This tag is for questions about the differences in the meaning of two words.
0
votes
2answers
148 views
“Feeding” data or “entering” data: which one is correct?
Which is the better verb to use with data: feeding or entering?
Furthermore, which is more common in the
literature of the field and which do people who
work in the field say more often?
Are they ...
2
votes
2answers
152 views
“Regress” vs. “retrogress”
What do each of them mean exactly? Is either (or both) the opposite of "progress"?
Could someone please explain the difference?
To add some context:
When I look up the definitions I see the ...
-1
votes
1answer
197 views
Do “figure out” and “realize” mean the same? [closed]
Talking about noticing something, do both mean the same?
For example:
I just figured out that the ball is blue.
I just realized that the ball is blue.
0
votes
2answers
193 views
Is there a difference between “brainstorming” and “mindstorming”? [closed]
Some people use brainstorming, others use mindstorming. I could not find the difference between the two words.
1
vote
2answers
102 views
“types of data” vs. “data types” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
“Data source types” vs. “types of data sources”
Please can you tell me that what the difference is between "types of data" and "data types". Are they the same?
For ...
0
votes
1answer
186 views
What's the difference between “bloke”, “chap” and “lad”?
Several synonyms are used in the UK: bloke, chap, lad. What's the difference between them?
1
vote
1answer
75 views
Connotation of terms regarding one's profession [closed]
I'm wondering if there are more-commonly-than-not held connotations for terms regarding occupation that would differentiate between one's own personal experience in a field versus the description of ...
1
vote
2answers
149 views
Can “supposed to” be used to mean “considered to”?
I have a doubt regarding expression like these:
The new Al Pacino movie is supposed to be a good movie.
Asians are not supposed to be good ball players.
Whale is supposed to be the smartest animal ...
1
vote
1answer
86 views
“Clod” vs. “chunk” vs. “lump”
Are there usage differences between clod, chunk, and lump? Are they interchangeable?
For example, is it better to use lump or clod for wood?
3
votes
0answers
139 views
“Straight ahead” vs. “straight as you go” [closed]
Is straight as you go used often? What is the main difference to straight ahead?
I have heard straight ahead in conversations quite a bit, but straight as you go doesn’t ring a bell. Perhaps it ...
5
votes
3answers
174 views
“Point to” and “point at”
I'm having trouble putting the difference in meaning between "point to" and "point at" into words and my Longman dictionary isn't helping, I'm afraid.
I'm not a native speaker, but I feel there is a ...
4
votes
2answers
173 views
Is there any difference in meaning between “All these” and “All of these”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Is it correct to use “all this” instead of “all of this”?
Are they fully interchangeable, or do they have a somewhat different usage?
Common sense suggests that "all ...
2
votes
3answers
791 views
“Gain/acquire/gather/get experience”
According to my Longman dictionary, gain experience and get experience seem to mean the same:
gain/get experience: The programme enables pupils to gain some experience of the world of work.
But ...
6
votes
1answer
96 views
Difference between “mark” and “marker”
In a diagram, I added small visual elements to identify specific objects. Should I call these things (visual) marks or (visual) markers? What is the difference? Is there a better term?
According to ...
2
votes
4answers
126 views
“To latch in a recess/groove” vs. “to catch in a recess/groove”
Is there a difference in meaning when used in a technical context? For example, does a fork latch in a recess when pressed or does it catch in the recess?
3
votes
3answers
269 views
Difference between “before” and “in front of”
Which one is correct?
The patterns swam before her eyes.
OR
The patterns swam in front of her eyes.
I know that "before" is mostly used when we talk about the time, but is it right to ...
0
votes
1answer
78 views
word usage 'understand each other' [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
“Each other” vs. “one another”
Those using Irish Sign Language, American Sign Language or British Sign Language, will not automatically understand one another.
or
...
2
votes
2answers
425 views
“Era”, “age”, and “epoch”
What are the differences and relations between era, age, and epoch? For example, should I say one of these?
We are now in the digital era.
We are now in the digital age.
We are now in the digital ...
3
votes
2answers
354 views
Usage of “matter” and “substance”
What is the difference between matter and substance?
For example, are ice and water "the same matter" or "the same substance"?
Dictionaries seem vague about the difference. For example, the Oxford ...
14
votes
3answers
3k views
“Thru” vs. “through”
Could anyone explain the differences between "thru" and "through"?
Is the difference only in spelling?
Is "thru" some sort of slang?
2
votes
1answer
308 views
“Thus” vs. “Thusly”
I read an article that used "thusly" and was wondering if there is any grammatical credence to it.
The quote:
The issue started when Sokolowski quickly ran out of storage capacity in his 32GB ...
2
votes
1answer
142 views
Information that the reports can work 'off' or 'of' [closed]
Should it be
Last years data set contains information that the reports can work off
or
Last years data set contains information that the reports can work of
?
3
votes
3answers
524 views
“Archetype” vs. “stereotype”
In terms of usage, is it fair to say that an archetype is a broader description of a class than a stereotype?
Here’s a reference to the usage of archetype becoming blurry in my mind.
Mindy Kaling, ...
-3
votes
1answer
448 views
Difference between seed, nut, kernel, pit, grain
I was reading on a food package that it contained seeds AND grains. I thought, aren't they the same thing?
I thougth for a second and it seems like the following are all the same thing:
Seed (as in ...
2
votes
3answers
664 views
Meaning of various valedictions or closing expressions
Related to, but I believe distinct from, the following questions:
What does the "yours" in "yours sincerely" mean?
What are some expressions that can be used to end an email?
...
2
votes
2answers
477 views
Accomplishment vs. Achievement (implicit superiority)
I elsewhere saw the difference between the two explained thusly: accomplished denoted "completed for someone else's benefit", achieved "completed by oneself".
I consider it a one off, but can anyone ...
0
votes
3answers
243 views
“Let's plan to meet at three o'clock” vs. “Let's meet at three o'clock”
What's the differences between the two?
Personally, I'd say let's meet each other at three o'clock. Is formality the only difference between them?
Here is the complete conversation:
4
votes
5answers
591 views
“Hardly” vs. “barely”
I'm from Germany and in German both translate to the same word (kaum). I'd like to know the difference between these two words, hardly and barely.
0
votes
1answer
80 views
Difference between “fallback” and “fall back”? [closed]
I am struggling to understand when to use fallback and when fall back (with a space).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallback
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_back_and_forward
Basically I have to ...
-1
votes
1answer
314 views
“Button up” vs. “button down” [closed]
As it pertains to a dress shirt, which is the correct usage or do these terms have different meanings?
2
votes
2answers
103 views
The differences among: deliver, ship, and transmit
Are these definitions correct?
Delivered: The package has arrived at your place.
Shipped: The package was just sent.
Which word can be used to describe that the package is on its way? ...
0
votes
3answers
1k views
“Extensible” vs. “extendible”
Where does the adjective form extensible come from and does it connote anything different than extendible? What's the difference, if any, between the two?
5
votes
2answers
213 views
The usage of slander, defame, vilify, and calumniate
English is not my native language. I am confused about the usage of these four words: slander, defame, vilify, and calumniate.
They are all verbs with almost the same meaning and I don't which one ...
2
votes
1answer
149 views
“Advertising” vs. “Advertisement” in US political commercials
This is the first year I noticed the verbal boilerplate at the end of US political commercials states:
Group X is responsible for the content of this advertising.
compared to what I recall (and ...
2
votes
1answer
194 views
What's the difference between “vita”, “curriculum vitae”, “maintenance history” and “résumé”?
As far as I know, the words
vita
curriculum vitae
résumé
maintenance history
all mean a document that includes information about your life and your education that you give a company if you want to ...
6
votes
3answers
269 views
How different is “Nothingness” from “Nothing,” “Emptiness,” “Void,” “Vanity,” “Vacuum,” and “Zero”?”
Pursuant to my previous question on “Fear Factors” in the article of Financial Times (November 23, 2007) -“The ten things everyone should know about science,” there was the following sentence:
...
2
votes
4answers
432 views
What is the difference between “dewatering” and “unwatering”
This report on the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy refers to the process of removing water as unwatering. However, I always thought that this process was called dewatering. What, if any, is the ...
0
votes
2answers
310 views
“rather than” vs “as opposed to” [closed]
We do not know whether X will have an effect on element Y as opposed to others.
We do not know whether X will have an effect on element Y rather than on others.
The first version is the first ...
1
vote
2answers
306 views
“I wouldn't ever” vs. “I would never”
The two expressions from the title, “I wouldn't ever” and “I would never”, are very similar. But are they completely equivalent or do they bear any subtle differences? If so, how do they differ in ...
3
votes
2answers
610 views
“Not possible” and “Impossible”
When we say,
It is not fair.
or
It is unfair.
I'm not sure enough to say whether both of the sentences have the same meaning or not though superficially, there is no difference between ...
1
vote
1answer
307 views
Difference between “governorate”, “province” and “state” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What are: province, territory, protectorate, state…?
Canada has provinces, the US has states and Egypt has governorates. What's the difference?
1
vote
1answer
325 views
I still remember it as if it … yesterday [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Tenses after “as if”
What is the difference of the following sentences?
I still remember it as if it was yesterday.
I still remember it as if it were yesterday.
I ...
-2
votes
1answer
154 views
“Embarassed” vs. “ashamed” [closed]
Is there any difference between the words embarrassed and ashamed? If so, could you provide some examples of usage?
1
vote
5answers
489 views
What is the difference between “stiff” and “rigid”?
Could an object be stiff but not rigid or vice versa?
When is each one used?
And what is the opposite of each of them?
3
votes
2answers
401 views
What’s the difference between “sauce” and “gravy”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Spaghetti and gravy
For all translators I checked it means the same.
2
votes
2answers
335 views
“Hence”, “therefore” and “so” in mathematical proofs
It seems to me that "so" is seldom used in math proofs. Instead, "hence" and "therefore" are used very often, even repeatedly appearing in several sentences in a row. So I wonder if my feeling is ...
-2
votes
1answer
190 views
What is the difference between “moocher” and “smoocher”? [closed]
I live in France, so I lack vocabulary.
I heard the word moocher in the debate between O'Reilly and Stewart. I wanted to know the difference to smoocher.
2
votes
1answer
240 views
What is the difference between “dream” and “ambition”?
I don't understand how dream differs from ambition in the following quote:
I don't feel like summing up my ambition as just a dream, but I do have an ambition. The ambition to restore my clan and ...
0
votes
3answers
249 views
What is the difference between remember and remind [closed]
Could someone explain the difference between these two words? Here is an example of using each.
Your hair and eyes remind me of your mother.
I can remember people's faces, but not their names.
6
votes
4answers
495 views
Different Meanings of 'Jumper' (Transatlantic embarassment)
I'm originally from Wales, now living in the USA, and as the cold weather is approaching I'm determined, this year, to start using the word sweater to describe the item of clothing I'm wearing, as ...
