Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange |
- The growing popularity of “on the cusp”
- Proper usage of "having given birth" in this sentence
- What is the word for doing something extra to make up for breaking a promise
- Rule of English phonology that prevents /j/ and /w/ from occurring in the ends of syllables
- What does "briefly noted" mean?
- Rock, Suck, and what other English verbs - English Idiom?
- Would usage, What is the difference
- Is a Ray of light in the dark considered as a metaphor?
- Which is truer between "can we appreciate" and "can't we appreciate"?
- Idiom to express 'being good at something'
- "Of" vs "From" for relative times
- does it sound natural?
- Comma After Pronoun
- Word for medical treatment gone wrong (not malpractice)
- A word for asserting your opinion then attempting to end the conversation so the other person can't express theirs?
- How do you say "actively developing" in English?
- More fair/rational point
- A word for feeling simultaneously anxious & calm
- Comma usage to express the point in time
- How to determine a compound sentence \ rules
- With or without FOR? "The last thing I want is (FOR) anyone to..."
- Comma around adjectives
- idiom or a smooth way to say that the game is the right level/scope for a person?
- Looking for word describing Brave New World's consumerism practices and the reinventing of pre-existing products
- Why is the L silent in "walk" but not in "bulk"?
- What is a negative way to describe a person who is overindulged with Earthly life?
- "For THE use in a virtual power plant" or "for use in a virtual power plant" and other "the" cases
- What is the name/term for someone's personal writing style?
- Origin and meaning of phrase "cut the cheese"
| The growing popularity of “on the cusp” Posted: 09 Apr 2021 09:48 AM PDT The term cusp is an old one and it was first used in astrology and later in other contexts:
but the metaphorical expression on the cusp of something meaning "be at the time when a situation or state is going to change" became curiously popular only a few decades ago, from the 1990s as showwn by Google Books. While it probably derives from the astrological use of cusp, I wonder what may have caused its popularity which, as shown, has been increasing steadily and consistently in recent years.  |
| Proper usage of "having given birth" in this sentence Posted: 09 Apr 2021 09:42 AM PDT Recently, I came across a question that asks whether a given sentence is correct. If not, we're required to select an option that corrects the error. Question: Having given birth to six kittens, my friend, Neha anxiously watched her exhausted cat. (a) My friend, Neha anxiously watched her exhausted cat having given birth to six kittens. (b) Having given birth to six kittens, my friend, Neha anxiously watched the exhausted cat. (c) My friend, anxiously watched Neha, her exhausted cat having given birth to six kittens. (d) Having given birth to six kittens, my friend Neha watched anxiously her exhausted cat. I'm told by my friend that (d) is supposed to be the correct option. However, (d) seems to imply that it was Neha who gave birth to the six kittens, not the cat. Further, "watched anxiously her exhausted cat" seems to be wrong.  |
| What is the word for doing something extra to make up for breaking a promise Posted: 09 Apr 2021 08:32 AM PDT What is the word for when someone does something extra to make up for breaking a promise Like you tell someone you will be at their house at noon and need to leave at 5 and you don't get there till 1 so you stay till 7 Or you promise your partner you will be with them for a date night at a specific time and you blow them off for your friends so you make a new date night with your partner and the next date night you dress up extra fancy and get the check and tell them you love them and you are sorry and ask them what else they need to make up for the mistake you made Reconciliation doesn't sound right to me Make amends doesn't sound right I remember using a different word for this but I can't figure out what it was and the thesaurus isn't helping me  |
| Rule of English phonology that prevents /j/ and /w/ from occurring in the ends of syllables Posted: 09 Apr 2021 07:45 AM PDT I'm quite sure I've seen a rule in English phonology that says that /j/ (the "y" sound) and /w/ (the "w" sound) should not occur in the ends of English syllables, but I haven't had much luck finding that rule anywhere on the web. The rules I'm talking about are called "Phonotactics rules". As per Wikipedia, "Phonotactics is a branch of phonology that deals with restrictions in a language on the permissible combinations of phonemes. Phonotactics defines permissible syllable structure, consonant clusters and vowel sequences by means of phonotactic constraints." An example of the rules is that /ŋ/ (the "ng" sound) cannot begin a syllable, but can end one. I search through different websites in hopes of finding the rule that restricts /w/ and /j/ at the end of syllables, but of no use. Does this "Phonotactic rule" exist in English phonology? Can anyone provide a source that confirms this?  |
| What does "briefly noted" mean? Posted: 09 Apr 2021 08:56 AM PDT I often see the expression "briefly noted" on weblog posts (and also New Yorker). In general, what does it mean to say "something is briefly noted". Some Examples: Its use in an academic journal  |
| Rock, Suck, and what other English verbs - English Idiom? Posted: 09 Apr 2021 07:30 AM PDT David is extremely good and we like him so much that we say "David rocks!". (David is great!) But his living situation is not as good as him. so we say "That sucks." (That's bad.) These verbs (to suck and to rock) are essentially doing the functions that are originally supposed to be done by adjectives like "David is great!" and "That's bad" or "That's not good". They are used idiomatically. Are there any other English idioms or verbs that can be used in a similar way?  |
| Would usage, What is the difference Posted: 09 Apr 2021 07:20 AM PDT While I was reading something I came across with this structure. " Car wouldnt start this morning." Why was "wouldn't" used here... Whats the difference as meaning with these examples. Car wont start Car doesnt start Car wouldnt start this morning Car couldnt start this morning Car didnt start this morning I'm wondering if there is any difference as meaning or the time feel free to correct mistakes  |
| Is a Ray of light in the dark considered as a metaphor? Posted: 09 Apr 2021 09:06 AM PDT So I was wondering if buried in the deepest thought is considered as a slightly mixed metaphor? The thoughts are deep, but he is under them. It's Target is Source is: Ideas are (Heavy) Objects How about a ray of light in the dark? In the form of Target Domain and Source Domain.  |
| Which is truer between "can we appreciate" and "can't we appreciate"? Posted: 09 Apr 2021 07:22 AM PDT To me these two words mean the same thing, but I'm confused which one is the truer of the two words, or do they mean different things? If the same, can you explain which word is more correct? "Can we appreciate her" or "Can't we appreciate her". Thank you  |
| Idiom to express 'being good at something' Posted: 09 Apr 2021 06:50 AM PDT I am currently working on a translation project for university (nothing profressional) and I have a question regarding the translation of a French expression which goes "je ne crains personne". It literally means "I don't fear anyone", though the expression means not having any opponents regarding something, being very good at something (and therefore not fearing opponents). Its meaning is in my opinion very subtle and allows for the person saying it to come across as quite modest. I would like to find an English expression with the same meaning that also keeps this modest aspect of it. Does anyone have a suggestion for this? Thank you so much Kindly Elsa  |
| "Of" vs "From" for relative times Posted: 09 Apr 2021 06:22 AM PDT
'Of' typically indicates possession, but 'from' can be used to describe future actions. The product launch depends on the kick-off date, but I'm not sure if it belongs to the kick-off. Also, I do not want to say "will be launched 6 months after kick-off" because that communicates a strict 6-month timeline.  |
| Posted: 09 Apr 2021 06:17 AM PDT
In the following situation "was" sounds more natural. Then the police arrived... I told them I was British and they let me go. In the following situation "am" sounds more natural (not sure why, just a hunch)
Am I right or wrong?  |
| Posted: 09 Apr 2021 06:33 AM PDT Should there be a comma after "me" in the sentence "me, who likes to read"?  |
| Word for medical treatment gone wrong (not malpractice) Posted: 09 Apr 2021 05:22 AM PDT I am looking for a word (noun) or expression that describes medical treatment gone wrong, where the treatment was not the correct one, or where something else went wrong, possibly due to unforeseen complications, accidents, inaccurate test results, misdiagnosis, poor medical images, human errors, etc. Errors, independently of whether anyone is personally at fault. I am not looking for the word 'malpractice', which to me indicates negligence, carelessness or incompetence, liable or possibly criminal. 'Wrongful treatment' also does not seem quite right. An intended usage example is: "We believe this technology will reduce the risk of (medical treatment going wrong)."  |
| Posted: 09 Apr 2021 05:41 AM PDT Looking for a word which describes an attempt to simultaneously assert one's opinion but not allow the other to express theirs. For example, in a conversation about a person, one may express their opinion and then notify the other participant that they can no longer carry on this conversation — so that they wouldn't need to form a proper response to a disagreement.  |
| How do you say "actively developing" in English? Posted: 09 Apr 2021 06:37 AM PDT In my resume I talked about some projects that I have worked on like: "Created a" "Developed a program" "Designed a program" and in all of my high-tech interviews (like Microsoft) they asked "and you abandoned it?" with a laugh How can I make it clear that I am still developing and working on the program and advancing them in short and professional way?  |
| Posted: 09 Apr 2021 04:14 AM PDT In an essay for the IELTS test, I tried to say "The second group's opinion is better" and I wrote, "The second group makes a more rational point". Is it correct to say it this way? can I use fair instead of rational? or should I say, "makes a fairer point"? Is there another way of showing this superiority?  |
| A word for feeling simultaneously anxious & calm Posted: 09 Apr 2021 04:25 AM PDT I'm searching for a word that means feeling both scared and relaxed at the same time. The reason why is because I'm looking for music that evokes particular emotions I can't describe. Here are some examples:
All of these songs evoke the same emotions that are too tricky for me to pin point. But I do know they are all relaxing yet unnerving in their own unique way.  |
| Comma usage to express the point in time Posted: 09 Apr 2021 04:01 AM PDT I was typing a sentence that confused me a bit. Any help would be appreciated. What would this mean? What I want to communicate is that I am noting down a few bullet points to discuss and I am doing that before the meeting. I fear the sentence might sound like the things need to be completed prior to the meeting. Adding a comma between seems confusing too. Any pointers?  |
| How to determine a compound sentence \ rules Posted: 09 Apr 2021 03:47 AM PDT Let me expand my ideas and teach those of a little knowledge or empty-minded people who consider themselves brilliant scholars and they are just bubbles. Sorry to tell that openly, but sometimes we need to speak in this language. One thing I recommend and want to spell out "Knowledge must not be fought" Whether I am Ahmad Mohammad or Ali it does no matter. Let me teach you what are the compound sentences.
 |
| With or without FOR? "The last thing I want is (FOR) anyone to..." Posted: 09 Apr 2021 04:16 AM PDT I am doing Proficiency exam practice and came across the following sentence transformation: As you can see, according to the answer key, my answer is wrong. However, I did some research and found out that my version also works. Is it the case of the structure simply being more idiomatic with FOR?  |
| Posted: 09 Apr 2021 09:05 AM PDT Is there a comma error in this sentence?
I was told that the comma after insidious is improper. It is, I say, perfectly acceptable usage. Am I in error here?  |
| idiom or a smooth way to say that the game is the right level/scope for a person? Posted: 09 Apr 2021 06:51 AM PDT I'm looking for a way to say that a certain game is challenging enough (but not too much) and of the right scope. So far I came up with 'This game is in my league' but that doesn't sound quite right.  |
| Posted: 09 Apr 2021 05:04 AM PDT I cannot remember the term for a system in which an existing product was redefined and developed into a new product and then marketed as better and sold to the public, even though it works almost exactly the same as the product that came before its generation. I believe there is an ‑ism word in Brave New World which describes part of this about their society and I can just not remember what it is and it is killing me not knowing. Does anyone know what this word is?  |
| Why is the L silent in "walk" but not in "bulk"? Posted: 09 Apr 2021 06:53 AM PDT TL;DRWhy is the letter L silent in walk, talk, calm, folk, half, chalk etc but not silent in bulk, hulk, milk, silk, bold, bald? Explanation of the question and Research:The letter L seems to be silent in many words like walk, talk, calm, folk, half, chalk. I checked their pronunciations in a few dictionaries and I have never heard anyone pronouncing it in these words. Maybe some people pronounce the L as suggested in this post on reddit but the standard pronunciation has silent L. Another post on Quora suggests two points in which one is "l-vocalization":
One question (Where did the L in talk go?) on this site is similar but it does not explain why the L is pronounced in some words and silent in some words. In this question, the answer by Decapitated Soul says also "L-vocalization" as suggested in Quora's answer but does not explain my question. Another answer I found is on Linguist List but does not answer my question, instead it says the the L was pronounced at some time but it is silent now. My own observations:The L is silent when it comes between a vowel and consonant. In words where the L is between vowels, the L is not silent like in filling, killing, color, pillar etc. The L after /ɔː/ and /ɑː/ and before a consonant is silent in many words like calm, walk, talk, half, calm etc. The L after /ɪ/ and before a consonant is not silent like milk, silk, film etc. The L after /ʌ/ and before a consonant is not like hulk, bulk etc. Question:Is there any rule or this is just random discrepancy? Can anyone please explain?  |
| What is a negative way to describe a person who is overindulged with Earthly life? Posted: 09 Apr 2021 04:51 AM PDT To the extent that the person becomes neglectful of all else, including ethics, rights, etc.? Example: Those who are [word] are so indulged in satisfying their whims and desires that they forget that death shall soon arrive, separating them from all they acquired and delivering them to a stage of reckoning and justice for all the injustice and cruelty they committed.  |
| "For THE use in a virtual power plant" or "for use in a virtual power plant" and other "the" cases Posted: 09 Apr 2021 04:00 AM PDT So a friend of mine just proof read my masters thesis and pointed out some errors which I think sound weird. He is probably right, but since one is in my title (*facepalm) and I need to fill in some special request to change it I wanted to double check. Is it: "Simulation of ... for THE use in a virtual power plant" or is the "the" wrongly placed there? Also: I am using some components from an online library called "Windpowerlib". So I always referred to it as: These functions are implemented from THE windpowerlib. He told me the "the" is wrongly placed there as well. Can someone confirm? (and maybe explain because it sounds superweird to me)  |
| What is the name/term for someone's personal writing style? Posted: 09 Apr 2021 07:36 AM PDT I know I got a message from a friend. I could tell by the way they wrote the message, and their vocabulary. There is a name for a personal writing manner, but when I Google to find out, it's like either a) I'm asking the question in the wrong manner, or Google has no idea that the word exists… So, it's not lexicon, idiolect, vernacular, 'voice', hyperbole (I have no idea why that keeps bouncing around in my head - I feel that the 'hyp-' maybe relevant). Any ideas? I knew it up until about 6 months ago, and now it's driving me nuts! *I understand, and fully appreciate your help. However, I do have to say that the very first thing I tried was to search the internet for synonyms of writing style, personal writing style, personal penmanship etc. The reason I came here is because I needed a deeper level of knowledge (deeper than Wikipedia). Many times have I searched 'Google' for something, only to come up fruitless. Then, I find the exact word/phrase that I am looking for, search for it, and get a million hits. An almost 'Oh, was that what you were looking for..' The last place I remember hearing it was on a show like Elementary/Sherlock/Death in paradise, where they main character stated they knew something was up by the **** of the letter (-paraphrased), if that helps?  |
| Origin and meaning of phrase "cut the cheese" Posted: 09 Apr 2021 09:41 AM PDT Where does the phrase "cut the cheese" come from? I understand it to be an idiom for flatulation. Is that the correct meaning?  |
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