Questions tagged [vocabulary]
The vocabulary tag should be used for questions discussing a multitude of words in a certain field. E.g., the vocabulary concerning money or the vocabulary concerning leatherworking.
2,067
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10 views
What is the meanning of “should be happening”? [migrated]
An example from TED:
Those conversations should be happening in a good marriage, not after it is broken.
And I have heard it many times so far, but I am not sure what exactly it means. Does it a ...
0
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1answer
26 views
what's the meaning of “the supply was uncertain” [closed]
I have came across with this phrase and I can't understand its meaning:
rubber is expensive and the supply was uncertain.
Can someone explain the second part ?
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0answers
21 views
What does an 'ice run' means in Heathers?
There is this scene in Heathers (1988), where Veronica and JD sit in her car discussing a murder they commited the night before. Veronica is upset by being fooled, but Jason reassures her it was all ...
2
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1answer
64 views
Getting peanut butter out with the back of a spoon
I like wiping the back of a spoon on peanut butter to get it out of the jar, instead of scooping it out the normal way. Could this action still be described as “scooping out”, but with the back of the ...
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26 views
Is the question below grammatically correct? [closed]
"I was wondering if I will be working on the bank holidays or not." Is this question grammatically correct and formal enough?
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0answers
18 views
Suffix confusion and vocabulary [closed]
What does bellyful mean? Is it even a word? If it is then is belly less a word?
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1answer
81 views
What is another way of saying “we cannot guarantee”?
1. Summarize the problem
I work for an IT solutions provider and we always try to get the customer anything they inquire. We also want to avoid negative connotations with our brand, so we avoid ...
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0answers
17 views
Can one write 'Health behaviors'? I keep coming across this kind of usage in some research papers
"Analyzing health behaviors of diabetics" was the title of a paper. I was wondering about the usage.
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0answers
11 views
Abstract and concrete nouns [duplicate]
I am still confused with the classifications of such nouns as area, spot, compound (which refers to a type of area), and area itself. Are they abstract or concrete nouns?
2
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2answers
39 views
Any nuances of meaning between ruffian, thug, hoodlum, hooligan, and lout? [closed]
Ruffian, thug, hoodlum, hooligan, and lout. They all generally refer to a troublemaker, a violent man. But I wonder if there are any nuances of meaning between them. For example, we usually say "...
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2answers
75 views
Meaning of “bareback”
I've been watching Guy Maddin's 2007 My Winnipeg and there's a sentence there I have difficulty understanding. The narrator is talking about the coldest month, January, and it goes something like this:...
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29 views
What word (adverb, preferably) can we use to show that we need to study harder and cover more stuff than usual in a short amount of time?
"We need to study ___________(ly) in order to not fall behind."
Being a non-native speaker, I'm thinking of the words "compactly" and "compressedly" (whose translations ...
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1answer
19 views
No-show or Non-show [closed]
Which phrase is correct ? This is the typical phrase we use for example when a passenger don't go to his flight.
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0answers
27 views
“Look for this sign in store” – is it correct?
I was wondering whether a sentence like this "Look for this sign in store" is correct. The sign in question is a wobbler attached to products in a store that includes a QR code and a ...
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0answers
23 views
'Cooperate' or 'Cooperate with each other'?
I would like to know if it is necessary to add "with each other" after the word "Cooperate'. Grammarly suggests that 'with each other' be removed because it is tautologous. However, I ...
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0answers
14 views
GPA (Grade Point Average) for/in/of
The preposition suitable for this noun is quite a headache to me. Please consider the following: I finished those programs with flying colors. The GPAs for/in/of the two programs were outstanding
...
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1answer
35 views
Synonym of “High-Level” in “High-Level Ideas/Description/Method”
I'm writing a paper and we have the following quote.
see Section 1.3.4 for a high-level description of the method and Section 2.1 for the specific application.
Basically, we're using a general ...
2
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1answer
78 views
What does “stat 1. c.18” mean?
I'm reading Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations and I keep seeing these chronologic references to reigns of kings and queens in England:
By the 12th of Queen Anne, too, stat. 1, c. 18
What do "...
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4answers
60 views
Word for symbolic procedure with little purpose?
For example, I am taking an online Calculus test because of Covid-19 that would normally be taken in person.
The in-person test requires photo IDs to be checked of all test takers to make sure they ...
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0answers
34 views
Drugs USE or drugs USED [migrated]
I have a question that we use "Book rent" or "money spent" as nouns. So I think that noun (2)= noun (1) + past participle form of verb. For example, money spent (noun 2) = money (...
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0answers
15 views
Which one is correct, semester or semesters? [migrated]
This information is for 4th and 5th semester?
or
This information is for 4th and 5th semesters?
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0answers
23 views
Is this sentence grammatically correct? and also is it the right way to use the word outrun? [closed]
Due to high demand buyers often outrun production of the phone.
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0answers
25 views
entry requirements and entrance requirements
Are there any differences between ENTRY requirements and ENTRANCE requirements? Is it interchangeable?
In this sentence below, which one do you think is more suitable or both of them are acceptable?
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0answers
36 views
What is meant by “Curb lane” in American English?
I am reading a text about the recent Open Restaurants initiative in the NYC area (following the covid crisis), and they are talking about the ability of restaurant owners to use the "curb lane&...
1
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1answer
62 views
Word with transcription [jərn] or [jən] [closed]
In English, is there any word that has the following transcription:
[jən] or
[jə:rn]
Many thanks!
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2answers
55 views
Is “unconfident” the exact opposite of “self-confident”? [closed]
The word "confident" means to have trust, not necessarily in one's own abilities, but also in the abilities of others, the effectiveness of a plan, the future, etc, which accounts for the ...
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3answers
56 views
Can we use the word “pierce” for making big holes in something? [closed]
To me, the word "pierce" means making holes in something but it also connotes that the hole being made is very narrow and tight, which is why it doesn't sound right to use it to talk about ...
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6answers
7k views
Why are black people referred to as “colored people”?
When someone calls a black person "a colored guy", I can't help but think about the question "are white people colorless? Isn't white a color too?"
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1answer
44 views
What is the name of the document/amount of money you need to temporarily give the government in order to leave the country?
I don't know how this works in other countries, but in Iran, when you want to leave the country, say, on business, you need to post bail, which can consist of either an amount of money or a piece of ...
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1answer
37 views
Can the word “customer” be used in all sorts of places (shops, organizations, etc) to refer to people who have gone there to run errands?
For example, a person who goes to a registry office to change their name. Or someone who goes to a hospital to donate blood. These people aren't paying anything because they are not buying anything. ...
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2answers
41 views
Is there a word or concise phrase meaning to set aside many tasks or a surplus of work for another?
For a very long time I had a misunderstanding and thought the word expressing this was "sandbagging" which is very much an incorrect use.
Is there a phrase I can use when I am saying that I ...
1
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1answer
36 views
Shackle vs Handcuffs
What's the difference between shackle and handcuffs? Is the difference nuance-based? Judging by Google Ngram viewer, it seems "shackle" had a peak of usage around 1920. Is it arcane/used ...
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2answers
74 views
Idiom or word to say to someone who is talking without proof or data
I am working in the IT field. We faced an issue and hired a consultant to resolve that. Consultant gave us some generic recommendation which is not based on any data and will not resolve our issue.
Do ...
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1answer
41 views
Does it sound idiomatic to say “Regretfully, I won't have the privilege of being with you that day, but I do wish you all good luck.”
There is a very common expression in Farsi that translates to something along the lines of "It's my bad luck that I wasn't there to enjoy your company" or "I will not have the good ...
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0answers
26 views
Is it befitting to use “I would agree” in a formal writing?
Can we start off a paragraph with "I would agree" when we want to establish our perspective on a subject in a formal and academic writing? What is the difference between "I agree" ...
1
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1answer
29 views
What's the word for people who give an opinion unnecessarily?
What's the word for people who give an opinion unnecessarily; when it is not required or it's not their business or they are not asked to?
Can we call them 'critics'? Or loose tongued?
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0answers
24 views
Stating “Because of private meeting they didn’t let me post more stuff.” in a formal form
I would say “in consideration of private gathering, they didn’t let me post more stuff on my IG stories” OR “ in light of private meeting, I couldn’t ... “
Is it well formed? Or natives saying in ...
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0answers
20 views
How do you differentiate the use of “When I asked…” and “When I have asked…”
This might be a very basic question for native speakers of English, but I'd really appreciate if you could help me to understand the difference between "When I asked" and "When I have ...
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6answers
3k views
Meaning of “I height Don Quixote”
What is the meaning/origins of a word "height" in this line of poetry (Written by Jack Parsons in 1943):
I height Don Quixote, I live on Peyote,
marihuana, morphine and cocaine.
I never ...
1
vote
1answer
35 views
What is the name of this effect/situation?
Consider this situation, A group of people have to choose between two restaurants for a meal, restaurant A which is new to the group and restaurant B which is old having been visited by the group ...
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1answer
38 views
What do you call someone who always speaks in gobbledygooks? [duplicate]
What word would you use to describe a person using gobbledygooks even during casual conversations?
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2answers
54 views
What is the word or adjective for when talks about their feelings or aspirations etc [closed]
For example : The stage is not a platform to get _____. Kindly accept your award and leave.
Or He had an epiphany and got really ___
Or Drunk people can get very _____.
I had a ...
0
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1answer
16 views
separate you from VS keep you from
For context: the participant who is on the 1st place now has earned 10 points, and the participant on the 2nd place has earned 5 points. How can I say that 5 points separate the second place from the ...
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2answers
22 views
On vs over (is using “on” wrong here?)
I know the difference. I know over in this case means that the thing covers all or almost all of the other thing, and on simply means that the thing is on part of the surface of the other thing. But, ...
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7answers
1k views
Is there a single word for Money Lender?
I'm looking for a single word describing a person who lends money to dynasties or kingdoms in large amounts? who does not lend small amounts to anyone, hence they generally do not lend to individuals.
...
0
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1answer
18 views
Are the following sentences correct/idiomatic? [closed]
"I'll see you at the top of the x street/alley."
"I'm at the bottom of the x street/alley."
Or should we just say "at/around the corner of the x street"?
Thank you
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28 views
Is the sentence “I could see his pulse beating.” correct?
Can we use the verb "beat" for "pulse"? If not, what can we use?
Thank you
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0answers
25 views
How to say that I can hear better now?
When I attend a web conference, sometimes I'm too lazy to plug in a headphone. Because of this, I usually find that it is difficult to hear what people on the other side say, and so this problem put ...
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1answer
71 views
What does POC mean?
I'm mailing with someone to purchase a product. At the end of one of the emails that I received there's a word, "POC". I'm struggling to find the meaning of this word and the meaning of it ...
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0answers
24 views
What is the difference between a blurb and an abstract?
I'm a student of English Studies and I'm struggling with these two terms.
I know both are kinds of summaries, but I want to know the exact differences because I have to write an assigment using ...
