Tagged Questions
0
votes
1answer
54 views
Is “You have behoved me” the correct way to use “behoved”? [closed]
You have behoved me.
I'm speaking to a woman.
0
votes
4answers
49 views
Usage of “channelize”
Do you find this usage wrong?
Instead of channelizing our energy to fight against poverty we are
promoting industrialization, which will continue to increase the
rich-poor divide.
3
votes
4answers
100 views
Can the word “facing” be used both ways?
Can the word "facing" be used both ways?
To write
major water problems facing the world
or
challenges and opportunities facing low- and middle-income countries and their citizens
...
-2
votes
2answers
62 views
People can ‘abide by’ the law, but can the law ‘abide people’?
Time magazine copy chief and copy editor pointed out the grammatical errors of many movie titles, and suggested corrections in the article of Time magazine (May 24) titled “Writing Wrongs: 10 Movie ...
0
votes
2answers
72 views
Should “Have your peer partner send you her plans” be considered a directive?
If you tell a person to have someone do something, is that considered a command?
Our boss sent an email which told us to "have your peer partner send you her plans". Should that be considered a ...
-2
votes
2answers
79 views
How do I use “Baby Steps” in a sentence [closed]
I want to convey that I am putting myself to something new to achieve a dream/goal. Hence I thought of using the phrase "baby steps" in a sentence as follows: "As I am laying my Baby Steps towards ...
2
votes
1answer
136 views
Usage of “accrue” in “it accrued to me to gently ask” [closed]
A newage hippie Facebook friend just sent me this. I was just wondering if it was syntactically correct,
It accrued to me to gently ask if you could consider extending the same respect, you would ...
-1
votes
1answer
146 views
Correct use of “happen”
A friend of mine told me that the following sentence is incorrect (copied from an exercise)
Do all sentences tell us what the speaker would like to happen?
He claims that it should read:
Do ...
1
vote
1answer
30 views
“Curious X”: X is the subject or an object
When 'curious' is used as an adjective (e.g., in the construction "A is a curious B"), there is ambiguity as to whether the noun it modifies is:-
The subject: A feels curious (e.g., "Humans are a ...
2
votes
1answer
60 views
Is “to circuit” a common verb in colloquial language?
My boss asked me to have a look at a presentation he'll be giving next week; checking if he didn't forget anything.
While skimming over the document, the following sentence was somehow bothering me:
...
-2
votes
3answers
208 views
Can “predeceased” be used before any event?
When a person dies, it is common to say the person was predeceased by other people such as his parents, his brother, and others.
However, I am wondering if these statements are correct:
His ...
0
votes
1answer
54 views
Does “approbate one's flaws” make sense?
I'm going for a little stronger word than accept and I like the word approbate.
To approbate my flaws.
Does it work?
-3
votes
1answer
116 views
Proper use of “drop” and “drop off” [closed]
Can I use drop to say I will leave something somewhere?
I will drop the books at your house.
I will drop off the books at your house?
-2
votes
1answer
141 views
“to spread over” vs. “to spread across” [closed]
I doubt whether I should use "over" or "across" for a liquid spreading "along" a surface.
3
votes
4answers
243 views
Religious use of “exegete”
I've noticed quite a number of religious professionals of late have used phrases such as "let's exegete this text" or "we need to exegete Paul's meaning here." Of course, an exegete is one skilled in ...
2
votes
1answer
79 views
“They perform” vs. “they are performed” in specific context
Our experiments include simulated falls by several subjects. They
perform in a user-independent setting, where, for each test video,
the subject appearing in the test video does not appear in ...
0
votes
2answers
509 views
With “I bid you farewell” being a normal phrase, would the phrase “I bid you sleep well” also be correct? [closed]
I'm trying to pinpoint the correct application of the verb "to bid" in order to use it in unconventional situations
-1
votes
1answer
42 views
Usage of “flock” for a singular subject
Turned on by by his pheromones, she flocked to him.
Can we use flock when we have a singular subject?
What might be a better alternative to the verb? Something like ran, but with a connotation ...
2
votes
2answers
95 views
“Dysfunction” as a verb?
I wonder if it is possible to use the noun "dysfunction" as a verb.
It is certainly a noun, but in general use it seems to mean something far more awful and much less technical than "malfunction". ...
10
votes
3answers
217 views
What is the origin of the word “conk”?
Is it obsolete to use this word? Where does it come from? I couldn't find the origin of this term.
Can I use the phrase "The machine conked out" or should I replace conked out with something else?
2
votes
1answer
40 views
“To consolidate cost”
Is it correct to use the expression "consolidate cost" when you add cost figures in a specific period of time? The context is a description of what a piece of code is doing:
consolidate cost over ...
0
votes
2answers
82 views
On the usage of “epitomized”
Epitomized by right captainship, the ship reached safely to the harbor.
I'm emphasizing the capabilities of the captain here. Is this correct usage?
0
votes
1answer
647 views
When to use “include” and “including”?
I know that include is a verb while including is a preposition but they made me confuse when it comes to their usage.
I usually confuse when to use include with including.
Most Thais like ...
2
votes
4answers
335 views
Is it common to use “grocery” as a verb?
My favorite NY-Times columnist Maureen Dowd who consistently supplies me the material for posting questions in EL&U site begins today’s (December 8) article titled “A Lost Civilization” with the ...
12
votes
2answers
363 views
How (and when) was it that the verb 'go' began to mean 'say' in common usage?
i.e. "So then she goes, 'Hey!' and I go, 'What?' because I was on my way out..."
I was musing about this the other day, so I decided to try to find out. Unfortunately, my skills lie in different ...
1
vote
2answers
245 views
Is it okay to use the word “behooves” in this way?
Your patience on this matter behooves.
Is it okay to use the word "behooves" in this way?
27
votes
8answers
4k views
If someone is electrocuted, do they have to die or can they just be injured?
Is it correct to say I electrocuted my friend if he was only injured by electricity?
7
votes
3answers
262 views
“Have” vs. “Is” + Verb
The phrases have expired and is expired are in practice more or less identical. Formally, of course, they are different in that the former uses expired as a verb with have as its auxiliary, whereas ...
10
votes
2answers
201 views
Usage of “brook” to mean “burp”?
Has anyone ever come across ?brook (not too sure about spelling) used instead of burp?
I brooked/I burped.
Was that you brooking/burping?
It may be derived from Scottish Gaelic.
2
votes
1answer
2k views
Can the verb “solve” be applied to the noun “challenge”?
For example, "John was asked to solve a complex challenge."
I find this to read very awkwardly, as if someone told me they solved a banana. Is this a case of verb-noun mismatch?
-2
votes
2answers
386 views
Is “agriculture” a verb? [closed]
Can I say to agriculture the land? If not, what would the alternative be?
34
votes
8answers
4k views
Can I “wear an umbrella”?
Does it make sense to say the following?
Yesterday I wore an umbrella and a coat.
2
votes
1answer
159 views
Usage of 'represent' to mean 'present again'
Can the word 'represent' be used to mean 'present again'? Is the usage in the following sentence correct?
"You cannot represent a bounced cheque.'
1
vote
3answers
237 views
Can I also use 'outsource' to refer to goods, not just work or service?
I know to outsource is to subcontract work to another company. But for example if company A, a TV maker, wants to buy panels from a panel making company B instead of producing panels themselves, can ...
3
votes
4answers
920 views
“Offer an opinion” or “give an opinion”
Our company is about to relocate. Employees have been asked for input on the new campus. My thought was to preface my email with
I would like to offer my opinion ...
but should it be
I ...
9
votes
2answers
293 views
Usage of “cancel” and “cancel out”
It seems that cancel and cancel out can be used in the same way. For example, A cancels B or A cancels out B. In which context is one preferred over the other?
2
votes
2answers
284 views
'Repeat the year' in English is 'redoubler une classe' in French. Would it be possible to say 'redouble the year' or 'redouble the course' in English?
When I googled 'redouble the year' I was directed to French sites, and I noticed that it is indeed used. Now, I want to have a confirmation from English native speakers. Can 'redouble' be used for ...
2
votes
4answers
356 views
Use of “compensate” to mean “help pay cost”
Is using compensate correct in this context?
We are appealing for your help. We've found a great deal for a
software solution we want to teach our kids and it costs 1000 dollars
and your ...
6
votes
2answers
997 views
When should I use “finish” instead of “complete,” and vice versa?
I am confused about when to use finish instead of complete and vice versa.
May you help me in understanding when to use those words?
0
votes
1answer
180 views
Is the word “Einstein” a verb? [closed]
I know that a lot of people use the word "Einstein" to convey someone as a genius, but I was wondering if Einstein, as a verb, is an official term.
3
votes
2answers
666 views
Correct use of “mooted”
Is the use of mooted correct here? I keep thinking the author wanted bruited. Yesterday I heard an economist in the UK use it in the same way.
Coffee mooted as a breast cancer preventer.
3
votes
2answers
141 views
Is it possible to abstain from blame?
Blame is a verb which is applied to a person without that person's choice, so can they use a verb like 'abstain' in terms of blame if abstain implies they are choosing a relationship to that blame?
I ...
8
votes
5answers
3k views
“Know about” vs. “know of”
Recently one of my friends told me that there is distinct difference between 'know of something' and 'know about something' expressions.
'know of' is used when you have personal experience with what ...
4
votes
4answers
1k views
Using 'generify' to mean 'to make generic'?
Can one use the term generify to mean 'to make generic'? E.g. a software programmer being told: 'generify this segment of code'.
If not, what may be a single word replacement of this phrase?
4
votes
2answers
781 views
When do you use what word to express that something consists of something else?
There are various ways of saying that something consists of something else:
composed of
comprised of
contained in
consist of
Maybe there are more. Are there hard and fast rules when to use which ...
