Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange |
- What is it called when you hold your tongue to the roof of your mouth and make a sharp intake?
- What's the difference between "really have had" and "have really had"?
- Aesthetically pleasing antonym for "afar"?
- What's the word when you're saying that the fault is from both parties. Like yours and someone else's fault and so you're both kinda sharing it
- What's the origin of "to string somebody along"? [closed]
- Formal word for overhyped?
- Hyphenation in adverb-verb compounds
- Bernie Sander Tweet has a grammar mistake? [closed]
- Do these sentences have different meaning? [migrated]
- What do you call the floor-level space that allows someone to traverse from one floor to another with stairs?
- Does use of "pushing up daisies" and "six feet under" in the same sentence make it stylistically or otherwise redundant?
- Am I a contrarian? Or something else? [closed]
- What does "made available" mean?
- What's a word for "Scattering of light by water droplets in the air" like the tyndall effect [closed]
- Why is "of" present for "out of stock" but not "in stock"?
- Idiom or phrase for expressing one's skill/talent has not decayed [closed]
- In what regions is "Do you work tonight?" clear and acceptable usage?
- How do you say that "while" is frequently followed by past continuous?
- checkmated as adjective
- How Was "Feast" Pronounced in Early Modern English?
- Schedule the meeting in/on the remaining slots
- "would we not" vs. "wouldn't we" in questions
- Can the adverb "strongly" be use with the verb "try"? If not, is there a clear reason?
- Opposite of "under the weather"?
- Use of The Verb "LIKE"
- How did "issue" come to mean "problem"?
- Word for someone who does not accept the fact because he belongs to a different group [duplicate]
- "Sport" vs "Sports" Origin
- Hyphen or no hyphen when modifying an adjective with an intensifier / downtoner?
| What is it called when you hold your tongue to the roof of your mouth and make a sharp intake? Posted: 14 Nov 2021 10:57 AM PST It makes a sound that mimes readying your mouth to say something but stopping prematurely, to signal that you're engaged in some act of intense contemplation. It's often accompanied with a cock of the neck or a frown of the eyes. Its meaning is very similar to the affectedly sharp intakes or exhales of breath that may occur in the same situations. I'm looking for a way to describe someone doing this, in a manner similar to "they smacked their lips" or "they took a deep breath". I don't know if there's a word for it though. |
| What's the difference between "really have had" and "have really had"? Posted: 14 Nov 2021 11:02 AM PST In a sentence, what's the difference between "he must really have had a rough day" and "he must have really had a rough day"? |
| Aesthetically pleasing antonym for "afar"? Posted: 14 Nov 2021 11:29 AM PST I'm writing an introduction for my PhD thesis. The text has to sound natural and formal, but can also have glimpses of poetry and broadness. I would like to express that a problem will be addressed from a distance and also in detail, my non-fluent English speaker mind came up with the following sentence: "I will develop a description from afar to close by." I couldn't find any other good "afar" antonyms that made the sentence sound natural and beautiful at the same time, at least in my opinion. Does "close by" fit in? What could be an alternative for "close by" or for the whole sentence? |
| Posted: 14 Nov 2021 08:26 AM PST What's the word when you're saying that the fault is from both parties. Like yours and someone else's fault and so you're both kinda sharing it? I forgot the word |
| What's the origin of "to string somebody along"? [closed] Posted: 14 Nov 2021 08:18 AM PST "to string somebody along", i.e. to deceive. What's the origin of this phrase? I always picture a cow being lead by the speaker with a piece of string. |
| Posted: 14 Nov 2021 08:57 AM PST Is there a formal word for overhyped? (using the definition: make exaggerated claims about (a product, idea, or event); publicize or promote excessively.) |
| Hyphenation in adverb-verb compounds Posted: 14 Nov 2021 06:48 AM PST Adverbs that end in -ly should not be hyphenated with verbs, so this is incorrect:
But it's very common to hyphenate adverbs like 'well' with verbs, so this appears correct:
Now I have seen compounds that include 'most' hyphenated and I'm not sure whether it is appropriate:
Question: is there a rule (or rule of thumb) to determine whether a hyphen is required in adverb-verb compounds? |
| Bernie Sander Tweet has a grammar mistake? [closed] Posted: 14 Nov 2021 06:13 AM PST Bernie Sanders recently tweeted the following: I cannot understand the absurdity that it costs TEN TIMES as much for insulin in the United States as it does for the same exact drug in Canada. Is this tweet grammatically correct? More specifically, is the use of the word "for" correct here? To my understanding, it would make sense if "for" was used in conjunction with a different verb, e.g. "it is more expensive to pay for xyz", but not in conjunction with "costs". |
| Do these sentences have different meaning? [migrated] Posted: 14 Nov 2021 04:30 AM PST
I am confused with these sentences. What's the difference between them? |
| Posted: 14 Nov 2021 07:44 AM PST See illustration In French it's called a trémie,. This element is unlikely to be a hopper or funnel. What is it called in English? Would "Stairs aperture" be good enough for people to understand?
|
| Posted: 14 Nov 2021 03:04 AM PST Example: "Young Lensky is pushing up daisies six feet under" Wouldn't it be the same as saying: "Young Lensky is dead is dead"? |
| Am I a contrarian? Or something else? [closed] Posted: 14 Nov 2021 03:25 AM PST As I truly consider and muse about aspects of sincerity and truth in reality, I am beginning to think so differently to most, that it is frightening. I feel as if others are regularly making vehement, extremely hubristic, non-detailed. error filled judgments all the time. I know there are questions regarding contrarians. From my description here, would I be considered one, or is there another word to describe me? Note: either an adjective or a noun would suit: "I am [a] _______" |
| What does "made available" mean? Posted: 14 Nov 2021 02:46 AM PST 1 . Any necessary equipment, such as scissors, will be made available. 2 . Few other details have been made available. 3 . He says personal protective equipment, insecticides and antibiotics are being made available in those areas. 4 . When a drop does occur, the data is quickly made available to the receiving app. 5 . When will the information be made available? What does "made available" mean? I often hear these two words put together. It seems to have different and specific meanings according to different sentences. My own understanding would generally be "can be used". Is it correct? |
| Posted: 14 Nov 2021 11:24 AM PST In dark rooms, etc., when we see the path of light, dust in the air, what is that called? |
| Why is "of" present for "out of stock" but not "in stock"? Posted: 14 Nov 2021 08:27 AM PST English is my native language, so I know that these combinations sound correct to me and other native speakers, at least in the U.S., but why? Why don't we consistently use or not use "of" for both in and out? Why are "out stock" and "in of stock" wrong? Other examples with the same principle:
I tried searching this question on this site and search engines, but didn't find an answer. |
| Idiom or phrase for expressing one's skill/talent has not decayed [closed] Posted: 14 Nov 2021 02:46 AM PST I am wondering what standard phrase or idiom expresses that one's skill or talent in a particular area has not decayed through the passage of time. I believe a related idiom is, "[the person] has not skipped a beat", but I have a strange feeling that this is not the "standard" English expression for this use case. Indeed, I suppose "skipped a beat" does not express the time component above, merely that the person's ability is flawless. Example sentence: Lieutenant Columbo is a real sleuth. Despite his advancing years, he never skips a beat. |
| In what regions is "Do you work tonight?" clear and acceptable usage? Posted: 14 Nov 2021 09:18 AM PST In my answer at ELL regarding a question of whether someone is working that evening, I suggested the alternative:
There was a comment about this being incorrect usage, because "the present simple is used for actions or situations that occur regularly, or are always true:" "Do you smoke," "do you go to the movies," "do you like pie," etc. I would agree with this, but in my experience adding a specific time to the verb "work" is clear, understandable, and common usage to mean "are you scheduled to work at [this time]." So:
I grew up in the US Midwest and the East Coast, and I never thought that this usage would be strange or incorrect. In what regions or countries would this usage be considered correct, and where would it be considered incorrect? |
| How do you say that "while" is frequently followed by past continuous? Posted: 14 Nov 2021 06:01 AM PST I usually explain grammar in private lessons and there's an expression I would like to know. Thanks! |
| Posted: 14 Nov 2021 09:05 AM PST Is the adjective "checkmated" used? Although it does not appear in the Cambridge dictionary or Merriam-Webster, if...
Is 'checkmated' correctly used? |
| How Was "Feast" Pronounced in Early Modern English? Posted: 14 Nov 2021 07:38 AM PST In Romeo and Juliet, Capulet delivers a speech to Paris about his consent for him to court Juliet. With the exception of the first three lines, his speech would follow a coupled rhyme scheme...
However, this pattern is broken with the third couplet feast and guest. This happens again towards the end of the scene, which leads me to believe that feast should be pronounced /fest/. Is there any other evidence of feast being pronounced as such during this time period? The etymology shows that feast was derived from the French, feste, in the 13th century, but that was 300 years before Shakespeare was born... |
| Schedule the meeting in/on the remaining slots Posted: 14 Nov 2021 08:00 AM PST Hello to the community, I am unclear whether I should use in or on in the sentence: "Schedule the meeting ___ the remaining slots." I want to express that only a certain number of slots are left, and I wish to schedule a meeting ___ one of those. Thanks |
| "would we not" vs. "wouldn't we" in questions Posted: 14 Nov 2021 08:49 AM PST Is there a difference between the following two sentences? Is the second sentence grammatically wrong?
Is it correct to say the first sentence puts an emphasis on the negation, meaning that it's a bit shocking that we do not have that expectation? |
| Can the adverb "strongly" be use with the verb "try"? If not, is there a clear reason? Posted: 14 Nov 2021 05:06 AM PST It doesn't seem to me to be possible to use the adverb "strongly" in connection with the verb "try" but I can't figure out why not. It feels as it it ought to be possible but never sounds right. Is this a correct observation and if so is there a clear linguistic reason for this? The obvious answer is to use the adverb "hard", but why not "strongly"? |
| Opposite of "under the weather"? Posted: 14 Nov 2021 11:07 AM PST British TV Shows are a good way to learn language. At the moment I'm watching Situation Comedy classic series Black Adder, Season one on DVD format. I learnt a new phrase "under the weather" which is in script in Season 1, episode 5, "Witchsmeller Pursuivant". My own funny moment down at the real life. It was snowing during pre-season Christmas here in Finland. Some local immigrant said "Hello" to me and then continued his small talk "Bad weather, I've moved to Finland last summer and it's snowing, very horrible weather." I answered him: "Well, I'm under the weather too like you here in winter-time Finland". I was referring to bad weather but I don't know if he caught the joke. Is there an opposite phrase for "Under the weather". "Ylaepuolella" in Finnish synonym in English translation is something like above, on top, over, upstairs, aloft, overhead. Is it idiomatic to say "I'm feeling overhead" when my mood is good? Looking for a legit way to express myself feeling good as opposed to "under the weather". In another joke for feeling overheaded, if it's a legit way to cite like this. Tall and the Giant man met each others on the street. Tall man began the small-talk daily conversation as strangers:
Overhead, or another legit way to express yourself feeling good in a positive way or in a joke when I'm trying to create funny situation comedy? Or in polite manner in daily use in GB England, not in US English. |
| Posted: 14 Nov 2021 07:00 AM PST Consider the following sentence, please:
How would a native speaker of English analyze the above sentence? I tried to analyze it myself in the following ways: 1) I don't like these comments that are coming from you, with a relative clause at the end and probably an emphasis on the phrase 'these comments.' 2) I don't like these comments' coming from you, with an apostrophe after 'comments', meaning "I don't like the fact that they are coming from you." 'coming from you' functions as a gerund phrase here. 3) I don't like (these comments) and also (the fact that they're coming from you), with "LIKE" as a di-transitive verb and the two bracketed parts as its two objects. An analogy can be drawn with the verb "see" in the following sentence: "I saw him doing this." So, my question is: To a native speaker, which one/ones seems/seem correct. I know a proper context could limit the number of analyses of the given sentence. But, without a given context, in how many possible ways the above sentence could be interpreted by a native speaker is of my concern. Thank you in advance. |
| How did "issue" come to mean "problem"? Posted: 14 Nov 2021 03:37 AM PST The etymology of the word "issue" seems to be :
The many usages of "issue" are in keeping with this root. Supplying or distributing, magazine and similar periodicals, outcome of an action, children (archaic?), etc. But I really don't understand how it came to mean a problem. |
| Word for someone who does not accept the fact because he belongs to a different group [duplicate] Posted: 14 Nov 2021 06:26 AM PST I belong to political party A and my friend belongs to party B. Whenever I present the fact with proper data, he still doesn't accept it telling some reasons not to accept the fact. Is there any word for this kind of person? |
| Posted: 14 Nov 2021 07:57 AM PST I was recently reading this article on the use of "math" vs. "maths" as a collective noun (Americans use the former, Brits the latter). However, the trend seen in "math/maths" is reversed in "sport/sports", with Brits using the version without an "s" as a collective noun, and Americans using the one with the "s". What is the origin of this? |
| Hyphen or no hyphen when modifying an adjective with an intensifier / downtoner? Posted: 14 Nov 2021 07:00 AM PST I have a sentence which has an object that is described with an adjective:
If I modify "interested" with "more" or "less", do I connect the words with a hyphen or not? Example sentence:
Also, please let me know if I have not used the correct terms for sentence parts in this question. |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States | |
No comments:
Post a Comment