How and why certain words are used in varying ways within various contexts.
3
votes
1answer
301 views
What is the correct punctuation of the phrase: one size fits all [closed]
What is the correct punctuation for the phrase: one size fits all?
I have seen two variants:
'one size fits all', and
one-size-fits-all
3
votes
2answers
139 views
Is caret a widely understood word?
A caret is the point that text is in inserted in a text box. Is this known widely? Will the average user (non technical) understand this word?
What other phrase or word should be used to describe the ...
3
votes
3answers
106 views
Is it correct to say “aging X years or more”?
Hundred participants (aging 18 years or more) were selected from
each of the cities.
Is the phrase within the parentheses correct? Any suggestion to better express the idea will also be ...
3
votes
5answers
227 views
Is there any phrasal verb to mean “teeth are falling out because one is getting older”?
The sentence would be:
He is Xing now.
Where X means "losing teeth" or "teeth are falling out" because he is getting older. I am assuming such phrasal verbs or words exist because it would be ...
3
votes
4answers
683 views
What is the difference between “check something” and “check on something”
For example if in answer to the question, "what time does the shop close?" a tourist information officer might say, "I'll check on that for you."
Why wouldn't they say, "I'll check that for you."?
3
votes
2answers
54 views
How to document a change to an earlier proposal
I wrote an e-mail proposal to send to a client but after asking a co-worker's opinion I decided to reformulate it.
Now I have to describe what has been done but I'm not sure if the expression below ...
3
votes
4answers
137 views
Install on, install in, install to
When I say "programs to install on a new PC" it sounds alright to me, but I'm not sure if it's the correct usage. Which one of the following should I use?
Programs to install on a new PC
Programs to ...
3
votes
3answers
217 views
Term for strong/weak words (in context)
Over in Mi Yodeya Meta, commenting on the proposed Mi Yodeya site scope —
for people who base their lives on Jewish law and tradition and anyone interested in learning more
— I ...
3
votes
3answers
382 views
Does “reinventing the wheel” have negative or positive connotation?
I've always assumed that the expression "reinventing the wheel" meant something negative. For me it means doing something that has already be done without making any improvement.
However, a few ...
3
votes
2answers
11k views
“The other way around” or “the other way round”
I see both phrases the other way around and the other way round very often. Which is correct? Please provide usage examples.
3
votes
4answers
92 views
Is it “Ministry of Economy” or “Ministry of the Economy”?
Recently, a government official gave me a business card that stated the official's department as "Ministry of Economy."
I did a double take, because, in my mind, I took that to mean "Ministry of ...
3
votes
1answer
177 views
Usage of “In the hope that” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Is it all right to use “in hopes of” to mean “with the aim of”?
Which of the following is preferable: "I'm doing this in the hope that it will be helpful to someone", or ...
3
votes
2answers
160 views
Is “default” used for “a value used when nothing has been explicitly set” outside of IT world?
In a discussion at another question, rajah9 mentioned that default is used to mean to fail to repay a loan, but that in the computer world we now use it to mean a value used when no value has been ...
3
votes
3answers
442 views
Meaning of “Conceptual point of view”
Now and then, I listen the below quoted expression:
From the conceptual point of view ...
However I still can't get its meaning, I think it is somehow related to the way to think about a ...
3
votes
5answers
617 views
Usage of “vary from”
I'm writing an essay about why people go to college. I want to express that there are many different reasons for going to college.
Many people, from very different background, attend college or
...
3
votes
1answer
243 views
Old-fashioned use of “because”
In books written in the nineteenth century, you can come across sentences like this (quoting from Ambrose Bierce's The Devil's Dictionary):
A Pilgrim Father was one who, leaving Europe in 1620 ...
3
votes
1answer
566 views
Is using “needing” correct?
I've had a debate with my friend about the "needing" usage. I know we can't use "needing" in continuous tenses but take a look at my example:
- That's the man needing some money.
I'm sure I saw ...
3
votes
1answer
263 views
Is using past participle instead of present one more polite?
On christianity.stackexchange.com I asked this question:
"Is it true that John Paul the Second restored the practice of selling indulgences in 2000?"
and one supporter suggested that I replace ...
3
votes
1answer
686 views
How did “fuck” become taboo? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How long has the f-word been in use as an abusive term?
What makes a word offensive?
I recognize that this is similar to Etymology of the term "curse words" ...
2
votes
4answers
413 views
Difference between “ignorant” and “uninformed”
What is the difference between ignorant and uninformed? In ordinary usage, is one considered a put down and the other considered a statement of fact? If so, why? Am I ignorant or simply uninformed?
2
votes
3answers
172 views
Is the word “usurp” already archaic? [closed]
I have some doubts whether the word "usurp" is still used in the modern language. The doubts are based on reading newspapers and magazines. It looks like expression like "to seize" or "to hold" are ...
2
votes
2answers
240 views
“More that” vs. “more than” [closed]
Here is an example of something I occasionally encounter, and it always trips me up. The title of an applied mathematics book from Stanford University in 1959 is (bold mine)
Partial Differential ...
2
votes
7answers
229 views
Meaning and usage of “be of”
As I'm preparing my GMAT test, I see the "be of" structure very frequently.
for example
By 1940, the pilot Jacqueline Cochran held seventeen official national and international speed records, ...
2
votes
3answers
115 views
Which is appropriate while addressing in-laws?
Which is appropriate while addressing in-laws?
My mother-in-law and father-in-law are visiting us this weekend.
Or:
My mother and father-in-law are visiting us this weekend.
2
votes
5answers
7k views
When to use 'ourselves' vs. 'our self'
I wrote
when we place our self
meaning each one of us, his or her self -- and was told to use "ourselves" instead. Who is right?
2
votes
3answers
133 views
Where can you use “and/or”?
I know that in formal contexts, the construction and/or is very ugly and undesirable (and there are many questions here that deal with said formal usage).
Has it become acceptable to use it ...
2
votes
3answers
122 views
Can adverbs of high/increasing speed be applied to not doing something?
There was some chat earlier about adverbs. We were trying to demonstrate that maybe is an adverb.
Reg did this deftly by replacing maybe with other adverbs and then a noun, to show that the noun ...
2
votes
3answers
312 views
Would it be proper to use 'partake' these days?
Is 'partake' an old fashioned word? Would it be proper to use it these days?
Thank you @tchrist,@JLG and @MT_Head. I found your answers interesting. By 'proper' I meant in current use. While ...
2
votes
3answers
197 views
What are the replacements for “i.e.” and what are their differences?
I can think of "that is to say", "in other words", "put differently". And I'd like to know if there are any subtle differences in the usage of these synonyms. Can they always be used interchangeably ...
2
votes
3answers
732 views
Cause for vs cause of
I read this sentence somewhere today, but I think that the of would fit better here than for, don't you think?
The cause for the original problem will be analysed in the normal maintenance hours.
...
2
votes
1answer
5k views
“features and characteristics”
In English, the phrase "features and characteristics" is often used.
However, I, as a non-native English speaker, can't understand the difference between them.
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary ...
2
votes
1answer
271 views
Mixing British English and American English [closed]
I'm a non-native English speaker and as such, I was taught one variety of English In school--in my case, American.
However, I've also been extensively in contact with British English, and now I ...
2
votes
1answer
304 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
65 views
“Still” and “Yet” as Conjunctions
I know there are already many posts on still and yet, but I really find it difficult to use them as conjunction as in following sentences:
It's a small car, yet/still it's surprisingly ...
2
votes
1answer
100 views
Is it “to play a game on someone” or “play games with someone”?
I find this expression strange because it's clearly widely used, but seems sort of "unofficial", the "official" version, meaning the one described in dictionaries and grammar books, being playing ...
2
votes
1answer
140 views
How do you use the expression “to come out in front” (as in “to gain an advantage”)?
The usage of the expression "to come out in front", in the sense of gaining an advantage, or succeed in an endeavor (in spite of all odds?), isn't very clear to me. As far as I can tell people use it ...
2
votes
1answer
793 views
What is a relish tray versus a veggie tray?
I have heard both of the terms "relish tray" and "veggie tray" used somewhat interchangeably. It seems as though there is some overlap between the two based on some simple Google Images searches ...
2
votes
1answer
397 views
what is the difference in usage of 'pertain' and 'appertain'?
In the dictionary the meanings of these two words seem interchangeable so why do the two words exist? Are there different contexts for their usage?
Definitions by Merriam-Webster:
Definition of ...
2
votes
2answers
659 views
“Insight into whether” vs “insight as to whether”
I've seen the expressions insight into whether and insight as to whether used. Are both correct? If so is there any difference between them?
2
votes
1answer
73 views
What does “Take the disguise” mean?
I was reading this particular sentence:
She took the disguise of an old woman and came to Eleusis, where she was welcomed by the family of King Celeus.
Disguise means costume. So, does it mean ...
2
votes
1answer
109 views
Should I say “I make a living by teaching” or “I make a living teaching”? Which one is correct? Is the preposition 'by' necessary?
I am confused about the correct usage of the phrasal verb, 'make a living'. I don't know whether I should add the preposition 'by' at the end of it.
I looked up several dictionaries, most of which ...
2
votes
1answer
88 views
“nones” used to describe people who are spiritual, but not religious
I work for the Church and I've seen the term "nones" used to describe those who are non-Christian or those who are considered "spiritual, but not religious." I find the term belittling. What's the ...
2
votes
2answers
58 views
“this represents” vs “this is”
I want to explain to one of my students why this usage is so common in scientific or academic reports but not (as far as I can see) elsewhere:
This represents the best evidence to date of ...
2
votes
1answer
459 views
Correct usage of “so would” and “a priori”
Is this phrase syntactically correct?
Because X may take different forms, a priori so would Y.
I am especially asking about the usage of "so would", but also about the place of "a priori".
...
2
votes
1answer
102 views
Difference between: Also, too and as well [duplicate]
I understand that the correct usage of also is with a verb:
She was smart, she also studied so much.
However, my trouble is with too and as well, I have been reading and I just found that as ...
2
votes
0answers
73 views
Use of “any more than” to relate two different situations [closed]
In the following quote by Billy Sunday “Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you an automobile.” can anyone pls explain/elaborate the usage and meaning of ...
2
votes
0answers
29 views
Does issue as “Offspring, progeny; a child or children” have modern usage? [closed]
When looking at the word "issue" in the thesaurus I noticed that children was given as one of the definitions. Having not seen issue used in this context before, I decided to do some investigation. ...
1
vote
3answers
180 views
What dialect is “I be doing this”?
In which part of the world do people use sentences like "I be doing this" (missing out the 'will' after the 'I')? Sounds like some of the 'street-ghetto' to me. What is it exactly?
1
vote
3answers
332 views
Do thence/whence linger only as rhetorical variants for there/where?
The King James Bible has numerous instances of from thence/hence, including the famous line of Psalm 121:
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help.
Do thence/whence ...
1
vote
2answers
75 views
'Cromulent' Etymology
Given its first use:
"I don't know why, it's a perfectly cromulent word."
The verb is "is" (=> it's) and the noun is "word". Since cromulent links them both and directly addresses the noun, ...
