Monday, November 1, 2021

Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

which word can describe 'bizarre' events better with violent connotation?

Posted: 01 Nov 2021 09:25 AM PDT

I want to describe something violent, mayhem, and pogrom types of events that have also never happened in modern human history.

I was thinking about using the word bizarre. But according to Merriam-Webster:

strikingly out of the ordinary: such as

  • a: odd, extravagant, or eccentric in style or mode
    "His behavior was bizarre."
    "bizarre stories" a bizarre outfit
  • b: involving sensational contrasts or incongruities
    "the bizarre timidity of a tall, strapping young man"

This actually doesn't have the violent or negative undertone somehow. Are there better words to describe such an event?

Is it correct to use "avail oneself of" in the following context? [closed]

Posted: 01 Nov 2021 09:14 AM PDT

I know that "to avail oneself of something" means "to make use of something" or "to use something to one's advantage". But I think it's usually used about an opportunity or offer. For example,

Employees should avail themselves of the opportunity to buy cheap shares in the company.

Therefore, I'm not sure if the formal phrase is synonymous with "to draw on" and applies to my context below:

Joyce availed himself of Homer's Odyssey to create parallels between his Dubliners and mythical Greek heroes in Ulysses.

Is 'But' an introductory word? [duplicate]

Posted: 01 Nov 2021 08:38 AM PDT

I learnt that there should be a comma after an introductory word. For example,

Meanwhile, we were planning our vacation.

Can 'But' be considered an introductory word? Is the following sentence punctuated correctly?

But, I tried my best to pass the test.

How do you understand "engages cleverly with" in the sentence? [closed]

Posted: 01 Nov 2021 07:31 AM PDT

I encountered a short paragraph in an article, where some words are a little bit complicated for me (may be due to its figurative usage). Here it is:

"After nature", the inaugural exhibit(curated by Luan Shixuan), focuses on a pertinent subject: the future of humanity's relationship with the natural world. Each of the nine contemporary Chinese artists in the show engages cleverly with the space that their art work occupies. Visitors standing in front of Liu Yujia's "Wave", a digital diptych featuring aerial footage of waves rushing against the coast, need only to turn around to find themselves looking out at the Bohai Sea.

The answer paralyze the phrasal verb " engage cleverly with" as those artists make full use of the space.

Is there a term for "symbolic photo" (German "Symbolfoto")?

Posted: 01 Nov 2021 06:46 AM PDT

In German there is the term Symbolfoto or Symbolbild. It describes a picture that represents a concept by means of abstraction or indirection.

A Symbolfoto could be a picture of food package contents prepared in a particular way — a serving suggestion therefore is a special type of Symbolfoto. Or it could be used in news articles, e.g. showing a picture of a traffic jam in an article describing holiday traffic — without actually depicting an actual traffic jam that the article might talk about.

In other contexts, Symbolfotos can be used for satirical or humorous purposes. For instance, a picture showing a ski slope with artificial snow surrounded by dried out mountain ranges in the middle of autumn could be seen as a Symbolfoto for the climate crisis and human desire to ignore it. There are many posts on German social media captioning images with "Symbolfoto", thus giving the picture a new meaning.

There is a thread discussing this on a dictionary forum, but it is unresolved.

Is there any term or idiom for this in English?

"Nice pub this" – what does it mean?

Posted: 01 Nov 2021 05:42 AM PDT

I saw a video where this British person says "Nice pub this" and I'm wondering if that's actually a shorter way of saying "[A] nice pub this [is]."

Is this construction common in everyday British English? Does this form exist in American English at all?

How to label third gender "diverse" in registration forms?

Posted: 01 Nov 2021 05:39 AM PDT

We are introducing a third-gender option in a couple of registration forms and I wonder how to label the checkbox in English. By now, it is common to use "männlich/weiblich/divers" in German job advertisements. The word diverse exists in English as well, but I'm unsure whether it is commonly used to refer to a person that identifies as third-gender.

Would "male/female/diverse" be a proper translation?

I have researched with Google, but most articles introduce a vast number of additional options that inter-people might want to be referred to. The requirement in our forms, however, is to have only three options. Internationally it seems uncommon to name genders in a job advertisement at all.

Example:

[x] male, [ ] female, [ ] diverse

I have also considered using "male/female/other".

What’s the difference these two sentences? [migrated]

Posted: 01 Nov 2021 04:35 AM PDT

Can I know what's the difference between

  1. Those shoes are blue.
  2. Those are blue shoes.

Can we use 'however, on the other side' in a sentence? [migrated]

Posted: 01 Nov 2021 03:31 AM PDT

Can we use 'however, on the other side' in a sentence?

Example

  • Mobile phones are very useful. However, on the other side, it has many disadvantages.

This is for formal essay writing.

Please revert Thank you.

Whats a word for someone who switches off when things don't go their way?

Posted: 01 Nov 2021 07:34 AM PDT

I have a colleague who has very strong opinions on how something should be done. When it's decided by the group to do it another way, the colleague 'switches off' from the meeting and broods on the fact that we're not doing it 'the right way' (their way) and will often refer back to that fact whenever it's brought up in later meetings.

What's a single word to describe this that will inform them without being too negative?

How to know when it is subjunctive or not [duplicate]

Posted: 01 Nov 2021 02:20 AM PDT

In this line: God save the earth! … and the Queen too if God so chooses. Was the word "chooses" correctly used?

Understanding a paragraph (from upper level ISEE Prep guide)

Posted: 01 Nov 2021 01:09 AM PDT

My son is going through the "Upper Level ISEE Prep Guide" (3rd edition). The first paragraph of a Reading Comprehension assignment goes like this (Passage 5, page 188):

The recently established chair in the history, literature, and institutions of the United States which is to be shared among the several universities of Great Britain, is quite different from the exchange professorships of sometimes unhappy memory. It is not at all the idea to carry over one of our professors each year and indoctrinate him with the true culture at its source. The occupant of the chair will be, if the announced intention is carried out, quite as often British as American, and quite as likely a public man as a professor. The chief object is to bring to England a better knowledge of the United States, and a purpose more laudable can scarcely be imagined. Peace and prosperity will endure in the world in some very precise relation to the extent to which England succeeds in understanding us.

Question: Which of the following is the least likely to chair the department of history, literature, and institutions of the United States?

A. American professor

B. American public figure

C. British professor

D. British public figure.

Our thinking (pause a second, what's your answer? then click to unmask ours):

From the context of the other paragraphs and the style, this text is clearly from the nineteenth century.

Listing items with item itself having comma [duplicate]

Posted: 01 Nov 2021 03:30 AM PDT

We looked at potential publishers for this paper, including European Conference on Object-Oriented Programming, Object-oriented Programming, Systems, Languages, and Applications, and IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering.

The publisher "Object-oriented Programming, Systems, Languages, and Applications" itself has commas in its name.

I'm wondering if readers may think I'm looking at 6 publishers instead of 3.

What techniques or symbols can I use to avoid confusions?

Is using quotes a good way? If yes, can I use it with shorter items, like

My favourite pies are "chicken, ham and mushroom" and "apple".

Where can I find human-generated summaries of articles online? [closed]

Posted: 01 Nov 2021 12:23 AM PDT

I need various human generated summaries so that I can compare them with my automatically generated summaries. Is there a place where I can find such data?

Word for Master Apprentice structure of a community

Posted: 01 Nov 2021 12:40 AM PDT

Is there a word for crafts which are most normally only learned by serving as a protege/apprentice to an existing skilled craftsmen until such a time as proficiency is reached (this relationship need not be formal).

That is, there exists no resources for self learning that would be reasonably considered sufficient to allow one to operate without such an apprenticeship, or that such attempts would be rejected by the community. Some examples might include Academia or martial arts.

Distribution of "yelp" for "yes"

Posted: 01 Nov 2021 02:01 AM PDT

I've recently come across two people online who consistently write "yelp" meaning "yes" or "yep" in chat. Due to anonymity and privacy, I don't know much about them. From their speech patterns I'm guessing they speak AAVE, but I live in Australia and most of my exposure to AAVE comes from television. I'm not in a position where I can ask them about their backgrounds.

Has "yelp" been recorded as a variant of "yes" in certain people's speech? How widespread is this?

What are the differences among Vitrioil, Vituperative and Invective?

Posted: 01 Nov 2021 12:03 AM PDT

I am having a really hard time seeing the nuanced differences between these three synonyms, especially vituperation and vitriol. I saw from my research that invective is used in more formal context with use of refined language (if somebody can add more to this word, I would be appreciate it). But I have trouble seeing the subtle difference between vitriol and vituperation since both suggest bitter, cruel, harsh abusive language.Thanks.

Meaning of "to read out" in the clinical trial context - where did this usage originate, and am I right about its meaning?

Posted: 01 Nov 2021 09:50 AM PDT

I was reading an article about some candidate drugs for the COVID-19 infection, and came across a curious usage of read out:

Studies for another drug, remdesivir from Gilead Sciences, are expected to read out in the coming weeks.

Googling for clinical trial "to read out" brings up many instances of the phrase's usage.

Intuitively I understand that "read out" here means "produce results", like a printer produces an output. Is this correct? And what is the source of this usage? Maybe it's some specialized term related to clinical trials?

Why is that this way

Posted: 01 Nov 2021 03:06 AM PDT

I realized all of a sudden that I don't understand why it works like this:

Your rope is going to tear!

And

Your rope is going to be torn!

In the first case to me it seems like the rope is going to tear something or somebody.

The second one I just feel doesn't sound natural, so I'm confused.

Which one is right and why?

What are the differences between "what is with", "what is up with" and "what is wrong with"?

Posted: 01 Nov 2021 06:06 AM PDT

I am watching the drama called Friends at the moment and many times actors used to say one of them. I think it seems like that those expressions are little bit similar to each other.

Please, tell me how those expressions are different.

Thank you in advance.

I “am flying” or I “will be flying” to Paris later this morning?

Posted: 01 Nov 2021 12:43 AM PDT

Got this sentence in a multiple choice question exam

"I'm going to the airport in a minute. I _____ to Paris later this Morning"

A) will be flying
B) am flying
C) will fly
D) am going to fly

I am in two minds here. I know that it's either A or B but how can I know which one it is?

How commonly used / understood is the "BR" signature?

Posted: 01 Nov 2021 02:25 AM PDT

In Finland, in informal correspondence over email in English I often see the acronym "BR" or "Br" used in the signature before the name, and I've seen some people from at least Germany do the same. I believe this is an acronym for "Best Regards", but many acronym lists omit it. 1

How widely used / understood is this acronym? Are there specific geographical regions where it's common? Does usage of it in a signature stand out as weird for some audiences?

Br,
Sampo J.

1 For example AcronymFinder has it (among 123 alternative definitions), while Wikipedia doesn't.

Are spelling, punctuation and capitalization part of grammar?

Posted: 31 Oct 2021 10:52 PM PDT

Before I start, I know this question already exists:
Do capitalization and punctuation fall under the category of grammar?

However, I would like to follow-up on it. This definition from Oxford Online isn't very helpful:

The whole system and structure of a language or of languages in general, usually taken as consisting of syntax and morphology (including inflections) and sometimes also phonology and semantics.

Someone in chat used the above definition as evidence that spelling is indeed part of grammar, and that the answers in the other Q&A are incorrect.

So, are those answers incorrect? Are spelling, punctuation and capitalization in fact part of grammar?

a better expression or single word for "developer usabilty"

Posted: 01 Nov 2021 06:54 AM PDT

I am looking for a better english expression or single word that describes this:

developer usabilty: the quality of language, tooling, IDE and APIs for frictionless development.

example usages:

The developer usabilty of our clould offering is very bad because our users need to know way to many details.

The developer usabilty of the APIs in that library could be improved because noone can remember these long names.

We are like Apple Inc. but for developers. We care deeply about the developer usabilty of our SDK.

A collocial term is OK, but it should be widely understood.

Which punctuation is correct in this case (colon, semicolon, or period)?

Posted: 01 Nov 2021 04:07 AM PDT

  • Inside the alley I found myself cornered by unpleasant sights: walls covered with cracks and peeling paint, storm drains clogged with moss, dumpsters overflowing with bags, cans, and rotten trash.

  • Inside the alley I found myself cornered by unpleasant sights: walls covered with cracks and peeling paint; storm drains clogged with moss; dumpsters overflowing with bags, cans, and rotten trash.

  • Inside the alley I found myself cornered by unpleasant sights. Walls covered with cracks and peeling paint. Storm drains clogged with moss. Dumpsters overflowing with bags, cans, and rotten trash.

Or maybe the three of them are orthographically correct in their respective contexts?

EDIT (based on dockeryZ's answer):

I think second example is right, regardless of the context. Explanation: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/semicolon.

Listing quoted sentences: separate them with a semicolon, comma, period (or none)?

Posted: 01 Nov 2021 04:04 AM PDT

I am completing a manuscript for my recent book. I would love to know whether I need to put a comma, semicolon, or other form of punctuation (or none) in-between these quoted sentences.

The examples are below. Which one of these sentences is correctly punctuated?

  • For example, you could choose to say, "Thank you, you are very kind. I will let you know"; "I appreciate your offer, but I've made a decision already"; "Thanks! I'll think about your offer for a few days and I'll get back to you."

  • For example, you could choose to say, "Thank you, you are very kind. I will let you know," "I appreciate your offer, but I've made a decision already," "Thanks! I'll think about your offer for a few days and I'll get back to you."

  • For example, you could choose to say, "Thank you, you are very kind. I will let you know." "I appreciate your offer, but I've made a decision already." "Thanks! I'll think about your offer for a few days and I'll get back to you."

Which of these are correct? Notice how the first paragraph has a semicolon, the second has a comma, and the third has a period within the quoted text.

I'd love to hear your expert knowledge!

"We went swimming later in the afternoon, Jack and I."

Posted: 01 Nov 2021 08:34 AM PDT

Why does the following phrase sound old fashioned?

We went swimming later in the afternoon, Jack and I.

I am trying to describe what is happening here by breaking the sentence down into its basic components, but I am having difficulty doing this. The "Jack and I" part is the Noun Phrase, right? Is there a certain language formality to placing this at the end of the sentence behind the comma? Am I crazy in thinking that the above format sounds more formal than "Jack and I went swimming later in the afternoon"?

I'm adding some more information that has come up through the conversation below:

I pulled the line from a young adult book written in 1942. I'm studying the text and trying to identify elements that make it 'feel old.' One of these elements is a general presentation of phrases in a more formal way (as compared to other modern YA publications.)

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