Friday, July 16, 2021

Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

Usage of "Fuck" [closed]

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 09:29 AM PDT

I was just having a discussion with a friend, and we were wondering about appropriate grammar usage when one says "For fucks sake."

In my opinion, there are 3 candidates:

  1. "For Fucks Sake"
  2. "For Fuck's Sake"
  3. "For Fucks' Sake"

My money is on (2), assuming that being a "Sake" is possessive.
(3) seems a bit plural and (1) kind of random.

Which one is grammatically correct?

EDIT: I'd just like to add, this is not a joke question - I am genuinely interested as to the right way to do it. If you're going to write a swear, may as well do it right.

Why do "asleep" and "awake" retain the archaic a- prefix?

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 09:12 AM PDT

In older forms of English, the prefix "a-" was very common. "A-roaming we shall go", and uses like that.

That use of a- prefix is all but extinct in day to day English, but it seems that it does remain in the word sleep, in its derivative "asleep", and perhaps in the word wake, via its derivative "awake".

Why do we so often use the form "I'm asleep" rather than "I'm sleeping" or "I sleep"? Why "I'm awake" but just "I'm waking up"? Why do we have a different word at all for the states of being awake/asleep, but most other words don't have a prefix or variant for the state of being X.

After all, we don't say "I'm aworking" or "I'm ajogging"...? We don't have a different word "abusy" for the state of being busy, or "adreaming" for the state of dreaming.

So whats going on? Or does that "a-" come from some other origin, and I'm mistaken to identify it with the archaic prefix?

Does a list, introduced by a color and delineated by a semi-colon, require "and" for its final element? [closed]

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 08:53 AM PDT

The title really is the entire question, but for context, this question is especially concerned with academic science. So, e.g.,—

The list is as follows: an item; another one, significantly described; a bunch more; and the final element.

Is the 'and' not required? I mean... it's still a sentence, yes?

Is there a term for not starting a sentence with the word "I"?

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 08:40 AM PDT

Is there a name for a statement (either written or spoken) that excludes the subject "I"?

Some example statements are:

  • "Happy to provide any additional information you might need."
  • "Appreciate you taking the time to answer my question."
  • "Obviously, just a huge fan of this site."

I often see this in business communication or situations where the writer/speaker is attempting some kind of "formality" and would love to have a name for the thing that irritates me. A linguistic explanation would be great, although a psychological explanation would be equally welcome.

What do you call a client who is one of the most important for your business? [closed]

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 09:45 AM PDT

We are a small company and we treat this as our advantage. We work with a very limited number of clients so each and everyone of them is super important for us. We can't afford to screw anything up with any of them because our business depends on them. It's by design.

I want to write about us and tell them that because of these decision they are becoming very important for us when we start working with them. I'm trying to figure out a good idiom for this or at least a short sentence that will work here. I've found

jewel in our crown

and

an apple of our eye

But both seem to be a little odd in terms of calling that our clients. We have rather laid-back communication so it's not about being a bit too familiar with them. It's not a problem to tell them we love working with them or care about them, but the idioms I've found seem a little old-school. Is there anything that will apply here better?

Shouldn't "tamperproof" be hyphenated as "tamper-proof"? [duplicate]

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 07:55 AM PDT

I've been seeing "tamperproof" in writing, and when I search for it in dictionaries, there are just about as many results with the hyphen. But it seems incorrect without it.

Which is grammatically correct?

Idiom/word for seeming misleadingly encouraging

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 08:15 AM PDT

I'm looking for a word to use in the following sentence:

Upon deeper contemplation, the news struck me as a ______ warning.

I'm trying to say that the news isn't being perceived as a warning, because it is superficially innocuous/encouraging.

What does the word buck means in 'the buck stops here'? [closed]

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 07:59 AM PDT

I know that the meaning of the idiom 'the buck stops here' is to accept responsibility. For example, The buck stops here with me. I take the blame for the team's performance.

There are multiple meanings of the buck i.e. dollar, a male animal, antelope, and buckskin. I was wondering what does the buck means in this idiom.

Capitalise or not foreign demonyms when original language uses lower case and English has no equivalent?

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 08:28 AM PDT

In English we capitalise demonyms. Someone from Paris is a Parisian. When we insert words from other languages we indicate the non-English nature of the word with quotation marks or italics. "He had his Italian citizenship recognised jure sanguinis," for example. If there is no English-language equivalent of a demonym, and I choose to use one from another language in my English writing, should I capitalise it or not in the case it is not capitalised in the original language?

"We giardinenses/Giardinenses (people from Villa Giardino, Córdoba, Argentina) are fighting a battle against disinformation."

What is a student called that completed high school and is about to start college/uni? [closed]

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 06:19 AM PDT

What do you call a student who has completed year 12/senior year of high school and are about to begin 1st year/freshman year of uni/college but have not started yet? Happy for both US and UK versions.

Where is the article “a” lost [closed]

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 05:46 AM PDT

"Definition of SOCK IT TO SOMEONE (phrase): act or speak in very strong, direct way"

(Taken from: https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/sock-it-to-someone )

Why not "… in A very strong …"?

Does "required specialist" sound right? [closed]

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 04:02 AM PDT

Does "required specialist" sound right? Or is there another word for the specialist you need for the project?

How to know that we have to use exclamation mark or full stop after an imperative sentence? [closed]

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 03:33 AM PDT

How to know that I we have to use exclamation mark or full stop after an imperative sentence? For example- Surrender./!. In this sentence, l have to use full stop or an exclamation mark? Also in this sentence-Stop. /! Give examples..

"Present tense after the phrases" [migrated]

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 03:13 AM PDT

Often I come across some sentences that I think are not correct in grammar sense but somehow these sentences were said by the native speaker. For example,

a) I thought this is a naked beach.

b) I thought you two are a team.

c) I thought you don't understand what I say.

d) I and Rachel are going to watch a movie now, and we were just thinking if you want to join us.

Could you tell me why they use present tense after the phrases 'I thought' and 'we were thinking' instead of past tense? I think they are wrong.

Let me take you back 50 years ago. Is 'ago' needed in the end? [closed]

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 02:10 AM PDT

when 'back' is used already do we need 'ago'. Isn't it redundant?

Put two and two together idiom

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 02:29 AM PDT

Can we use the "put two and two together" idiom in the general meaning of being good at solving problems?

Example:

At work, I put two and two together connecting questions and answers with the right people.

Can "thus" be used in this expression? [closed]

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 12:50 AM PDT

Is it correct to say :

From what has thus been exposed throughout this document

I think that is sounds a bit odd no? especially "thus".

Is there an English word for "to make valuable"?

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 08:20 AM PDT

I'm thinking something along the lines of "imbue" or "instill", but neither of those words work perfectly unless you append "with value".

Ideally this would be a word that's used in a subject/object context, i.e. [subject] ____ [object to be made valuable], so something like "appreciate" doesn't quite work.

"Enrich" is the best I've come up with, but I'm curious if there's anything more interesting.

Varying modal verbs in counterfactual ("subjunctive") conditionals

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 04:04 AM PDT

There are some situations in which one would like to vary the modal verb in counterfactual conditionals, but it seems to be incorrect.

  1. "If things were otherwise, she would keep her promise." This seems like perfectly ordinary usage.

  2. "If things were otherwise, she might keep her promise." This also sounds fine.

  3. "If things were otherwise, she must keep her promise." This sounds wrong. But there is an obvious alternative: "If things were otherwise, she would have to keep her promise."

  4. "If things were otherwise, she should keep her promise." This also sounds kind of bad. But I can't think of an alternative way to convey this thought without bending over backwards. (Maybe "If things were otherwise, she ought to keep her promise," sounds better, but the issue seems to be the same. And "ought" often sounds too formal to my ear.)

My specific question is: Is sentence 4 necessarily incorrect? And if so, is there a better way to convey its thought?

More generally: is it ok to vary the modal verbs in counterfactual conditionals, as in examples 3 and 4?

What does 'straggling' mean in "(...)you found yourself in a wide, low, straggling entry with old-fashioned wainscots,(...)"?

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 05:07 AM PDT

What does straggling entry mean in the following passage from Moby-Dick?

Entering that gable-ended Spouter-Inn, you found yourself in a wide, low, straggling entry with old-fashioned wainscots, reminding one of the bulwarks of some condemned old craft. On one side hung a very large oilpainting so thoroughly besmoked, and every way defaced, that in the unequal crosslights by which you viewed it, it was only by diligent study and a series of systematic visits to it, and careful inquiry of the neighbors, that you could any way arrive at an understanding of its purpose.

From the research I did, I would think that straggling in this sentence is an adjective that derives its meaning from the verb straggle: to escape or stretch beyond proper limits, as the branches of a plant; to spread widely apart; to shoot too far or widely in growth. Is it so?

‘Twas good until ‘twasn’t

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 07:07 AM PDT

Since society generally seems to want 2 condense & abbreviate the English language, why don't we use the words "'twas" "'twasn't" (Which is not even a recognized word, btw!!) more often than we do?

The plural form of the word blue

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 04:54 AM PDT

"The blue" is sometimes used in literary speech or writing to mean "the sky" or "the sea". Does its plural form indicate both the sky and sea?

For example, is it a meaningful sentence if I say "the horizon is where the blues intersect"?

Past tense/present tense: Found out Vs. Finding out

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 09:32 AM PDT

Recently, one of my project mates corrected my writing, but I'm not sure if it has been corrected in the right way.

Would you be kind to read it and tell me if it's correct in the native English language?

I wrote the 1st one in my work, then my friend corrected it to 2nd:

1) I did some research of my own after finding out that he used to be an artist.

2) I did some research of my own after found out that he used to be a renowned artist.

Thank you guys.

Comma before 'if' in maths definition

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 02:04 AM PDT

I wonder if there is clear guidance about the following construction:

We say that a foo admits a bar, if baz is quz.

I feel that the comma before if breaks the structure of the sentence, and introduces some ambiguity (is the if introducing an independent clause?).

I would very much appreciate pointers to the appropriate sections of a manual of style.

Commas before and/or after "because [closed]

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 02:53 AM PDT

Which is proper grammar:

  1. He argues that there is no binding contract, because, at any given time...

  2. He argues that there is no binding contract, because at any given time...

Thanks so much!

Source of the expression that sounds like "Jee-hossey-fat"

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 08:35 AM PDT

A refugee American Loyalist, around 1800 or so, hits his thumb with a hammer and says ''Jee-hossey-fat'' or something like that (my Great Grandfather) Where does this expression come from please?

"I wish that" - does it make any sense?

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 06:22 AM PDT

Do you find this construction acceptable?

1) I wish that you find a magic sword for me. (A queen's desire)

2) I wish that he bring me a new book. (from regular life)

I think that they mean: I want you to find... and I want him to bring...

However, some native speakers express a concern in regard to the correctness and idiomaticity of the two. I know that:

3) "I hope you find a magic sword for me." sounds correct. But it seems to me that 1) and 3) don't mean the same though they express alike ideas. What would you say?

Is this considered grammar? [closed]

Posted: 16 Jul 2021 06:15 AM PDT

If I say "today was good day," and add an a in the right spot like, "today was a good day," from a broad view, is what I just did considered a grammatical change or something else?
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)