"Furthermore does hardly anyone speak about the fact that we are in the midst of the sixth mass extinction, with up to 200 species going extinct every single day, that the extinction rate today is between 1,000 and 10,000 times higher than what is seen as normal.

Nor does hardly anyone ever speak about the aspect of equity or climate justice, clearly stated everywhere in the Paris Agreement, which is absolutely necessary to make it work on a global scale."

In the article, I read... two sentences... "does hardly anyone speak~~" "Nor does hardly anyone ever speak~~" I can get what it means, But I can't why it makes sense in the English grammar.

Differences in article usage [migrated]

Posted: 18 Jun 2021 04:44 AM PDT

What is the difference between:
Did you see the film on a TV last night ? and Did you see the film on the TV last night?

What is the difference between:
He never listens to the classical music. and He never listens to a classical music.

From these what are the correct answers and why are they correct?

is this Grammatically correct "Ask him to connect with Joe Doe" [closed]

Posted: 18 Jun 2021 04:36 AM PDT

Someone from my team told me that Bob has some questions for which I don't have any answer but Joe Doe has. So I used this sentence "Ask him to connect with Joe Doe". Is this Grammatically correct?

"Jump" - "How High?" - mental image and meaning

Posted: 18 Jun 2021 09:05 AM PDT

Non-native speaker here. I have come across this metaphor quite often: Person X complains / admires that if A told B to jump, B would just ask 'how high?'. What is the mental image behind that?

As far as I have figured out, this is supposed to mean that B is incredibly loyal to A and trusts / follows their command (blindly?) in stressful scenarios.

I am trying to figure out how asking 'how high?' when being told to jump, is a signal of trust instead of stupidity. If I am in a combat scenario and someone told me to jump (because something is trying to take my feet out from beneath me / the ground is breaking apart beneath me), then it would be the height of stupidity to stand around dumbly and ask 'how high?' instead of just reacting.

So I'm guessing that either my mental image or my interpretation of the 'jump - how high' meaning are wrong.

Which one is it?

can remind or can to remind [migrated]

Posted: 18 Jun 2021 02:35 AM PDT

I found this sentence in a book that is as follows,'Great poets are expressly aware of this, and they do what they can to remind the rest of us.' Is it possible to use 'can' that way?

Please help how to write this correct [closed]

Posted: 18 Jun 2021 12:55 AM PDT

Could you provide me with information of proffered method of delivering parts. So you want to arrange a collection via DHL or you are delivering into us via your own transport

Documents processing or document processing (etc.)? [duplicate]

Posted: 18 Jun 2021 12:17 AM PDT

I know that in this case (and all other similar cases) this would be the latter, but I am having a hard time finding any resources that explain why. What is the reasoning behind why we'd use document processing rather than documents processing, employee management rather than employees management, etc.?

"Get Groomed" Is it safe to use without negative connotation? [migrated]

Posted: 18 Jun 2021 02:23 AM PDT

Can I ask someone to Get Groomed without any negative connotation? Recently I came across this https://hinative.com/en-US/questions/4362645.

Also, does it apply only to men or also to women?

Update: A little background

I am working on a beauty salon service. I was planning to use "Get groomed!" as a tagline. I want to be sure that it is not misconstrued.

Which one is the best option for my question below? [closed]

Posted: 17 Jun 2021 11:58 PM PDT

On the first night this time I felt especially lazy and went to bed _____ earlier than usual.

Which one is the best option to fill the blank : quite, rather, fairly or somehow

What is the verb to say "negatively affect" in terms of temporary impairment done to intelligence or ability? [closed]

Posted: 17 Jun 2021 11:59 PM PDT

I have been searching for a verb that acurately means "negatively affect", especially when it's used to describe a situation where a person's intellectual capacity is temporarily harmed or damaged, causing failure in performance or functioning. For example, a drunk person's judgement is temporarily negatively affected due to the alcohol.

I have looked up words like "hamper", "hinder", "impede". But none of their definitions match the meaning I want to express.

But I don't mean "retarded" or "decreased intellectual capacity". Because I want a more general and abstract word to describe "causing a restriction to a person's ability to function physically, mentally, or socially."

Can you help me with this question?

Idiom for addressing the most important point

Posted: 18 Jun 2021 02:20 AM PDT

What's an idiom for getting right to the most important point?

Someone clever/wise always gets right to the heart of the matter. An educator who understands their audience perfectly and always says exactly what needs to be said when it needs to be said. An educator who knows exactly what issues their audience is having without needing to be told, and gets right on with addressing those issues.

Something like "stabbing at the heart of the matter."

What's a term for someone who held a position that's in the process of being handed over?

Posted: 18 Jun 2021 04:16 AM PDT

I am/was the Vice President of Finances for a club at my university. Over the summer, someone new was elected who will become the new VP Finances. The position is still being transferred, meaning that the new officer hasn't assumed the full role of Finances, but I am technically not the VP of Finances anymore, the new person is.

I need to write a number of letters, emails, etc. to companies about sponsorships and the like. I typically would sign them:

John Christianson
Vice President of Finances

but now that I am not VP of Finances, what title should I use? Is there a specific word that means 'the position is in the process of being transferred'?

Word or idiom for something that can either be helpful or harmful, depending on how it's used

Posted: 18 Jun 2021 01:12 AM PDT

For example, consider the following:

Knives are a [blank], because they can either be used as a tool or a weapon.

I don't think "double-edged sword" is appropriate in this context because that idiom implies the object is simultaneously helpful and harmful. I'm instead, searching for a word or phrase to describe something that is either helpful or harmful depending on how it is used.

'Broagcast' - the /d/ sound in English

Posted: 18 Jun 2021 03:07 AM PDT

I am referring to American English here, but this could also be applied to British English for all I know.

Is the "d" really just an alveolar "d" in words like:

"hi(d)e my"

and

"broa(d)cast"

When I try to pronounce these words like I would with the tongue position of "d" in "dog", a small plosive kind of sound occurs (of my tongue separating from the roof of my mouth) before moving to the next consonant, and it's noticable. But when I hear Americans say these words, there's no such sound after the "d".

I don't know if this makes sense or not but:

haɪd̚‿x‿maɪ
bɹɑd̚‿x‿kʰæst̚

The x refers to that sound of tongue leaving the roof. Try it yourself: put the tip of your tongue on the alveolar ridge and pull it downward, it's sort of like a click sound.

How do I avoid this sound?

A friend even told me that his "d" in "broadcast" is made with the tongue position for "k", so a bit like "broggcast".

(Not) do subtle

Posted: 18 Jun 2021 02:03 AM PDT

DO1 (v.tr.) 1c. To perform the tasks or behaviors typically associated with (something), especially as part of one's character or normal duties: That talk show host just doesn't do subtle.

https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=do

Is subtle an adverb here? Or rather do is a copulative verb?

Collective term for nontechnical staff at a company?

Posted: 18 Jun 2021 06:35 AM PDT

I am looking for a term which would refer to all of the nontechnical staff at a technical company.

For example, if it is a software firm, the term would refer to, say, all HR, education, travel and relocation, wellness and finance staff.

Example

Without the great [nontechnical staff] at our company, our programmers wouldn't have been able to achieve what they did.

Words I considered

I could use the term "nontechnical staff" but I do not like the fact that it denotes what they aren't instead of what they are.

I also thought about "support staff". According to Cambridge Dictionary, support staff are

the people who work for an organization to keep it running and to support the people who are involved in the organization's main business.

However, the problem with this term is that, at a technical company, when someone hears the term "support staff", the first thing that comes to mind is IT or technical support staff.

Specific Term for prejudice/prejudiced behaviour (racial, gender, etc...) that justifies itself by a prior history of prejudice?

Posted: 18 Jun 2021 09:04 AM PDT

If someone made the following, certainly problematic, statements:

"There is a higher risk (member of oppressed minority) will underperform at a job or task, since it is more likely they are traumatized or disenfranchised by prejudice and/or poor treatment they have suffered in the past."

"(Member of oppressed minority) cannot be trusted, since there is an above average likelihood they will harbor mistrust or resentment due to being treated poorly before."

Is there a specific term for this kind of thinking/prejudiced behaviour - which can easily lead to a factually racist or other anti-minority outcome, WITHOUT a need for the person making that kind of judgement to be themselves categorically racist or against the minority in question?

Is there a word for messy eating?

Posted: 18 Jun 2021 01:45 AM PDT

In my language, we have a word (a verb) for messy eating. When someone is eating messily, like when they play with their food, eat carelessly, or mess up their plate by making it look unappetising and gross, we say they are "balboocheh" (verb). This word is similar "muddle", "jumble" or "garble", except these words I believe don't really pertain "eating messily" (or perhaps they can be used so?).

In a sentence, the word should be used in this sense:

"Sara, stop [insert word]-ing your spaghetti. Eat properly!"

in vs for ( regarding time )

Posted: 18 Jun 2021 03:00 AM PDT

Which one sounds more appropriate?

I haven't had a good sleep in the past few days.
I haven't had a good sleep for the past few days.

I reckon they both may be correct with different context, so could you please explain to me, when do we use 'in'and when do we use 'for'.

Term for 'Do not worry about what you cannot control'

Posted: 18 Jun 2021 08:04 AM PDT

I am looking for a word or term [English or another language] that summarizes the concept:

'Do not worry about what you cannot control, only worry about what you can control'

Thanks!

"Kind" or "Kinds"?

Posted: 18 Jun 2021 01:01 AM PDT

I understand the basic singular/plural agreement when using kind/kinds:

This kind of person
Those kinds of people

But what do you do if the subject is not the plural "those" but rather the singular "one of those"? In a sentence like this, would you use the singular "kind" because of the "one of" or the plural "kinds" because the "one of" is referring to a separate plural clause:

You're one of those spare-the-rod kind(s) of people, right?

I could always suggest a rephrase as

You're a spare-the-rod kind of person, right?

but I'd like to know how to properly work the original sentence too.

Thanks!

I'd appreciate it if + <past tense> + until + <present or past tense?>

Posted: 18 Jun 2021 12:00 AM PDT

These three examples have the same construction of

I'd appreciate it if you + past tense verb + ... + until + subject + present or past tense verb...

The first one has the present tense verb finish after until whereas the other two have the past tense verbs got and were:

From the movie 'Kingsman' (video clip):

(1) Listen boys, I've had a rather emotional day. So whatever your beef with Eggsy is, I'd appreciate it enormously if you could leave us in peace until I finish this lovely pint of Guinness.

From the book "The Ultimate Plan: A Financial Survival Guide for Life's Unexpected Events":

(2) So if you must have an attack, I'd appreciate it if you could wait until we got to Broadway.

From the book "Touching Darkness: Number 2 in series":

(3) 'Still, Melissa,' he said, 'this is a classroom, and I'd appreciate it if you waited until you were out in the hall before turning that thing on.'

Note that all the verbs after until (finish, got, and were) describe a future situation.

Can you have the past tense verb finished in (1)?

Also, can you have the present tense verbs get and are in (2) and (3), respectively?

Is there a rule that determines the tense of the verbs after until?

What do you call an awkwardly unfunny and cringeworthy person?

Posted: 18 Jun 2021 01:13 AM PDT

That person who tries to act funny or "cool", but he turns out to be cringey and tacky instead. What do you call that person?

Example: Look at Todd, interfering in our conversations, telling us jokes about chickens crossing the road and failing to make us laugh. I cringe when he does this. He is just so [insert word].

What is the proper way to write the plural of a single letter? Or a word used as a word ('mention' usage)? (another apostrophe question)

Posted: 18 Jun 2021 06:54 AM PDT

When writing (a blog post, script, etc..) what is the proper way to indicate two or more instances of a single letter? For instance, in Monty Python's Bookshop Sketch:

C: I wonder if you might have a copy of "Rarnaby Budge"?

P: No, as I say, we're right out of Edmund Wells!

C: No, not Edmund Wells - Charles Dikkens.

P: (pause - eagerly) Charles Dickens??

C: Yes.

P: (excitedly) You mean "Barnaby Rudge"!

C: No, "Rarnaby Budge" by Charles Dikkens. That's Dikkens with two Ks, the well-known Dutch author.

P: (slight pause) No, well we don't have "Rarnaby Budge" by Charles Dikkens with two Ks, the well-known Dutch author, and perhaps to save time I should add that we don't have "Karnaby Fudge" by Darles Chickens, or "Farmer of Sludge" by Marles Pickens, or even "Stickwick Stapers" by Farles Wickens with four M's and a silent Q!!!!! Why don't you try W. H. Smith's?

C: Ah did, They sent me here.

I had always believed that plural never uses an apostrophe before the 's' (it's only used for possession), but I have rarely seen in written material the format "four Ms". (On a side note, whoever wrote this transcript also used "two Ks".)

On a side note, and perhaps this should be a separate question, if a Compact Disc is a CD, then two Compact Discs would be two CDs right? (I see "CD's" written everywhere)

e-techbytes

Friday, June 18, 2021

Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

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Words I considered

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