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English, especially in the colloquial, often uses you for generic statements about people. For example, When you are angry, you act less rationally is not necessarily a statement about the listener, but about people in general. However, it's also correct (as far as I know) to say When one is angry, one acts less ration... | It's generally regarded that the two are grammatically acceptable pronouns in American English. However, "one" is also considered to be more formal than you and excessive use of the word can lead one to appear as overly haughty or pretentious. One can use the pronoun "one" as an impersonal pronoun that's representative... | What's the difference between "you" and "one" in the indefinite? | english |
I have a few questions on terminology, first, actually, as having the right terminology may have enabled me to answer this question on my own. What is the terminology for such constructs, "as [adjective] as [noun]"? ( Wiktionary seems to label them adjective-based similes —is that correct?) Is the [noun] consider... | Wiktionary is not the right place to go for grammatical terminology. Sorry. First, "adjective-based similes" is not a grammatical term, nor even a technical one, since it's not clear what it might mean. So that's right out. As I said in the comment, the name for the construction is "Equative", and there are two varieti... | Is it "as wonderful as them" or "as wonderful as they"? | english |
I'm looking for a word which describes the act (noun) of "retrieving" something which has not "been put there" by me in the first place. English is not my native language, so it could very well be that I'm just wrongly interpreting the "re-" in "retrieval" to imply the above described notion. Example : If I were to wat... | Dictionary definition (from Chambers ) retrieve verb ( retrieved, retrieving ) 1. to get or bring something back again; to recover. 2. to rescue or save something • retrieve the situation . 3, to save (time). 4. to restore (honour or fortune). 5. to make good (a loss, error, etc). 6. computing to recover (information) ... | "retrieval" without the notion of "putting it there first" | english |
If we don't leave till after lunch we'll be cutting it very fine. I understand it to mean: "If we don't leave after lunch, we'll be cutting it very fine." (In the event of our not leaving immediately after lunch, we will leave ourselves just enough time to do something.) But why is till in that position? | The word till means until Until means [often preceded by up] in or throughout the period before In the context of your sentences, the first means if we [don't leave in any of the periods before, but] leave [immediately] after lunch, we'll be cutting it fine. The second sentence means If we don't leave [immediately] aft... | Why is "till" used in this expression: "If we don't leave till after lunch..."? | english |
What are the differences between dudes , guys , and friends ? | Guy refers to a man, but guys to either sex (but with a mostly male connotation. Dude most probably refers to a man. Friends refers to either sex. Dude and guys are informal ways of addressing people while friend is slightly more formal . There is a lot of popular cultural discussion of the use of dude as an address. G... | What are the differences between "dudes," "guys," and "friends"? | english |
Someone tells me that he is sorry but he has been absent for a family emergency. Can I say "I hope your family is fine"? I wondered if that's polite in English-speaking culture. | In English-speaking culture, I often hear people apologize for the misfortune of the other person. It's common to say something like "I'm sorry to hear that. I hope everything is ok." | How do I respond to "family emergency"? | english |
In a Stack Exchange comment, I was corrected by referring to a user named <code> alice </code> as a "he". I said stackexchange-url ("(context)"): I know he thinks he needs all of the eigenvalues, but I've learned that ... and was corrected to by another user But a protip: the username "alice" and the pronoun "he" typic... | As the comments say OP is a noun here. He/she is too longwinded. "They" is gender neutral. Theirs, they're, they are, them etc. I would go with option 4 as it identifies "them" as "the OP". Option 3 could confuse readers about who the actual subject is. | What is the proper way to refer to the Original Poster (OP)? | english |
English is not my native language and I'm struggling to get the meanings of: It is a means to an end, not an end in itself. It is more of a means to an end rather than an end in itself. I'd highly appreciate if someone explain the meanings of these two sentences to me. Thanks | An "end" or "end in itself" is the end result, the ultimate goal, the final conclusion. A "means to an end", therefore, is a way of getting to a given goal. So for example, if I want to lose ten pounds, I might start running to lose weight. For me, running is a means (the very act of running) to an end (losing the weig... | What does "It is a means to an end, not an end in itself" mean? | english |
It strikes me as odd to use "indifferent between" rather than "indifferent to", but am having a hard time rephrasing the sentence so that it includes both options. The structure of the sentence I'm looking at is: "X is indifferent between doing Y and doing Z" Now of course the fact that X is indifferent could allow me ... | A regular Google search gives about 350,000 hits for ‘indifferent between’, while a Google books search gives about 120,000 hits. I cannot find any dictionary entries that include examples or citations with this usage, but it does appear to be in actual use, if not all that common. As such, I wouldn’t classify it as ‘t... | Can we say that X is "indifferent between" two possible courses of action? | english |
I have noticed that "Hello" and "Health" look(and sound) quite similar in English. The situation gets more interesting when you look into some other languages as well. For instance: In Russian: здороваться and здоровье mean to say hello and health respectively. Also in Persian: سلام (read as salaam) and سلامت (read as ... | For the same reason that words meaning ‘cheers’ (said when toasting) often mean ‘health’: when greeting someone, it is a very common courtesy to wish them good health. There are many more examples from the world’s languages of words for ‘hello’ (and ‘goodbye’) having meanings that are related to health or religious ble... | Why should "Hello" and "Health" be similar? | english |
The phrase is: ... 40x zoom letting you get closer to the action than anything else on test. I googled "than anything else on test" and the results are related mostly to sports equipment descriptions and e.g. cameras. Is this some idiomatic expression or should I understand it literally? | 40x zoom letting you get closer to the action than anything else on test. A less charitable interpretation than Brian Hooper's would be: "We tried three or four other devices, and the best they could do was 25x zoom". The phrase looks to be advertising and as such, there's no assurance that 'on test' implies anyone con... | What does "on test" mean? | english |
A quote from The Economist: In Iraq failure to reach a similar security agreement led to the sudden and premature departure of all American forces. Here we have two nouns which may be either mass or count according to Oxford Dictionary. One has a zero article (failure), the other takes THE (departure). Filling in artic... | Yes on both counts. When you say you made two mistakes, I disagree. I guess your teacher is a grammar Nazi… | "(zero article) failure" but "the departure": articles before mass nouns | english |
I have a prompt that allows the user to input a date used to generate a report. The date is used to find records. date is on MM/DD/YY date is before MM/DD/YY date is after MM/DD/YY date is between MM/DD/YY and MM/DD/YY My question is for the first prompt. The word on doesn't seem correct to me, and using the phrase is ... | Forget about prepositions and use an adverb. "The date is exactly MM/DD/YY", for example. As you say yourself, the best thing would be to just drop the word completely. "The date is X." GUIs should follow the rules of the language, not the other way round. Oh, and also, the GUI doesn't actually say, "The date is...". I... | How to say two dates are the same? | english |
I want to visit clubs with attractive women. This phrase can be interpreted in two ways: I want to visit clubs myself, but the clubs I visit should have attractive women. I want to take attractive women to clubs; the clubs themselves may or may not already have attractive women. Is there a name for this ambiguity? It s... | Your sentence contains an example of ambiguity resulting from a misrelated construction . The Oxford Dictionary of English Grammar defines misrelated as follows: Not attached grammatically to the word or phrase intended by the meaning, either joined to the wrong word or phrase, or completely unattached. Although terms ... | What is the name of the ambiguity in the phrase "I want to visit clubs with attractive women"? | english |
I read this sentence: those problem are the creative grit of a theory What does "the creative grit" mean? | A sentence similar to the example in the question appears on page 48 of the book On Secularization: Towards a Revised General Theory , by David Martín. In this case “creative grit” apparently uses sense 1 of grit , “hard small materials, such as dirt, ground stone, debris from sandblasting or other such grinding” or pe... | What does "the grit of something" mean? | english |
I'm a breaking wave, because I can't get away from the sea called the world. I'm the breaking wave, because I can't get away from the sea called the world. Which article is proper for metaphor? The breaking wave means the wave that is breaking. I know "breaker" would be better, but I've chosen "breaking wave" by intent... | In poetic usage the author has quite some latitute. But unless you are referring to a specific wave which breakes, ‘a breaking wave’ works better. In the second case, I would go for ‘I want to get a star — you’, but actually your ‘context’ paragraph is quite nice. | Choosing a proper article or word for metaphor | english |
"We're going to practice applying our preoperative checklist with a full team, identifying and fixing small errors" what does "apply a preoperative checklist" mean exactly? | It means that you went through a checklist before leaving for the operation. | apply a preoperative checklist | english |
Which of the following is correct? Or are they both wrong? The southernmost point in Ohio. The southernmost point of Ohio. | I agree with the general consensus that they are roughly the same. However, it's probably more mathematically correct to use of to refer to multiple subsets, and in to refer to a single set. For example: The southernmost point in the state of Ohio. The southernmost point of all the counties in Ohio. | "Southernmost point in" vs. "southernmost point of" | english |
What is gatcha short for? Is it standard English, or is it used in the spoken language only? | I've got you! I imagine it was derived like this: I've got you! → Got you! → Got ya! → Gotcha! → Gatcha! | What is "Gatcha" short for? | english |
The phrase "take advantage of" is usually perceived as negative. Is there a word or a phrase with a similar meaning which would convey a more positive meaning? Akin to "make use of the situation" but more refined. | Opportunity "Games and songs provide the perfect opportunity for classroom interaction and language development." and also Golden opportunity - a very good chance to do or achieve something | Take advantage of - positively | english |
What is the origin of the phrase "needle in a hay stack"? Initially I thought it was a game once played but I haven't found any mention of it outside of it's idiomatic use. | The idiom in full is: " like looking for a needle in a haystack " it is based on the idea that it is very hard to find a sewing needle in a haystack (a tall pile of dry grass). It means when something is extremely difficult (or impossible) to find. The first example of this idea in print was in the works of St. Thomas ... | What is the origin of the phrase "needle in a hay stack"? | english |
Some people hold the irrational belief that one object (or possibly idea) can fix all their problems. For example, someone who is unhappy or anxious might think that smoking is a cure to all their problems. What's the idiom to describe this belief? I used to know it but it slipped my mind. | You may be thinking of magic bullet but panacea would also fit. magic bullet noun informal a medicine or other remedy with advanced or highly specific properties: there’s no magic bullet, and we should just try to eat as varied and well-balanced a diet as possible panacea noun a solution or remedy for all difficulties ... | Idiom for magic object (or idea) that fixes everything | english |
What is the difference between a coat and a topcoat (overcoat, etc)? I want to use a word which mean a part of clothes which I may dress up when I go to a street in the autumn. But as far as I know "coat" might mean something like lab white coat (kind of "robe"). Should I use "topcoat" or some another word? EDIT: I mea... | The term coat is used for the general coats used in formal use. Overcoat is a heavier clothing worn usually during winters. It is longer than a simple coat. The word 'blazer' might be suitable for your description. | Difference between “coat” and “topcoat”, etc | english |
I've found it in an article promoting a new car: In terms of kerbside appeal, it’s in the similar territory to... [another car] I've googled it and in most results the context is houses, gardens, etc. but I can't find any definition. Does it mean that something attracts people's attention in a good way? That people wan... | Kerbside appeal (actually curbside in the US) is usually in reference not to a house or to a garden, but to the property as a whole. When you go to buy a house your first and immediate impression is what the house's exterior looks like. This includes the state of the roof, exterior features, architecture, garden, parki... | What does "kerbside appeal" mean? | english |
The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, as one can read it on The Free Dictionary, says: alpha and omega , noun: 1. The first and the last: "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord" (Revelation 1:8). 2. The most important part. It is a noun that resembles to ... | The answer to your edited question is that neither version is normal, because your assumption that 'probably it is the same in English' is unfounded. Alpha and omega , derived from the Biblical reference, can indeed mean 'the important part': "Set theory is the alpha and omega of the symbolic logic in Whitehead's Princ... | Do "the alpha and the omega" and "from A to Z" have the same meaning or something in common? | english |
I have a quote from an article in The Economist: But they could re-establish a grip on large parts of the south and east of the country, give succour to al-Qaeda, and sow the seeds for a new civil war. Please explain why we need to put the definite article before "seeds": it seems to be a generic reference, and so eith... | It's idiomatic: "sow the seeds" basically means to lay down the catalyst for a future result. | sow the seeds for (whence definite article? ) | english |
With all the "Royal baby" craze comes something that really confuses me. All the news media used pretty much the same sentence to make the announcement: The Duchess of Cambridge has been delivered of a son. A couple of questions: Why not "The Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to a son" or "delivered a baby", or something... | The wording was delivered of was used in the official announcement at Buckingham Palace (image from the Press Association via BBC News): OED has 3 a. To disburden (a woman) of the fœtus, to bring to childbirth; in pass., to give birth to a child or offspring. Rarely said of beasts. (The active is late and chiefly in ob... | Why use "of" in the phrase "delivered of a baby"? | english |
What are the differences in meaning between house and home ? When do I use one or the other? | Generally, yes, house is the structure whereas home has an affective aspect. You can 'feel at home' or 'not feel at home' in a house. House is also a verb. You can be housed or re-housed. | What is the difference between "house" and "home"? | english |
How would an English-speaking person explain the difference between amiable and amicable ? Which is the more friendly? | Neither is “more friendly”. They aren’t the same, nor are they usually applied to the same situation. People are called amiable if they are kindly souls with a friendly and good-natured disposition. Arrangements are called amicable if they are settled with mutual goodwill and without adversarial friction. | A question of nuance: 'amiable' and amicable' | english |
For example: "To corrupt society by allowing violent video games is something only a mother could understand." The point of contention is likely to be the latter part, where you'd be tempted to say "That's nonsense, being a mother doesn't somehow give you greater powers of perception" or similar, and argue about that, ... | You are describing, at least in part, an argument based on false premises . However you are also adding an element of misdirection . But your question is fatally flawed. Your British public school habit of engaging in distraction when crafting a "logical" position is arguably the principal reason that the budget shortf... | Which logical fallacy pushes through something as though it were fact and creates a point of contention afterwards to distract? | english |
This sentence in some of my company's copy has been bothering me for a while: "The new iDirect X3 modem comes with a one year warranty — which [company] will double to two years — insuring your peace of mind." stackexchange-url ("This question") sort of supports it, as does this . But this one from Quick and Dirty Tips... | Most users (in the US) and most dictionaries would select ensure as the logical choice make certain that (something) shall occur or be the case However, insure would not be wrong often followed by against to guarantee or protect (against risk, loss, etc) we insured against disappointment by making an early reservation ... | Is this the right use of "ensure"? | english |
I'm writing the text for the order form of the website. The users are suppose to select their preferences with regard to ads and banners which they want to publish on the website. My question is about the word "Please" when guiding the user through the order process. I checked other websites and everyone is using it di... | It really depends. In my opinion unless you're talking about some kind of delay, skip it. Americans may often find it condescending or superfluous. The only place I'd see it being beneficial is if you're asking them to wait for something. Example: Please wait 24 hours while we process your paperwork. | To "Please" or "not to Please" | english |
I would like to know appropriate adjective(s) to describe a person's abusive language or nature used describe swearing at somebody. Edit: I want a more British and formal English. Something that can be used in formal writing like opprobrious . | scurrilous Definition: 1. a : using or given to coarse language b : vulgar and evil < scurrilous imposters who used a religious exterior to rob poor people — Edwin Benson> 2 : containing obscenities, abuse, or slander < scurrilous accusations > An adjective which is appropriate for formal writing as you asked for... | Adjective to describe very abusive language or nature | english |
Looking for general information with regards to solicit vs elicit , as well as which would be the correct word for this phrase: Before spending time learning your system, I just wanted to [solicit or elicit] some feedback from you. Some background: A person had written an advertisement basically for their system, and I... | The difference is perhaps best illustrated by the fact that you can elicit the truth from the evidence , but not solicit ( soliciting is asking , implying a "conscious" entity you're seeking something from). Relevant definitions from OED... elicit - to bring out, educe (principles, truths, etc.) from the data in which ... | "Solicit" vs. "elicit" | english |
She wants to get rid of an affliction that had been haunting her most of her life. I was thinking if I could make the passage above shorter, say using an adjective instead of that had been haunting her most of her life. Is there any adjective I can use? | You could say “had been a life-long burden” instead of “had been haunting her most of her life”, and it would read ok. Also consider replacing “an affliction that had been haunting her most of her life” with “a long-burdensome affliction”. Note that “She wants to getting rid of” is grammatically wrong. “She wants to ge... | A word that refers to something that had lasted most of one's life? | english |
Is the word voluminous more commonly used to describe women's hair? What's the male counterpart? Actually I'm not very sure about my statement. But judging from Google Images . It seems like it is more commonly used to describe women's hair. What's the male counterpart of the word? | For men it's more common to say: natural thick wavy hair. You can omit the adjectives; natural and wavy, but that is how I would describe the male counterpart . | Is "voluminous" more commonly used to describe women's (not men's) hair? | english |
I've just finished watching an episode of an american tv series. At the end of the episode, the narrator said, 'there is only two episodes left'. My question is: because two episodes is plural and countable, oughtn't it be 'there are only two episodes left'? I find this a bit of confusing, maybe because english isn't m... | Did they say "there is" or "there's"? The correct language would be "there are only two...". However, when this is said with a contraction, many speakers feel that "there're" (for "there are") sounds awkward, and instead say "there's" which is improper but sounds right. You can almost think of "there's" being a contrac... | Usage of 'is' and 'are' | english |
Time magazine (July 22) reported the move of Nate Silver, baseball-stats analyst who turned election data-cruncher, and predicted the last two presidential elections more accurately than politicians and pundits from New York Times to ESPN under the headline, “There is a 99.45% chance that Nate Silver is changing journa... | As detailed by Politico , ESPN and ABC News, both of which are owned by Disney, lured Nate Silver away from the New York Times as the NYT's licensing agreement for Silver's political progostication blog, FiveThirtyEight , was due to expire. As the rest of the Time Magazine article goes on to elaborate, Nate Silver's mo... | What does “Nate Silver’s deal with ESPN is about more than Disney vs. the New York Times” mean? | english |
I've been reading a Wikipedia article that describes the symptoms of rabies in various species, and I want to add a clarification note about which species (or species) a specific paragraph refers to. How can I make it clear that I'm referring either to the singular or plural of the word "species" when the singular of t... | Since both the singular and plural of species are identical, you need to look to context to establish the distinction you seek. A common way to distinguish is to use adjectives or articles that, by their nature, convey singular or plural. This virus is known to infect various species of bats. It is especially virulent ... | How can I distinguish between the singular and plural of "species"? | english |
For the two phases "the last thing I want is..." and "the last thing that I wanted was", can you give some examples of usage and explanations in what situation when you want to use one over the other? Thanks | The last thing I want is to hurt you This means that the speaker is doing (or is going to do) something that involves a risk of hurting the listener, but is stating explicitly that that is not something he wants to do—quite the contrary, he is very reluctant to hurt the listener. Crucially, the listener has not yet bee... | "The last thing I want is..." vs "The last thing I wanted was..." | english |
Both the words "thrifty" and "stingy" have obviously different meanings - for example, the fictional character Scrooge is stingy, while someone following a budget is thrifty. Both imply saving money; how could I explain to someone what the difference is between these words, say, in a single sentence? | It is not exactly the case that they both imply saving money. Thrifty does imply that one tends to save money, by means of careful attention to judiciousness in one's expenditures, particularly by always trying to buy things at the lowest possible cost, but also by keeping an eye on getting the highest possible quality... | How can I explain the difference between "thrifty" and "stingy"? | english |
I was wondering whether the following sentence is grammatically correct: It's remarkable how many ideas for interesting programming projects pop up in your head when what you really should do is to study ! Is to study used correctly? Or should it just be study ? | Yes, it is correct, but normally we omit "to" from an infinitive when it isn't serving as a noun phrase. The effect of putting the "to" back in is to make the statement sound very strong. It works quite well if you imagine the speaker raising his/her voice towards the end of the sentence and really punching out those l... | "When what you really should do is ***" | english |
Which one is proper <code> Comic </code> Book or <code> Comics </code> Book? Are both of them grammatically correct? If so, what is the difference between them? | "Comic books" is much more widely accepted than "Comics books." See Google NGram . "Comic books" is the more grammatically correct phrase, as "comic" describes the kind of book. A similar example would be "car magazine" versus "cars magazine." Even though the magazines each contain multiple cars, the magazine would be ... | Is it Comic Book or Comics Book? | english |
OK, this is an attempt: I remained there, gazing at the sea. Its color was light green in the part closest to the shore, turned slightly darker in the middle, then abruptly changed to dark blue in deeper waters. Are those words commonly used? Or is there a better and simpler terminology to describe them? | It could be described as a gradual deepening of color from the water's edge to the dark, opaque depths at the distant horizon. | What are the common words to describe the different parts of the sea? | english |
Do you windsurf and kitesurf on the lake or in the lake? Do you windsurf and kitesurf on the sea or in the sea? Which preposition is used for the sea and which for the lake ? I need help. I practice windsurfing and kitesurfing in the lake. or I practice windsurfing and kitesurfing on the lake. | Your title and question ask two different things. You kite- and windsurf on a lake, but in the ocean. (I wouldn’t normally say that you do either in the sea, though I can’t quite figure out why ‘ocean’ sounds more right to me than ‘sea’ here.) | Do you windsurf and kitesurf on the sea or in the sea? | english |
-It certainly did not become him to fear Lady Laura on the score of rank, if it was to be allowed to Mr. Kennedy to proceed without fear on that head . (Anthony Trollope ) -He could not believe his father had any such intention; and that if he discovered anything of that kind, it was only when he was in a frenzy, and a... | You're mistakenly grouping the word "fear" with the idiom "on that head", which is unrelated. The latter is a somewhat uncommon (although not unheard of) way of expressing "on that front", or "in that regard". Your third example, for instance, is equivalent to: I assured him he had nothing to fear in that regard. Here ... | fear on that head | english |
Yes I know I can check the dictionary. But I can't find this part. Additive is both noun and adjective. The antonym for the adjective usage is subtractive , because it's an adjective too. But I can't find a noun antonym for the additive as a noun. | Additive usually refers to a chemical compound or foodstuff. A portion removed from such a substance is an extract. The specific case of a solid removed from a solution is a precipitate. Tax and finance use a variety of words for subtraction ( discount, deduction, debit, credit ), and the mathematical term is subtrahen... | If additive is "something added", what would be "something subtracted"? | english |
I've always used "What did just happen?" because I believe we are asking about the object of the verb "happen" so I use an auxiliary and the infinitive. However, I've heard native speakers say "What just happened?", is this correct too? | What did just happen? – is not a correct neutral way of forming this question. ‘What’ here is not the object of ‘happen’, but the subject: It happened => What happened? ‘Happen’ is an intransitive verb and cannot take an object (“†It happened an earthquake” is grammatically incorrect). You can , however, say “What did ... | "What just happened?" vs "What did just happen?" | english |
My native language is German but I’ve been watching a lot of TV in English. During a conversation about the English language, a question about the term gay came up. Is calling a homosexual person gay offensive? Meaning, using "gay" - not in a general contents (as asked in other questions) but to describe the sexual ori... | The adjective gay is the most common term, at least in the U.S., and is not offensive on its own. (It can be used offensively, of course, by using it as an insult, or even as a generic pejorative — "my English class is so gay !" — but then the offensiveness is in the implication that gayness is an insult, r... | Is calling a homosexual person “gay” offensive? | english |
I've always understood that you can order the words <code> not </code> and <code> every </code> (or similar words) in the following two ways to convey distinct logical meanings. Every human is not a man. There is no human being who is a man. Not every human is a man. There are human beings who are not men. Being a non-... | You are correct; Karan of the superuser question you referenced made a grammatical error. It should have been as you phrased it: Not everything in DOS is plain-text That being said, your understanding in the two examples you posted is slightly off. It should be Every human is not a man. There is no human being who is a... | Difference between "not every" and "every ... is not" | english |
I'm having trouble deciding whether you say: A child is breastfed until ... A child is breastfeeding until.. I have heard a native speaker used to second option, but to me that sound as if the child has a child of her own, who she is breastfeeding. Also, consider this case: She was breastfeeding at that age She was bei... | breastfed past tense breastfeeding present tense A child is breastfed until... he is weaned. Take away the "breast" A child is fed until full. or.. A child is breastfeeding until... he is full.? A child is feeding until full. This doesn't sound right A child is being breastfed until he is full. formal which is akin to ... | A child is breastfed or breastfeeding? | english |
At first I just decide to use stutter as a noun: David pulled himself away slowly, his face as pale as a ghost's. Some words came out of his mouth. At first, they were just incomprehensible stutters , but then they gradually began to take shape. "Y-you're...you're not Sophia." But then for some reason, it started sound... | Try some of these: Jumble Ramble Drivel Rant Blather Incoherency Spatter Incongruence Discordance | Word for referring to incomprehensible sounds produced by stuttering/stammering? | english |
Reading Ellery Queen's The Murderer is a Fox , I came across this passage:- When Fox asked me on the phone to deliver a bottle of 100 aspirins, I said: "Say, Mr Fox, what do you do with that stuff - eat it?" You know, cracking wise. But he gets sore and wants to know what "right" I have talking to him "that way", and a... | Looks like a variant on hooey , which the OED defines as: Humbug, nonsense. It’s marked as slang that was originally from the U.S. Also so labelled is phooey , which is given to mean: An expression of strong disagreement with or disapproval of something said. Also as sb., applied to the thing said: nonsense, ‘baloney’.... | What is "gilhooley"? | english |
I have just seen this post on facebook. It says "This two-headed turtle was born on June 18th..." so I wondered if the word "born" can be used with animals that lay eggs. Is there another word for that? | I don’t have any particular reaction against using ‘born’ for animals like turtles. It describes at what time their lifespan began, roughly. The specific term that relates to the ‘birth’ of coming out of an egg is hatching, but that does specifically describe the moment when the eggshell cracks and the young emerges fr... | Can "born" be used with creatures that come from eggs? | english |
General Party Secretary of the CCP, Xi Jinping, called for the revival of the Chinese spirit. I think it's ungrammatical, and the is required before general , or the commas must be omitted. Do experts here agree? | The sentence is wrong. Either the name Xi Jinping is meant as an appositive and the subject of the sentence is General Party Secretary or Xi Jinping is the subject and General Party Secretary is his title. An appositive, like a lot of phrases, can be deleted without affecting the structure of the rest of the sentence. ... | General Party Secretary of the CCP, Xi Jinping, called for the revival of the Chinese spirit | english |
In an answer of an interesting question, Is mathematical history written by the victors? , professor Paul Garrett wrote: Again, "winning" is certainly not a reliable sign of absolute virtue. Could be a PR triumph, luck, etc. In certain arenas "winning" would be a stigma... What is a PR triumph? By searching online, I'm... | In context "PR" does, in fact, stand for "public relations". The writer is saying that one way a person can win is by successfully manipulating public opinion ("PR triumph"). That is what propagandists (experts in public relations) do. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Ber... | What is a PR triumph? | english |
Which sentence sounds better/more natural? She first became aware of it at the age of five. or She first became aware of it at age five. | The only difference is in register: they're both equally valid in professional writing. Writing “at the age of five” is more formal, while “at age five” is more technical or direct. Modern and effective language tends towards brevity, so the second wins in that sense. | "at the age of" vs "at age" | english |
Does the word "exercise" in this sentence means something different because it is followed by the preposition "in" instead of "of". I've looked the word up on merriam-webster but i could only find examples of "exercise" followed by "of" Here's a sentence: "Achieving compliance is an exercise in purpose, not power" Than... | When you use or exert something within your control, that's an exercise of the object: an exercise of strength, power, duty, stock options. From Merriam-Webster Online : 1 a : the act of bringing into play or realizing in action : use <the exercise of self-control> When you perform a lesson or other marked practice,... | an exercise in ≠of? | english |
In Italian if I were to say, "sopra l'albero" (albero = tree) you might rightly ask: "Yes but where, exactly?" But " sopra " is a great word to learn in Italian, not only is it a very flexible preposition of place, you can create a new word by simply tagging a noun, which explains perfectly its meaning. No guess work n... | above at a high level ORIGIN Old English abufan (as an adverb), from a- ‘on’ + bufan (from bi ‘by’ + ufan ‘above’). on physically in contact with (but also at a high level) ORIGIN Old English on, an, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch aan and German an, from an Indo-European root shared by Greek ana . over at a high ... | In English you have 'above', 'on', 'over' and 'on top of' but in Italian one word, 'sopra', covers all four meanings | english |
I have always thought that the latter: Cars sale , is incorrect; yet Google returns almost the same number of results for both! My concern is about Rule extraction and Rules extraction to be precise; for a Chapter title! P.S. Clearly, we are selling many cars (or extracting many rules); not one! | In your examples, car and rule are noun adjuncts : nouns used as adjectives. Wikipedia notes: Noun adjuncts were traditionally mostly singular (e.g. "trouser press") except when there were lexical restrictions (e.g. "arms race"), but there is a recent trend towards more use of plural ones, especially in UK English. Man... | "Car sale" vs "Cars sale" | english |
I'm translating two poems into English and I have two questions -- hopefully someone will be able to help me with them... First, I needed to know whether I can simply use "See!" as a sentence (imperative). I tried to do my own research, but it's hard to google this because google does not read punctuation. I know I can... | You can use almost any verb as an imperative. "Look!" "Eat!" "Drink!" "Drive!" "Die!" While it would be grammatically possible to use "Hear!" as an imperative, it is difficult to obey that without actually listening, so "Listen!" is more usual. And it's difficult to think of a valid application for "Be!" "See!" is the ... | imperative and intransitive | english |
Making a spelling mistake is called "misspelling". It obviously can't be "misgrammaring"... Here's the full context: “codes”. This might be considered a “minor grammatical error”, only it isn't. This book deals with code... our profession is creating code. Being a web developer makes you interact with thousands of peop... | Solecism (in the sense “Error in the use of language”), a rather general term that encompasses grammar mistakes, is one possibility. Another general term is infelicity . A few dozen quite-specific kinds of language errors (mostly stylistic rather than grammatical) are explained in BYU's Stylistic Vices webpage, for exa... | What is a verb to describe the act of making a grammatical error? | english |
Example: The behavior of a resource is determined by which HTTP method the resource is responding to. Is the part "which HTTP method the resource is responding to" the object of by ? But it seems to me also understandable that the which in by which refers to the part "The behavior of a resource". | Your analysis seems essentially correct. 'By' is a preposition and the prepositional phrase is adverbial, modifying "is determined" by telling how something is done. The object of the preposition is a dependent noun clause with relative pronoun 'which'. This particular clause "which HTTP method the resource is respondi... | How to distinguish when the preposition "BY" refers to the object previously or the whole sentence afterwards | english |
I am struggling to decide the correct tense / verb usage where one wishes to express some past plan for the then future: We agreed that, when xyz happens , we would do abc . We agreed that, when xyz happened , we would do abc . Something else? According to Future in the Past , the second form is correct because one mus... | We agreed that, when xyz happens, we would do abc This sentence does not make sense to me. If ‘happens’ is present tense, xyz clearly is still in the future (or is a general statement, ‘when’ meaning in effect ‘whenever’). Therefore, ‘do’ should also be in the future (or present) tense, rather than in the conditional m... | Past plans for the future | english |
What's is more grammatically correct? Once in the terminal, I started towards the nearest exit, glancing at the other tourists. There were of all kinds: groups, husband and wife, and people being waited with a sign. Or Once in the terminal, I started towards the nearest exit, glancing at the other tourists. There were ... | There were of all kinds is never correct. There is a Dummy Pronoun here and needs an object (like Predicate Nominative). Also you should say husbands and wives as we are talking about different groups. Waited when used as passive needs the Dependent Preposition on or for . Without major edits I submit this version: Onc... | "There were all kinds" vs "there were of all kinds" | english |
I am looking for a word to describe a location (an x,y coordinate) and an orientation (north, south etc). Is there such a word? | For a similar question (stackexchange-url ("Word to encompass object's location or size")) I wrote: Wiktionary's sense 3 of geometry is suitable: the spatial attributes of an object That is the sense used in X Window System geometry specifications, which may specify width, height, x-offset, and y-offset, or may specify... | Word for position and orientation | english |
Okay, trying to come at this from a different angle... I need a more concise way to say "Families for which you are a child and therefore show your siblings and parents" – something that would be suitable for a title of a table/listing. Additionally, I need a more concise way to say "Families for which you are a parent... | All four of your examples describe an immediate or nuclear family. In English, we naturally use immediate family to denote your spouse(s) and child(ren) if you are a parent, your sibling(s) and parent(s) if you are a child. To distinguish the two cases, the most natural terminology would be a child's immediate family a... | Describing the type of family a person belongs to | english |
I often see people on the Internet using a comma before and in many cases (not adversative cases). Is it ok? In my language it is stricly prohibited to use a comma before an and except for adversative cases or when an apposition is in the front of that and . Examples (which I consider not ok ): He is a great player, an... | From the Oxford Guide to Style 2nd ed section 5.3: Use the comma to join main clauses that are semantically related, grammatically similar, and linked by one of the coordinating conjunctions and , but , nor , or , and yet . Such clauses are joined by a comma if they are too long, and too distinct in meaning, to do with... | When to use a comma before "and" | english |
I often in children's literature come across the rrrrrrrrrrrrS when a plane take off and the bumpity-bump when someone falls, etc. and I am wondering if these are called with a specific term? written sounds? transcribed sounds maybe? | Making a descriptive word out of the sound that something makes is called onomatopoeia : Definition of ONOMATOPOEIA 1 : the naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it (as buzz, hiss) 2 : the use of words whose sound suggests the sense The term is derived from the Greek words ὄνομα ... | what are the specific term for these words? | english |
I happened upon the following sentence in a textbook: 'An increase in the number and size of islets is characteristic of infants born to diabetic mothers. I get that, as the sentence is presented, the singular noun 'increase' is governing the singular verb 'is', but aren't two different 'increases' being described, one... | In this case it clearly is intended to mean that both number and size increase together, and therefore there's only one increase involved; and it is that joint increase that is characteristic. It's not unambiguous; the author could mean that the number and the size vary independently. But that would be misleading, at l... | One 'increase' or two 'increases' | english |
stackexchange-url ("Over on Math.SE"), a question exists regarding the usage of the word "that" in the following sentences: Assume that A = B. Assume A = B. A well-known author suggests that users elect Option 1 in mathematical writing. A discussion arose whether or not Option 1 is perfectly acceptable usage of the sub... | Patterning of the subjunctive is becoming very spotty in English, but is generally restricted to subordinate clauses licensed by verbs of compulsion or persuasion. e.g., The court orders/requests/requires/prays that Thomas present himself for sentencing... [pray used in its legal sense]. In modern American English (I d... | "Assume that A = B" subjunctive? | english |
My girlfriend is going through resumés and thought this sentence fragment was grammatically incorrect: "One plus years experience in..." She thinks it should be either: "One plus years' experience..." or "One plus years of experience..." Which one is correct? | None is very felicitous. OED has this example: 1978 Jrnl. Royal Soc. Arts 126 617/2 It will be a hundred years plus before we have a significant contribution. ...which would indicate that " One year plus of experience " would be better than putting plus before year . It does sound better. Better still would be to avoid... | "One plus years experience in..." | english |
Yesterday I was going through my son's books and at one place it was written I have a long neck, I have spots on my body — what am I? I thought it should have been I have a long neck, I have spots on my body — who am I? Can somebody please clarify which one is correct? | If who is used, the scope of the answer gets reduces to a specific person in particular. Otherwise it has wider scope. So what will be the proper answer. | "What am I" vs. "who am I" | english |
Can you guys suggest me some good easy to understand English learning video tutorials to download? | Try Educator.com , English learning series. They are very useful for me and i learned a lot of them. You can find them for download in Google. The English learning series in Educator.com contains: English Grammar English Composition Application Essays AP English Language & Composition AP English Literature & Co... | Need some good video tutorials | english |
In a multicat house, there is often a cat who is the boss for other cats. What is the proper term for such cat? Is it "dominant cat"? Are there any other, less formal, terms for it? | The traditional term would be Alpha Male/Female, but I also like Top Cat and Boss Cat. | What is the term for a cat who is bossing other cats around? | english |
Is there a verb in the English language that describes the act of opening a can with a tab (like soda, for example). The closest I can get is "cracked open", but I'd like something more concise. What about in other languages? | I think the turns of phrase "He pulled the tab on his beer." or "She popped the tab on her cooler." work nicely as alternatives. | Is there a verb to describe opening a can with a tab? | english |
Which of the phrases is correct and why? "This document assumes a general familiarity with ..." or "This document assumes general familiarity with ..." Google search gives me approximately equal distribution of occurrences, so I don't know which one is better. Would greatly appreciate your assistance. | In OP's specific case, I think omitting the article is fine (as she says herself, both versions occur about equally). But in related variants like "I assume you have a firm grasp of English grammar" , you actually need the article, to sound like a native. So if you're not sure in any given case, include a/an . | Do I need an article here? | english |
This is a question bugging me for a long long time, especially for a non-native speaker like myself. We have physicist standing for the people doing physics research, as is linguist , chemist , etc. But for math, the counterpart of "-ist" suddenly becomes "-ian": I call myself a mathematician . What bugs even more is t... | Is there a standard rule to decide which one to use, "-ian" or "-ist", when describing an occupation? The suffix in mathematician and physician (and other words such as politician, magician) is actually -ician (from the French -icien) which is constructed by taking the suffix -ica (names of arts or sciences in Latin su... | Usage of -ist and -ian, when to use which? | english |
Jim: Have a donut. Steve: Don't mind if I do! [grabs honey cruller] What exactly is Steve telling Jim here: Steve doesn't mind if he has a donut Steve warns Jim, lightly, not to mind if he takes a donut (Jim did offer, after all) | Don't Mind If I Do was a catch-phrase popularised by Colonel Chinstrap in the radio programme It's That Man Again . It means "thank you very much, I am pleased to accept your kind offer". It is chiefly used in accepting the offer of a drink (well, that's usually when I use it, anyway), but will do for any other small g... | Don't mind if I do! | english |
Do I put a question mark after the following sentence? Do you know where it is because I cannot find it? I guess it is quite simple but I get really confused when the 'because' is there. To me the question doesn't seem like after the 'because'. Should it be two sentences? | I would write it like this. Do you know where it is? Because I cannot find it. Question mark after is , because that is the end of the question. Then you're making a statement. Two separate sentences in the example you used. | Because in the middle of a question | english |
I am reading a document, and it is confusing me and want to be certain of the meaning of this sentence: <code> OUR COMPANY'S TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ACTUAL DAMAGES FOR ANY CAUSE WHATSOEVER WILL BE LIMITED TO THE GREATER OF $500 OR THE AMOUNT PAID BY YOU FOR THE SOFTWARE THAT CAUSED SUCH DAMAGE. </code> If the amount... | You have understood correctly. If the software cost $200 then the most you could receive would be $500 because 500 is greater than 200. Your sentence looks correct to me, except that that % symbol should be placed after the number, eg. 25% . | What does it mean to say "The greater of _ or _" | english |
I'm looking for a word that you'd use to refer to all computers that distinguishes them from gaming consoles. The word " computer " is too general - that would include servers and other industrial machines - and technically consoles as well. I could go with " home computer " or " personal computer ", but I'd like to fi... | I think the lay (non-technical) person still thinks of "computer" as being a laptop or desktop. Of course, anything with a processor in it is technically a computer, which these days means your phone, gaming console, tablet, but also quite possibly your television, media device, and even devices like washing machines, ... | Word to refer to computers as opposed to consoles | english |
Question: I was translating the term <code> Wartung, Instandhaltung und Unterhalt </code> in our software. I came up with <code> Maintenance, Upkeep & Sustenance </code> And I was just thinking. Is somebody actually capable of explaining me the difference between these 3 (English) words ? ;) | It depends on what is being kept in good condition. I think that: maintenance works better for structural or mechanical things, such as buildings and automobiles, upkeep works better for things that grow, such as hair and landscaping projects, and sustainance is more fitting for nourishment, or for something abstract, ... | What's the difference between maintenance, upkeep & sustenance | english |
What does this phrase: "He still wandered on, out of the little high valley, over its edge, and down the slopes beyond" mean exactly? The doubt is about the path defined. It's clear that he was walking without a defined destination, then: he passed the little valley? He avoided the little high valley? climbed to its ed... | A picture is worth a thousand words. He wandered along the red line over the green ground, which I've shown in profile. | Meaning of " He still wandered on, out of the little high valley, over its edge, and down the slopes beyond" | english |
Because "résumé" or "resume" as a noun is a false cognate with the French equivalent, I tend to avoid using "résumé" to mean "summary", and only reserve it to mean "that document people bring to interviews." Is the use of "résumé" to mean either "summary" or "document describing work experience" localized to certain ar... | Collins has: résumé noun 1 a short descriptive summary, as of events 2 (US & Canadian) another name for curriculum vitae whereas Webster's has: ré•su•mé or re•su•me or re•su•mé n. 1 summary. 2 a brief written account of personal, educational, and professional qualifications and experience, as that prepared by a job... | Résumé as summary vs document describing work experience | english |
I am lost on the usage of inquire. Are any of the following sentences acceptable? If so, which is the most appropriate? I'd like to inquire if you are still accepting applications? I'd like to inquire as to if you are still accepting applications or not? I'd like to inquire whether you are currently accepting applicati... | If it's a formal letter I'd express it as, "I am writing to enquire whether you are still accepting applications for the position of Paper Clip Straightener as advertised on SEEK on 19th July." If you're in north America, the date should be month then day, so "July 19th". Enquire and Inquire are essentially the same wo... | Inquire if position is still open | english |
I’m creating a list of families that lists both partners’ names, ages, wedding date, and divorce date if there is one. To do this I have been using: <code> Husband Age Wife Age Marriage Date Divorce Date </code> My cousin got married, and because he is gay Husband and Wife no longer apply as appropriate titles for the ... | The correct term is spouse : The term is gender neutral , whereas a male spouse is a husband and a female spouse is a wife. (My emphasis) Both members of the marriage are spouses, regardless of sex. In the context of your table, <code> Spouse 1 </code> / <code> Spouse 2 </code> or <code> Partner 1 </code> / <code> Part... | Non gender oriented way to replace husband/wife | english |
She spotted things she'd never seen before like three-wheeled bikes and elephants. She caught the sight of one of them on the sidewalk. I want to replace one with a word that would make it clear that I'm referring to an elephant. | I'd say, "She caught sight of the latter , lumbering along the sidewalk." "Latter" makes it clear that she means the last one in the list and I added "lumbering" because that's how I see it in my mind's eye. :-) | Referring to the last item of a list in the next sentence | english |
I wonder which of the following is grammatical. Your account password or username may have changed, but hasn't yet been updated on our side. Your account password or username may have changed, but haven't yet been updated on our side. | If you use only ‘or’, the verb should be singular: Your account password or username may have changed, but has not yet been updated on our side. If, on the other hand, you leave yourself open to the possibility that both may have changed and use the ever-dreaded ‘and/or’, things are murkier. In that case, I would sugge... | One may, two verbs | english |
I saw a phrase on the curb. Literally: "NO DUMPING. FLOWS TO BAY". Why there is no article before "bay"? Bay is countable, and I think article should be there. Or it may be Bay? (The curb situated in SF Bay Area, probably bay is Bay here)? Articles are pain for me. | Signage in English often uses short, clipped phrases instead of complete sentences. If you were to rewrite the message from this sign as a full, grammatically standard sentence, it would be something like: Dumping is prohibited. This drain flows to the bay. Phrases such as ‘No Dumping. Flows to Bay’ would n... | Article in a phrase | english |
and no woman will not come within 1 mile of you The other person wanted to say - no woman will come within a mile around you. | Yes, that seems like a straightforward example of a double negative. It's probably worth noting, however, that "within a mile of you" is the usual phrase in this context; "within a mile [or whatever distance] around you" is seldom heard in native English speech. A grammatically correct and natural-sounding way of expre... | Is this sentence an example of double negative? | english |
If you're talking about a particular letter of the alphabet, how do you format it? Do you just write it? Do you put quotes around it? Do you italicize it? Do you just have to write it out? Does the h come before the g or after it? Does the 'h' come before the 'g' or after it? Does the h come before the g or after it? D... | In formal writing which preserves the use–mention distinction and has access to both roman and italic faces, your third choice is the preferred rendering: Does the h come before the g or after it? For example, in the OED’s entry for the letter g , they write: From the 13th c., however, the ȝ was by some scribes wholly ... | How do you refer to letters of the alphabet? | english |
Time magazine (July 16) carries Maya Angelou’s comment on the Zimmerman Trial under the title, “Maya Angelou reacts to Zimmerman Trial, evokes Civil Rights era.” http://swampland.time.com/2013/07/16/maya-angelou-reacts-to-zimmerman-trial-evoking-civil-rights-era/#ixzz2ZFi70AgH It goes as follows; “Author, poet, and act... | This is a specific sense of profile meaning ‘to make assumptions about a person's intentions or behavior.’ It is widely used in discussions of crime and law enforcement. Angelou is arguing that Zimmerman assumed that Martin was a criminal on the basis of his skin color, an act known as racial profiling... | Does ‘profile’ have a meaning of ‘identify’ or “read” by appearance? | english |
What's the relation of the word "fallout" with the hypothesis of a nuclear disaster? There is that famous game called "Fallout", and all the post-apocalyptic environment has its roots and causes in the word "fallout". Is it corret to say: The ideia of a nuclear fallout frightens everyone. ? "fall + out" reminds a nucle... | If the nuclear blast occurs close enough to the ground, it will produce radioactive dust which will rise into the atmosphere as a cloud. The particles of dust will then fall out of the cloud and settle to the ground, causing radioactive contamination of the ground and objects over a wide area, even many miles from wher... | What's the relation of the word "fallout" with the hypothesis of a nuclear disaster? | english |
I have noticed a trend that where in the past one would simply use the word "fee", now the phrase "nominal fee" is always used. As far as I understand, the word "nominal" literally means "in name only". So a "nominal fee" would be a fee so low that it is not really a fee at all, but is a fee "in name only". For example... | You are absolutely right: this is an inflation of the word "nominal", which ought to mean "(so low as to be) in name only". You would normally not name the exact amount if you say it's a "nominal fee"; you just say this: The beach is open for a nominal fee. You might add the actual fee in brackets. Perhaps whoever made... | Are all fees becoming "nominal"? | english |
What is a single word for “already made path”? For example "to walk in a person's [already made path]" | In your specific example, it would most often be said as To walk in a person's footsteps This is a common expression that can be used literally and figuratively to to mean "to follow the path already made by someone". A footstep, or course, is the impression made by someone when they create or follow a path. Noting you... | What is a single word for “already made path” | english |
In the phrase "invasion of Vietnam", Vietnam is being invaded. It seems whenever I see "invasion of (SOME COUNTRY NAME)" in any English text, the country in question is being invaded and is not the invader. That is why I am confused by the movie title. Is that a misnomer or is it that "invasion of X" can have two meani... | The preposition of can convey a form of possessive that reflects the actor. For example, one of the definitions in the Compact OED is expressing the relationship between an author, artist, or composer and their works collectively: the plays of Shakespeare the paintings of Rembrandt These are the plays by Shakespeare [n... | Is Invasion of the Body Snatchers a misnomer? | english |
Is it OK to omit window in the following sentence: Mary relaxed her body as she peered out the plane. Clear turquoise water and miles of white sand started appearing on the horizon. Is it apparent that the person is peering out of a airplane window? | You can't "peer out the plane"; when you peer out (X) , then (X) is the object through which you are peering. Unless the entire plane is made of glass or other transparent material, it is not a suitable object for being peered out. You can, however, peer out OF the plane; in this case, "the plane" is the location from ... | "peered out the plane" vs "peered out the plane window" | english |
What is the proper use of the apostrophe in this phrase: The party is at the Johnsons's Assuming, the regular form of the last name is "Johnson" and there are at least two people in the Johnson family. I assume it should be possessive because it is implied that it is referring to their house. What would the correct for... | At the Johnsons' would be my suggestion. There is an implicit "house" at the end I have also seen At the Joneses' for a house belonging to the Jones family Have a look at these many pages stackexchange-url ("stackexchange-url | Party at the Johnsons's? | english |
I am trying to describe the desired formatting for numbers in a given document. For rounded monetary quantities over a million this would be dollar sign, arabic numeral, unit (e.g. 3,000,000 dollars would be written as <code> $3 million </code> ). Is there a term that describes this format? | Speaking as a computer programmer, we tend to call $3,000,000.00 "accounting format." In this case, however ($3 million), we tend to just call it "million format" As in, "could you put these account totals in million format?" Same goes for billion and trillion, but nothing less than a million. | Is there a term to describe the written format of a monetary quantity as symbol + numeral + unit? | english |
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