Tagged Questions
2
votes
2answers
37 views
The proper usage of “putative”?
I'm trying to write the sentence,
Lower-grade soldiers made up two-thirds of the putative high quality army.
My original sentence was:
Lower-grade soldiers made up two-thirds of what was ...
0
votes
2answers
36 views
Which one of these words is more suitable for “having” or “accomplishing”?
I want to express the achievement of a goal such as "Buying a car", or "Learning a Skill".
Can I say:
"I obtained a new car."
or
"I obtained piano playing skill."
Is there a word better than ...
1
vote
2answers
58 views
Meaning of the word “findings”? [closed]
I need to find a word to define the products you see in the capture.
The best match I've found is findings.
Is this word the correct one? Is there a better word for these products?
2
votes
1answer
109 views
Does a truism need to be true to be a truism?
I frequently hear people quoting widely-used idioms or proverbs as if they are fact, simply because they are used frequently by many people. For example, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away."
Can ...
0
votes
4answers
109 views
How would you describe an operator which has no fixity? [closed]
Traditionally mathematical operators are either prefix, postfix or infix. All the three forms of notation are equivalent and can be converted from one to another.
Formal systems such as programming ...
4
votes
5answers
219 views
Looking for the opposite of “drill down”
I am a programmer working on a chart component that allows to drill down on selection of a node. Drilling down will show the details of that node (like its children etc.). But I am struggling to find ...
1
vote
2answers
190 views
A word describing liking a part of something but disliking the whole entirety
In a (not so?) recent episode of the most excellent QI, Mr Fry talked about a word which meant liking a part of something although not liking (detesting?) the whole entity; e.g. liking the martial ...
2
votes
4answers
173 views
Ruining something for someone else (spoils of war?)
Lately I've been thinking of a saying that describes the following:
Ruining something for someone else, for the sole purpose of it not being useful any more to the other party, even though you do ...
2
votes
1answer
82 views
Not a synonym, but what?
I am looking for a word that describes the relationship between two words that are not the same, are not used in lieu of the other, but are related in what they refer to.
Example, storm/monsoon. ...
2
votes
1answer
113 views
Verb or phrase meaning “to serve as evidence of one's character” [closed]
I want to know whether there might be an expression along the lines of "Convey X". Meaning, to serve as testament of X's character. I suspect that convey is not the correct verb, but I wonder if a ...
3
votes
1answer
97 views
Framing with real evidence
Normally to frame somebody means
3 informal produce false evidence against (an innocent person) so that they appear guilty
Now what in case of a cautious criminal who took care to hide/remove ...
2
votes
1answer
323 views
What is the correct spelling and definition of a word (sp.) “enditement” [closed]
Whilst watching The Big Bang Theory (S04E11, ~06:45 in, where Howard and Stuart are talking in the Comic Book Store about Zack), I heard the following exchange:
— Is that sarcasm?
— No, it's an ...
-2
votes
2answers
102 views
“Bring the house down” [closed]
What is a group or person called who "brings the house down" or "can bring the house down"?
1
vote
1answer
140 views
What adjective would you use for “unexpectedly delicious”? [closed]
As in the situation when you are expecting your food to be average, but it is really good. "Yummy" probably doesn't cover it.
On the flip side, what adjective would describe food that is ...
12
votes
3answers
262 views
Can I use “US-American” to disambiguate “American”? If not, what can I use?
Based on this question, I wonder: as an alternative to USAian (which is very nonstandard) is it OK to use US-American to more clearly indicate "inhabitant of the USA"?
According to Google Ngram, this ...
5
votes
4answers
133 views
Word for “held up well over time”?
Is there a word for the quality of something "holding up well over time"?
For example, some blockbusters from years past have special effects that are still fairly good when compared to today's ...
4
votes
6answers
180 views
Looking for a word for concealment of faults
I'm looking for a word for concealment of faults.
In this case, someone has a specific fault and actively, purposefully hides it from others, going out of their way to conceal these faults from ...
24
votes
18answers
3k views
Single-word synonym for a “pedantic rule-follower”?
What do you call a person who always follows the rules, at the expense of everything else? I’m thinking there’s one word that can describe this, but I can’t place it.
20
votes
2answers
551 views
Is there a name for this method of writing that includes pictograms?
I've seen people write (usually in a humorous way) a 'code-like' message where parts of words are replaced with a pictogram that sounds like that word-part. E.G.:
(eyeball) (tin can)(rope knot) ...
3
votes
4answers
210 views
How should the word “brutal” be used in marketing?
I noticed that some companies use the word brutal for marketing their products.
Examples:
brutal performance – a data storage software markets itself with this, they mean that their software is ...
4
votes
2answers
126 views
What is retraction in pronunciation?
As in:
[I]n English /t, d, n, l/ are retracted before /r/. [emphasis added]
—Wikipedia, “Allophone”
6
votes
5answers
390 views
A word to describe the structure of “The Song That Never Ends”
The song has been described as a "self-referential and infinitely iterative children's song". I would like to use a word that encapsulates this description.
I have considered recursive, but does that ...
2
votes
2answers
328 views
Where and when did the negative connotations of “manipulation” appear?
When we think of manipulating objects, we might think of a juggler, magician, chef, etc.
When we think of manipulating people, however, it almost always comes with negative connotations. These ...
4
votes
4answers
295 views
Is there a word for a personal or informal definition?
What's the correct way to say something such as "my definition of good C# code is etc.".
I could say "I would describe good C# code as having the following attributes and adhering to the following ...
10
votes
3answers
419 views
Very unusual meaning of “abortion”
The following use of the word "abortion" got my attention. It is from Graham Greene's The End of the Affair, published in 1951. Here is the context:
"...Listen. I met a man on the Common today ...
5
votes
2answers
238 views
Is there a word that means near-daily?
I am trying to write a document that describes the frequency with which we perform a task. It is usually done daily, however I don't want to be tied to having to do it daily. Is there a more ...
1
vote
2answers
110 views
Assembler, Installer, Fitter
Say, you buy some new office furniture. You get the furniture parts delivered including the service to put the different parts - for example the desk top and the desk legs - together to complete ...
2
votes
4answers
875 views
“Enclosure” vs. “attachment”
If I understand it correctly, one usually uses the term enclosure when referring to extra documents to e.g. a letter. But what if these extra items are not other documents and papers?
Say I have ...
6
votes
1answer
247 views
What particular word is used for this doll? [closed]
A doll is created which looks like a human and is kept near or among crops in the farm to keep animals like deer away.
I don't know what it is called in English.
2
votes
4answers
147 views
Is there a word that means 'Skeptic Hatred'?
Is there a word for the phenomenon where people have extreme emotional distress towards others who ask for evidence or question the validity of a popularly accepted claim, where the distress commonly ...
4
votes
3answers
614 views
Word to describe one who loves friends more than family
Is there a word to describe someone who loves his friends more than his family?
For example, my brother is a sort of person who seems to be only interested in his friends (not me nor the rest of the ...
5
votes
3answers
190 views
Is there a word for the mental state of laughter?
We speak of madness when someone is in a fit of anger, and being smitten when someone is in love(with someone), etc. But what about when someone just can't stop laughing? i.e, when someone is ...
4
votes
1answer
211 views
Outmoded word for “next Tuesday”
I am writing an email and wanted to refer to this coming Tuesday. The phrase "Tuesday est" popped into my mind (something Miss Marple might have said) but when I googled it I could find no reference. ...
0
votes
4answers
1k views
Word to call a person that works in a store
I seem to always have a trouble with this one; what do you call a person that works in a store? A clerk? A sales person? Neither of these sound right. Saying "person that works in the store" doesn't ...
2
votes
2answers
197 views
What do you call *I'll not feed you by my own hand* in English
I dont know how to describe it properly. I just translated what description to English that I use in my native language (Bangla/বাংলা)
The situation is like this, some people always needs other help ...
2
votes
4answers
299 views
Uniquate = Eliminate or replace duplicates, make unique?
I am not a native English speaker and I need a word means modifying a list/set to make it a unique-values list/set eliminating or replacing non-unique values with unique ones. I am also aware of ...
0
votes
2answers
212 views
Word for “measured quantity” [closed]
What is a word which refers to any number of items that exist as measured quantities in something? This is like measurand, similar to how operand is some kind of modifier to an overall o.
2
votes
5answers
4k views
Word with the same meaning as “good moments” or “pleasant memories”?
Is there a single word with the same meaning as "good moments" or "pleasant memories"? I'm looking for a word which describes good thing(s) that happened to someone. The only word I can think of is ...
29
votes
10answers
3k views
What is the word to describe “the gaining of full control over an ability or power you already have”?
For example, a Jedi is born with powers, but must learn how to control them in order to use them. What's the one best word for this?
I have _ _ _ my power.
The word is in the back of my head ...
13
votes
7answers
391 views
What is the appropriate word for “following trail” or similar in English?
In this scenario, suppose someone gives me a down vote, for whatever reason. After that someone else comes and sees the down vote and thinks this should be down voted. Another down vote. Another ...
7
votes
4answers
3k views
Is there a word for the extreme opposite of “irony”
My understanding of irony comes from the movie "Reality Bites":
It's when the actual meaning is the complete opposite from the literal meaning
Frequently people use the term incorrectly, ...
11
votes
3answers
2k views
How to spell [ʒʊʒd] and what does it mean?
I heard this strange word in American Dad over a year ago and it's been bugging me ever since. Not only do I have no idea how it's spelt, I have no idea how it could possibly be spelt. My only guesses ...
5
votes
4answers
1k views
What's the word for a specific kind of inhalation after crying?
Sometimes people who are just coming off of bout of crying take what could be described as a stuttering inhalation. It's more easily observed with little kids than adults.
Is there a better word for ...
3
votes
2answers
336 views
Closest in meaning confusion
I am preparing for an exam and came across the following problems. Since my english is limited in knowledge i am posting it here.
The sentence: This nitrogen dioxide(NO2) plays a role in the ...
14
votes
4answers
689 views
What is it called when words are deliberately written wrong but pronunciation is kept unchanged?
For example,
Night -> Nite
Nite even appears in some dictionaries as having the same meaning as night.
What is it called when words are deliberately written incorrectly but the pronunciation ...
2
votes
4answers
1k views
A noun meaning 'not allowed'
I'm trying to find a word meaning "you can't do that" or "you're not allowed".
I thought of impossibility but I do not want it in the sense of being impossible, but in the sense of not being allowed ...
38
votes
15answers
3k views
Is there a word for a change so small that it doesn’t seem to be a change at all?
Today, I was reading an article on pharmaceutical companies making minute changes to a drug in order to extend the patent. In one instance, the company profiled did not actually change the content of ...
13
votes
5answers
3k views
Is there a word for a “promise breaker”?
I'm somewhat vexed in that I cannot think of a word that means a "promise breaker" or "person who breaks a promise". There are words that may subsume that, such as "miscreant" or "liar", but I cannot ...
8
votes
3answers
1k views
A word for when a word is used incorrectly (grammatically) but can still be parsed in a grammatically correct way?
Does such a word exist?
An example:
Do good.
Supposing that my intention in saying "Do good!" was actually "Do well (on your test)!", the sentence still parses correctly as "Do good (deeds)!"
I ...
2
votes
4answers
358 views
What is the proper substitute for “Batmanning”?
After planking, owling and leisure dive, now there is the trend which is called "Batmanning". Obviously it is a made-up word. Is there a proper substitute for it? What is the verb that defines the act ...
