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Just started wondering this after seeing the phrase in an article. I assumed <code> mean </code> in this context came from the mathematical mean, basically making the phrase mean 'no average feat'. I googled it anyway out of curiosity, the only thing I could find on why this word is used in this phrase (rather than 'it... | An out of date usage of the word "mean" was "small" in the sense of "stingy", rather than "cruel" or unkind as we use it now. As noted above, in the Free Dictionary the second definition fits; I've also seen it used in 19th and early 20th century writing--Mark Twain comes to mind, "Tom Sawyer" in particular. | Why the word 'mean' in the phrase 'No mean feat' | english |
"Many of the owners of the solutions mentioned in the bullet points above pay royalties to the original collectors of the data." That sentence gets a flag in MS office 2010 as a Fragment. To me, it sounds bumpy, but is grammatically correct. Am I wrong? | The sentence is not fragmented; it's just too complicated for the Word grammar engin to parse. In addition to the previous suggestoins, consider The solutions' owners pay royalties to the data collectors Context should make clear which solutions, which owners, and which data collectors, and you still get to keep the pa... | Sentence Fragment dispute with MS office 2010. Is this the right way to write my sentence? | english |
On the internet, you might have seen a lot of " via :xxx" links. But the originating site never seems to mention which sites has it been linked on. If it were, to, what should it put? As an example, suppose somebody on twitter tweets this question and tags/hashes it as " via :english.SE". Now if english.SE were to also... | From Wikipedia : A trackback is one of the types of linkback methods for website authors to request notification when somebody links to one of their documents. This enables authors to keep track of who is linking to their articles. Some weblog software, such as SilverStripe, WordPress, Drupal, and Movable Type, support... | opposite of 'via'? | english |
Caroline wondered whether there were coffee shops and restaurants in other galaxies. She imagined them installed on floating asteroids, or in the rest area of cosmic highways. Since the universe was so infinitely large, how couldn't there be at least one or two? Is installed a good term to use in this case? If not, are... | You've got a word in your question that would work just fine. Established a. To set up; found. b. To bring about; generate: establish goodwill in the neighborhood. a. To place or settle in a secure position or condition; install: They established me in my own business. b. To make firm or secure. This works especially w... | Alternatives for "installed" when referring to a food establishment | english |
Should one write "and vice versa" or "or vice versa"? Examples: A) Autocomplete can be set to 'on' for the form, but 'off' for specific input fields, and vice versa. B) Autocomplete can be set to 'on' for the form, but 'off' for specific input fields, or vice versa. I'm sorry about the examples, they look weird out of ... | The key is useless without the lock, and vice versa. = The key is useless without the lock, and the lock is useless without the key. ... BUT You can put on the cream before the strawberry jam, or vice versa. = You can put on the cream before the strawberry jam, or [you can put on] the strawberry jam before the cream. | And/or vice versa | english |
The following is from a reader's response to a book review. What does <code> I.p. </code> mean? The reviewer is pretty much right on target and helpful in his review; he nicely qualifies the benefits of the large book. I.p., his observation of knots repetition is correct--he is not citing "variations". I find no listin... | I think it means 'in particular'. That is a just a guess. | What does I.p. mean in this context? | english |
We provide tests for candidates. Each test consists of several tasks. Each task may consist of several subtasks / sub-tasks / sub tasks? So far we've used all these terms both internally and in communication with customers. At least we should be consistent and choose one over the other. But which one? | Using the guidelines from the above reference, the definition of subtask makes it a single word: subtask. | Subtask vs sub-task vs sub task | english |
Does anyone use 'normalcy'? It is ridiculed in Britain as an American affectation, especially since there is a time-honoured word which means exactly the same thing i.e 'normality'. | The OED lists normalcy as a headword with "Chiefly U.S." There is a telling citation: 1929 G. N. Clark in S.P.E. Tract xxxiii. 417 If..‘normalcy’ is ever to become an accepted word it will presumably be because the late President Harding did not know any better. The earliest citations are from 1845, in a strictly mathe... | In Britain the word 'normalcy' is ridiculed | english |
So far this is what I found from Wiktionary and Merriam-Webster except the latter doesn't have disclude . Exclude — To keep something out. From Latin excludere , from ex- , “out”, + variant form of the verb claudere , “to close”. Preclude — To prevent something from happening. From Latin praeclūdere , “to shut up”, fro... | About the second question : 1- In countries like the English-speaking ones, there is no overall regulation ; a word becomes part of the language if it is used and generally understood, especially when forged by a recognized writer, who gives him some right to live (about one third of the words, in Shakespeare, were inv... | Is "disclude" a word and what authority says a word is a word or isn't? | english |
Which phrase is more suitable to convey one's inability to do something — "not able to" or "unable to"? For example, not able to join the meeting unable to join the meeting | I interpret the sentences in different ways. "He was unable to join the meeting" I read as, "he" was unable to join the meeting because of scheduling conflicts, or for reasons that made him decline participation in advance. While I read "He was not able to join the meeting" as, "he" got held up in traffic or some other... | "Not able to" vs. "unable to" | english |
Such as: The great people of that great nation had been producing the greatest per capita carbon footprint for decades when they realized that the science was right and their practices were unsustainable. I've gone thus far and have some questions. 1-SUBJECT A..The B..great C..people D..of E..that F..great G..nation 2-... | It's often called parsing or diagramming the sentence. As a start, it looks to me like the top-level construct is "... had been ... when ..." or, with labels, "(...)[subject] (had been)[primary verb] (...)[continuing past-tense clause] when[conjunction] (...)[past-test clause]". This frame holds a noun phrase (the subj... | Is there a word for "dissecting a sentence and naming its parts"? (example below) | english |
Is there a word in the English language which means either: to cause a catastrophe by an act intended to avoid that very catastrophe, or a catastrophe caused by an attempt to avoid that catastrophe? (Note that the term "catastrophe" might represent any unfortunate outcome.) For example, the case where someone knocks ov... | First of all, the situation you describe -- someone actively trying to avoid a negative outcome, but actually causing the negative outcome -- is the epitome of irony . But I don't think that's the word you're looking for. Another word that describes this outcome is backfire . If you make a conscious effort to avoid a c... | Causing catastrophe by the act of trying to avoid catastrophe | english |
I'd like to know if the objects of the verb 'ask' must follow an order. If so what is that order? Should the first object be the person (someone) or the thing (something)? For example: Will you ask for that money to your mother? or Will you ask your mother for that money? | In general the order matters to some extent. Consider the following: Ask for money. Ask your mother. Ask Tuesday. Ask on Tuesday for money. Ask for money on Tuesday. Ask your mother for money on Tuesday. Ask your mother on Tuesday for money. On Tuesday ask your mother for money. Ask your mother for money. Ask for money... | 'Ask' and its objects | english |
I was trying to write a line like The commandos got into the building without anyone knowing. But I think that there's a single word for "without anyone knowing". Can anyone help me with this? | You could say they snuck (or sneaked) into the building. You could say they entered stealthily or secretly or surreptitiously or furtively. | What is proper word for "get into some place secretly" | english |
The use of "corporates" as a word to mean companies, organizations, etc., has been gaining popularity of late, at least here in India. Although I believe it is standard to speak of "corporate" life, I'm not sure there's a word like "corporates". . . . had been a business consultant to the top corporates in the UK What ... | OED has as one of the definitions: corporate noun 1. Business b. A large company, a corporation. 1945 G. Terborgh Bogey of Econ. Maturity ix. 143, 56 corporations offered evidence in the t.n.e.c. hearings... [Note] Included are corporates in mining and manufacturing, transportation and public utilities, trade, service,... | Corporates - is there any such word? | english |
Is there a hypernym for phrase and gesture — that is, a word for an abstract action of communication performed by a person? For context, I am looking for a term to use in a computer program, rather than in prose, so a precise but obscure term from linguistics is perfectly acceptable. | Symbol or signal might be what you're looking for. Symbols being "sounds or gestures that stand for meanings among a group of people". Whereas a signal is a "sound or gesture that has a natural or self-evident meaning". Definitions are from: Haviland, William A., Shirley A. Fedorak, and Richard B. Lee. Cultural Anthrop... | Hypernym for "phrase" and "gesture" | english |
If we ignore the context, what is the meaning of 'phenomenal price?' Positive or negative? | How can you ignore the context, when you have an intensifier? Depending on the context, phenomenal can be either very positive or very negative. Most frequently, it is used positively. For example, the tickets are offered at phenomenal prices . In the following sentence, though, phenomenal means something bad: It can t... | What is phenomenal price? | english |
Is there a word that means "medium", specifically applying to the width of something? I'm looking something that corresponds with "narrow" or "wide", but not communicating either of those extremes. For example, you could say in a sentence: "This bridge is narrow" "This bridge is [what?]" "This bridge is wide" | Well shoes are sold in narrow, [ average / medium ] and wide. I can't think of a more used sizing than shoes for narrow and wide and I am sure an industry that revolves around 18 billion feet is trying to use the right words for its product. | "Medium" specifically applied to width, corresponding with narrow or wide | english |
The dog was in space, floating around in/on an asteroid. Is the sentence above ambiguous? I'm not sure but I think it could mean that the dog was floating on the surface of the asteroid and also that the dog was floating around in space together with the asteroid Which one makes the less ambiguous in or on ? (I'm also ... | Floating near an asteroid if not touching, on an asteroid if touching it. The dog was standing on an asteroid floating in space The dog was floating in space, pulled along by the gravity of a small asteroid You can float in space all by yourself If you are encapsulated in a space ship you are in it. In an asteroid does... | "Floating in an asteroid," vs "floating on an asteroid." | english |
"We are all mad." "We all are mad." I think each of these conveys the same idea. Besides this, we can use "we are all" alone. I hear the first one more frequently. Does the second one sound worse to a native speaker? I wonder about this. Note: I'm not a native speaker. Please tell me if you think this question shouldn'... | Both are grammatical, but the first is more usual. We are all is much more frequent than we all are in both the Corpus of Contemporary American English and in the British National Corpus. There are, however, some contexts where we all are would be used. The answer to the question Who is responsible? might be We all are... | Which is preferable: "We are all" or "we all are" | english |
Live comedy is often called stand up. What would you call a comedy video not performed to an audience? This could be characters performing a story, someone talking to a camera, or someone more abstract. | The critical aspect of stand-up comedy is that it is a direct communication between the comedian and the audience. The performer breaks the fourth wall in stand-up. It is often in the form of a monologue, but can involve a byplay between the comic and the crowd. While stand-up is often (perhaps usually) performed in fr... | What do you call stand up comedy when not performed to a live audience? | english |
In an instance of "Signature/Stamp", does the / mean signature and stamp or is the meaning signature or stamp | The slash is most commonly used as the word substitute for "or" which indicates a choice (often mutually-exclusive) is present. | The use of "/" meaning | english |
How much RAM do I need? Why do I need to use much here? I was under the impression that if I'm mentioning anything countable, I should use many . You can always quantify RAM, so this seems very counterintuitive for me. | Quantifying is not the same as counting.* You can say "2 litres of water", but that doesn't mean it's countable (it's not). Similarly, you can say "2 GB of RAM", but not "I need 2 RAMs in my phone": it's not countable. That's why you don't ask "how many RAMs do I need for this?", but rather: How much RAM do I need? The... | Why do you use "much" when mentioning RAM? | english |
When was the word phobia coined? And how did the concept of naming different phobias come into existence? | The first quotation in the OED of phobia in English is from 1786. The suffix -phobia is from post-classical Latin -phobia , from Hellenistic Greek -ϕοβία , from ϕόβος (phobe) + ia suffix: First recorded in the Latin loan hydrophobia n.: this is probably the model for subsequent English formations. Formations within Eng... | When was the word "phobia" coined? | english |
Example: The three picked up their chopsticks and started on the food. The scene seemed strangely normal to Naomi. It was as if everything were OK, and her mom were perfectly healthy. In fact, she looked more lively and energetic than Naomi remembered. The whole illness issue seemed like a distant, bad dream. Something... | No. What first comes to my mind is that, even though they are very similar, yet connotes contradiction, whereas still carries the notion of defiance. Let me view it from a different aspect. Yet entails an element of surprise by the contrasting circumstances. Yet is like saying to your chum: "So, yeah, that's all nice a... | Can "still" and "yet" be used interchangeably when placed at beginning of a sentence? | english |
Context: We are purchasing a monitor and in an email someone wrote, "Bob, let's get two of these" and posted a URL. If I were to followup, which would be more appropriate and why? "I second that motion" or "I second that notion"? Fact is, we can find plenty of books that say "second that notion" – in places like Ski ma... | It's motion. It's more like the use of motion in law. It's a noun (i.e. you file a motion or move to do something). So if someone where to make a motion (make a suggestion), you would second it if you agree. It's completely idiomatic, but that's the use of motion here; it's not a legal term. Me: I move that we go out f... | "I second that motion" or "I second that notion" | english |
Is it grammatically correct to use "apologize" as a verb without the preposition "for"? apologize: to make a formal defense in speech or writing. "I apologize the event." Wouldn't this mean that I'm defending the event? "I apologize for the event." Wouldn't this mean that I'm defending the event on it's behalf? | The OED has only one citation, from Swift, showing the transitive use of apologize , which it describes as ‘obsolete’. That suggests that in modern English it is ungrammatical. | Using "apologize" without "for" | english |
Example: Although Karla had been in this area many times before, this was the first time she'd seen this coffee shop. So she decided to give it a try. Can I use thus instead of so in the example above? Would that change the meaning of the sentence? | Yes. 'Thus' or 'hence' are a bit more formal; words more likely to be found in essays etc. 'So' in this sense is more conversational. | Can "so" and "thus" be used interchangeably? | english |
I remember reading "Light in August" in high school and there was a word that meant something like, grown to the point of rotting. Faulkner was talking about the intensity of the foliage and how full it was at the end of summer. Prurient is what keeps coming to mind but that isn't even slightly correct. Fecund but rank... | A word that must be said with a southern drawl would be putrefaction . I would say putrid or rotten more likely. | What is the word for grown to the point of rotting? | english |
In my thesis I am writing about a number of different metrics. Not metrics in the mathematical sense , but metrics which are measures, functions. A function which takes an input and returns a symolic value. There are different metrics, most of them are taken from other papers, some are my own invention. They are based ... | I am not a professional thesis writer but my opinion is that any sufficiently technical term can be capitalized for the sake of clarity as the author sees fit. This is very common in Philosophy when concepts and ideas are capitalized to distinguish them from standard linguistic usage: Therefore, there is no such thing ... | Are the names of these metrics proper nouns? | english |
In the following sentence I'd like to convey that "I don't know what space an item currently takes up or what space it will take up at some undefined future time". I contracted the sentence using parentheses* to read: I don't know what space it (will) take up. My memory of primary school tells me that a sentence should... | I think the better way to convey the sense and maintain the correct verb form is I don't know what space it takes (will take) up. You could also add an or to help the flow I don't know what space it takes (or will take) up. | Which tense should a verb take when parentheses could alter the tense? | english |
Is there a word to refer to "father" and "mother" without the family connotations? For example, there was a guy who refer to his parents using the terms "sperm and egg bank": They were my sperm and egg bank. That’s not harsh, it’s just the way it was, a sperm bank thing, nothing more. What other more grammatically corr... | I think that father and mother cannot be detached from family connotations and remain neutral at the same time, not by any stretch of imagination. And grammar has nothing to do with this. Every possible substitute will be referring to family concept this way or another. The sperm and egg bank is not neutral, but has st... | What's a word for father and mother without the "family" connotations? | english |
I've been thinking all day but nothing is coming to mind. I feel like I'd use it a lot if one existed. | tragicomic (adj), tragicomedy (n.) tragicomedy 1) ... 2) ... 3) An incident or situation having both comic and tragic elements. tragicomic adj. Edit: My downvoter doesn't think this a fitting word. I should provide some examples, to help everyone decide for themselves. "In Search of Lost Time" by Marcel Proust (1913-22... | Is there a word for something that would be hilarious if it weren't true? | english |
For example is it correct to say, "The restaurant was standing on the side of the highway?" I also thought of erected. Though I'm not very sure about it. Is standing acceptable in this case? Are there more appropriate verbs? | A building can certainly be standing - here 's an example of that use in journalism. If you use "was standing" there's an implication that it isn't there any more. So "stood" might be better. I would prefer "at the side of the highway" or "beside the highway" rather than "on". "was erected" has the opposite problem to ... | Is "standing" an acceptable verb to use for a building? | english |
I am trying to remember the word to describe a person trying to sell stuff persistently. I can't seem to figure it out. - It can be a verb, noun or adjective. Anything around "Selling stuff persistently". | You can call this person a peddler or a hawker . Those terms make the sales person seem a little shady, hustler even more so. | What is the word that describes a person trying to sell stuff persistently? | english |
We call the state you can’t stop tearing “玉ねぎの皮をむくように―tamanegino kawa wo muku youni – like peeling the ‘skins’ of onion" in Japanese. In actuality, we don’t shed (or drop) tears when we peel off the outer skin of onion. We shed (or drop) tears when we peel the inner layers of onion. This might look a very primitive que... | They are called scales - outer ones are membranous and inner ones fleshy . The protective thin outer covering is called tunic. | What is the name of part of onion we peel? | english |
I was told by my thesis advisor not to start a sentence with "even though". Does anyone agree? May I know why? | Firstly, there is no word eventhough ; it needs to be even though . Secondly, there is no sensible reason to avoid starting a sentence with even though , as long as the even though clause (which is a subordinate or dependent clause) is followed by a main or independent clause. Thirdly, nothwithstanding 2 above, you sho... | Start a sentence with "even though" | english |
What are the origin and history of the phrases "local color" and "color commentary"? There is a tiny bit in the dictionaries about this use of color to mean 'additional detail and anecdotes' but not enough to really explain how it came to be. | The Online Etymology dictionary says that 'local color' was first attested in 1721 and was originally a technical term in art. (1) An object's local color is its color under daylight, unmodified by shadows, reflections, or the artist's imagination. (2) I think it is reasonable to assume that the use you have in mind is... | Local color / color commentary | english |
First, I'm sorry for any duplicates (although I could not find a similar question). My question is: how do I correctly fill in the ??? in the following sentence? We prove Statement X ??? the following equivalences. I'm not sure what to use: by, by using, with, through, ... The meaning is that we use the equivalences to... | In this context, there is no real difference between "by," "by using," and "through." Saying "with" leaves open the possibility that these were necessary but not sufficient for the proof. However, as I said in the comment above, I think "The following equivalences prove Statement X" works better in general. | What is correct: "we prove statement X by / by using / with / through / ..." | english |
I can't think of a word that would summarize this phrase into one coherent adjective. It's for a thesis I'm writing about a musical composer. | Well, there's perspicuous : Clearly expressed or presented; easy to understand You'd definitely get points for using a difficult word to mean easily understood! I'd recommend: clear clear-cut comprehensible explicit intelligible straightforward Of which I personally prefer <code> straightforward </code> . | I need a word that means "easily understood or relatable to the common man" | english |
I heard this on a song. "a prayer has gone blind" What does it mean when something abstract "has gone blind"? They don't like thanking in the comments. So it goes without saying for all my questions from now on... | Here's a link to a few more lines from OP's song... I'm spending my time Watching the sun go down I fall asleep to the sound Of "tears of a clown" A prayer gone blind. Here are a couple of hundred written instances of blind prayer , showing it's far from unknown. Relevant definitions to bear in mind are these from OED.... | ..abstract subject.. has gone blind. Meaning | english |
In https://gist.github.com/brixen/6705046 , there's I recommend monkey patching Symbol#name in MRI. You can even do this with refinements for extra specialness . (As background, refinements is a feature that the author strongly disagrees with) Is "specialness" a noun form of "special" ( Urban dictionary link ), which i... | This usage of "specialness" is absolutely a mocking suggestion in the form of pure sarcasm. But no, I wouldn't call it a specific example of a euphemism for "mentally retarded". While it does mean roughly the same thing in the given context: I recommend monkey patching Symbol#name in MRI. You can even do this with refi... | Is "specialness" a mock euphemistic noun form of "mentally retarded"? | english |
I was wondering about the correct usage of the term "glad". It seems to me it can be used (at least) in two different ways: "to be glad of something" or "to be glad about something", indeed I found both of them in some online dictionaries. But I cannot really understand what is the difference (if there is any), or if o... | glad of something : - grateful for something glad about something : - pleased; happy Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary | To be "glad of" or "glad about"? | english |
Is there a difference between: Can I go home, please? and Can I, please, go home? I feel like the first is more formal, when the second shows some kind of irritation. Am I right? | You’re on the right lines. Can I go home, please? is the normal order. Depending on how the words are stressed, Can I, please, go home? might give more of a pleading tone. | Does the order of the word 'please' matter? | english |
In the sentence: The two methods require two different kinds of prior information a colleague of mine suggests that it should be "kind of" instead. I was quite certain that the first form was correct, but reading various online sources on singular vs. plural use in relation to "kind of" has got me confused. Still, it s... | It makes sense for kind to be in plural form in the sentence " The two methods require two different kinds of prior information. " because here kind functions as a rather simple count noun. kind a class or group having characteristics in common; sort; type ⇒ two kinds of people an instance or example of a class or grou... | "two kinds of" or "two kind of" | english |
I learned the phrase “Turtles all the way down,” popularized by Stephen Hawking in an answer to my latest question asking the meaning of the phrase, “Mercy within mercy within mercy." Jmereno suggested that Thomas Merton’s famous phrase is similar to “Turtles all the way down.” Does “Turtles all the way down” mean endl... | "Turtles all the way down" emphasises the idea of endless continuation, and tends to be used when someone's argument is sort of circular and can't explain itself. So with the turtle on whose back the world sits, which sits on a turtle, which sits on a turtle, etc., we can't explain where the turtles come from, or why t... | Does “Turtles all the way down” mean endless continuation / exercise of something like ‘peeling onions,’’ or it represents for sophism? | english |
I found this phrase in some poetry. The lines are as follows, ... a rose on the other side of the room, side of the rose on the wall of the other room inside, the side of the slide that opens on the wound I leave her side on a rose of blood ... another one is like, I will never leave your side. Even if you push me away... | It means, "You are next to someone. You leave them. You leave their side." It can also mean, "You are not supporting emotionally." You can say he left my side. Which means he left me as well as he is not supporting me anymore. | what is the meaning of 'to leave somebody's side"? | english |
There is a following expression: Having known him for more than 10 years since we were at the same school, I am sure that... This sentence seems weird to me. What it is trying to say is: I have known him for more than 10 years ..., I am sure that... Is it grammatically and stylistically correct to use 'having known' he... | The phrase having known him ... is a participle phrase modifying the subject of the main clause, I . This construction is perfectly fine and is often used. It could be reordered to I, having known him ... , am sure that ... This alternate construction is a bit clumsy because the subject of the sentence is separated fro... | Grammar - Having known subject for X years, I am sure that | english |
<code> At the same time, large companies may take ___ of smaller suppliers by delaying payment. The offer continues, so why not take ___ ? The attacker was ideally placed to take ___ of this. </code> Please, I want to choose one of the following to complete each sentence. a) occasion b) opportunity c) possibility d) ad... | All three blanks will have same answer: advantage . | Occasion and Opportunity | english |
Is it common to say, for example, What a terrible thing must be for an earthquake to hit right on your birthday. I searched the phrase "what a terrible thing must be..." and got 0 results. So I assume there's another way to say this? | It has to be what a terrible thing it must be. | Is "what a terrible thing must be..." a common expression? Is there another one used more frequently? | english |
I remember the phrase "old Norwegian history professor" being offered as a good example of confusion that can arise in certain English phrases, but can't explain it well. (That is, is the professor an old professor that teaches Norwegian history? Is the professor an old Norwegian that teaches history? Is the professor ... | old Norwegian history professor The phrase can be interpreted in three ways: A professor who teaches old Norwegian history An old professor who teaches Norwegian history An old Norwegian professor who teaches history . A grammatically correct sentence which can be interpreted in more than one way is said to have syntac... | Explain the phrase "Old Norwegian History Professor" and provide other examples | english |
Shall I find out for you? Shall I open the door for you? Shall I pull these curtains back now? Please, I want to choose one of the following for each question. a) Do you want that I b) Shall I c) Will I d) Would you like that I | (a) and (d) are ungrammatical. (c) doesn’t convey the meaning that I think you have in mind. (b) is grammatical, and is one way of making an offer, but it may sound a little too formal for some. Perhaps the most universally acceptable construction would be ‘Would you like me to open the door for you?’ | Shall I Questions | english |
English (India) has evolved over the years. It's being given a separate place of its own since the no. of English-speakers are growing rapidly. An example would be the addition of the option English (India) in many popular websites and softwares. What dictionary would be the most reliable standard for English (India)? | Websites for Indian English Dictionary : 1) http://www.vsubhash.com/Dictionary_Of_Indian_English.asp 2) http://www.amritt.com/india-english-dictionary/ | Best Dictionary for Indian English | english |
<code> There is no need to ___ with insurance. I am not going to ___ to comment on what you told me. I am sorry to ___ you at this time of night. I will tell Joe not to ___ about being there then. </code> Please, I want to choose one of the following to complete each sentence. <code> a) bother b) intrude c) interfere d... | 1) There's no need to bother with insurance. 2) I am not going to bother to comment on what you told me. 3) I am sorry to bother you at this time of night. 4) I will tell Joe not to bother about being there then. NB : Blanks are filled with bold words. | bother and intrude question | english |
I'm working on a backend product and the term "eDiscovery" is overused in my industry. What's another appropriate word that has enough resonance to be marketable? Discovery in this context does not seem to be appropriate. | An appropriate synonym that immediately springs to mind is disclosure. You might also consider reveal. | Synonym for discovery? | english |
As Eri closed the laptop, her stomach started to growl. That's right. She hadn't eaten breakfast yet. She'd been so absorbed in the video that she had completely forgotten about it. Eri stood slowly from the sofa and then, giving the laptop a final glance, went to prepare herself to go out. I was wondering whether the ... | No. Let's simplify the sentence a little without changing the meaning: Eri went to prepare herself to go out. Or alternately Eri prepared herself to go out. There's a slightly different action being described here. Clearly, the latter describes Eri performing the actual action of preparing - perhaps she's doing her hai... | Is the "went" in the following sentence redundant? | english |
I'm having a brain cramp: if cookies should be avoided, and carrots are preferable instead, is it correct to say: Avoid cookies in favor of carrots. or if not, what's the correct way to phrase? | I would just say that one is advised to “prefer carrots to cookies.” | proper phrasing for "avoid X in favor of Y" | english |
Would it be appropriate to say 'Hi', for example, to a person at the ticket window who is seemingly much older than yourself? Would it be a different case, say in Australia, where people usually refer to each other just by given names? | I’m British, and am probably older than most people who greet me. I don’t mind when they say, as they very often do, ‘Hi’, but I don’t normally use it as a greeting myself. | Can one say 'hi' to a person older than oneself? | english |
Words exist to label periods of time - like week which represents 7 days and fortnight which is used for a 14-day period. Are there other such words used for certain numbers of consecutive days? | Fortnight is used (or was used until now) for 14 days. It is more tough with year and month , which stand for 365 or 366 and 29-31 days respectively (at least if they're solar ones). Leap year is 366 days. Quarter is 3 months and one fourth of a year . Archaic sennight (sevennight) was just another word for week , as w... | One word substitutions for number of days? | english |
Do we play the lottery? Do we play in/on the lottery? Do we bet the lottery? What is the appropriate verb for the sentence and is it necessary to use a preposition? | All we say is "play the lottery." It's ungrammatical if you put in a preposition. I don't ever say "bet" when talking about a specific game. I might "play craps" or "play roulette" but I would never say that I "?bet on/in the lottery/craps/roulette" and it would sound a little strange to me if I heard anyone else say t... | What is the appropriate verb and preposition to say "play the lottery"? | english |
Something that is shaped something like an L such as a bracket. What is the proper term to describe this shape geometrically. | In 2-D, if the line does not enclose a space (e.g., a hexagon) then a figure with two connected straight lines can be termed "perpendicular line segments" or a "vertex." Vertex is more general, p.l.s. means the two lines are at 90 degrees to one another. But a bracket is a solid object, a drawing of a bracket could be ... | What is the corrrect term for a shape with only two sides? | english |
I need to find a positive synonym for 'problem' or 'worst' for some copy I am writing. The context is that these are ratings for student performance in a tabular format (as in, "problem topics: lorem ipsum" or "worst topics: lorem ipsum"), and while I want to indicate that the topics I am describing need improvement, I... | You're looking for euphemisms . The business world is prepared to support you! :-) Traditional euphemisms for "problems" are "challenges" or "opportunities". Euphemisms for "worst" could be "low-hanging fruit" or "easiest target" or even "top priority" | "Positive" synonyms for 'problem' or 'worst' | english |
What will be the title for 1 year old boy? will it be Mr. or Master or anything else I am not aware of? Pre marriage girls are addressed as Miss. and post marriage Mrs. is there anything similar to boys? | "Master", as "a youth or boy too young to be called mister " is often considered to be archaic (eg, http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/master ), but I still see it around. | title for 1 year old boy | english |
What is the difference in meaning between "Hairdo" and "Haircut"? In the dictionary into my native language it is written that "hairdo" must be used according to women. Does it mean that "haircut" can't be used in that way? I would like more explanation on this question. | A "haircut" is when you get your hair cut; a "hairdo" is a "hairstyle". So if you do something with your hair with a comb, gel, wax, etc, you have a "hairdo". There is some cross-over though: you may get a haircut to achieve a new hairdo, but you can never say "haircut" without there having been some cutting. Both men ... | Hairdo and Haircut | english |
Walter thought she was wonderful the way she was (1). Whatever she did, he marveled. If she espoused extreme points of view, he was impressed by her arguments; when she shocked society by helping unmarried mothers and their children, he admired her courage; and he loved the way she looked in daring fashions (2). (Ken F... | The phrase the way in both instance means the manner . In the first instance, it is an adverbial phrase modifying the adjective wonderful (which is a predicate adjective modifying she ). It could also be expressed wonderful [in] the way she was . The way and what follows explains why she is wonderful. The second instan... | What role does the phrase "the way" perform in this sentence? | english |
There is a Russian expression referring to the feeling of heaviness and pain in the head that translates literally as "head is buzzing" or "head is humming" (голова гудит). Is there any similar English expression? I saw an expression "brain buzz", but it seems to have a completely different meaning. | Throbbing head Throbbing: Feel pain in a series of regular beats: "her foot throbbed with pain"; "a throbbing headache" | A correct English expression for heavy and aching head | english |
Really, I don't know whether in other countries (English speaking) there is a difference between telephone and mobile phones numbers. If there is no such difference, then this question makes no sense. But if there is (as in Spain where telephones start by 9 and mobile by 6), is it correct to write "Tel: mobile number" ... | In the US, it is common on business cards, letterheads and email signature blocks to list phone numbers as (212) 321-7654 (tel) (917) 654-3210 (cell) (323) 999-8888 (fax) Sometimes a period is added after tel , but rarely after fax and never after cell . Sometimes the first letter of the modifier is capitalized, but of... | Is it correct to write the telephone abbreviation as "Tel" when the number refers to a mobile phone? | english |
I have been writing a game monography where I put together the analysis of several computer games. In order to help readers, I decided to use some punctuation marks to bring their attention to specific games. So, for instance, I decided to put a star (or just an asterisk, *, in ASCII) on the games that I consider are g... | As you are thinking of a games context, you may wish to look at chess notation , in which "?" is a mistake, "?!" dubious and "!?" interesting. Whatever you use, you should explain all your notation unless it's standard or totally obvious. | Punctuation mark for the odd, weird or unusual | english |
I'm looking for a verb which refers to the sound that people make when they are excited. The typical "wooh." At first I thought it was called wooing/wooed . But then I checked the Free Dictionary: woo (w) v. wooed, woo·ing, woos v.tr. 1. To seek the affection of with intent to romance. 2. a. To seek to achieve; try to ... | You might want whoop whoop /wuːp/ noun 1 a loud cry of joy or excitement: a moment’s silence was followed by whoops of delight verb [no object] give or make a whoop: all at once they were whooping with laughter [ODO] | Verb to refer to people yelling "wooh!" | english |
As I was looking for a grammar and style plugin for a word processor to help catch my grammar and style errors. I found LanguageTool . On that page I typed the phrase "I can has cheeseburger?". The correction it made was from has to have. Is the phrase "I can have cheeseburger?" correct or is this not a good tool to us... | "I can have cheeseburger" while a little odd could potentially be grammatically correct. The question is whether "cheeseburger" is uncountable or not. In most cases it would be countable, and consequently "I can have a cheeseburger" would be appropriate. However, one could certainly imagine this discussion: <code> Me: ... | Is "I can have cheeseburger?" really grammatically correct? | english |
While commuting to work, I encountered a bumper sticker that said "I had rather be on/Cape Point Fishing". I found this curious, since I always thought that the correct expression would be "I would rather be...", instead of "I had rather be". Is there a joke I'm not getting, or was this bumper sticker just incorrect? | The OED describes had rather as the past subjunctive, meaning ‘would have’, and used idiomatically with adjectives (or adverbs) in the comparative, ‘to express preference or comparative desirability’. Not all grammarians would now agree with the description ‘past subjunctive’ but the had rather construction is still fo... | Using "I had rather" instead of "I would rather" | english |
Words comforted and healed my discontent when I discovered that Brendan, my beautiful first-born son was severely autistic with limited speech. ( Benita Porter, The Power of Words ) - audio link Which way does the essay writer pronounce: /ɑːˈtɪstɪk/ (1) or /ɔˈtɪstɪk/ (2): If she did (2) as is in dictionaries, what’s th... | In American accent, the pronunciation of the word autistic is as mentioned below : autistic [aw-tis´tik] | pronunciation: autistic | english |
For example can I say something like: "We were at the restaurant. Then Bill came with the birthday cake. Applause filled the room." If not, what's a better word to use? | OED defines "room" as: A compartment within a building enclosed by walls or partitions, floor and ceiling, esp. (freq. with distinguishing word) one set aside for a specified purpose; (with possessive) a person's private chamber or office within a house, workplace, etc. At some point, something that meets the technical... | Can you refer to public venues as rooms? | english |
I have some confusion on punctuations such as , ; and conjuctions such as "and", "but" in framing the sentences. In the above sentence, I used the conjunction and to denote that I have doubts on framing the sentences with both punctuations and conjunctions. But the meaning can also be interpreted as confusion on punctu... | I think you are asking about the scope of conjunctions such as and , and how ambiguities of scope might be resolved by punctuation. The answer is that natural language is sometimes ambiguous. Spoken language is rarely ambiguous in practice, because of the metalinguistic mechanisms we have for making our meaning clear. ... | ambiguity in understanding | english |
There are words (not paired normally) which are, say, close relatives with (sometimes) totally different lives. For example, praeternatural = ( Lat. praeter [beyond] + natura [nature]) and metaphysical = ( Gr. meta [beyond] + phusis [nature]). The both have different meanings, at the same time they are calques of each ... | Eau-de-vie (< French eau de vie < Lat. aqua vītae ) and Akvavit/aquavit (< Scandiwegian akvavit < Lat. aqua vītae ) and whisk(e)y (< abbr. ‘whiskebae’/‘usquebaugh’ < uisce beatha [Irish] / uisge beatha [Scottish]) — all types of locally important, strong alcoholic beverages meaning ‘water of life’. &n... | Calque pairs like 'praeternatural/metaphysical' | english |
I have built http://www.inboundio.com/ which is a simplified marketing software. Now I am not sure in < title > tag of home page if I should use Simple inbound marketing software OR Simplified inbound marketing software ? which is more correct ? I am using simplified till now but curious to know what the English SE ... | The two mean two different things. Simplified means that the software package or whatever you have was made simple or simpler and was not simple by nature. Simple on the other hand carries a different meaning. It means that the package is simple by nature. On top of that, software is not countable, so you cannot say a ... | "Simple marketing software" or "Simplified marketing software" - which is correct? | english |
I've heard the word "wash" used in unusual context, where it meant something like "a thing yielding no practical advantage". I would be interested to know if that's a correct interpretation, if there are more examples of similar usage and whether this is appropriate for use in formal setting. | Here are several idioms having to do with the word "wash": http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/wash Sadly, while they do not have "it's a wash," it looks like other answers have this informal usage. However, there is a formal usage in accounting called a wash sale . This is when you sell a security and buy back a subst... | What does it mean to say that something is a "wash"? | english |
Does the phrase 'not quite yet' mean that something will be done shortly? Does this imply less time than just 'not yet'? | I believe this sense of "quite" is as used in both UK and US English (see 1st meaning here for definition ), meaning "completely", so that "not quite yet" implies that the task is not completely finished, but also that the majority of the work is done. "Not yet" is simply a more polite way of saying "No" in this case. ... | "Not quite yet" vs "not yet" | english |
I saw this sentence the other day and it struck me as awkward. I went online and saw many instances of the Present perfect being used in such manner. She has worked here since 1995 Shouldn't this be written in the Perfect progressive She has been working here since 1995 The ngram shows the perfect taking over. It feels... | Both expressions are correct and the difference in meaning between them is minimal. They both inform us when the action, to work , began and that it is ongoing. Work is a verb which we can use in the present and present progressive tense. " She works in this company " describes a habitual action. " She is working at th... | Perfect vs Perfect Continuous | english |
I'm writing about impersonators and people being impersonated in general terms and having 'the impersonator' and 'the person being impersonated' is cumbersome at best. 'Impersonatee' sort of works, but isn't great. Any ideas? | Subject The person being depicted or portrayed by a painter, an artist, or in this case an impersonator. The impersonator's favourite subjects were politicians and well-known singers. Edit One of Britain's most famous and loved impersonators during the 1970s and early '80s was Mike Yarwood. Yarwood enjoyed stratospheri... | Single word for someone who is being impersonated ("impersonatee"?) | english |
I write stories, and I often find myself writing "after a moment," in too many parts. On their table was a smoked salmon, grilled meat, a plate of sushi, mussels, some salad, a basket with bread, and two bottles of Italian wine. The group seemed to be in some kind of celebration. After a moment, a girl approached the t... | You can use them interchangeably. I would, however, question whether you even need to indicate the passing of time. Would not: At their table was a smoked salmon, grilled meat, a plate of sushi, mussels, some salad, a basket with bread, and two bottles of Italian wine. The group seemed to be enjoying some kind of celeb... | Is it OK to use "after a moment," "not long after," and "before long" interchangeably? | english |
"The competent programmer is fully aware of the limited size of his own skull. He therefore approaches his task with full humility, and avoids clever tricks like the plague." I am trying to understand this quote of Edsger W. Dijkstra. I understand that he emphasize to be a good programmer. However, I don't understand t... | "Avoid like the plague" is an idiom which means to ignore or keep away from someone or something totally.. Refer http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/avoid+like+the+plague | In Edsger Dijkstra's quote, meaning of 'the plague' | english |
I am looking for a word to reflect what a novice author would use to describe his own writing (somewhat derogatorily). My first thought was drivel . | Hack (hackwork), drek, schlock, pulp, sludge (only because fiction magazine editors call the mass of submissions that come over the transom the "sludge pile"). | What is a synonym for bad writing? | english |
I learned from google that " Hidden in Plain Sight " is a movie title. Since I caught up the expression without context, I tried to use it. Now, I'm not sure whether it can be used without making reference to the movie. Can I say "This [...] was hidden in plain sight" referring to something that should have been obviou... | Yes it can. "Hidden in plain sight" isn't a widely known idiom however, so make sure it's obvious to your reader. | Can "hidden in plain sight" be used in a sentence? | english |
In the following quote, it seems (to me at least) quite difficult to figure out what exactly is being quote: “The best cure—quote, unquote—for aging is slowing disease,” Daniel Kraft, the chair of [...] My questions are the following: Isn't it better English to write (and say): "The best cure—quote— for aging—unquote— ... | Unlike the earlier reply, I would interpret that sentence with the quotes around "cure". I think they were probably added as an afterthought, after cure had been uttered, to indicate that it was not really a cure that was being described. It is unclear what is intended when the quote...unquote are adjacent, but it is o... | How correct is "quote, unquote" and where does its usage come from? | english |
I have three types of sentence fragments: Type A: "a sphere with a stem" Type B: "has a worm" Type C: "that is red" How can I call these fragment types to distinguish them? Context: I want to generate messages from description fragments. For instance, if I got " <code> the apple </code> ", the messages would be 1a: "th... | Type A is a noun phrase , Type B is a verb phrase , and Type C is ambiguous by itself, but in the context of your examples it's a restrictive or defining clause . | How to call these types of fragments? | english |
Sorry if this question is rather dumb. Is "girlfriendship" or "boyfriendship" actually a term, or is there a suitable replacement? I'm using "partnership" in the badly worded sentence right now: Even Equality's love interest, of whose partnership is a transgression in its own But is there something more accurate? | The word normally used is relationship . It is usually clear enough from context that a romantic pairing is meant. Substituting "relationship" for "partnership" in your example sentence doesn't seem to make it better, but I think that's because the sentence itself doesn't stand alone very well. Show the entire paragrap... | Is there a term similar to girlfriendship / boyfriendship? | english |
I just read a post where someone was using the adjective splendiferous and even remarked he would not use that word lightly. So I did a quick search and found that it has the same meaning as splendid , as well as the same function, i.e. both are adjectives. What is special about splendiferous in contrast to splendid ? | From the Online Etymology Dictionary : splendiferous (adj.) considered a playful elaboration since its re-birth in 1843, but it was a perfectly good 15c. word, from Medieval Latin splendorifer, from splendor (see splendor ) + ferre "to bear" (see infer ). Thus, it's a valid word with approximately the same meaning and ... | Difference between *splendid* and *splendiferous* | english |
What is synonym for "people who can very quickly think what to say". I mean like funny people who have great timing. Is there one exact word for that ability. Not "smart", "canny", "savvy" or "shrewd". Thank you. | quippy Joky; inclined to or characterised by quipping. quip A clever, witty remark often prompted by the occasion. A clever, often sarcastic remark; a gibe. It can be used endearingly, as well as pejoratively, but also in both ways simultaneously (as determined by the context): A couple so quippy and witty that I almos... | synonym for "people who can very quickly think what to say" | english |
Hi I always say early bird but I have heard people use the term early riser. Do they convey same meaning? | Yes, when it comes to waking in the morning, they are just about the same thing. An early riser is "Someone who rises (gets up) early in the morning." An early bird is "A person who wakes early or arrives early, typically before most others," and comes from the expression, "the early bird catches the worm," suggesting ... | Can early riser used in a similar way as early bird? | english |
What is the best way of using By the time ? I searched in google where there wasn't exact example ? | When A has occurred, B will be true. "By the time you read this answer, you will already understand." By the time | What is the use of By the time? | english |
Has anyone help me to understand meaning of "Left off" for example in below sentence: Where We Left Off and What’s Next | It's not left of , but left off and means 'where we finished last time'. | what does "Left off" mean? | english |
What does <code> some </code> mean in the following sentence? Does it has a meaning similar to <code> hardly any </code> ? <code> Some consensus has been reached regarding the theoretical basis for measuring the cost of travel time. </code> | No. it does not mean hardly any. It means an unspecified amount - more than none Normally a bit, not all but some http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/some | What is the meaning of "some" in this sentence? | english |
I have a question about synonyms: I'm wondering for quite a while if synonyms always stand exactly for the same thing. Is there sometimes a little difference in meaning? Let's use clumsy and clunky for example. Can I always replace clunky with clumsy? Since I'm not a native speaker, as you may have noticed, I cannot te... | Oxford Dictionaries Online has two definitions for clunky . They are: solid, heavy and old-fashioned and making a clunking sound These two are clearly quite different from the following definitions of clumsy , from the same dictionary: awkward in movement or in handling things done awkwardly or without skill difficult ... | Do synonyms exactly stand for the same | english |
I want to know the following sentence is correct or contains a misprint. I could have also have called the method without brackets, as these are optional in Ruby and can make the syntax much more readable. Thanks for your answers. | It is a misprint, or a mistake at any rate, you only need one have . Both of these are grammatical: I could also have called the method without brackets, as these are optional in Ruby and can make the syntax much more readable. I could have also called the method without brackets, as these are optional in Ruby and can ... | Is it a misprint or a correct expression 'I could have also have called the method without brackets'? | english |
I couldn't find the translation of this phrase so I'm looking for the meaning of it. | I suppose you are asking about the phrase as it's used in the following quote from Catching Fire : …in the Hob, the standard protocol for someone showing up with a wild turkey is for everybody to bid on the drumsticks. – Katniss Everdeen, p. 108 (In other contexts, such as “ Signed Neil Peart drumsticks up for bid in M... | what does the phrase "To bid on the drumsticks" mean? | english |
They look like this: Do you usually just call them plastic wrappers or wrappings? | When the article is tight-wrapped in that material, or with some people any material, people use the adjective " shrink-wrapped " or "shrink-wrapped in cellophane". When it's wrapped loose—and often fastened with a bow—, as with holiday presents, people usually say "in cellophane bag" or "in cellophane." Edit: AFAIK an... | What do you call these plastic that wraps around books/magazines? | english |
This happened whenever she was left alone in someone else's home. She'd feel as if she had been put inside a huge, abandoned turtle shell. I don't know why, but I just put a comma in the example above (I think I learned this in some writing course.) I searched for a similar sentences on Google and found this: Living in... | This concerns what R L Trask in his ‘Guide to Punctuation’ calls a listing comma. You might find the entire passage on commas helpful, but the summary of his advice on listing commas, which applies to lists of adjectives as well as nouns, is: Use a listing comma in a list wherever you could conceivably use the word and... | When should an adjective be followed by a comma? | english |
Google's dictionary lists it as "un-American" or "unAmerican" (which looks clumsy to me). Since American is a "demonym," I would usually capitalize it, so I feel compelled to capitalize "un-American" somehow. How should I capitalize "un-American" and words like it? | I decided to search for three forms on the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA). Here's what I found: First, I searched for <code> un-american </code> . This search was not case-sensitive. There were 560 results, and in 560/560 , the 'A' in un-American was capitalized. (Well, 559/560, but when I checked the a... | How does one capitalize words like "un-American"? | english |
Sophia was awakened by the rattling sound of the alarm clock. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up, and after fumbling for a while, she finally managed to turn the alarm off. She lay on her back again, wondering why David had to set the alarm on Sunday. But when she looked to the side to ask him, she realized he was no longer ... | Use there. The reason is that you are writing from the point of view of a third party who has observed events and is relating them as having occurred in the past. Here relates to the place at the side of Sophia. From the point of the view of the narrator, that is there because it is not where the narrator is. | Should I use "here" or "there" in the following sentence? | english |
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