Tuesday, October 26, 2021

Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

Does "pig" (fat animal) come from the Latin "pinguedo" (fat)?

Posted: 26 Oct 2021 11:26 AM PDT

Does "pig" (fat animal) come from the Latin pinguedo (fat)?

What do you call a person who purportedly represents the best qualities of a nation?

Posted: 26 Oct 2021 10:46 AM PDT

In Russian there is an expression "conscience of a nation" (совесть нации) which means a person who embodies best qualities of that nation (according to one's subjective opinion).

In the 1980s and 1990s this term was often applied to people like Sakharov and Solzhenitsyn. Today, depending on one's political views, one could say that Noam Chomsky, Ron Paul, Edward Snowden, Abby Martin, or Julian Assange are such people. Old (sometimes), wise men and women, moral giants.

What would be an equivalent of "conscience of a nation" in American English? (apart from epitome which seems too general)

Usage of the expression in a sentence:

Ron Paul, ______, ran for president in 1988, 2008, and 2012.

What does "Oh snap" means?

Posted: 26 Oct 2021 10:24 AM PDT

May I ask, what does "oh snap" means please?

I heard it from the DIY Art competition, when the competitors were waiting for the judges to announce who's the winner.

Competitor A said: I'm nervous.

Competitor B said : I'm so excited.

Competitor C said : Oh snap!

Does "Oh snap" means "Oh what's the result"? or just "Oh I'm excited"?

I found in the dictionary that this word "often used in response to an insult" But in this situation, I am a confused about the meaning of it.

Should you avoid capitalization of capitonyms to avoid ambiguity? [closed]

Posted: 26 Oct 2021 10:54 AM PDT

Per this question, Polish is a capitonym.

To avoid ambiguity, should one avoid using the verb/noun form of polish at the start of the sentence or in other contexts when capitalization is required?

For example,

Polish your shoes.

Looks wrong to me (I hear it as Poh-lish your shoes), and I would prefer to use

You should polish your shoes.

What is the relationship between these two clauses?

Posted: 26 Oct 2021 10:11 AM PDT

I came across this sentence:

Even as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan morph into shapeless struggles, they have given birth to an extraordinary outpouring of writing that tries to make sense of it all.

I looked "even as" in the dictionary and found out that it is used to express time, manner or that the clause is concessive. However, I am not sure which one (if any) it is, as none seems quite right in this case (the tenses confuse me the most).

Could anyone please explain it to me?

I wouldn't catch you hung up on somebody that you used to know

Posted: 26 Oct 2021 09:29 AM PDT

There is a part of song in one of Gotye's where he sings

"I wouldn't catch you hung up on somebody that you used to know"

I was wondering what that means. is hung past participle?

What's the meaning of the preposition 'for' [closed]

Posted: 26 Oct 2021 08:22 AM PDT

Your thoughts are just for me.

Can anyone explain the meaning of the sentence above especially the preposition 'for'?

What does " Any award recognition is just gravy " mean? [closed]

Posted: 26 Oct 2021 08:43 AM PDT

The interviewer asked the actor "What would an Oscar nomination mean for you?", and he answered, "Any award recognition is just gravy".

Can anybody please clarify the actor's answer?

What do "award recognition" and "gravy" mean here?

How to Form Plural Nouns of Borrowed German Terms?

Posted: 26 Oct 2021 07:33 AM PDT

Just signed up for this site and think it's great.

Yesterday I encountered the artistic term 'Sturm und Drang' (roughly: storm and stress), a term that describes the literary and artistic movement influenced by Rousseau. It has also been co-opted in English to an extent where it can more generally be used as a noun to describe a "Turbulent emotion or stress" (Oxford Languages).

Out of curiosity, if this term were to be pluralised, should we use the German pluralisation methods? If so, it becomes 'Stürme und Drängt', but I don't believe any dictionary lists this as an appropriate plural noun.

Is it then proper to Anglicise the plural noun to 'Sturm und Drangs', or is it better to allow 'Sturm und Drang' to denote a plural noun in English despite the singularity of the German.

Let me know guys!

Is "inveterate" always pejorative?

Posted: 26 Oct 2021 10:50 AM PDT

Clearly, the most common usage of this is "inveterate liar." I don't think I've ever heard this word used in a positive sense.

You never hear of an "inveterate philanthropist," for example.

Does usage of this word inherently describe a negative trait?

Jaw to Jaw (without expressing action)

Posted: 26 Oct 2021 09:37 AM PDT

As the werewolf wrenched itself free of the manacle binding it, the dog seized it about the neck and pulled it backwards, away from Ron and Pettigrew. They were locked, jaw to jaw, claws ripping at each other -

Research: I fully understand that if two animals are locked, they are holding onto each other. And "jaw to jaw" means biting at each other snouts.

But for "jaw to jaw" to make sense, there should have been stated a verb as in "attacking, biting, etc."?

But simply "jaw to jaw" doesn't make sense, does it?

Is it "what sports" or "which sports"? [closed]

Posted: 26 Oct 2021 07:48 AM PDT

I want to ask people about the sports they like. Should I ask, "what sports do you like?" or "which sports do you like?" I would be happy to know the reasons as well.

Past perfect vs Past simple and sequence of tenses

Posted: 26 Oct 2021 06:26 AM PDT

I have an example

  1. We knew he went to Paris.

  2. We knew he had gone to Paris.

The first example sounds like he went to Paris at that moment or sometime very recently. By using the past perfect, the second example clarifies that he went sometime further in the past.

So, I don't understand why in the example below I must use past simple instead of past perfect.

Were you surprised that the factory closed down?

In fact I knew (not had known) that it was going to happen.

If we use past simple, it means that I knew about it at the same time when I was asked about it. But I had known it before that, due to some reasons, the factory would be closed in future.

Speak low/lowly

Posted: 26 Oct 2021 09:42 AM PDT

  1. Speak very low.

  2. Speak very lowly.

Research: Low can, according to Oxford dictionary, mean low sound, low in height, or maybe "low in importance". Lowly, according to Oxford dictionary, mean low in social class but there are other dictionaries where they become vague.

According to some dictionaries, lowly is never an adverb. But to Oxford dictiionary:

Lowly is an adjective and adverb as well. Are they interchangeable in certain contexts?

What does "turn down a glass" mean?

Posted: 26 Oct 2021 09:11 AM PDT

I was reading Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill (from the early 1930s) when I encountered this strange expression. This is the context of the phrase:

Somewhere, as you read, the secret to which I refer will jump from the page and stand boldly before you, if you are ready for it! When it appears, you will recognize it. Whether you receive the sign in the first or the last chapter, stop for a moment when it presents itself, and TURN DOWN A GLASS, for that occasion will mark the most important turning-point of your life...

And also:

We pass now, to Chapter One, and to the story of my very dear friend, who has generously acknowledged having seen the mystic sign, and whose business achievements are evidence enough that he TURNED DOWN A GLASS. As you read his story, and the others, remember that they deal with the important problems of life, such as all men experience.

I will greatly appreciate if someone may clarify its meaning.

juxtaposition of adverbials

Posted: 26 Oct 2021 04:56 AM PDT

Consider the following succession of sentences:

  1. Everyone struggles.
  2. Inevitably everyone struggles.
  3. Everyone inevitably struggles.
  4. At certain times, everyone struggles.
  5. Everyone struggles at certain times.
  6. Inevitably everyone struggles at certain times.
  7. Everyone inevitably struggles at certain times.
  8. At certain times everyone inevitably struggles.
  9. Inevitably at certain times everyone struggles.
  10. At certain times, inevitably everyone struggles.

Nothing is particularly noteworthy about sentences (2) through (8). The worst objection to sentence (1) would seem to be that it is awkward through being so trivial.

However, sentences (9) and (10) merit some discussion, to my mind, because they feel to me rather awkward stylistically, despite simply being the remaining permutations of the same clauses given in the preceding sentences, despite having the same meaning, and despite being, to my best understanding, consistent with general rules of standard grammar.

It seems that the juxtaposition of the two adverbials expresses a tension between them.

Is this observation an example of any principle that has been systematically characterized?

Word that describes text transformation into a code with data loss [closed]

Posted: 26 Oct 2021 04:56 AM PDT

I am working with a piece of software code which transforms a character array into a single integer. For example, if I have the array [ a, b, c ], then it becomes 97 + 98 + 99 = 294, for ASCII 'a' = 97, et cetera.

So this code converts an arbitrary-length sequence of characters into a single number. The transformation has the following properties:

  • It accepts arbitrary-length input;
  • A transformed input cannot be reversed (well, there may be multiple possible inputs to a transformed output, for example, [a, b, c] → 294, but also [b, b, b]);
  • The output is stored into a fixed-size binary number,

I am looking for a word that fits best here. The terms digest, checksum, encrypted value/code/text, obfuscated text, hash, cypher, encoding, lossy compression or just transformation came into my mind.

The transformation looks like it is an application of lossy compression. However, I think the algorithm is not meant to compress in order to save space, but instead to encrypt, obfuscate, or at least make sure that humans cannot read the stored value, or have a hard time doing so.

Which word should I use here?

Example usage: "Finally, the input is compared to the ___, and if they're equal, then the access is granted."

not only... but also (but also - together)

Posted: 26 Oct 2021 04:28 AM PDT

I know that parallelism is a maxim when it comes to talking about this matter, my question is:

Not only do I like chocolate, but I also like coffee. (this is correct)
Not only do I like chocolate, but also I like coffee. (is there any problem with this one?)

I think is OK but I have just had a discussion with a colleague.

What is a word for altering the public perception/interpretation of a word or concept?

Posted: 26 Oct 2021 09:46 AM PDT

I am looking for a verb that can be used to describe the conscious and intentional act of taking action to alter the perception of a phenomenon to the public and/or within a certain group. I'm looking for a term to be used particularly in a political sense (therefore jargon is permissible in this case), although something more widely applicable would be even better.

I am aware of the term 'redefine'; however, I'm looking for something that places more emphasis on the perception of the term (or concept) than on the officially listed definition of it.

For instance:

  • "Our boss has [attempted to change the meaning of] 'salary sharing' to be synonymous with the introduction of Marxism."
  • "Through a barrage of political attacks on any of its proponents, Orban [altered the connotations of] LGBTQ+ Pride as one of disgrace and fetishism."
  • "The party was able to free themselves from these criticisms by [distinguishing in the public's eye] their own austerity measures from those of the parliament that came before them."

As aforementioned, 'redefine', in addition to 'recodify', come to mind, although neither of these seem to satisfy the correct tone or connotation.

Any help in finding a better term would be appreciated!

At which reading age could someone possibly converse using only basic vocabulary [closed]

Posted: 26 Oct 2021 04:20 AM PDT

So this is kind of a complex question I am asking.

Take the word "complex" for example.

A child might learn the word "difficult" before they learn "complex" or even the word "hard".

So they might rephrase the sentence

So this is kind of a complex question I am asking.

to

I have a hard question to ask.

Basically what I am trying to determine or "know" for a simpler word is at what reading age would someone be able to explain everything that an adult with an advanced vocabulary be able to explain using a much more basic vocabulary but not being limited in the depth of conversation?

Is there a technique for when a verb is used to conjure up a distinct image?

Posted: 26 Oct 2021 08:16 AM PDT

In The Crucible, Arthur Miller describes the love between John Proctor and Elizabeth Proctor as an "emotion flowing between them". In my interpretation, the verb "flowing" connotes the movement of water, thereby equating the nouns of"emotion" and "water". Is there a technique that describes this except for just "imagery"?

Can I use verb "pass" to tell someone to ignore a question?

Posted: 26 Oct 2021 06:05 AM PDT

If I leave a message to someone such like as "Can you please bala bala bala?"

After a while, I want to let him skip my question.

So I said "Please pass it" but is this correct?

Or I should use "Please ignore it" instead?

"Will speak more in a minute than he will stand to in a month" - what does this "stand to" mean?

Posted: 26 Oct 2021 07:10 AM PDT

In Romeo and Juliet Act 2 Scene 4, Mercutio departs with Benvolio, leaving Romeo to speak with Juliet's nurse, whom Mercutio has mocked and insulted. Nurse asks Romeo who this rude and raucous fellow is, and Romeo replies:

A gentleman, Nurse, that loves to hear himself talk, and will speak more in a minute than he will stand to in a month.

The "translation" of this on this SparkNotes page says:

Nurse, he's a man who likes to hear the sound of his own voice. He says more in one minute than he does in a whole month.

But I am sceptical, as this statement doesn't make sense (though perhaps that's the point).

Anyway, the only part of the original text that is difficult for me to understand is "stand to". What does that phrase mean in the context?

When to use either the word "by" or "depending on" to classify something?

Posted: 26 Oct 2021 04:09 AM PDT

I was writing some English sentences and I found that the following sentences both seem good to me.

The students are sorted by their scores.

The students are sorted depending on their scores.

The only difference between them is the word "by" and "depending on".

I searched the examples of the word "sort" in the dictionary, and the dictionary says "after the word 'sort', 'by' usually follows it". But doesn't it make sense to use "depending on" in place of "by" in this situation?

Thank you.

Can "while you're at it" be used in non-physical contexts?

Posted: 26 Oct 2021 09:30 AM PDT

Most of the examples I looked up with the expression "while you're at it" involves physical contexts:

  • "I'm going to the store to buy a newspaper." – "While you're at it, could you get some milk?"
  • Since we're cleaning the kitchen, we should wash the floor while we're at it.

I'm wondering if the expression could be used in this context:

  • This artwork needs to be updated with the new logo. While we're at it, can we change the typography?

Also, the preposition "at" is used to speak about specific locations, so it makes me think the expression should not be used in non-physical contexts.

Is saying high/low (number) wrong?

Posted: 26 Oct 2021 04:13 AM PDT

I got this feedback of "wrong collocation" on my essay.

Here is the line -

The average level of computer ownership in 2002 was in the high fifties (in percentage).

The teacher said that 'high fifties' is incorrect grammar (wrong collocation). I just want to know why and how to correct it.

Missing the article "The" at the beginning of the sentence [closed]

Posted: 26 Oct 2021 09:49 AM PDT

Do we have more tolerance of missing articles during texting?

Considering these two sentences

Movie starts at 9:30.

Last day of classes is Thursday.

I'd like to ask if it is fine/common to we omit the article "The" at the beginning during texting / a conversation.

And if you think it is fine, do you think it is more common/ acceptable to miss the article "The" at the beginning than in the middle of the sentence?

Thanks.

Can lead to improvements "at" a collective level?

Posted: 26 Oct 2021 09:07 AM PDT

Can I say

....can lead to improvements at a collective level

or should it be the following?

...can lead to improvements on a collective level

Which one is the correct preposition in this case?

In the phrase "a button click", what are the parts of speech of each word?

Posted: 26 Oct 2021 08:00 AM PDT

In technical writing, if we say something like "the user performed a button click, which took them to the next page," what part of speech is "click"? Is it a noun, since the click is an event, and the button is the thing which received the event? Or is it a verb, since a click is an action? Also, I am confused about what part of speech "button" is since it is "qualifying" the click, in a way.

Alternatives to the expression "double down on something"

Posted: 26 Oct 2021 04:56 AM PDT

In broadcast news, especially from the US, recently there is frequent use of the expression "double down on something", usually when public figures repeat some claim they previously made, and usually even add some arguments to increase their claim.

The expression "double down on something" has been discussed here in related questions repeatedly (see below), but only regarding a) its meaning b) its origin (which seems to be from Blackjack).

I wonder, however, as this expression is used so frequently now that it starts getting annoying: are there other ways to say basically the same thing?

Based on the explanations in answers to related questions here, I think I could use a prosaic periphrasis such as

repeated his claim and added more claims on top of it

or

supported his claims with more allegations and thus also increased the risk of being exposed if these claims turn out to be not true

but these periphrases are clearly too long and circumstantial for everyday use, or for use in the news or other "practical" texts. A shorter way to express "double down" could perhaps be

stubbornly repeated...

although this of course carries a judgement of inapproriateness which could be misplaced here; although usually when news folks say "X doubled down on yz" I feel some slight allegation that the claim was unjustified anyway. You would probably not say "doubled down on x" when you believed x being valid. You would not say:

Galileo doubled down on his claim that the earth is moving

Or would you?

So, here is the question:

Are there alternative expressions or synonyms for "doubled down on something" I could use in news texts and the like?

Related question

What does "double down" mean in this particular context?
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