This tag is for questions seeking a phrase that fits a meaning. If you're specifically seeking only a single word, see the "single word requests" tag too.
8
votes
6answers
150 views
Summarizing what makes a home a home [closed]
Meta: I considered asking this on WritersSE, but I am less familiar with it. I would not object to a migration.
Problem: I want to edit the following sentence so that it is as brief and aesthetically ...
0
votes
6answers
280 views
What is the word for a good work?
I am helping a charity and I need to invite my friends to join in. We're not asking for any money or valuables but just their time for some feedback on few questions.
I am struggling at the opening ...
1
vote
3answers
172 views
Word for “the action of making something optimistic”
Is there such a word or concise paraphrase that corresponds? Optimize might have the same root but it obviously doesn't have the same meaning. Is there any verbal form that could fit or does optimism ...
7
votes
1answer
311 views
A word or phrase to express “écrivain engagé”, a committed writer?
I'm looking for an English expression as I'd like to form a special interest group on the international level. In French, the expression is écrivain engagé. This is along the lines of "literature of ...
1
vote
3answers
434 views
How to describe the phenomenon of “small” people being ignored on the Internet
I live by Internet, as both a user and a developer. This dual role gives me a chance to observe.
Every time I try to ask something in communities like StackOverflow, I always pick words carefully and ...
-2
votes
2answers
108 views
“I really need some moving on here” - is it correct to say like this? [closed]
How correct it is to say "I really need some moving on here"?
Say, you are posting a question on an internet forum, or opening a discussion thread, and want people on forum to get involved in ...
1
vote
4answers
139 views
Can I say “I have some apprehensions”?
Can I say "I have some apprehensions"? Or it should always be in singular.
For example,
"He seems to be able to walk now, but I have some apprehensions that he can faint at any time"
Google search ...
0
votes
5answers
272 views
“He had snaggle teeth” — how to say correctly? [closed]
Is it okay to say "He had snaggle teeth"? Or there is a better way of describing that problem with teeth?
5
votes
4answers
340 views
Term for convincing yourself words are spelled incorrectly?
Sometimes I'll look at a word for too long and I become convinced that it's spelled or pronounced incorrectly. This happens most frequently with "spider" (I think that should be pronounced "spih-dur" ...
2
votes
5answers
225 views
Adjective/adverb for “taboo”
I'm looking for a word or phrase that means something along the lines of "the exhilaration of taboo".
Here's the context for what I'm looking for: "It was strange and [blank] to walk around and see ...
4
votes
7answers
3k views
What is the synonym/antonym for “feminist”/“feminism”?
I am looking for a word or phrase that are to men's rights as the words feminist/feminism are to women rights.
And will the word or phrase be called a synonym or antonym?
1
vote
1answer
154 views
Proverb about the origin of the English language [closed]
Is there a nice proverb that highlights the foreign (e.g. German and French) origins of the English language?
I remember that I've once read something like
English is the bastard child of a ...
0
votes
2answers
1k views
Other ways of saying “letting me know” or “telling me about”
I want to say “my advisor has been very helpful, from helping me decide which classes to take to letting me know/telling me about the resources available to me”.
I think saying “letting me know” or ...
3
votes
5answers
330 views
Is there any alternative expression to “Brace Yourself ”
I have translated an article into English. The author of the original article uses a “Bumpy ride on a plane in a hazardous weather” as an analogy to predict an unfavourable political development in a ...
5
votes
7answers
897 views
Something simple and yet complex…
Is there a phrase or word for a problem that appears simple but is in fact full of complexities?
A few situations come to mind:
Painting a room
Breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend
Eating a ...
10
votes
5answers
553 views
Word or phrase that means to ascertain whether someone is alive or dead
Diagnose comes close to this meaning, but the result of a diagnosis is not usually a binary classification. I'd like a word or phrase that means to determine whether someone is alive or dead, or ...
1
vote
1answer
77 views
Does one say “to ring stupid” or what are appropriate alternatives?
If you want to express that something is true even if it is actually dumb, in German we can say something along
So blöd es auch klingt, aber es ist wahr.
Literally it's As stupid it also rings, ...
1
vote
3answers
148 views
Is it correct to say “quantitative zeal” to mean an enthusiasm for maths?
If one was wanting to say that someone had a passion/enthusiasm for something like mathematics, can it be said that "they have [a] quantitative zeal" or "they are full of quantitative zeal"?
I ...
3
votes
2answers
198 views
Words that define a type of word and also obey that definition [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What is a catchy word that means (non-)self-descriptive
There are plenty of names for word sets:
synonyms: words that have the same meaning
palindromes: words that ...
5
votes
1answer
349 views
How to say “the project that we are working on” in a short phrase?
I want a short phrase for "the project that we are working on".
Could it be "our working-on project"?
2
votes
1answer
167 views
Inverse proportions, but the other way around [closed]
The title sucks, I know... Anyway:
As part of a game I'm making, one of the buildings decreases the time it takes to build other things. Like so:
At level 0: Full time
At level 1: Full time / 2
At ...
5
votes
1answer
225 views
What is the adjective of “daughter-in-law” if she is “the wife of my younger son”?
Here, I am confused. I cannot say "younger daughter-in-law" as the order of sons is defined by their age but we can't say that about their wives. So shall I say "my second daughter-in-law"?
2
votes
4answers
101 views
Word usage: Date before
How one can say that a date must happen before other date, for intance:
The X starting date should be prior to the Y starting date.
Is this sentence idiomatic or there is another way of stating ...
7
votes
8answers
2k views
What is an alternative (more positive) analogy to “beating a dead horse”?
I'm looking for an analogy for my repeated attempts to revive interest in a project. The phrase beating a dead horse almost fits the bill, but a dead horse refers to a subject that is no longer ...
1
vote
2answers
416 views
How to suggest contrary solution politely?
Theoretical case: client suggests some non-optimal solution. How to offer another, better solution politely with indirect question? Is it ok to say "Don't you think doing it this way would be more ...
0
votes
1answer
178 views
How to express taking paid time-off in a sentence
I would like to have a sentence to indicate a person is on two days of paid time-off.
Could I form a sentence like,
"He is on two days paid time off."
"He is on paid time off for two days".
...
7
votes
4answers
335 views
How can I properly indicate a “day off” in a tournament using “sports terms”?
When showing a tournament calendar with an odd number of teams, how can I say (in sport terms) to indicate the team that is not playing on a given match day?
For example a tournament with five teams ...
2
votes
2answers
386 views
Expression that means “as soon as something is finished”
I am looking for an expression that means "right after finishing something, start something". For some reason, the words "fresh off the heels" keep springing up but I googled them and it's not an ...
0
votes
2answers
54 views
Everything going on with somebody
If you're continuously posting news about what someone is doing, including their latest projects, is it correct to say (in the description of a fansite, for example):
updates on everything going ...
2
votes
3answers
270 views
A word for 'something more' or 'missing from life'
I am trying to think of a word, or phrase to describe this feeling. There is something more to my life, something meaning to happen or occur, and I don't know what it is. There is an anticipation of ...
3
votes
2answers
16k views
Can you say “see you then/there” when arranging a meeting?
I am sending an e-mail to a colleague to arrange a meeting. In my e-mail I inform her where and when we can meet, and I would like to end the e-mail by saying something like "See you there" or "See ...
4
votes
3answers
471 views
Idiomatic saying for “just over” and “just under”
Is there an idiomatic saying to say that a distance is about x kilometer, including the connotation of "a little bit more than" or "a little bit less than" as "just over" and "just under" respectively ...
5
votes
3answers
194 views
Common phrase for “intermediate goal”
What is the most common phrase with the meaning of intermediate/interim goal/target/result? For example,
setting up interim goal in a project/agenda
calculating a intermediate result in a bigger ...
-3
votes
3answers
680 views
Opposite of jack of all trades master of none
As the title says, what is the opposite of "Jack of all trades master of none"?
18
votes
9answers
1k views
Terminology for fake photograph
I think there is a good chance that a new word or phrase has been coined to mean fake photograph.
Is there a single word to express it?
1
vote
4answers
122 views
Is it correct to use “train has surfaced”?
Can you say The train has surfaced to describe the moment when a train emerges from a tunnel?
3
votes
7answers
340 views
Word that means “one out of a series must be true”?
I am trying to come up with a word or phrase that means "one out of a series must be true".
Example #1:
I have a list of roles that a user can belong to. What is a word that describes a list of ...
3
votes
1answer
122 views
Pronunciation problem with “park” and “walk”. Is there a name for this “phenomenon”?
Now and then, I struggle to say a pair of words such as "park and walk". It may come out as "park and wark" or "pork and walk". It occurs generally when the two words are close together in a ...
2
votes
3answers
152 views
How do I phrase “remote work” better?
I am helping my father write a report.
The report summarizes the work undertaken during the consultant’s technical assistance missions to Statistical Agency of Kosovo and remote work during the ...
0
votes
4answers
178 views
More traditional / professional word or phrase for 'Plan of Attack'
I'm currently writing up a design document which is essentially a 'plan of attack', however this doesn't strike me as a particularly professional or eloquent term for what I mean and my mind's gone ...
5
votes
4answers
187 views
The wheel has become an eight
The title makes presumably little to no sense and is in fact a word-by-word translation of a German expression. I am talking about the wheel of a bike and a certain way it is deformed.
I like the ...
22
votes
26answers
7k views
Common phrases for something that appears good but is actually bad
What are common phrases that describe something that appears good but is actually bad?
Edit: Because people say bad is vague I will try to sum up the phrase meaning a little better.
something that ...
1
vote
5answers
291 views
“They are not simultaneously positive, negative nor even”
What is a sensible, correct and non-ambiguous way of rephrasing the following?
The numbers a, b and c are not simultaneously positive, negative nor even.
The idea is that the three numbers are ...
2
votes
6answers
657 views
A better word for 'hot' (spicy)?
I never know how to order food correctly but succinctly the first time. :(
Basically: I can't eat hot stuff (i.e. most pepper, similar spices, ...).
On the one hand, I don't want to say "Please ...
3
votes
5answers
541 views
Idiom that describes a person who doesn't have an acceptable witness
We Persians have a proverb that says:
They asked the fox, "Who's your witness?" The fox said, "My tail!"
What do Americans say when a person only has their ally as a witness? Is there any idiom ...
3
votes
4answers
502 views
Substitute for “give or take”
Is there a better word or way of saying give or take to refer to the possibility of inaccuracy? For example,
I will be arriving in 30 minutes, give or take 5 minutes.
I want to indicate the ...
3
votes
1answer
230 views
Use of “leave good memories”
Is it correct to use leave good memories for someone after a particular experience or event? Are there any other options or examples?
3
votes
5answers
211 views
Term, blend-word, or metaphor for being social but with boundaries [closed]
I'm looking for a term, word or metaphor for being social but within rules or boundaries.
I don't like the word privacy as it has a negative connotation. I think the word social is overused or ...
1
vote
3answers
112 views
Decribing a father's strict treatment of his children
In the movie "The Sound of Music" the father, who was also a captain, was very strict with his children. He would always give them all kinds of commands and always used a whistle.
What's the best way ...
3
votes
3answers
526 views
“Nobody does something for nothing”
I have a proverb in my native tongue saying something like "there is no cat chasing fish for God" which implies that anyone who does anything that may seem beneficial to you, is doing it for ...
