Timeline for What is a word for a big, insurmountable problem? [closed]
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
51 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| May 17, 2018 at 20:21 | comment | added | ahorn | @MetaEd sorry. I should probably read more instead of hoping for the perfect word. | |
| May 14, 2018 at 18:30 | comment | added | MetaEd | When a word request attracts a long list of ideas, that is a clear signal that either the criteria are unclear or the question is more of a poll or request for a list of things, neither of which are a good fit for the Stack Exchange model. Specifically, this question seems to be more of a writing advice request, especially in light of the comment trail. Because of the inherent subjectivity of writing advice requests, they are a poor fit for the SE model. | |
| May 14, 2018 at 18:30 | comment | added | MetaEd | Avoid word requests that lack: (i) objective criteria for accepting answers, including connotation, register, and part of speech; (ii) exact context – generally we want the sentence you’re writing; and (iii) details of research you’ve already done (trips to the thesaurus, etc.) including solutions you’ve already rejected, and why. See: “Single word requests, crosswords, and the fight against mediocrity – ELU Meta”; “Real Questions Have Answers – SE Blog”. | |
| May 14, 2018 at 18:29 | history | closed |
Nigel J Bread user 66974 Arm the good guys in America MetaEd |
Not suitable for this site | |
| S May 14, 2018 at 18:28 | history | mod moved comments to chat | |||
| S May 14, 2018 at 18:28 | comment | added | MetaEd | Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat. | |
| May 14, 2018 at 14:00 | comment | added | Ben Aveling | @yahorn And you're going to argue that with more care, there could be less unemployment? If so, then maybe the word you want to use is "avoidable". You'll need to explain (later) that it isn't completely avoidable - but that it doesn't need to be as bad as it is, if only <something something something> is done differently. Whatever you are going to be talking about later, that is the idea you want to put into your readers head now. | |
| May 14, 2018 at 7:38 | comment | added | ahorn | @BenAveling well, unemployment is incidental. | |
| May 14, 2018 at 2:51 | comment | added | Ben Aveling | @ahorn Intentional effects, or incidental effects? | |
| May 13, 2018 at 1:38 | comment | added | Todd Wilcox | My understanding is that intractable means that technically it could probably be solved except the scale of the problem is just too large for there to be a straightforward solution. Not knowing a lot about unemployment in Africa, I can't be certain, but just judging by the size of the continent and vast array of cultures and social issues, intractable seems like a very good word for any problem that plagues the entire continent. | |
| May 13, 2018 at 1:19 | answer | added | WBT | timeline score: 1 | |
| May 12, 2018 at 19:26 | comment | added | AmI | If you'll take a noun, there's conundrum | |
| May 12, 2018 at 15:41 | comment | added | ahorn | I see that there were two close votes, so I'm sorry that this question was a bit fuzzy. But I like how we've brainstormed some good words! I didn't expect there to be so many views. | |
| May 12, 2018 at 15:38 | vote | accept | ahorn | ||
| May 12, 2018 at 15:29 | comment | added | ahorn | @BenAveling the effect of government grants on labour force participation. | |
| May 12, 2018 at 15:28 | comment | added | ahorn | @Racheet I think it's because I want to be optimistic. | |
| May 12, 2018 at 12:50 | comment | added | Strawberry | brexit seems to fit | |
| May 12, 2018 at 11:36 | answer | added | Michael Rybkin | timeline score: 2 | |
| May 12, 2018 at 7:02 | comment | added | Nick Kovalsky | try an arch-important problem | |
| May 12, 2018 at 6:56 | comment | added | Ben Aveling | What aspect of unemployment is the paper talking about? | |
| May 11, 2018 at 20:16 | comment | added | Xanne | If the problem is intractable and insurmountable, why would a reader want to continue with your essay? Thus, I like "conundrum" (one of the following answers). Hard to figure out, but keep reading! | |
| May 11, 2018 at 18:25 | history | protected | RegDwigнt | ||
| May 11, 2018 at 17:28 | answer | added | mahmud k pukayoor | timeline score: 3 | |
| May 11, 2018 at 17:27 | comment | added | Racheet | I hesitate to put this in an answer because it's already in your title, but what's wrong with "insurmountable"? | |
| May 11, 2018 at 16:58 | comment | added | alan | I think you're too hung up on one adjective. Just write a really good overall essay that shows how unemployment is an intractable, persistent problem. | |
| May 11, 2018 at 16:44 | answer | added | Harper - Reinstate Monica | timeline score: 2 | |
| May 11, 2018 at 16:44 | answer | added | gmiley | timeline score: 2 | |
| May 11, 2018 at 16:43 | comment | added | Tom22 | @ahorn I like your idea of "intractable" as I think really you are after the persistency and the lack of progress in elimination more than the impossibility or absolute size you are after (importance vs size). What I like about 'intractable' is that oddly enough, it suggests a tiny bit of optimism - if only a way of getting traction could be found - it calls for a hope for cause of action. However, if the paper has broader audiences, intractable is too elevated for plain english goals. "seemingly unconquerable" might be dramatic(adversary at war with)with edge of hope from seemingly | |
| May 11, 2018 at 16:16 | review | Close votes | |||
| May 13, 2018 at 13:17 | |||||
| May 11, 2018 at 16:14 | answer | added | user147593 | timeline score: 4 | |
| May 11, 2018 at 15:55 | answer | added | PC_Goldman - SE is rotting | timeline score: 4 | |
| May 11, 2018 at 15:30 | answer | added | dashard | timeline score: 5 | |
| May 11, 2018 at 15:29 | answer | added | Ruadhan2300 | timeline score: 7 | |
| May 11, 2018 at 15:21 | answer | added | alwayslearning | timeline score: 3 | |
| May 11, 2018 at 15:20 | answer | added | JJJ | timeline score: 2 | |
| May 11, 2018 at 15:14 | answer | added | Lambie | timeline score: 16 | |
| May 11, 2018 at 15:07 | comment | added | Lambie | A snafu is one word that comes to mind. If you want a powerful opening sentence, you need to use an action verb and not "is". Unemployment plagues South Africa. Unemployment gnaws away at the South Africa. Just example. | |
| May 11, 2018 at 15:05 | answer | added | Acccumulation | timeline score: 2 | |
| May 11, 2018 at 14:29 | answer | added | alwayslearning | timeline score: 4 | |
| May 11, 2018 at 14:08 | history | edited | ahorn | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
added 105 characters in body; edited title
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| May 11, 2018 at 13:55 | comment | added | Edwin Ashworth | 'It doesn't have to be an adjective if the sentence is still powerful.' shouldn't be in a comment: you need to edit the question. This makes a large difference. | |
| May 11, 2018 at 12:57 | answer | added | user 66974 | timeline score: 7 | |
| May 11, 2018 at 12:31 | answer | added | lbf | timeline score: 1 | |
| May 11, 2018 at 12:20 | answer | added | user30820 | timeline score: 3 | |
| May 11, 2018 at 11:53 | comment | added | ahorn | I'm just looking for a powerful opening sentence. I like the sentence, "Unemployment is a significant and intractable problem in South Africa, which calls for attention on possible solutions." @mike65535 the essay looks at the effect of government grants on work-seeking behaviour. | |
| May 11, 2018 at 11:51 | comment | added | mike65535 | Some of your examples suggest a problem that's been around for a long time (enduring), and has proven difficult to rectify (intractable), or pervasive (widespread). Which aspect(s) are you trying to deal with? | |
| May 11, 2018 at 11:50 | comment | added | ahorn | Or maybe "significant". | |
| May 11, 2018 at 11:49 | comment | added | ahorn | It is possible that the word I'm looking for is "intractable" and that I'm just asking this question because I'm trying to brainstorm with others and make sure that's what I want. | |
| May 11, 2018 at 11:46 | comment | added | ahorn | It doesn't have to be an adjective if the sentence is still powerful. | |
| May 11, 2018 at 11:44 | comment | added | mike65535 | Does it have to be an adjective - IOW precede "problem" - or can it be a noun, taking the place of "problem"? | |
| May 11, 2018 at 11:41 | history | asked | ahorn | CC BY-SA 4.0 |