Nouns are words that refer to an entity, quality, state, action, or concept.
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“User accounts” or “users account”
Is it correct to say user accounts or users account when referring to the accounts any user has on a site like this one?
In general, in the case of a noun that is used as adjective for the noun that ...
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3answers
1k views
What is a noun modifying clause?
This is actually a question that came up when I was studying Japanese. Unfortunately my grasp of the technical language of syntax is very limited, and I never fully comprehended the idea of a noun ...
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5answers
744 views
Words that are pluralized in the middle?
This is purely a curiosity, but I'm fascinated by mid-word pluralization, even if the word in question is a compound word.
For example, passersby or standersby.
No others have occurred to me. Can ...
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8answers
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What do you call somebody who asks a question and somebody who answers a question?
What do you call somebody who asks a question and somebody who answers a question?
I have exhausted the thesaurus with no real luck... any ideas?
EDIT: It is in reference to this - or any other ...
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2answers
531 views
Irregular plurality situations in English
Why do some nouns in English not take the plurality suffix in the plural form? Could you give me a list of plural nouns which don't take "-(e)s" suffix? For example, I know about "fish" and "sheep".
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3answers
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Difference between an acronym and abbreviation?
TLA is an acronym for "Three Letter Acronym". Is it also an abbreviation, since it abbreviates the original phrase?
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2answers
1k views
What is the difference between a “singular noun” and a “plural noun treated as singular”?
I'd always thought that words like "physics" and "mathematics" were singular: after all, we say "physics is the study of…" etc. But apparently, according to the comments on this question about "news", ...
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2answers
521 views
Why don't we use the indefinite article with 'software'?
Generally, one doesn't use the indefinite article with a noun because it's plural, but sometimes you get nouns where, for some reason, the indefinite article isn't used even though the noun is ...
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2answers
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Why do some adjectives follow the nouns they modify?
Right now I can only think of one instance in which this regularly occurs. The adjective proper is sometimes placed after the noun it modifies, e.g:
Reptilia: A class of cold-blooded oviparous or ...
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1answer
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Why “unequal” but “inequality”?
The opposite of "equal" is "unequal", yet there is no word "unequality". Why do we use "inequality" instead?
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4answers
576 views
One that is holding a conversation [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Shorter way to say “conversational partner”
What's a good word for something or someone who is holding a conversation? Or perhaps a bit broader, someone who knows how to ...
49
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10answers
6k views
What is the difference between an Emperor and a King?
I was at a loss when I was asked recently by my grand-daughter who is a school girl about the difference between Emperor and King. She asked me why Great Britain has King and Queen, while Germany and ...
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7answers
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“Lunch” vs. “dinner” vs. “supper” — times and meanings?
I've seen cases where a noon-time meal is referred to as dinner, and the evening meal is called supper. There's also lunch around noon followed by dinner in the evening. Is there a particular ...
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3answers
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“Thanks and Regards” vs. “Thanks and regards”
I am almost certain that the R in regards must be in lower case because it follows a conjunction and is therefore a part of the same phrase/sentence. But I've been seeing a lot of emails of late that ...
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17answers
2k views
Noun for “person with intermediate skill”
I'm looking for the noun form of "person with intermediate skill". For example, in the context of a particular activity, "person with no skill" might be designated a novice, and "person with much ...
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2answers
1k views
What is the origin of the phrase “you've got another thing/think coming”?
What is the origin of the phrase "you've got another thing coming"? And — perhaps more importantly — is it more correct than the alternative "you've got another think coming"?
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5answers
1k views
What word means “to speak something into existence”?
If someone says "the Yankees are going to lose", and everyone starts believing it, including the players, and it actually happens — what is the word for that?
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8answers
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What's the difference between a jumper, a pullover, and a sweater?
Following on from a recent question, in Australia we have the word jumper for a knitted long-sleeved garment, typically woollen and long-sleeved.
When cosuming foreign media I always assumed the ...
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5answers
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Is “audience” singular or plural?
I want to use 'audience' in the following sentence. In what form should I use it? Is it a singular or plural noun?
How the audience demotivate players in the NBA.
How the audience demotivates ...
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8answers
9k views
“Toilet”, “lavatory” or “loo” for polite society
My friend is trying so hard to fit into polite society, and is raising her child to say loo rather than toilet. I know it should be lavatory (and I would not say lav) but we are in the 21st century ...
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7answers
1k views
Single word for people who are like “a frog in the well”
Is there a single word describing someone who is like a frog in a well? The frog believes the well is the entire world. How can I describe people who think that their own small environment is the ...
29
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9answers
6k views
“Trainer” is to “trainee” as “mentor” is to what?
What do you call someone who is being mentored? Is it mentoree or mentee? Does the term student or pupil imply a context outside the business environment?
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2answers
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“Content” or “Contents”?
Content or contents — when do I use which form?
I realize that the one is the plural form of the other, but they seem to be used interchangeably.
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1answer
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Rules for nominalizing a verb
To nominalize a verb, you sometimes use the gerund.
to happen --> a happening
Sometimes it's a different word.
to arrive --> an arrival
so we don't write
to arrive --> an *arriving
...
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4answers
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2answers
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Which is correct, “dataset” or “data set”?
I keep writing dataset. Is that correct, or should I write data set?
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3answers
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Is there a term for words that have identical singular and plural forms?
Is there a term for nouns that have identical singular and plural forms? For example,
sheep
fish
glasses
aircraft/spacecraft
etc.
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4answers
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Correct usage of “persons” (vs. “people”)
I had a little fight about persons vs. people.
Could you advise if both of the following are correct, if possible with reference to a dictionary?
A table for two people please.
A table for ...
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3answers
981 views
Bracket vs brace
I found the terms bracket and brace used interchangeably. Is there a difference, and what is it?
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5answers
8k views
What's the difference between “client” and “customer”?
I already asked a similar question (customer vs. client vs. user vs. consumer of on-line service) but, I believe, there may be some differences between technical and legal jargon and general usage of ...
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8answers
2k views
Which is correct: “soda” or “pop”?
Depending on where you go in the world, some people will refer to a carbonated beverage as "soda" while others choose to use the term "pop." For example, "Can I get you a soda" vs. "Can I get you a ...
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4answers
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New Zealand pronunciation of “women” vs “woman”
I have read in a number of places that the NZ pronunciation of "women" must be rather peculiar. Quoting from just one such place:
For some years I've noted the tendency of Kiwis to pronounce ...
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11answers
2k views
A word for clothes, shoes, accessories?
I'm looking for a word that applies to all the things a person can wear, e.g. clothes, shoes, accessories, etc. It musn't be too generic, e.g. product, item, etc.
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2answers
318 views
What is XLNC an example of?
XS sounds like excess, B4 sounds like before, XLNC sounds like excellency, etc. What are these wordplays called?
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3answers
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A word for two very different things juxtaposed?
Is there a word for when, say, in an artwork, there are various items that are completely different to each other, or anachronistic? Like, for example, a watch from the 1800s and a Snoopy figurine?
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2answers
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3answers
792 views
A word for something you didn't know you'd like
I need a noun that succinctly describes the enigmatic concept of something that, based on your tastes, you would probably like, but didn't know you'd like. Anyone game?
Edit: If it can be understood ...
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1answer
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2answers
153 views
“Ear doctor's” vs “Ear doctor”
In one of Stephen King's books titled "On Writing" he writes: "The next week my mother called another taxi, we went back to the ear doctor's, and I found once more lying on my side with the absorbent ...
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8answers
4k views
Which term correctly identifies those who enjoy programming/technology: “geek” or “nerd”?
Which term correctly identifies those who enjoy and are involved with programming and technology, geek or nerd?
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5answers
4k views
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Differences between slang words for breasts
What is the difference between “tits” and “boobs”?
P.S. I'm not sure if this question is appropriate but as English is not my native language I really would love to know the difference.
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22answers
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Is there a word for a non-geek?
I am looking for a term which clearly defines somebody as a non-geek, without being derogatory. The best example I have seen is muggle, but it needs context to be understood, as in "You don't meet ...
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6answers
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Should the words “internet” and “web” be capitalized?
There seems to be some inconsistency on whether people capitalize the words internet and web (as in World Wide Web) as proper nouns. What is the official ruling on when or if these words should be ...
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5answers
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Difference between “theorem” and “theory”
What is the difference between a theorem and a theory? The two words seem to be used to describe very similar things, but yet do not seem to be interchangeable.
For example, we have Pythagoras' ...
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5answers
915 views
Etymology of “snob”
Some dictionaries mention an origin involving shoemakers... But I can't say the link is straightforward, really.
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5answers
379 views
Explanation for “emails”?
This is a thinly veiled rant, I realize, but if anybody can rationalize "emails" for me in such a way that I can stop grabbing people who say it, and asking them if they've ever gone to their mailsbox ...
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1answer
355 views
Correct Usage of Capital Letters
Suppose there is a Department of English (note: the name is not English Department) at Abc University. I want to know the correct use of capital letters in these sentences:
The Department of ...
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8answers
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What is a good, short, word to describe a software engineer?
What should I call a person who write software, computer programs ? I know he/she is a software engineer, can I call him/her as "Coder"?
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7answers
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What is a word for a person who has been initiated into secret knowledge (apprentice, ___, master)?
I'm looking for a noun that can fit well in a 3-level scale: apprentice, ____, master.
The scale describes the progress of a person from a layman/uninitiated (apprentice), through being accomplished ...
