Tuesday, July 20, 2021

Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

Nike brand pronounced /ˈnʌɪk/ instead of /ˈnaɪki/? BrE? Or? [duplicate]

Posted: 20 Jul 2021 08:53 AM PDT

I've only ever known Nike to be pronounced as /ˈnaɪki/.

Recently, I've heard many BrE speakers exclusively read the brand as: /ˈnʌɪk/.

Do all BrE speakers pronounce Nike in this way? Is it a regional thing? Or a generational thing?

If you go through the list on Forvo: Nike. Almost every English speaker reads Nike as /ˈnaɪki/ apart from the one BrE recording.

A tick wound its way up his jaw

Posted: 20 Jul 2021 09:03 AM PDT

This sentence is a passage from a novel:

A tick wound its way up his jaw. He forced it into a welcoming smile. (The Socialite by J'nell Ciesielski)

I know the "tick" is a metaphor, but I don't understand the meaning.

Is this usage of reckoning ambiguous? [closed]

Posted: 20 Jul 2021 06:58 AM PDT

In my novel, there is a character who appears to be someone fighting to save the world but then it turns out that he is the biggest threat. The below is a statement by him, which initially everyone understands to mean that he is trying to get vengeance for the world. But after the reveal, it becomes clear that he actually wants vengeance on the world.

I won't let you deny the cosmos its reckoning.

As per Lexico, one of the meanings of reckoning is "The avenging or punishing of past mistakes or misdeeds" so I am hoping that its usage like above is ambiguous enough.

Does it convey the desired effect ? or if not, is there some way I can improve that ?

Conference and difference opposites? [closed]

Posted: 20 Jul 2021 08:03 AM PDT

I am reading a book where diffidence and confidence were juxtaposed. In a later sentence, I noticed the word difference also has this same dif- prefix that diffidence does. Does it make sense to juxtapose it with conference in the same way? If so, what do the prefixes con- and dif- mean? What does ference mean?

Speculation: A difference is something that things don't have in common. A conference can be framed as an event where people come together to share something they do have in common, like an interest in comics or a certain hobby, so it seems reasonable to assume this meaning was derived from "conference: something that things do have in common".

Correcting sentences "deal with vs deal in" [closed]

Posted: 20 Jul 2021 05:22 AM PDT

Finding the error in the following. Please confirm:

  1. Most shopkeepers in the mall deal with jewellery & fashionable items.
    Correct: Most shopkeepers in the mall deal in jewellery & fashionable items.
    (Because with is used when the items are used as objects/tools to work with, here he deals in them, as in sells them)

  2. We need to buy more stationery for our office.
    Correct: We need to buy (no "more") stationery for our office.
    (Not sure on this one but more seems unnecessary in the sentence)

Using the word "minutes" when saying the time

Posted: 20 Jul 2021 09:03 AM PDT

I have a question regarding the word "minutes" used in the context of telling someone what time it is. Actually, I think there may be regional differences, and, therefore, I have not one but two closely related questions. I am primarily interested in UK/US English, but I would also be interested to know how this word is used in other varieties of English.

  1. According to some sources (for example, see http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1535_questionanswer/page63.shtml), in UK English, when the number of minutes is not divisible by 5, we say "x minutes past y, x minutes to y" not "x past y, x to y". For example, "one minute past seven", "eleven minutes past seven","one minute to seven", "thirteen minutes to eight", "three minutes to eight". Is this true, can anyone confirm it? Is it common in the UK to say "one past seven", "eleven past seven","one to seven", "thirteen to eight", "three to eight"? If yes, what is the difference (if any) between the two variants? Is the first one (getting) old-fashioned or (more) formal?
  2. However, I have the impression that in US English, one does not use the word "minutes" in such situations (unless for rhetorical effect). For example, one says "one after seven", "eleven after seven", "one till/of/to seven", "thirteen till/of/to eight", "three till/of/to eight". Is that correct? Or may be the word "minutes" is used in a formal setting?

Do you need a context to fully understand what a participle clause means? [duplicate]

Posted: 20 Jul 2021 04:18 AM PDT

Having finished the work, he went home.

As you can see, there is no context available in that sentence. So, the above sentence could mean:

  1. Because he had finished the work, he went home. Or,
  2. After he had finished the work, he went home.

So, I guess you do need a context to unambiguously understand what the above sentence, and other sentences like that one, means. Am I right?

Does "since High school" include High school? [duplicate]

Posted: 20 Jul 2021 04:03 AM PDT

I was applying for a Chinese visa and it was indicated that I should list my education history since High school. Does that also include High School or is it only referring to the period after high school until now?

Is the usage of be able to correct? [migrated]

Posted: 20 Jul 2021 12:33 AM PDT

I was writing an essay, and I wrote: "...without knowing anything about English at all, but one year later, she was able to communicate with others in English."

I thought I knew the basic difference between could and was able to, but I got confused about whether the sentence sounded natural and was grammatically correct.

Thank you!

What's the word for making something or someone appear intelligent? Similar to aggrandizement, but specifically for intelligence

Posted: 20 Jul 2021 12:41 AM PDT

The context in which I want to use this word is that of someone making an effort to show off how smart they are. They are putting effort into creating a certain impression regarding their intellectual capabilities.

Self-aggrandizement is pretty close, but not quite specific enough because I am looking to specifically post out that they're primarily focusing on intelligence.

Edit

How this would be used in a case for someone describing an individual who is citing facts just to make themselves sound smarter

'that person is focusing on self-[WORD]'

How this might be used in a neutral case.

'The health board carefully explained all their recommendations for many reasons, one of which is [WORD] so that people can have confidence on the capabilities of the board'.

Who versus whom "Authors use italics to help readers understand who is speaking..."

Posted: 19 Jul 2021 11:41 PM PDT

I've tried to read up on this but I don't know enough grammar to keep it straight, I can't find an example exactly like this, and my head is swimming.

In my daughter's Brave Writer(c) grammar course is this sentence: "Authors use italics to help readers understand who is speaking or thinking..."

Instinctively I felt it should be "whom." Out of curiosity I did some research to confirm or deny. It seems that maybe "who" is an object, and that's why I think "whom" is the correct choice?

I posed the question to the Braver Writer team and they said: <<In this case, "who" is actually correct. The entire clause "who is speaking or thinking" acts as the direct object, and "who" is the subject of that clause.>>

But didn't they just agree that it's the object? Which would mean that "whom" is correct? Are there different rules if the object happens to be a clause?

I must have something confused. I appreciate any insight. Thanks, all.

"former Statewide Structures Engineer" vs "a former Statewide Structures Engineer" [closed]

Posted: 20 Jul 2021 01:28 AM PDT

There is only one Statewide Structures Engineer position at a time. If a person used to occupy such position but no longer does, should this person be referred to as

Mr. Jones, former Statewide Structures Engineer, will be tonight's speaker.

or as

Mr. Jones, a former Statewide Structures Engineer, will be tonight's speaker.

Is the indefinite article a mandatory in such a sentence?

Is the phrase ~in x years inclusive or exclusive?

Posted: 19 Jul 2021 08:56 PM PDT

Is the phrase ~in x years, such as "The first revenue drop in x years," inclusive or exclusive of the last year there was a revenue drop?

For instance, given this scenario:

2000 - revenue decrease

2001 - revenue increase

2002 - revenue increase

2003 - revenue increase

2004 - revenue increase

2005 - revenue decrease

Would this be the first revenue drop in 5 years or 6? I thought this would be referred to as the first revenue drop in 5 years, with 2011 being 1 year from the decrease, 2002 being 2 years from the decrease, and so on. However, I've come across a book that refers to this as the first revenue drop in 6 years (2000 - 2005, inclusive). Which would be the correct description of the scenario?

One word for "The original person who experienced an event"

Posted: 20 Jul 2021 01:51 AM PDT

The person whom the story belongs to is not telling the story, but someone else is telling it on his behalf. In that case, what's one concise word or phrase to replaced the bold part above?

This story is recounted by another person on behalf of the original person that experienced this story.

This phrases is added before the actual story is recounted, so this is pretty much a reminder to the audience that the person they see telling the story is not the real guy. The best I can get to is "This story is recounted by someone else on behalf of the true protagonist," but that still sounds off.

Adverbial subordinate clause/ phrase

Posted: 19 Jul 2021 11:08 PM PDT

After March 2023, life will be back to normal.

Is the bit "After March 2020" an adverbial clause or a prepositional clause?

After eight hours, they reached the peak.

Same doubt about "After eight hours".

Anecdotic vs. Anecdotal… sometimes synonyms, but fairly non-exchangeable?

Posted: 20 Jul 2021 06:29 AM PDT

I'm a bit puzzled by these two words' meaning. Observing examples and the use in context it looks like anecdotal is preferred to be used as an adjective with collocations such as: "anecdotal evidence", "anecdotal accounts" and similar expressions.

Anecdotic seems to be more like an abstract quality term, more used when you refer to stories, scenes, facts and the way some people tell experiences. I've also noticed some collocations like to be "of the anecdotic kind".

But maybe there's more to it than I have grasped from what I've read. (?) And sometimes they could be used interchangeably, but it's not easy to figure out when for me (I'm a non-native speaker BTW).

What does this bit of Cockney mean?

Posted: 20 Jul 2021 08:14 AM PDT

In a compilation of episodes of Woud I Lie To You?, a fragment is shown from an old episode of The Six O'Clock Show. With someone purporting to be a former Teddy Boy, saying the following:

"1955, Saturday night, off to Tottenham Royal. So it was: crash, bash, sausage an' mash, two kips(?) and a bonbon(?), little dab will do you. Really so, on the Barnet. And the combination was, Old Spice, on the German, little bit of Old Spice, tiddly-winky-woo, with the Brylcreem, bee's knees."

It's at the 6:33 mark.

Since they talk about a Cockney Bible afterwards, I assume this to be Cockney. And a rather contrived bit at that. And while I think I'm getting the general drift of what he's saying, I'm sorry I haven't a clue what he's actually saying.

From what I gather, in preparation to go out to the Mecca Dance Hall in Tottenham on a Saturday night, he ate (sausage and mashed potatoes), then put on some Brylcreem (of which "a little dab will do you" was the advertising slogan) on the sides of his hair and Old Spice on his face, after which he fancied he looked good. But I'm probably missing half of it.

What is he saying?

A comment pointed me to another question about the same fragment, that focused on a couple of phrases from that monologue. I'm interested in the meaning of the entire bit. For instance, "on the German" is not explained there.

"Entering the secret code will open the gate immediately." - does this expression make sense?

Posted: 19 Jul 2021 09:03 PM PDT

I found in a textbook on technical writing that the following expression is incorrect.

Entering the secret code, the gate will open immediately.

The book says that the correct expressions are the ones below.

When you enter the secret code, the gate will open immediately.

When the secret code is entered, the gate will open immediately.

From the "be concise" perspective, I think the expression in the title is even better, but I am not confident enough. Please advise, and thank you for your help.

When to hyphenate "well-prepared"? [closed]

Posted: 20 Jul 2021 03:06 AM PDT

Should you hyphenate "well-prepared" when it is used as a verb, as in the sentence "The night of studying has well-prepared me for the test"?

Shall & Should & the “Mandative Subjunctive”

Posted: 20 Jul 2021 09:25 AM PDT

I came across this distinction between shall and will in Fowler's Dictionary of Modern English Usage:

That-clauses after intend or intention, desire, demand, be anxious, &c., have shall & should for all persons. Among the &c. are not included hope, anticipate, & the like; but the drawing of the line is not easy; roughly, shall & should are used when the word on which the that-clause depends expresses an influence that affects the result, as a demand does, but a hope or fear does not; a serviceable illustration is expect; mistresses expect (i.e. demand) that their maids shall wear caps; but we expect (i.e. are of opinion) that tomorrow will be fine.

He enumerates a few more examples, one of which is, "And it is intended that this shall be extended to every division and important branch."

I acknowledge that it's been about hundred years since its publication, and that Fowler was more pedantic than I could ever hope or want to be, but I had to wonder about the changes in what we call the "mandative subjunctive" in the intervening time. For example, I would have written the sentence, "It is intended that this be extended to every division and important branch," in preference to shall. But had I written shall or should, would the meaning of the sentence have changed? Moreover, is there any meaningful difference between shall and should in this case? Maybe only among hyper-fastidious speakers?

Is there a gray area between scrumping and foraging?

Posted: 20 Jul 2021 09:39 AM PDT

A user on The Great Outdoors chat forum asked whether picking a neighbor's berries from bushes that were near her boundary fence was scrumping or foraging. So naturally, I looked up both words.

Scrump, from Oxford Living Dictionaries:

Steal (fruit) from an orchard or garden.

'I remember Gordon scrumping apples from the orchard next door'

[no object] 'they used to go out scrumping and thieving'

Forage, according to Oxford Living Dictionaries:

(of a person or animal) search widely for food or provisions.

'the birds forage for aquatic invertebrates, insects, and seeds'

1.1[with object] Obtain (food or provisions) by searching.

a girl foraging grass for oxen'

1.2[with object] Search (a place) so as to obtain food.

'units that were foraging a particular area'

So if someone was wandering about, picking berries from several gardens, without venturing far into the gardens, would that be foraging or scrumping in general (not necessarily legal) usage, or could it be either or both?

Why is Saturday "day of Saturn"?

Posted: 20 Jul 2021 12:28 AM PDT

Apparently all other days of the week were named after Germanic words and deities. So why was Saturday, which was named after the Roman god Saturnus, the only exception? Why wasn't it called "day of Frey" or something, since Frey is a god of fertility just like Saturnus?

Use of 'the’ in front of acronyms and initialisms

Posted: 19 Jul 2021 11:29 PM PDT

I tend to not use the word 'the' in front of acronyms, but I see this used in documents more and more.

REIP provides regional outreach services to Northeastern Ontario.

or

The REIP provides regional outreach services to Northeastern Ontario.

If the word 'program' is added after REIP, I would use 'the.'

Which is correct?

Is it rude to tell someone "do whatever you want"? does it mean you care less?

Posted: 19 Jul 2021 11:26 PM PDT

Would it be impolite to tell someone "do whatever you want" if you have been asked "what was the right thing to do"? does it mean you care less?

word describing hand motion while bowing

Posted: 19 Jul 2021 11:16 PM PDT

I probably have seen this happen at various times in movies set in eras where people were very obsequious to royalty. The action I am trying to find the word for is a motion of the hand in a kind of circular motion or spiral (generally towards and away from oneself) while bowing towards someone, often while slowly moving backwards.

My first thought was "genuflect" although to me that invokes the image of someone making the sign of the cross (although the dictionary doesn't seem to mention this, or in fact any hand movement - it seems to be closer to bowing then the hand movement) and I am looking for a word without any religious connotations.

My second thought was "flourish" as that seems to be technically correct to some degree in the sense of "a bold or extravagant gesture or action, made esp. to attract the attention of others", but this word seems to have too many meanings that might confuse, and I am not sure anybody would recognize what I was talking about unless I put a lot of context into the sentence with it, or maybe even if I did!
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