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In the novel Dracula I came upon the following sentence: "But the old Chapel, that took the cike that did. " Presumably that is an equivalent phrase to "took the biscuit". But a google search for "cike" just showed up this unlikely definition . | That's the idiom "takes the cake " spelled to indicate a strong accent in the speaker. | What is a "cike" as in "taking the cike"? | english |
Scene 1 Yuki laughed. "You know, sometimes I wonder if you live in the same city as the rest of us." Scene 2 "That's right," Takeshi suddenly said. "Did you feel the earthquake last night?" Eri stared at Takeshi with her lips slightly parted. You too? She could barely believe it. It was the second time someone had aske... | This picture may not be worth a thousand words but may serve as a possible answer: Really may have occurred in other senses than indeed in some of the sentences -- so that really is likely to have been unduly uppped. The preference for really over indeed appears to have occurred around 1907-08. We still read the classi... | Is the word "indeed" being properly used in the following passage? | english |
what do you call a book that only contains questions and answers, no other stuff. Maybe "questionnaire" is one but I think questionnaires only contain questions. | Possible terms include: quiz book - Implies that it's a book containing quizzes or tests. workbook - Often accompanies a student textbook, and contains supplementary questions/problems to answer/solve. stackexchange-url ("puzzle book") - Contains a bunch of puzzle problems/questions for entertainment. A study guide or ... | what do you call a book containing questions? | english |
Here is an extract from a short story: When Pushkin broke his legs, he started to go about on wheels. His friends used to enjoy teasing Pushkin and grabbing him by his wheels. Pushkin took this very badly and wrote abusive verses about his friends. He called these verses 'erpigarms'. I guess the word "erpigarm" here is... | This is an intentional misspelling on Kharms' part, as canpolat has shown an hour ago, but is not nonsensical at that. Since I happen to be familiar with Kharms' stories, I can infer what he wanted to achieve by writing эпиграммамы [epigramami] instead of эпиграммы [epigrami] (which is the correct plural dative). Мамы ... | Can you explain the pun "erpigarms" | english |
I want to describe my current research-assistant position saying that "I work under the advisory of John Green". Is this the correct way of saying that my advisor is John Green? If not, what is the better way to state the whole sentence? | Advisory does appear as a noun in OED, but it is not used to mean "advice" or "supervision", which is the meaning required here. In addition to unrelated uses, an advisory is a body headed by an Adviser (rather like a Directorate is headed by a Director), or which is formed to advise a company on relevant matters. OED ... | To work under the advisory of? | english |
What does "he’s sneaking in a cheeseburger" mean? Context: Now I have a very unhappy stepdad, but at least he’s sneaking in a cheeseburger so that should keep him amused while I write you a letter. | It means he is getting a cheeseburger (for himself to eat) in a sneaky way (hiding it so nobody knows he has it). | What does "he’s sneaking in a cheeseburger" mean? | english |
On October 28, 2001, William Safire, wrote an interesting article on The New York Times. Within a week of the terrorist attack, George W. Bush went to the Islamic Center in Washington and said, ''Women who cover their heads in this country must feel comfortable going outside their homes.'' In remarks to State Departmen... | "Women of cover" did not take. If "bush" and "bushism" are excluded from the internet search, results don't even amount to a hundred. Also, it appears to me that the prospects of it taking in the future are slim to none. Women of cover , it seems, is a euphemism for widely used women who cover (+ their hair / head / th... | Is 'women of cover' an idiom in use in the U.S.? | english |
Background: Hi, this one is my first question on this site. Untill now I was just a developer asking for help on stackexchange-url ("stackoverflow.com"). So today I was watching the movie Now you see me , where they all get caught and then Jesse Eisenberg tells the cop "Listen you have what we call in business Nothing ... | It comes from magic, but it is often used figuratively simply to mean that the speaker is not hiding anything. | What is meant by Nothing up your sleeves | english |
I am looking for an expression in English to wish all evil away from someone. | There are a handful of phrases in English that would qualify but they all depend on what you mean by "evil." If you mean a literal evil as in evil spirits, evil powers or evil forces than the only one I know of is: God bless. This is a generic well wishing. More specific religious phrases, blessings and rituals are bey... | An expression to wish all evil away from someone | english |
I found this sentence: They were lucky the linesman raised his flag in the 27th minute against Javier Saviola after he was sent clear by Defour. Unfortunately, I don't know what sent clear means nor have I been able to find its meaning online. Does anyone know what this means? | Oh, sports lingo. That phrase is used in the sports that involve goals, and in your text is, simply, an elided version of send someone clear on goal , someone, of course, being the fellow player. The adjective clear refers to the fellow player not being surrounded by any opposing defenders (not counting the goalie). Th... | Meaning of "to be sent clear" | english |
While reading the 'Guide to the use of the dictionary' of the Compact Oxford English Dictionary (yes, I read dictionary introductions, shame on me), I stumbled upon a section about hyphenation with regards to noun compounds, specifically upon the following sentence: [...] hyphens are also used to show a word's grammati... | Sort of. What they mean is something to the effect of "noun+noun compounds are hyphenated when they themselves form part of a "((noun+noun)+noun)" compound. I guess they may extend this to other types of compounds-- you'd need to read the full article to see. (In "credit(-)card debt"-- it doesn't matter whether you hyp... | Grammatical function of noun compounds | english |
I saw a lot of articles in these couple of days about Pope Francis’ reflection of his style, influences and priorities as pope in the recent interview with La Civilta Cattolica, the Jesuit journal in Rome. In this interview, the words of Thomas Merton – “Mercy within mercy within mercy," was quoted, which appears in hi... | It's describing God (I assume, judging from the capitalised Me ), and using the analogy of an onion's layers. If you take away the outer layer showing mercy, expecting to find cruelty underneath as the true nature, you don't: you find mercy. And if you scratch at that layer to get underneath, you find mercy again. He i... | What does “Mercy within mercy within mercy" mean? | english |
I am writing an essay and stuck with the following sentence. One of the non-profit organisation that we worked with... Should organisation be plural or singular? | Organisation must be plural here. This is because when you say one of _ __ you mean one of many . At least it would mean one of two. So out of the many organisations, you're referring to one. And the usage is therefore "one of the non-profit organisations" | One of the 'Organisation' or 'Organisations' | english |
There are many such words that we all know about, but please explain why the makers of the English language made up words with silent letters? | A language (any language) wasn't built in a day. They're also not stand-alone. Many factors affect the way words are pronounced. Some are: The land in which the words are frequently used. The other languages spoken by the people. The standard/basic phonetic sounds made by the letters. The standard rules that letters ma... | Why are "some" letters silent in English? | english |
For example: Lucas's dog was joyful. do I pronounce the first word the exact same as if I just said Lucas, or do I say lucas-es? | You say it with three syllables, so the second option applies. | How to pronounce the 's at the end of names that end with s | english |
It is a top comment from this youtube video . I'm sure it is a way of expressing sense of humor, but I just can't get it. My guess is that they are just saying the video is just as short as the time it takes to make a sandwich. | The comment refers to the poor video quality (240p). However, the joke most commonly used potato instead of sandwich . More on this joke: http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/recorded-with-a-potato | “This video was recorded with a sandwich” | english |
I came across the word "Noel" in a Christmas song recently. I only knew the French word "Noël" before so I looked "Noel" up in Leo. [Leo states] Noel also: Noël French - used especially in refrains of carols Are carols the only context in which "Noel" can be used without appearing out of place? | In American English, Noel is defined as Christmas. [This word is used in Christmas songs and on cards] In ordinary speech, it can be used as a synonym for Christmas, but would be considered a bit poetic. It is not very commonly used outside of the context of carols, cards and decorative uses (signs, headlines, ornament... | When can the word "Noel" be used? | english |
In an episode of Friends, the subtitle read: "France going arms". What does this mean please? I couldn't find this phrase in the dictionary or on the Internet. | It means - you are going to France, and you take your arms with you, so do not touch me because you have chosen to leave us for a job in Paris Or as he says: My hugs are reserved for people STAYING IN AMERICA. http://home.versatel.nl/friendspic0102/transcripts/html/1015.html Rachel: I got a really incredible job offer.... | What does "France going arms" mean? | english |
Erica lowered her pen to the blank page, wrote a verse, followed by a second (one). In the example above, do I have to add that last one ? Or just leave it as it is? | Both are grammatical, but the style is a little strange. You might want to think about changing it to something like ‘. . . wrote a verse, and then another’. | "Followed by a second," or "followed by a second one?" | english |
I'm looking for a word that describes an event or situation that is problematic but unusual. The word should indicate that something is theoretically possible, but so unlikely that you could ignore it. Example: Physicists laugh at the [unlikely but bad] possibility that the large hadron collider creates a black hole th... | One phrase that's gaining widespread adoption is black swan or black swan event . This refers to unlikely but potentially catastrophic events, especially ones where the risk is under appreciated. From Wikipedia: The black swan theory or theory of black swan events is a metaphor that describes an event that comes as a s... | An unlikely but very bad event (technical word) | english |
Given the sentence, This exception was thrown _ _ invalid input. Which preposition should I use to fill in the blank — because of or due to ? Is either generally preferable for specifying cause or reason? | Very simply, due to modifies nouns and because of modifies verbs. They are not interchangeable, though the perception of due to being 'more intelligent' than because of ensures that plenty of people misuse it - delicious irony! Example: His failure was due to poor preparation Here, due to poor preparation is modifying ... | "Because of" vs. "due to" — best choice to explain a reason? | english |
In French, when concluding a demonstration, we say "CQFD", which stands for "Ce Qu'il Fallait Démontrer". Do English has an equivalent for this ? | Q.E.D - Quod erat demonstrandum - is put at the end of of a proof to signify that what we attempted to prove has been proven. Q.E.F. - Quod erat faciendum - is a term that is used in geometric proof to signify that the geometric construction has been completed. It is a rarely used English abbreviation. From the article... | Is there an equivalent for French "CQFD" | english |
For example, I'm in an office and I want to see a certain person. How do I ask at the reception to ask this person to come down? In other words, would those sound correct? Can I ask for Peter, please? Would you please call for Peter? May I see Peter, please? | The alternatives suggested in the question and in Jim's comment ( ie “I need Peter down here right away”, “Please call Peter and have him come down – I need to speak with him”, “Could you please ask Peter to come down?”, “I need to speak with Peter if he’s in”, “Is Peter in, I would like to speak with him”, “I was wond... | How to ask for a person to come by? | english |
Which of "ungrammatical" or "grammatically incorrect" is prefered and why? | Both are used, but I believe linguists prefer the former. Grammaticality , as one linguist explained it to me, means "following the rules of the relevant scientific model that is used to describe how people speak". So it is strictly dependent on the model used, but in practice many linguists presume that there is conse... | Ungrammatical or Grammatically Incorrect | english |
I have a question about a possible grammatical error in this sentence: "We hope you find our toilets in good condition". I came across it lately on one of the mall's notice boards. In my opinion this sentence is lacking the verb are . I mean: "We hope (that) you find (that) our toilets ARE in good condition". Could som... | To answer as simply as possible, I would point out that you are changing the meaning of the sentence when you add that as you suggest. Those thats are not implied, nor are they missing from the original sentence. Don't redesign a sentence if you don't understand it; you have to take it as it stands and see what you can... | Is the verb "are" missing in this sentence? | english |
I would like to get some advice on the difference in meaning between the following sentences. It is true that there have been great advances in technology over the last forty years. especially the use of mobile phones and e-mail communication are common these days. However , machines that translate from one language to... | From a usage//style standpoint, I would argue that the first use (however) is correct. The second use results in a contradiction, because you are saying 'it is true... on the contrary'. Each has been used properly as a conjunction, combining two complex ideas into one argument. The word 'however' does not negate the pr... | "However" vs. "on the contrary" | english |
Let's say I count some items and the result is exactly 1000. How do I convey the fact that the actual count was 1000, and that I didn't round the number? It should fit into a sentence like "Overall, we found 1000 items that are related to X." | Your use of exactly is fine. You also could say precisely exactly [Example: precisely two o'clock ] | How to say: "this number has not been rounded"? | english |
What does " to keep somebody amused" mean? Context: But at least he’s sneaking in a cheeseburger so that should keep him amused while I write this. | Keeping someone amused in this context is to keep him occupied and not noticing as you do something he might object to, or perhaps if the person has been annoying you, to get their attention onto something or someone else. You can use "occupied" instead of "amused" if you like, just as @FumbleFingers said. I've seen th... | What does " to keep somebody amused" mean? | english |
Imagine you're sitting in the corner, writing down a conversation that is occurring in the middle of the room. What are you doing? "Copying down" is what I'm using, but it seems like there should be a better word. | If you are taking it down verbatim, you are transcribing it, and the finished product is a transcription . It you are just making notes of the gist of the conversation, you are taking a record of it. | What is it called when you write what someone is saying? | english |
Are they actually used in normal text? I mean something like a 'normal' book (not a manual, or a technical document). I don't think I've ever seen them yet they clearly predate programming which is the context in which I tend to use them. Wikipedia only mentions technical uses (such as music and mathematics) or In math... | They're occasionally used in 'normal' writing when other brackets and braces have already been used for another purpose; and to unite two or more things together. For example, this 2011 edition of The Chemical History of a Candle by Michael Faraday has in a "Note on the Published Text": Crookes, as editor, inculated in... | Are curly braces ever used in normal text? If not, why were they created? | english |
Is there a standard word that means some one has rejected a phone call? I have been saying it this way: She has rejected the call. Is there a more appropriate word to use instead of rejected in the above sentence? | Was the rejection made after caller and recipient communicated directly with each other after initial connection has been completed? (IMHO) I can see how this might be "She declined the call" if recipient proactively but politely informed the caller that she did not wish to participate on this occasion. "Suzie declined... | What word is properly used to mean "rejecting" a phone call? | english |
So, I'll admit I love a good pun. Done correctly, it is humor for the clever that builds up rather than tears down. Plus, it beats an emetic in the right situation. That said, I wonder how far back puns go. My assumption is that all languages have puns, but even still, it would be fun to know how far back they go. Is t... | Puns go way back to ancient Egypt, and are found in the bible, and as some of the earliest books translated into English, may well be the source of the "first pun in English". Beowulf Beowulf "is one of the very earliest poems in English and its first great literary masterpiece". It was written in Old English sometime ... | What is the earliest recorded pun in the English language? | english |
I got this as my astrology prediction. A mellow edge isn't an oxymoron. Buy their drinks. Show them why you're so famous. What oxymoron means is A figure in which an epithet of a contrary signification is added to a word; e. g., cruel kindness; laborious idleness. Still kind of confused regarding this sentence. What do... | If something "has an edge to it" then it is sharp. This comes from the meaning of edge being the sharp side of a blade. Mellow often means soft, or smooth. This is quite unlike something with an edge. So saying something has "a mellow edge" could be seen as an oxymoron. However, the horoscope says it is not an oxymoron... | Simple meaning of "A mellow edge isn't an oxymoron" | english |
What is the origin of the word fine meaning a legal penalty involving the payment of a sum of money? | fine - c.1200, "termination," from Old French fin "end, limit, boundary; death; fee, payment, finance, money" (10c.), from Medieval Latin finis "a payment in settlement, fine or tax," from Latin finis "end" | What is the origin of "fine" meaning a legal penalty? | english |
There are various expressions in English and other languages that use all , for example all right , or all dressed up and ready to go , however all the is not that common. The use of rage is even stranger, which of its many meanings is used here? Noun: a. Violent, explosive anger. See Synonyms at anger. b. A fit of ang... | The word rage comes through French from Latin rabies , "frenzy, rage, madness". The English word apparently went from rage "vehement passion" to the fixed phrase the rage meaning "the latest fad"; then the expression x is the rage was intensified by adding all , similar to the way you can add all to other things, like ... | What is the origin of the idiom 'all the rage'? | english |
"Actually, we didn't get lost," the tall one says. "We ran away." "Not running away so much as just stumbling onto this spot and deciding to stay put," the brawny one adds. "That's different from getting lost." "Not just anybody can find this place," the tall soldier says. "But we... | The first phrase is not an it-cleft, which is clear from the complete lack of a subordinating clause. An it-cleft is it + be + X[usually NP] + subordinate clause it + was + the fall from the cliff + that killed him Note that an it-cleft does not have a to-infinitive. kill or be killed is an idiomatic phrase, a single l... | Is this an it-cleft with bare infinitive? | english |
Is the sentence I didn't hear what you've (just) said a natural one? Some tell me that it's unnatural, but not ungrammatical. Others tell me that it's all right. I'm puzzled. What do you think? The trouble seems to be the usage of present perfect ("you've said") after past simple ("didn't hear"). Let me add a subquesti... | I think the present perfect sounds wrong here because there's no grammatical connection with the present. The connection is with the very recent past. "I didn't hear" is in the past tense, and the connection of "what you said" is to that past, so it's unnatural (and maybe ungrammatical) to use the present perfect. You ... | I didn't hear what you've said | english |
Is it correct to ask "Are we all in concurrence?" synonymously to "Are we all in agreement?" | "Are we all in concurrence?" is not incorrect, but unnecessarily wordy. I would suggest your synonym is better, but if the word "concur" is closer to your intended meaning, I would say "Do we concur?" An important point to note is that "concurrence" implies "all" anyway, so leave "all" off. | Usage of the word concurrence | english |
Does the ponytail thing in a knight's helmet have its own name? Or are they just called ponytails? | It is a Plume - Etymonline late 14c., "a feather" (especially a large and conspicuous one), from Old French plume "soft feather, down; feather bed," and directly from Latin pluma "a feather, down; the first beard," from PIE root *pleus- "to pluck; a feather, fleece" (cf. Old English fleos "fleece"). Meaning "a long str... | What is the "ponytail" in a knight's helmet called? | english |
I once told my mother about a specific incident that occurred in my highschool French class. Eight years later, she mentions this incident again and this is one of those things that I would have never remembered unless someone else brought it up. Even if I tried my hardest to remember everything that happened in my Fre... | Forgotten memory - memories that are technically still there as signals in your brain, but where you've lost the ability to consciously recall it. They can sometimes be retrieved with aid or certain triggers. Cued recall is the act of recalling such forgotten memories off a trigger. The thing that causes you to remembe... | Is there a word/phrase for this specific type of memory | english |
A student of mine used google translator to translate the Portuguese "miradouro" into English. Instead of an expected viewpoint, scenic overlook or similar, the translator suggested "belvedere". She has asked me the meaning of belvedere and I have been unable to find it in my two dictionaries (Longman and Oxford). So, ... | A "belvedere" is a structure which commands a scenic view, not the view itself. The word itself comes from the Italian for "beautiful view", but its English sense is limited to buildings and the like. Merriam-Webster defines it: : a structure (as a cupola or a summerhouse) designed to command a view This M.C. Escher dr... | Does 'Belvedere' mean the same as 'viewpoint'? | english |
Background: I was working on a project and was having a colleague of mine proof-read a piece of documentation. He said that one sentence was ambiguous because he couldn't determine what the antecedent was (actually he knew because of the context, but said that to somebody else it might be ambiguous). Sentence: The serv... | Grammatically, this is not a problem, because nonrestrictive relative clauses like which forwards it to ModuleB. modify the NP they precede, and thus which , the coreferential relative pronoun subject of forwards , must refer to ModuleA , which immediately precedes it. Couldn't be much clearer. However, this is not a g... | Antecedent Precedence? | english |
Which are more frequently used? 1A - I will be discussing the details while you are researching the data. 1B - I will be discussing the details while you research the data. and 2A - I was cleaning the garage while you were preparing a snack. 2B - I was cleaning the garage while you prepared a snack. Is there any wrong? | On their own: "I dance" (simple present tense) suggests dancing is an action you regularly perform. The dancing occurs in the present but the specific time is not clear. "I am dancing" (present continuous tense) suggests you are dancing right now. However, you have the phrase following a while conjunction, which says t... | "while I am dancing" vs "while I dance" | english |
(I'll use “spooky-graphoid” as a randomly made-up technical term and “saturated” as a random adjective from the scientific vernacular.) First, when it comes to the definition of a “saturated spooky-graphoid”, which of the following phrasings are grammatically acceptable? A spooky-graphoid is said saturated when/if… A s... | is said to be is the correct construct so the last two are correct, the first two not I prefer the 3rd example A spooky-graphoid is said to be saturated when/if… UPDATE I do not believe you can replace is said to be with called for these reasons: Using called implies in my opinion that one can replace the spooky-grapho... | Variations on “a [technical term] is said to be [adjective]” suited to scientific publications | english |
I don't know in the sentence I will refer to, what does "Lance Armstrong your way" mean, is there any irony or not? The situation is between a man and a woman, and the man wants to deny a mistake he had made. Her friend had heard a sentence which the man had said, and then the woman says: She was in the other room, you... | A common phrase is "Don't lie your way out of this one" or "You can't just think your way out of this one", which mean "Don't lie in order to resolve this situation" and "Just thinking won't resolve this situation" respectively. The writer verbifies (i.e. using a non-verb as a verb) "Lance Armstrong" to mean "act in su... | "Don't try and Lance Armstrong your way outta this one!" | english |
Is there a word, similar to cronyism and nepotism , that means “favoring people of a particular culture, religion, or ethnicity, regardless of their expertise”. I was thinking racism , but I’ve always understood that as the belief that one race is superior to another. But cronyism isn’t the belief that your friends are... | This type of ethnocentric prejudice is referred to as: in-group favouritism ethnic nepotism or my personal favourite tribalism Some informative links: ingroup bias ethnic nepotism tribalism Edit: If you are looking for single words only ethnocentrism itself is an alternative. | What is the word for cronyism based on favoring an ethnic or religious background (not friendship) | english |
I sometimes see phrases like "smart hotel", "smart restaurant" (especially in guide books). From context I usually understand it as "expensive but worthy". Is it correct understanding? Why is word "smart" used? I rarely see it used in that way outside of this context. I never heard "smart car" in that sense for example... | The emphasis is not so much on its cost as on its desirability. The definition given in Oxford Dictionaries Online is ‘(of a place) fashionable and upmarket’. | Smart used as expensive, why? | english |
Firstly, I'm not a native speaker. My question is about the word 'lackness'. I've heard it many times. Is it a valid word or do we use just 'lack'? For instance: "... lack of something..."? | ' Lackness ' is most definitely not a word. You are trying to search for an abstract noun to show the scarcity of something, if I'm not mistaken. But in that context, 'lack' is the word to use, itself! "Lack of food left the kids in the shelter starved." "The accused was acquitted due to lack of evidence against him." ... | Is 'lackness' a valid word? | english |
I begun reading Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy . This is one of the initial fragments, emphasis mine: This planet has - or rather had - a problem, which was this: most of the people on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time. Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these wer... | No, the line didn't say that 'people were concerned about (for) money'. It said that the solutions advanced to solve people's unhappiness concerned money. In other words, the author is making the comment that the suggestions did not address people directly, but were centred on money, as though money, if properly manipu... | What does the initial fragment of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy mean? | english |
what does "putting moon glow on something" mean? I mean in this sentence I want to know what it means? "I know I'm putting all this fucking moon glow on it now,like it was special and all." I read it in a play. | Moon glow would refer to putting emphasis or light on something. | putting moon glow on something | english |
I know it's baseball terminology, but I've never heard anyone explain why a feeder or low-level league is associated with shrubs. Is there some relation in the phrase to "farm system"? | According to Etymonline , "mean, petty, unprofessional," 1906, from baseball slang for the small-town baseball clubs below the minor league where talent was developed (by 1903), from bush (n.) in the slang sense of "rural, provincial," which originally was not a value judgment. In other words, we're speaking not of bus... | What is the origin of the phrase "bush league"? | english |
Let's say I have a list of words that describes the weight (or size) of objects, like heavy, strong, light, soft. Which words should be used to have a complete semantic list from the heaviest element to the lighter one. I always use something like: Heavy, stronger, strong, normal, light, lighter, softer. or Maximum, la... | A simple, yet workable answer to your question is to take the basic noun you are attempting to organize in the style of a continuum and simply add -er and -est (or the equivalent in correct spelling, such as -ier) to the root word. heavy, heavier, heaviest Or light, lighter, lightest Or dark, darker, darkest Or pretty,... | How to organize semantically a list of words that describes the weight (or size) of objects? | english |
I have a colleague who, in his technical documentation, sometimes likes to put entire sentences, or sometimes entire paragraphs, in parentheses. This looks wrong to my eye, but I'm having difficulty articulating precisely why. Should I be more tolerant of this style, or is there a reason why comments in parentheses sho... | As you have indicated, the purpose of parentheses is to de-emphasize the enclosed material. There are a variety of techniques that can be used, depending on the style of the publication. Italics are also used to set off content as different (although they are often used for emphasis rather than de-emphasis ). Changes i... | Parenthetical sentences | english |
I've got a sentence: Cleaned the lake from the ice. Question: Does it really mean "the lake with no ice on it" or does it mean that "the ice now is clear."? | Minimally, the subject and the object of the sentence are the wrong way round. It probably means: The ice has been cleaned from the lake. You might understand it better with a different verb; <code> clean </code> doesn't seem like the right word here. Perhaps ...the ice was cleared... or ...the ice was removed... | Is it a correct sentence? | english |
I found myself writing And so, they went on amassing better-than-nothing's. because I wanted better-than-nothing to be a kind of catchphrase, referred to in this form consistently throughout my writing. I imagined alternatives such as And so, they went on amassing better-than-nothings. And so, they went on amassing bet... | Syntactically, the phrase better-than-nothing is an adjective. As such, it does not take a plural. But adjectives can be used as nouns (just as nouns can be used as adjectives). Generally the adjective refers to an implied noun made clear by context. When selecting among the various colors, he chose the blue [one/color... | Pluralizing a thing expressed by a quoted or hyphenated phrase, e.g. better-than-nothing or "better than nothing" | english |
I mean in this sentence "A buzzer sounds sharply in the distance. without looking up, he lifts his middle finger up on one hand and flips 'the bird' , holds it a moment.drops it." I dont know what he is doing. | He is sticking his middle finger up. It is an obscene gesture basically implying that one should initiate sexual relations with oneself. In this context, he is telling the buzzer to "f--- off," expressing complete contempt for what it represents. (I'd paste in the graphic, but it wouldn't be terribly nice to my fellow ... | what does "flip the bird" mean? | english |
I usually use "glacial" to denote something as very slow-moving, but this time I am actually talking about a glacier so it can't be "the glacial glacier". These are the synonyms of "glacial" (They all mean cold) These are for "slow-moving", but none seem to actually imply the persistent slow movement of a glacier. | I have encountered creeping in the context of glaciers before. creeping advancing or developing gradually. moving very slowly at a steady pace. Another suitable adjective is sluggish . | Adjective meaning very slow-moving | english |
My friend is starting a blog, and the name she is planning to use for it is based in this structure: "Becky" the "Foodie". Should "the" in the name/title be capitalised? Becky The Foodie? Or Becky the Foodie? Thanks so much! | The rules of English dictate that "the" should not be capitalized. Depends whether you think it's important to obey those rules or not, really, many people don't. | Should "the" be capatalised in this situation? | english |
Let us pay attention to the terms back and forward in the quote below. On the 4th of June they had the drill for independence day. But if you go back further you'd find that around mid-May , they were nowhere near planning the event. But if you move forward (to around the end of June ) you should find yourself in shock... | Summary If the date is relative to another date, you observe normal past/future relations. If the date is relative to a speaker, closer to the speaker is "forward" and further away is "backward" I've certainly encountered this and I've noticed it's to do with the relative positioning of the dates compared to the speake... | Time: Move "backwards" or "forwards" | english |
I once read about the inability to locate a country in a world map, make any sense of a world map or the utter ignorance regarding geography, but I cannot find the resource again. I know there's an specific English word for that condition which is to maps what illiteracy is to books. I remember it being a single word, ... | I finally found the word I was trying to remember: ingraphicacy (the inability to understand maps). It's quoted in this University of Edinburgh thesis: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/Users/richc/papers/rcox_thesis.pdf They quote: In 1965, for example, Balchin & Coleman wrote: It is hoped that the concepts of graphicacy an... | Is there a word for "map illiteracy" or "geographic illiteracy"? | english |
Group A: This is so-called "Moon Cake." // The period is inside the double quatation marks This is so-called "Moon Cake". // The period is outside the double quatation marks I know the former is more standard-conforming in most publications; however, I think the latter is more intuitive and meaningful. Because the peri... | You can use either, they're both correct, just choose one and stick to it. As long as your style is consistent, both versions are fine. This is one of the differences between American and British punctuation styles. Americans tend to place punctuation within the quotation marks while the British tend to place it outsid... | How to correctly use double quotation marks at the end of a sentence? | english |
In the ancient times ,there was periods they changes the ruler of a kingdom or empire by assassination him . what do we call that? changing the king in a quick time through assassination? do we call it a coup ? overthrown ? Then, what is the term when the army take a step and take the command of the empire or kingdom a... | The transition period from one ruler to another is often referred to as a succession period. In a period where there is a rapid succession of rulers, you are indicating that the turnover rate at the top, for whatever reason, is swift. The means by which a succession is forced - be it by ouster (generic term for any ove... | what is the term when the kingdom ruler changes through an assassination | english |
We have a Japanese idiom, “鬼に金棒- oni ni kanabo,” of which literal translation is “let an ogres get an iron club,” or an ogres carrying with an iron club. For instance, the United States of America has (or had) been seen as an “oni ni kanabo” country that owns vast land, abundant natural resources, extraordinary wealth,... | go from strength to strength meaning progress from one success to another higher level of success, or continuing to grow stronger. http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/144200.html eg. With the ongoing military modernization, China is now seen as moving from strength to strength. | What is an English word to mean “something that makes already strong one much stronger”? | english |
French there is a process called liaison, where final consonants are omitted unless the next word starts with a vowel. Would it be accurate to say that the English indefinite article (a/an) is an example of this as well, or are these two separate words that mean the same thing? | They're both examples of a broader concept sometimes termed sandhi , basically meaning 'phonological processes occurring to glue words together'. Whether they're both examples of liaison depends on your point of view and on how you want to use that term. If you use the term liaison very loosely to mean something inform... | Is "a/an" an example of liaison in English? | english |
What's the difference between push-ups and press-ups? I browsed the Internet but it seems that both words are used interchangeably. | "Press-up" is definitely the British version of "push-up". I had to learn to change my wording after moving down under from North America. | Push-up vs.Press-up | english |
I've seen both, even in the same Wikipedia article entry. Is there a right and wrong version, or is either version OK as long as I'm consistent? I'm using the word in the context of patent law, as in 'this invention must do A, B, and C to be considered novel and non(-)obvious'. | In US patent law (PDF) they use non-obvious . For example: 103 Conditions for patentability; non-obvious subject matter. In UK patent law (PDF) they use not obvious . For example: An invention shall be taken to involve an inventive step if it is not obvious to a person skilled in the art... New Zealand uses both non-ob... | Non-obvious or nonobvious? | english |
Here is a sentence that I am trying to understand grammatically:- Defrauded depositors of XBANK staged a protest march from the New Town hall to the Fountain circus this afternoon demanding that they be paid immediately. How can we just use:- they be paid In my understanding, the correct way should be:- they should be ... | No, that's fine. It's just a shortened version of "that they are to be paid immediately". | "They be paid" or "they should be paid"? | english |
If the firework happens every 30 minutes from 7:00 7:30, 8:00, 8:30, ... 19:00 Can I say: There will be a fireworks display every half hour on the sharp. | I've never heard on the sharp before. It would be more idiomatic as: on the dot , or 7:30 -- sharp . For this pattern, you could say: 7:30 to 9:00, on the half-hour . Some other ideas: on the dot and the thirty(-minute mark) , every half-hour, punctually or precisely | Every 30 minutes on the sharp | english |
I'm looking for the correct term for the "end of an era", preferably a single word. Essentially I'm looking for the antonym of epoch . Google's dictionary defines epoch as The beginning of a distinctive period in the history of someone or something. I'm looking for a word that means the following: The end of a distinct... | I don't know if this is quite what you're looking for, but two words that came to mind were sunset and twilight. For example: sunset of the British Empire or twilight of the British Empire While I'd guess that the usage in that specific sense came about due to the "sun never sets..." quote regarding the Empire, it seem... | Word for 'end of an era'? | english |
Reading about the movie character, Dexter, a fan was wondering about how the series will end: Why can't they have him get caught or killed? It got me thinking..it is "have sb do smth" used here? I somehow cannot understand the usage of "get" which I can (from context) see references to passive. | I will have him killed. Would mean that I will arrange for someone to be killed. He will get killed. Would mean that some circumstances would lead to someone's death. Now, in terms of how we would talk about the real world, "I will have him get killed" would be strange and unwieldly - just about justifiable, but pretty... | Why can't they have him get caught or killed? - do I need "get" here? | english |
From here , I found such a sentence: This Gem won't cover hardware details... Besides, I also found a book named: GPU Gems I could not look up the meaning of "Gem". What's its meaning in this context? | I have investigated and Robin seems to be right. The Gem is referring to a book called "Game Programming Gems" and in this case refers to a small but valuable piece of information of which there are more than one of in the book. From the author of the article you quoted: http://www.lomont.org/ I posted two articles I w... | What does it mean in this context by "Gem"? | english |
It's been going on for some time, but the phenomenon which was once seen as almost an act of rebellion is now becoming more commonplace. God, capitalized, is increasingly seen only at the start of a sentence. Leaving aside whether one believes in a god, or in the Christian God Himself, why is this convention not being ... | There are more than a few cases that complicate the use of the words god and God . The most obvious is that God is a proper noun used to name a particular god, and this leaves some possible difference as in: Oh my God! Oh my god! Even if we were extremely strict to the use of capitals for God as a name, and assume the ... | Why is the Christian god being spelled with a lowercase letter? | english |
I'm developing a small space game where players can colonise and own multiple planets. How would I refer to something that represents a group/collection of planets? | Depending on how you wanted to go, I would suggest either "system" or "federation" A "System" of planets brings to mind a solar system. While these aren't necessarily orbiting the same star, they are in the "political orbit" of another, and the analogy would be clear. A "federation" of planets would probably bring to m... | What to call a collection of planets? | english |
We are blessed with a baby girl. We got many congratulations, wishes and blessings through mail and SMS. In my reply, I've mentioned The little angel is blessed by your wishes Is this a right phrase? | It's fine as it is, but you could perhaps make it: The little angel is blessed by your good wishes. | Blessed by your wishes | english |
I am not sure which term is more common when people talk and refer to metro station. Somebody told me you should use subway instead of metro and people use subway in everyday talking. Is this true? I am living in Washington,DC. | Each region has a name for their transportation system, so it varies. For New York, I have mostly seen "subway", for DC it's "metro", for Boston and Pittsburgh it's "the T", for Chicago it's "the L". In terms of strict dictionary definitions, both terms imply underground trains. Subway is a generic term, but metro is m... | Metro Station or Subway Station in US? | english |
I know, that I am looking forward to hearing from you. is correct. But I am not sure, if this holds also for other verbs? So is I am looking forward to taste your cookies. or is I am looking forward to tasting your cookies. correct? | It is indeed. In each case, you need an object, so you need a noun or noun phrase: I am looking forward to the holidays. So in order to make a verb serve you must use the gerund. I am looking forward to taking some time off. | I am looking forward to ....? (followed by a Gerund)? | english |
I've noticed a trend for American leaders to use the word "cowardly" to describe acts of violence: Obama: Navy Yard Shootings “Cowardly Act” - in reference to the Sep 2013 DC Navy Yard shooting "Make no mistake, the United States will hunt down and punish those responsible for these cowardly acts" - George W Bush, Sep ... | Ah, but you are to agree that the perpetrators lacked courage, or at least that is what the person making the statement intends when they make it. They are framing some uses of force (whether one calls a given use force violence or not is a similarly politicised matter) as cowardly while others (generally those that th... | Use of the term "Cowardly Act" in regards to violence | english |
What is the meaning of "jersey" in this sentence Kent proceeds to kick the shit out of Greg's jersey" I don't know if it is slang or something about New jersey. | A close-fitting knitted item of clothing worn over ones arms and torso (a type of pullover/jumper depending on dialect) or an shirt or pullover that is part of a sporting uniform. (In this case a baseball jersey, but that's not something one could tell from the quoted sentence alone). | Meaning of jersey in this sentence | english |
Is it He had more experience than I, he having produced more than 10 songs already. or He had more experience than I, him having produced more than 10 songs already. The latter sounds more natural to me, but the former seems more grammatically consistent—alas I don't know what the parts are called to delve furthe... | Young's Literal Translation of the Bible contains: [Luke 15]: 13 `And not many days after, having gathered all together, the younger son went abroad to a far country, and there he scattered his substance, living riotously; 14 and he having spent all, there came a mighty famine on that country, and himself began to be i... | She had more experience than I, she having [...] or her having [...] | english |
I recently learned the word butyraceous and immediately fell in love with it, likely because of my love affair with butter. A quick Google search did not give me anything for its etymology, though. I guess that it is similar to the etymology for the word butter , but the " -yracious " suffix (if that is what it is) con... | As terdon and FumbleFingers indicate in their comments, butyraceous comes from the Latin word butyrum (butter) and the suffix -aceous ("characterized by" or "of the nature of"). It appears in Samuel Johnson's dictionary of 1756, with the definition "Having the qualities of butter." Google's Ngram Viewer shows an intere... | What is the etymology of butyraceous? | english |
Erin no longer recognized her home. She felt as if she had entered a recent battlefield, or a recycling center. It could have been anything—anything except the place she lived (in). Do I have to add the final in in cases like the one above? | Yes, please add the in or add a where anything except the place she lived in. anything except the place where she lived. How about Erin no longer recognized the place. She felt as if she had entered a recent battlefield, or a recycling center. It could have been anything—anything except her home. | "Lived" vs "lived in." | english |
What is the correct preposition in the sentence: Let Ω be a domain in/of Rⁿ. Is there a different meaning for "in" and "of"? Both seem to be commonly used, Google gives about 200.000 hits for both, "domain in RN" and "domain of RN". (Disclaimer: I'm a non-native speaker) | Presumably the sentence uses domain in a sense applicable in mathematical analysis, not as related to functions or ring theory . Per wikipedia , In mathematical analysis, a domain is any connected open subset of a finite-dimensional vector space. This is a different concept than the domain of a function... The appropri... | Let Ω be a domain in/of Rⁿ | english |
Is there a verb for "to make optional"? I've searched questoins on this site, thesaurus.com, and looked in my paper thesaurus and dictionary, but don't see anything. Context for how I plan to use the word is in changelist. The changelist identifies items that were "added", "removed", "updated" and "made optional." I'm ... | I think that the best alternative, in this case, is “made optional”. The only (putative) fault it has is that of not being a single word. I think it has the advantage of being easier to understand — simpler. (If you count the space as a letter, it is only one letter longer.) | Verb for "to make optional" | english |
What is the earliest usage of the noun 'false banana'? The earliest use of the noun 'false banana' I can find is on 1837, but I expected it to be around 1700. Also, I would like to know what the history of the noun is (who first used it, how the noun spread, etc) | It certainly wouldn't be "around 1700", since apparently in 1769 the celebrated Scottish traveller James Bruce first sent a description back to England (of a tree common in ... Abyssinia). I suspect OP's 1837 reference is actually this OCR error. The earliest I can find is the mid 1890s where several different "country... | What is the history of the noun 'false banana'? | english |
When the word that is used in a sentence to introduce some relative clause it is always an essential element which follows. Therefore, no comma is required. Example: I'm sure that you are lying. When I leave out the word that , it is still a correct sentence, right? Do I have to use a comma then? Because, when you read... | The use of commas to set off relative clauses has a specific purpose. In general, they are used to denote clauses that are either parenthetical or otherwise nonrestrictive. In your examples, the clauses are restrictive, that is, they are essential to the meaning of the sentence and specifically delimit the phrase they ... | Comma when leaving out *that*? | english |
I don't know if this is a good question. But as far as I know, and as I do it, American English also say "after" other than "past" in expressing times. For example, a quarter after six instead of, a quarter past six as in British English. The other difference I know, so far, is that the British use dots to separate "ho... | American English most common speech usage examples using 6 o'clock: 6:00 we would normally just say "Six". If we really want to point out the exact time we might say "Six on the dot". 6:01-6:29 normally uses after. Past is fine here too but not used as much. Also if you knew the hour, then you would probably just say t... | How do they express the time, in American and British English? | english |
Comments on stackexchange-url ("this question"), now closed, considered whether the verb be could be modified by an adverb. This seems a question worth pursuing in its own right, so may I ask what completely modifies in the following sentence, if it doesn't modify be ? Whatever you choose to be, be completely. Edit: An... | To be certainly can, because it has its existential meaning, as well as its copulative meaning. To painfully be, not to painfully be. I find it interesting though that while this suggests more motive for the dilemma than the original it weakens it not just in ruining the scansion (it's not like I thought I could improv... | Can the verb 'be' be modified? | english |
I'm currently writing a review for a book for school, and I'm having some trouble as to how I should express that event though I may show some bias, I can provide an "objective speculation." Is this the correct way to say that? | "To speculate" means "Reasoning based on inconclusive evidence; conjecture or supposition". I think it would be difficult to be objective about that, since "objective" means "Uninfluenced by emotions or personal prejudices". Your best bet would be to not use the two words together: "although I do have some bias in this... | Is it correct to call something an "objective speculation"? | english |
I was watching a TV show and this term was used. I am familiar with the definition, but I was wondering the origin of the phrase. It does not make sense to me if taken literally. Reference | Farmer & Henley, Slang and Its Analogues , vol. 2 (1891), says that "dead to rights" means "certain; without doubt," and asserts that it is simply an amplification of the earlier term "to rights," meaning "completely to one's satisfaction." Dead appears in a similarly amplifying way in such current phrases as "dead... | Origin of the expression "Dead to rights"? | english |
What's the origin of 'with flying colours', e.g. "Great job! You passed with flying colours." I've always assumed it was something to do with flags in the navy, but I'm not entirely sure on this one... | The OED's first quotation for successfully "[passing] with flying colours" is: 1622 W. Ames Reply Dr. Mortons Gen. Def. v. 83 He is as it seemeth, a great adventurer: For hee commeth forth upon this peece of service with flying colours. Partridge's A Dictionary of Cliches (1978) says it is "Originally of a man-of-war."... | What's the origin of "with flying colo(u)rs"? | english |
So, I've got a fairly straightforward sentence: Poe did not think himself a writer of inferior material. It is my understanding that "a writer of inferior material" is the object of the understood infinitive "to be," and that the sentence is saying that, in simpler terms, "Poe did not think that he (Poe) was a writer o... | There are three kinds of clauses with lexical verbs in them. Some clauses have a subject, a direct object, and an indirect object. Three different noun phrase arguments. Mike told Billy the story . Mary sent the cake to Sylvia . These are called Bitransitive clauses. There are not very many verbs like tell and send , a... | Reflexive pronouns and understood "to be" | english |
The SAT version of my question would be this analogy: Fill in the blanks: 1) human : biped :: snake : __ The best I've gotten is "legless vertebrate" but I was hoping a single word answer. | The best fit to your title, I would say, is serpentine . That doesn't fit your SAT-style version though, it's equivalent to bipedally . | Is there a word like biped that applies to creatures that move like snakes? | english |
If someone started a story thus, In a time lost, in a certain yet unknown place, is the Castle of Umberdeen ... How could an entity be a certainty and yet unknown? It does not make sense. But then, do we need to apply logical mathematical principles to a fantasy romance. Is the kick-off sentence to the story oxymoronic... | The use of certain in this context actually means particular , so if you imagine the sentence as ...in a particular yet unknown , it's not so confusing. Although the use of certain in this way is common and it's fine, it's not oxymoronic because the nuance of meaning is different from what you were thinking. | Is unknown certainty oxymoronic? | english |
I've been trying to avoid using the two words "extreme/extremely" and "disgust/disgusted" in my sentences, but I can't find any appropriate substitute for "extremely disgusted". I was thinking something along the lines of "abject horror" but that doesn't necessarily convey "disgust". Is there a more specific word that ... | Revulsion would fit. noun [mass noun] 1 a sense of disgust and loathing: news of the attack will be met with sorrow and revulsion [ODO] Although it has a similar appearance and meaning to finding something revolting, it has a different etymology. If you are revolted your insides turn upside-down; revulsion means they a... | Is there a word for "extreme disgust"? | english |
Yesterday, I handed my assignment to the professor as I was reaching the deadline. For some reason it took a while for her to check my paper, which made me uneasy, but eventually she looked at me in awe, mouth agape, and said: Wow! You really surprised me! Now I think I don't know you at all. Who are you? Seriously! St... | It's very unusual to be sure, but it's also spoken word, which can sometimes be a very loose-cut form of english. Her use of "one" is probably just a coincidence of choice, and she probably does mean "you are more than just 'one ordinary person'". Your professor is not teasing you, just using a slightly odd construct o... | Does the professor think that I'm pregnant? | english |
They all mean to shine and they all start with g . But do they mean the same thing? Acording to "Google Dictionary" (the one that appears when you search on Google). glint: give out or reflect small flashes of light. glitter: shine with a bright, shimmering, reflected light. glisten: (of something wet or greasy) shine;... | Essentially, glint, glitter, and glimmer differ in the duration and pattern of the light. Glint would be a brief flash (eg the flash of a shiny stone as he light changes), glitter would be flashes coming from all across the object in a steady but random sequence (eg diamond or the shiny dressing on a Christmas tree), g... | What's the difference between glinted, glittered, glistened, gleamed, and glimmered? | english |
I have been searching online for a particular word; that approximates to an antonym of ameliorate. I am after a specific word. ameliorate verb to make better Synonyms ameliorate, amend, better, enhance, enrich, help, meliorate, perfect, refine, upgrade Related Words correct, emend, rectify, reform, remediate, remedy; e... | <code> exacerbate </code> <code> From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: exacerbate v 1: make worse; "This drug aggravates the pain" [syn: {worsen}, {aggravate}, {exacerbate}, {exasperate}] [ant: {ameliorate}, {amend}, {better}, {improve}, {meliorate}] 2: exasperate or irritate [syn: {exacerbate}, {exasperate}, {aggravate}] ... | Antonym for ameliorate | english |
What word do we use to define someone who is accusing someone/something for everything going around him or her. For example, lets say Jack accuses Jill for everything happening to him. He falls off his bike, Jill sabotaged it. He caught fever, Jill poisoned food. How do you call Jack's action towards Jill? Phobic or Sk... | I think you are looking for paranoid . Paranoia baseless or excessive suspicion of the motives of others. Suspicion and mistrust of people or their actions without evidence or justification. | Terminology - What is the exact word to describe 'being skeptical of something/someone'? | english |
Is there a single word for "never fails"? | 1- Inerrant 2- Unblemished 3- faultless 4- Indefectible 5- Immaculate 6- Impeccable 7- Flawless 8- Infallible | Single word for "never fails" | english |
Usually, we do not use the definite article, the , before names of countries but we use the before "United States of America". Is there a specific reason for using the article before the country "United States of America"? | The is used in front of countries that have: plural names: the Netherlands a general geo-political noun of place, e.g. republic, emirate, kingdom, state: the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom. On a related note, see stackexchange-url ("this post on the capitalization of articles in names"): You only capitalize T... | Need for using the article "the" before "United States of America"? | english |
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