Tagged Questions
0
votes
1answer
79 views
Term for “sum of durations”
While writing to a friend, I attempted to ask which web browser they used most. In the end, I asked which browser they used “more frequently”, but this was not the true object of my curiosity. By ...
0
votes
4answers
94 views
The centrality that does not need to be named
Suppose we are looking at Internet domain names. Every country has its own two-letter abbreviation (.fr, .uk, .ca, .za, etc.) — except for the US, as far as I know. They have .com, .org, .edu, ...
0
votes
2answers
86 views
Term for a firm used as a public front to hide an illegal operation
What do you call a firm used as a public front to hide an illegal operation?
This would be a term for, for e.g.,
A law firm used to hide a money laundering operation;
A DVD corner shop where ...
2
votes
3answers
102 views
Word for delimiters which are placed after each item? [closed]
The word "separator" can be used to describe delimiters which are placed between items. For instance, in this sequence:
"abbbabbbabbbabbba"
The 'b's separate the 'a's.
I'm looking for a word ...
5
votes
2answers
268 views
“sample” vs “specimen” in a scientific document on condensed matter physics
I am searching for an appropriate headline in scientific document. The chapter is named "Investigated Specimen" at the moment. In the chapter I describe crystals that I have investigated.
I feel that ...
6
votes
4answers
132 views
Name for number format used in “Section 3.2.1”
Does that kind of numbering style have a common name or names? To be fair, it is really more of an "identifier" since it certainly not a scalar (one-dimensional) number. It isn't fair to call it a ...
2
votes
1answer
71 views
What is the correct usage of a charged-off or charged off loan in the Financial space? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
When is it necessary to use a hyphen in writing a compound word?
Does proper grammar dictate a preference towards using "charged-off" or "charged off" to describe a loan ...
1
vote
1answer
207 views
Newspaper vocabulary for news positioning
I'm looking for a term that In Brazilian Portuguese we call "diagramming", which is used to characterize the work of positioning news in a newspaper, setting image places and text flow of a page. In ...
-4
votes
1answer
160 views
What's the word for the property of being divisible by a particular number? [closed]
Example:
Since x is even (i.e., divisible by 2), its --word-- is true.
Since y is odd, y's --word-- is false.
The description suggests 'moddity', but there was another word for it...
BTW, I ...
3
votes
2answers
121 views
What is the word for this effect: things are not normally noticed until those things come in to the news and people fear/are looking for them
For instance. I've never really paid attention to white vans, but when the DC sniper was at large and they stated that he's probably shooting from a white van, white vans seemed to appear out of no ...
8
votes
6answers
2k views
Is there a single word that expresses “music end-users / enthusiasts”?
To help a soon-to-be sister site out here, I was thinking English.SE perhaps could lend a helping hand as this is the best place for "word choice and usage".
I'm not looking for "naming", but rather ...
0
votes
3answers
139 views
What is the difference between a map tile and a map section? [closed]
We are translating the great OpenStreetMap editor JOSM to Hungarian and arguing on the translation of "map tile".
Some of us state that it should be literally translated, because map tile and map ...
1
vote
5answers
187 views
What is the term or phrase to describe some process is sequential independent? [closed]
By "sequential independent", I mean the process remains the same no matter how you change the order of its subroutines. Better to be some term frequently used in math or engineering.
3
votes
1answer
276 views
Can you 'agree' with something in varying degrees?
When constructing a survey question is it correct to ask a respondent:
Which of the statements do you agree with more?
Agreement seems like it should be binary. To agree with one thing more than ...
5
votes
2answers
427 views
“Fez” or “Tarboosh”?
Having recently got involved in an inconclusive argument on the subject the other day, I'd like to know which of these names is best when describing the hat worn in the Middle East.
Merriam-Webster ...
4
votes
5answers
362 views
What's a more formal name for a “third” party?
Two parties are trying to resolve some dispute that involves interest of both. Sometimes it's hard for them to reach an agreement on a fair basis. This is typically when another party who has no ...
4
votes
2answers
241 views
Plural of “copula”, does “copulas” or “copulae” sound more professional?
When talking in linguistics topics about the word "to be" and its foreign language equivalents like Spanish "ser" and "estar", the name of this kind of special verb is "copula".
But copula has two ...
2
votes
2answers
430 views
Is “Windows-based PC” a correct term in American English?
I am writing a support message to a customer support of an audio hardware vendor. I need to describe them that I am running Microsoft Windows as the main OS on my computer. Is "Windows-based PC" term ...
4
votes
3answers
255 views
Is there a better term for 'low-level?'
In computer programming, low-level means something used as a base upon which to build more complex mechanisms. To the untrained ear, I think the term might imply inferiority, which is simply not the ...
2
votes
1answer
185 views
What is the name for the class of computer programs that act as a front end for a database? [closed]
If you are writing a computer program that manages a large database of clients, like a rolodex, or a program that stores medical records for patients. What is that "class" of program called.
The ...
1
vote
2answers
242 views
“Injunct” vs “Enjoin”
The injunctions (and super-injunctions) that occasionally make the headlines restrain a defendant from doing something. It is fairly clear (e.g. OED) that the word was formed as a noun from enjoin in ...
2
votes
3answers
55 views
The X is on vs the X is at? What would you describe this variation as?
"The Knight is on D1." and "The Knight is at D1."
Semantically the sentences mean the same thing. They are describing the position of a knight on a chessboard. The document I am writing contains a ...
3
votes
3answers
589 views
Writing “the class of 2014” in a résumé?
Is “class of 2014” correct?
Is “class of ’14” correct?
Assuming the reader is aware of the context, is simply using “’14” correct?
1
vote
2answers
2k views
Use of the word “aforementioned”
Is it correct to use the word aforementioned in an open-ended chatting context in which the conversation backtracks, such that the item that was mentioned before (as in, earlier in time) in the ...
2
votes
5answers
479 views
How might I name the items of a Likert scale?
I'm using a Likert scale that has 5 possible items:
++ for "I strongly agree"
+ for "I agree"
+/- for "I'm indifferent"
- for "I disagree"
-- for "I strongly disagree"
Now I think that "I'm ...
2
votes
2answers
376 views
What does a dialogue consist of? I mean, what are these constituents called?
Tina: I had a strange dream last night.
Jack: Well, dreams are always strange. I've never had an absolutely "normal" dream. So what did you dream about?
Tina: I dreamed about a skyscraper ...
1
vote
1answer
297 views
What adjective would best describe adjectives that are related to feelings?
Joyful, happy, angry, hilarious, lovable, annoying, poignant, melancholic, depressing, cheerful, hateful, etc. All these ones are adjectives. Some of them can be applied to those objects who ...
2
votes
3answers
406 views
How to name something that has sub-categories
So I have this database of my categories. And every category can have sub-categories, except for the prime-level ones. In my database I designate a row that is pointing to the category which will ...
37
votes
7answers
2k views
Is there a difference between “disc” and “disk” for naming digital storage media?
I thought that a disc was a disc, and it is sometimes spelled disk. I now have got an indication that those two are not the same thing.
In this answer on Graphic DesignBeta, I wrote floppy disc in ...
1
vote
2answers
153 views
How to name a routine interruption in the work of some system that is deliberately done in order to find some possible weak points in the system?
How would you name a routine interruption in the work of some system (let's say a subway or a railroad) that is deliberately done by the workers on a regular basis in order to find some possible weak ...
3
votes
5answers
2k views
What's the difference between a tune and a melody?
What's the difference between a tune and a melody?
4
votes
4answers
629 views
Repeating the consonant in many words in a sentence or phrase
In the movie 'V for Vendetta' you have for example (bold part):
Evey: Who are you?
V. : Who? Who is but the form following the function of what and what I am is a man in a mask.
Evey: ...
47
votes
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?
4
votes
1answer
168 views
A Photoshop term for “body double” or “doppelgänger”
I saw a tutorial on TV. The tutorial was like this:
Take your snap sitting on chair, another standing on left side of chair and then last one standing on the right side of the chair. Now, use ...
4
votes
2answers
313 views
How to refer to “mainland Europe”
As a Europhile living in England, it really bothers me when journalists refer to mainland Europe as "Europe". We're in Europe! But I appreciate that it offers a neat shorthand for referring to the ...
11
votes
6answers
7k views
Difference between “commentor” and “commentator”
What is the difference between commentor and commentator? Is commentor or commenter a legitimate English word?
3
votes
5answers
275 views
Which is correct: “web host” or “web hoster”?
Which is the best way to refer to a company that hosts your website:
My web host supports Ruby.
or
My web hoster supports Ruby.
or
My web hosting service supports Ruby.
