native speaker. That does not sound right to me at all, and I trust my guts, but still, Google results for "sit on the computer" are quite numerous (even more numerous than "sit at the computer" ), and I... | One can be "on a computer", which means one is using it. In order to do that, one sits at it. To sit on a computer does actually imply sitting on it. OED: on , prep. 3. Indicating the instrument or medium of an action or process. | What preposition is used with "sit" and "computer"? | english |
I was wondering if there is a word to describe someone whose name is diametrically oppossed to who they are. For instance a firefighter whose last name is Arson or a swimmer whose last name is Dry. | Aptronym is the word for a name aptly suited to its owner. ("Allegedly coined by the American newspaper columnist Franklin P. Adams" 1881-1960. Also see Encyclopedia Britannica.) (Another word meaning the same thing is "euonym".) Inaptronym is an ironic form of an aptronym, and examples are given at the link. Given the... | Word for describing someone whose name is the opposite of what they are? | english |
It is from an old movie. I don't remember the title but this sentence is also used in 'Grace Kelly' of Mika. Does it mean 'You made me cry'? | Yep, it means the person is pretty well devastated. Literally it means that the person is gone and nothing is left except his or her tears. Wow that is a very sad description. | "You reduced me to tears", What does it mean? | english |
I was born and raised in some anglophone Asian country where people use the word "flat" to describe a battery when no electrical current can be generated by it. Some would even use the word "flat" to describe their phone when its battery is dead (although their phones are three dimensional). So one day I looked up OED ... | My battery is flat is perfectly fine in British English, but from the comments, it might not be understood in American English depending on the context. My phone is flat is sometimes used according to a quick Google search, but it isn't particularly common in British English and may be misunderstood. It might be more c... | Battery is flat | english |
I suspect it's something to do with the fact that back in the Olden Days of computing, a terminal was connected to a mainframe computer system, and thus a user would be sat at the terminal end of the connection. Unfortunately I can't find anything to back up my suspicion! Can anyone confirm/refute this? | In the olden days of mainframes, from the mid 1970's to the mid 1980's, most people used real text-terminals to communicate with large computers. These real text-terminals were neither computers nor emulated text-terminals. They consisted only of a screen, keyboard, and only enough memory to store a screenfull or so of... | What is the etymology of "[computer] terminal"? | english |
I was wondering if someone could help me out with a certain phrase I want to grasp the meaning of. I have two different meanings in my mind, and I was hoping that someone could point out the right one. ...stripping such words as remained of orthodox meanings ... The context of the phrase is the process of the diminutio... | The phrase 'as remained' does not belong with 'of orthodox meanings', it belongs with 'stripping such words'. It helps to take the sentence apart: This was done .... chiefly by eliminating undesirable words... This was achieved by removing unwanted words... ... and by stripping [such words as remained] of orthodox mean... | How is "stripping such words as remained of orthodox meanings" meant to be understood grammatically? | english |
I haven't found a ancient Greek site on stack exchange, so i hope it is ok to ask it here: What is the difference between 'iso-' and 'homo-'? Do they both mean 'same'? For example: isotope, isomer, isostasy, isomorphism... homophone, homosexuality, homomorphism... | It is the difference between two things being equivalent or identical . Homo- means identical and iso- means equal or equivalent. There is a subtle but clear difference between equivalent and identical . For example, the prime minister of the UK is the equivalent of the chancellor of Germany. In both cases, the person ... | What is the difference between the prefix iso and homo | english |
I have to write a 24-line poem in Dactylic Hexameter. I looked up what dactyl meant, and I got this answer on wiki: ...a dactyl is a long syllable followed by two short syllables... What is the difference between a long syllable and a short one? | The terminology derives from the prosody of Latin, in which vowel duration was phonemic. When the terminology is transferred to English prosody, long/short usually means stressed/unstressed. Words like mutiny and capable are dactyls. You should check with whoever gave you this assignment to determine whether you are to... | What is a long syllable? | english |
On Russian Language and Usage SE someone asked if speaking Russian is enough for travelling to Georgia, and I answered I do not speak Georgian, so I used only Russian in Georgia, and I was fine. So will you. Does this sound OK? "So will you be" sounds even more awkward. I can't quite understand what the main problem is... | In your example, the word ‘so’ is, despite having been moved to the head of the clause, the subject predicate in the clause. It stands in for ‘fine’—in a way, the sentence is really, “fine will you [be]” (thus speaketh Yoda). The underlying issue here is that there is a difference between how you can elide the copula (... | I was fine, and so will you... be? | english |
I'm trying to convey the idea that people's behavior on the Internet is a reflection of our increasing social self-awareness, almost like a communal entity. For context, here is the paragraph I'm writing: Google is a black box that magically has all the answers to your questions. Type in 'why are people stupid' and 'wh... | Based on the sentence you posted in the comment, I would go for something like this: Web pages today are specifically engineered to take into account cultural and social changes. If you want to focus on the increase in awareness, you could say People today are more aware of cultural and social changes and, consequently... | How to phrase 'people have become acutely/increasingly aware of X' | english |
I say: A) What a good heart you have! B) How beautiful a girl she is! C) What awful weather! D) How I wish to have a long vacation these days! E) How little money we have! Do these following sentences make sense ? A1) How good a heart you have! B1) What a beautiful girl she is! C1) How awful weather! D1) What I wish to... | B, E, F, and G1 are all perfectly correct usages. The others I'm afraid are not. From my own experience with French I think interrogative pronouns are very difficult to master. It is really only a matter of practice and experience. The following would be alright: What awful weather! How I wish I could have a long vacat... | exclamatory sentence: HOW vs. WHAT? | english |
Imagine that you are in a class full of students and the teacher is forming couples to perform some task. Let's say, for some reason, you didn't hear the name of the person you are going to do the task with. I would ask the teacher "Who am I doing this task with?" but Google shows me that there is no such a sentence ou... | There's nothing wrong with it at all. | What's wrong with this sentence: "Who am I doing this task with?"? | english |
If there is a large house, can I say either of the following? The house stands in extensive grounds. The house stands on extensive grounds. Which one makes sense? | Only The house stands in extensive grounds. makes sense, because the extensive grounds (presumably) surround the house. You enter the extensive grounds, and inside you find the house. Confirmed by Ngram You might come across "standing on extensive grounds" in estate agency blurb or perhaps in an architectural context, ... | "In extensive grounds" vs. "on extensive grounds" | english |
For example, can I say: She doesn't cry very loud. When she cries it sounds like a string of almost inaudible sobs she forcibly wants hold inside. Can forcibly be used in a case like the one presented above? If not, what's a better verb to use? | I don't think "forcibly" is correct in the context you provided. In the context you provided, an individual is working to assert her will over an involuntary response. One can do this "forcibly," but it sounds odd when the adverb "forcibly" is used as a modifier for the verb "want." If you forcibly want something, does... | Can "forcibly" be used in an action that a person performs to himself/herself? | english |
I want a noun for "notes you take and marks you make on your book while reading"? Should it be "markups" ? or something better? Thanks in advance. | The term markup tends to be reserved for what is / was done by 'skilled typographers known as "markup men" or "copy markers" who marked up text to indicate what typeface, style, and size should be applied to each part, and then passed the manuscript to others for typesetting by hand ... editors, proofreaders, publisher... | What is the noun for "marks you make on your book"? | english |
I've been told that when "the" is proceeded by a vowel sound, like "apple" or "hour", it's pronounced as "thee" and not as "thu". But after listening to a couple of songs, I noticed that sometimes this "rule" is not followed. Take for example the two Katy Perry's songs, "Roar" and "The one that got away". In the first ... | You are correct, English speakers generally pronounce the with a long E (ði) before vowels and with a schwa (ðə) before consonants, just as we say an before vowels and a before consonants. However, the rule follows pronunciation rather than spelling. While words like one and unicorn are spelled with initial vowels, the... | The + vowel sound | english |
There was the two separate quotes from Shigeru Ishiba, secretary general of the LDP in the interview to TIME appearing in the article titled, “Return to the Samurai” (October 7): http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2153060,00.html “The constitution says Japan doesn’t possess an army, navy or air force.... | “We would be happy if everyone in the world is good, and therefore we have no military force.” I would paraphrase it like this, If I understand it correctly: "We would be happy if everyone in the world was good. Then, we wouldn't need to have a military force." I don't think it was meant to be a contradiction to the ea... | Can “We would be happy if everyone is good, therefore we have no military force” and “Japan have military force” be congruent grammatically? | english |
I have a question on using verb. Did you call me yesterday? Did you called me yesterday? Which one is correct? Did says the incident happened in past so I don't know if I can use called . Please advice. | No, since did already indicates the past tense, we do not say 'called'. Your first sentence is correct. And the verb form of advice is spelt with an s . Please advise me. On reading that, I gave you some advice . | How to use verb with did | english |
Let's take this sentence as an example He is able to move. Now, what is the best negation of that action between those two? He is not able to move. He is unable to move. And what makes one better or more correct than the other? Edit: In case these sentences aren't good enough, give examples of your own if you please. | In the Corpus of Contemporary American English, unable to is nearly eight times more frequent than not able to. The difference is even greater in the British National Corpus, where unable to is more than thirteen times more frequent. You can draw your own conclusion from those numbers, although there may be contexts in... | Using "not" versus the negation prefixes for negation | english |
Do they mean the same when used in a sentence? Example: A scream would occasionally escape from her, only to be absorbed by the dark metallic walls. A scream would occasionally escape from her, but only to be absorbed by the dark metallic walls. Do both sentences mean the same? If not, what would be the difference? | This is not a special case of but , only or but only . The words but and only mean just the same here as elsewhere in an English sentence. 1 used to introduce a phrase or clause contrasting with what has already been mentioned: he stumbled but didn’t fall 2 [with negative or in questions] used to indicate the impossibi... | "Only" vs "but only" | english |
There are many cases of prefixes changing their forms. For example ex- can change to ef- in front of f, e.g. effusion. ad- becomes a- in front of b, e.g. abate. Are there some more general rules or a summary of such changes that can help me figure out the meanings of unfamiliar words, and recognize the prefixes in the ... | There were several stages in the history of English where prefixes took different forms, resulting in the variety we have now: At some stage in (early?) Latin , prefixes often assimilated to the following consonant, acquiring e.g. a second f as in effusion . This was mainly determined by rules of pronunciation; just as... | Change of form of some (Latin) prefixes like ex-, ad- into ef-, a-: are there rules or conditions? | english |
I find it strange when someone hears about another's dead lover and he says " I'm sorry for your loss ". Why would they apologize when they have nothing to do with his or her death? Is there a better expression, something like "Don't feel sad" or "It's something natural"? | The word sorry doesn't always mean "apologize." Dictionary.com gives one definition as: feeling regret, compunction, sympathy, pity, "Sorry for your loss" means "I feel sympathy for your loss." | What exactly does "I'm sorry for your loss" mean? | english |
Does erudite carry positive or negative or neutral connotation? I received stackexchange-url ("a comment") on my writing style from a mathematician a while ago Why not try for direct active voice and stop trying to make it sound erudite? | It is an entirely positive word. An attempt to sound affectedly erudite, on the other hand -- that is bad. | Does erudite carry positive or negative or neutral connotation? | english |
I find it curious that there exist two words spelt wind ("a breeze" vs. "to turn") and two words spelt wound ("an injury" vs. the past participle of wind ), and that the words in each pair are unrelated in etymology and are pronounced differently. Did these different pronunciations come about to differentiate between t... | The sound /w/ had a large impact on the following vowel in the Great Vowel Shift. Consider: the combination war should be pronounced like car , but usually is pronounced like bore —consider warp , ward , warm , quarter , quarry , dwarf . The combination wor should be pronounced like bore , but is usually pronounc... | Pronunciation and meaning: "wind" and "wound" | english |
I'm looking for an English word which could mean something or someone that adds value to something else. Is there a single word for that? | That will depend on how you define value . A contribution can be considered as something that adds value . An enrichment can also be considered as something that adds value . | What is an English word for 'something that adds value'? | english |
Someone with this attitude would have a definite or even strong opinion on a given issue, but would also be willing to change their mind should new information arrive. The word could also be used to describe someone who was open minded, but also had a clear working opinion which they were prepared to use with confidenc... | Perhaps scientific conforming with the principles or methods used in science: a scientific approach The scientific method is defined as principles and procedures for the systematic pursuit of knowledge involving the recognition and formulation of a problem, the collection of data through observation and experiment, and... | Word for having a definite opinion while simultaneously withholding judgement? | english |
Bêtement is a French word whose literal meaning is 'in the manner of an animal'. It is often used metaphorically, to describe an action carried out in a robotic fashion – without thinking. How would you translate this sense into English? Perhaps robotically is the answer, but can anyone think of anything better? | Bêtement has other meanings than the one you are referring to, but in this case, when you do something without thinking, you do it mindlessly . "She mindlessly passed me on the street without even giving a hint of recognition." "I have been mindlessly driving to work everyday, and never noticed that our beloved oak tre... | What is an English word which means 'bêtement'? | english |
Should we use the term 'surname' or 'last name' to refer to a person's family name? If my name is How Gin-Tong and a form asks me for my 'last name', how am I meant to respond? | "... people in Britain apparently being asked for their 'second-name' ..." That really wouldn't work in Britain: Many people have at least three: "James Edward Henry Phillips". Even our recent American President was "George Herbert Walker Bush". And of course, British royals go on to five-part names. "Surname" is still... | The use of the word 'surname' seems in decline | english |
Assume you have a chemical solution and you want it to be frozen and kept at a temperature of -4 degrees, or you want an action to be taken on the solution at -4 degrees, what would you use then? Would you write 'freeze at -4 degrees' or 'freeze in -4 degrees', would you write 'execute the action at -4 degrees' or 'exe... | The correct answer would be "execute the action at -4 degrees" because , 4 degrees is a point on a large scale. | 'At' vs. 'On' when referring a temperature | english |
I'm reading Yelizaveta Bam of Daniil Kharms (tr. Neil Cornwell) and stumbled upon the following dialogue: Ivan I.: But who then lights the lamp? Pyotr N. : No one, it burns by itself. Ivan I. :But that surely cannot be! Pyotr N. : Empty, stupid words! There is an infinite movement, the breathing of the lighter elements... | I believe the phrase does not refer to a living creature, but rather to one or two of the four elements (fire, air, water and earth), and "lighter elements" may accordingly be both air and fire, but perhaps most likely air, i.e. wind. Hopefully, this makes sense if you look at the line following the one you are asking ... | What does "breathing of the lighter elements" mean? | english |
I was reading Wonders of World Aviation the other day, published in the late thirties, and have found a couple of articles where alinement is preferred to alignment . While this seems to make sense, it also appears to be rare:- ( Google Ngram ) Does anyone know how alinement came into being? Was it a (doomed) attempt a... | Alinement was used earlier in English, but alignment is now the standard form. This is just one of many words whose spelling has changed over the centuries for various reasons. In this case, it rather looks as if the French aligner had a strong influence. | Alignment or alinement? | english |
I'm a programmer and I'm looking for a single word that works for the following scenario: I have a list of basic information about people, I call this list the 'user repository'. I need a word for "to view and change more detailed information about a person". I've thought of using words like refine and elaborate, but t... | I don't think you'll find a single word that does quite what you want, but you may be able to contrast user details with a user profile or user summary held in the repository. I guess that you can see the details of multiple users at a time when viewing the repository. Whatever you use you'll probably be best off with ... | Is there a single word that means 'more information on a user' | english |
Having a debate here over how to form the description of employment. A) Bob works full time on the project. B) Bob works full-time on the project. The same applies for part time/part-time. Which is (more) correct? | It might depend where your 'here' is: full-time adj : for the entire time appropriate to an activity a full-time job; a full-time student adv: full time: on a full-time basis: he works full time Compare part-time; full-timer n Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991 . . .200... | Full-time or full time, part-time or part time? | english |
I am looking for a word that could substitute "wear and tear" in a resumé. The original was: "Wear and tear inspection reports for the preliminary maintenance of tools and equipment." I had found: depletion, depreciation, erosion, ablation, attrition, consumption, decrement, dissipation, hard wear, overuse, ravages of ... | Depending on context, if you are discussing dealing with wear and tear of equipment, you might consider maintenance upkeep service overhaul repair conservation support SUPPLEMENT In light of your edit, also consider condition . | Another phrase for "wear and tear inspection" of tools and equipment report | english |
What's the proper way to hyphenate the expression "right mouse click". I'm writing documentation for some software I wrote. "Please right mouse click on ...". | The standard phrasing is right-click without the word mouse . Other click based phrases: Single click Double click Right-click Left-click Middle-click Ctrl-click And so on. Whether to use a hyphen or not is somewhat personal preference and there isn't a strictly correct way to use it. If you are writing documentation o... | How to hyphenate "right mouse click" | english |
Is there a simple and concise way to remember nouns, adjectives and verbs aside from poems? I am aware of a number of poems available to aid memory, but I am looking for something a lot more simple. I am also aware that everybody is different and, therefore, some methods will work for some people and not for others, bu... | tl;dr Words do not have inherent parts of speech in English: it all depends on how they’re used. Bare Words Can Have No “Part of Speech” There is no way to “remember” the part of speech of a word in isolation, because there is no such thing. Grammatical roles in English are fluid things which are assigned based on how ... | Is There a Way to Remember Nouns, Verbs & Adjectives | english |
You would think that finding out if the word eyeglasses preceded the word glasses would be a simple matter. Not so. Did eyeglasses and spectacles as I suspect, precede the word glasses ? Goggles I presumed came much later but surprisingly the word already existed in middle English . I found the following information on... | OED has the following first citations for the sense of lenses to alter vision: spectacles: c1430 glasses: 1545 goggles: 1715 eye-glass: 1768 eyeglass n. 3b. In mod. use, a lens of glass or crystal for assisting defective sight. double eye-glass, (pair of) eyeglasses : two such lenses mounted side by side so as to assis... | Eyeglasses, spectacles, goggles and glasses. But in which order? | english |
In software documentation, I recently read: If you move a job to a different folder, you may also need to update configuration that was referring to that job. But if you have a "configuration that was referring to that job" you need to update it (or really should ). Not doing that will result in broken configuration an... | Software documentation is usually written by someone following a normal or good path through the setup. Saying, "you may need to do this" is essentially a callout to known issues or problems that are extremely likely. But since the author is not going to exhaust all possibilities they just stick "may" into the sentence... | Use of "may need to" when you actually need to | english |
In this sentence: They are not taking their team photograph until Friday at 7:30. On my son’s punctuation test, he did not use a comma after photograph , and his teacher marked this “missing” comma as an error, claiming there needed to be there. Is there some rule that would explain the teacher’s position, or was it in... | I would say that there should definitely not be a comma there. A comma would give the implication that the words after the comma are 'not essential' or are 'additional information'. But, in fact, the words "until Friday" are absolutely essential to the meaning of the sentence. There's a big difference between these two... | Is there a comma before the word until in the sentence below? | english |
It seems to be not quite logical to use the traditional address "ladies and gentlemen" when there are only a single lady and a single gentleman in the room, not counting for the person who is speaking. What an address (in a similarly traditional style) would it be better to use in such case? Does it depend on the speak... | "Ladies and Gentlemen" is a common expression used to address an audience or crowd. While a crowd may consist of only gentlemen or only ladies, or possibly even just one gentleman or lady, it's entirely acceptable to address them as such anyway, as they will 'get' what you mean. If you want to be 'correct', you could w... | Usage of "ladies and gentlemen" to address two people of diiferent sex | english |
I was wondering how I should spell 'ewww' as in 'ewww ahhh': Bob showed Jill his most impressive set of magic cards. Jill, impressed, said, 'ewwww[sp?] ahhhhhh.' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-yCg-0-baE | I think you are trying to spell "ooo": Look at those fireworks! Ooo... ahh... It can also be spelled with a trailing "h": Oooh... look at those purses! "Ewww" is just an elongated form of "ew": Expression of disgust or nausea. “Ew! There’s a fly in my soup.” As for pronunciation, there is a subtle difference between th... | How to spell 'ewww' as in 'ewww ahhh' | english |
According to Wikipedia , this is a hyperbaton: "Whom god wishes to destroy, he first makes mad" — Euripides Is that right, and if so, why? My native language is Swedish, but I speak English fluently. Anyway, why isn't the following considered hyperbaton too? It's not that hard, I suppose. It's very common in Swedish, w... | The more traditional phrasing would be: God first makes mad whom he wishes to destroy. Flipping the order of "[he/God] first makes mad" and "whom [he/God] wishes to destroy" results in a hyperbaton. Hyperbaton /haɪˈpɜrbətɒn/ is a figure of speech in which words are transposed. I personally wouldn't consider "It's not t... | Why is this a hyperbaton? | english |
Old English verb forms such as "hath" and "doth" are, I believe, normally pronounced with the /θ/ sound as in the word "think." But somebody once told me that that is actually a mistake. The words, said he, were originally pronounced as present-day "has" and "does" with a /z/ sound. Pronouncing "hath" as /haθ/ rather t... | Certainly not. I’ve never come across an Old English primer or grammar (I’ve used five or six of them at least) that says anything of the sort! | How does one pronounce "hath" and "doth"? | english |
I like to use the abbreviations "w/" for "with" and "w/o" for "without" on my powerpoint slides and also in emails. According to this discussion stackexchange-url ("Are "w/o", "w/", "b/c" common abbreviations?") the meaning of these abbreviations is well known in English speaking countries... | As a native English speaker, those abbreviations seem inappropriate for use on a Powerpoint presentation. Mostly, it just looks lazy and sloppy. I tend to leave abbreviations such as the ones you have mentioned for instances that require shorthand, such as personal notes and emails. | Usage of the abbreviations "w/" and "w/o" in presentations | english |
I am confused whether to place the acronym before or after the words are spelled out. For example, the first time this organisation is mentioned, which of these alternatives is more correct: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was established in 1958. or NASA (The National Aeronautics and Space Adm... | The first time you use an acronym in a document, you should it after the words, between parentheses ). The second sentence is wrong. It is what is prescribed ; personally, I don't feel it matters, and suppose the reader to be smart enough to understand anyway. | Placement of acronym vs words spelled out | english |
What does this phrase mean? Being a crabbit is not gonna make it any easier for you. | Crabbit is a Scots English, or Scottish dialect, word meaning "crabbed", in the sense of being miserable, negative and dour. The word comes from "crab", and I presume is an anthropomorphism of the behaviour/appearance of crabs. See Merriam-Webster here for definition of "crabbed" and here for a couple of definitions of... | Meaning and etymology of "Crabbit" | english |
Do you know the names of universities starting with definite article "the"? Such as: The London School of Economics and Political Science The Chicago School of Professional Psychology The Hague University of Applied Sciences Thank you for answering my question. | In Great- Britain : The Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London London The London School of Economics and Political Science London The Robert Gordon University Aberdeen The University of Buckingham Buckingham The University of Edinburgh Edinburgh The University of Hull Hull ... The University of Manchester Man... | Do you know the names of universities starting with definite article "the"? | english |
In many scientific papers, the article before the word "Equation" is omitted. Is there any grammar statement behind this? For instance: "Equation (8) contains various approximations, and we have to check their consistency." | Your example refers to a specific equation, namely equation 8, therefore the equation eight or an equation eight would not really make sense in this case. An Equation y=x^2 however is a perfectly valid thing to say. | An article before the word "Equation" | english |
There may not be anything better than in my title, but I have an idea I'm missing something. Is there a good way of expressing close friends of a family. The original and closest friendship may be with a generation now passed on, but a family-like relationship still exists. The best I can come up with is honorary aunt/... | How about cherished friends, since you hold them dear and have a fond affection for them? EDIT: Following @TrevorD's comment below I propose that the most suitable idiom is - like one of the family. | Word(s) for close family friends | english |
Normally, I find English people say something like: He is sleeping. He goes to sleep early. But occasionally, I found something like: "I have been to sleep 3 times during the lesson." (Michael Swan and Catherine Walter, The Good Grammar Book). What does "be to sleep" mean in this case? | ODO on be : verb 3 [with infinitive] used to indicate something that is due or destined to happen: construction is to begin next summer his mum was never to see him win used to express obligation or necessity: you are to follow these orders the... | "Be to sleep" - What does that mean? | english |
For example, we agreed with a friend to meet in a week, and the day before the meeting I want to make sure nothing has changed about the agreement. So I'd come up with something like Are we still meeting tomorrow? Is there a better (shorter) way to say/ask this? | Your phrase is perfectly expectable. The only obvious shortening would be: Are we still on? You could shorten it further to: We still on? But at some point you aren't really gaining anything. Other alternatives: Are we still on for tomorrow? You still up for lunch tomorrow? We still good for lunch? Is tomorrow still go... | How to properly say that agreement is still valid/on? | english |
I am a non-English-speaking software developer who faces difficulties with the English language. I built a form for users submitting work for my department. The users should write down their name and the department the work will be done for. This field is labeled 'Department'. The problem is that they are putting my de... | Try Department (Submitted for) with "submitted for" in parenthesis.This kind of usage is perfectly usable for form fields where there is a chance of ambiguity. In case you also need to know the person's current department you may similarly add another field Department(Contributor's department). Hope this helps. | Which department work is being carried out for | english |
I came across a phrase given by Lennon during his bed-in session. Here is the context Also, of course, we live with rattlesnakes. You just can’t go thumping through the brush , thinking of what you’re going to do tomorrow. You have to realize that you’re intruding on their territory. What does go thumping through the b... | "To thump", as defined by Merriam-Webster is: to hit or beat something or someone and make a loud, deep sound to beat forcefully to walk or run with loud, heavy steps Think of a male gorilla, thumping his chest. Basically, it means to make a whole lotta noise, which is rather rude to the snakes if you're thumping or st... | What do they mean saying "thumping through the brush"? | english |
Essentially, both mean the same, so is there any clear difference in the meaning of those two words? | I'd say the difference is in emphasis. You would use "write protected" if you were talking about preventing an accidental modification to contents. For example, modifying a floppy disk or a video/audio cassette so that it can't be accidentally over-written. You would talk about "read-only" when it's a limitation. For e... | Difference between "read-only" and "write-protected" | english |
When the administrator enters an ID of a user to be created, the system checks whether or not this user has not been already created. I have been told it is not correct, where is the problem? | Too many nots When the administrator enters an ID of a user to be created, the system checks whether or not this user has not been already created. Instead use When the administrator enters an ID of a user to be created, the system checks whether or not this user has already been created. And I would even get rid of on... | What is grammatically incorrect here? | english |
What do you mean by "casting a blind eye to scenes of misery around them." ? | The usual idiom is to turn a blind eye , which means:- Fig. to ignore something and pretend you do not see it. The usher turned a blind eye to the little boy who sneaked into the theater. How can you turn a blind eye to all those starving children? Probably the most famous instance of this was Admiral Nelson at the Bat... | What is the meaning of "casting a blind eye"? | english |
Here is what i want to ask - if you are given a chance to meet and talk to a person from history, who that would be? This above phrase doesn't sound good when asked as a question. Please rephrase it. | Given the chance, which historical figure would you like to meet? | Rephrase the question about history? | english |
I wrote the following: She nodded to her dad, smiling again. His words made her feel like a child again. That period of time when she felt absolutely safe. As you can see, it reads awkward because two sentences end with again . I searched on Thesaurus but none of the words seem to be widely used in cases like the one a... | "Once more" would work, since you're saying that something is happening at that very moment that has happened before. | A synonym for "again" that is widely used today? | english |
As the title says. I am wondering what is grammatically correct . "non linearized" vs "nonlinearized" (or maybe "non-linearized") Same for "non linear" vs "nonlinear" (or maybe "non-linear") | Neither the one nor the other. Usually, in the words beginning with "non", this one is connected with an hyphen to the main word. However it is ... non-essential in a mathematical book, just better in a non-technical text. | Is it "non linearized" or "nonlinearized"? | english |
I often search for valid collocations using google with a specific query phrase. In case of the phrase in question, i.e. in/at an equilibrium I have a problem since both seem to be used almost equally often. So I am wondering whether there is any difference in meaning in phrases like: The molecular system is in an equi... | From a physicist's perspective (statistical mechanics and thermodynamics), the two ways I use the word myself, and have seen it used around me, are: in equilibrium with something at equilibrium The first focusses on the fact that equilibrium is reached within a given environment, while the second focusses on the system... | **in** an equilibrium or **at** an equilibrium | english |
Sometimes I get confused whether to use figure or figure out . Example: Cynthia didn't blame his dad for being so quiet. She just figured (out) some fathers found it more difficult to communicate with their daughters than others. I'm not sure which one I should use. Is there a way of knowing when to use the first and w... | She just figured some fathers... In this case just is synonymous with simply . She just figured out some fathers... In this case just is synonymous with very recently . Figure tends to mean realised or thought . Figure out tends to mean solve . | Usage of "figure" and "figure out" | english |
I'm writing an essay for college admissions, and this snipped is highlighted by my auto-correct as incorrect: There are many obstacles I face while working on a project, most of which take a lot of time and energy to fix or work around . I can't see anything wrong with using work around in this context, but I'd like to... | Work around is a phrasal verb. Work-around is a noun (often written workaround, without the hyphen). Your example uses the verb, so it is correct as written. Ignore the auto-correct suggestion in this case. | Work around an issue or workaround an issue? | english |
I'd appreciate help of native speakers. There's line in a poem: Water and Gold by Michael Burch You came to me as rain breaks on the desert when every flower springs to life at once, but joy is an illusion to the expert: the Bedouin has learned how not to want. You came to me as riches to a miser when all is gold, or s... | The thieves took the bones with them. "Hauled off" implies that the thieves had a heavy load of pilfered items. "hauling" is a term common to vehicular transport, which implies a large quantity of good being moved. Further, the poem implies that the formerly-rich-miser wasted away to such poverty that only his bones re... | What's meaning of "hauled off" in a particular phrase | english |
Normally I would use forms of the words epidemic, pandemic, or infection but these would imply that the disease in contagious. Are there any words that mean a disease has spread but is not contagious? | Epidemic means only that the disease has spread more than expected; pandemic that it has spread to other countries. It doesn't have to be contagious — Bradd Szonye is correct in that — but it could be, so if you really want "words that mean a disease has spread but is not contagious " epidemic doesn't specifi... | Whats a word for a non-communicable (non-contagious) disease that has still spread throughout a population? | english |
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