Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange |
- What emotion is most used when a person is codependent?
- Is this sentence wrong: "write a letter for me to teach in the university" and if so, why?
- Is there an adjectival form of "alliance"?
- What’s the difference between “disordered” and “disorderly”?
- Is "as" in "come as you are" a conjunction, or a preposition? [closed]
- What is the best term for 'perspective options'
- What's the word for the sound of snow racing down a roof?
- What is origin of the term “dry” to mean lack of a sweet taste?
- Series of portraits "by" or "from" different artists? [closed]
- Preposition for use of "proxy" as an adjective
- A Gordian Knot of a question [closed]
- "has been" vs "have been" when dealing with multiple nouns [duplicate]
- Looking for a word to describe the nature at higher places
- Future Perfect with 'by now'
- Is there a single word that can describe the phrase "in their view"?
- What's the word/verb meaning "to bend something inwards"?
- Only this way (we can)/(can we)? (Or why is negative inversion necessary?)
- When a clawed beast attacks its prey, inflicting a deep wound in its flesh, what's the word used to describe this sort of attack?
- "the ride never ends"
- using from-to in a list
- Having + past tense as a subject in a sentence?
- Is it correct to call a scientific project worked on during a vacation "Volunteer scientific work"?
- Removal of responsibility
- Quote about windows [closed]
- Is the word "palaver" in common use anywhere in the English-speaking world?
- What does 'Flipperhead' mean?
- What's a word for a voice doppelganger?
- Origin of "Very Good, Sir!"
- When we should use "freak out" & when "afraid"
- How are relative familial titles used for members who died prior to your birth?
| What emotion is most used when a person is codependent? Posted: 28 Dec 2021 10:25 PM PST I've created a character that is very codependent. The concept of her story is to overcome her codependency, as well as one other negative emotion weighing her down in epic action scenes. I'm having a problem coming up with an emotion to represent her codependency. Is there one emotion that could? |
| Is this sentence wrong: "write a letter for me to teach in the university" and if so, why? Posted: 28 Dec 2021 10:15 PM PST Suppose I'm applying for a teaching position and asking someone for a reference letter. Then is it correct to say:
to mean "Can you write a reference letter so that I can teach in the university?" My feeling is that it's wrong, though I cannot pinpoint the reason. I know there's a way to specify the subject of a to-infinitive with "for", but I still don't feel the subject of "to apply" can be specified with "for me", and the subject still seems to be "you", as in:
Can someone clarify the correctness and the reason? Thank you in advance. |
| Is there an adjectival form of "alliance"? Posted: 28 Dec 2021 08:30 PM PST Here's an example which demonstrates the similarity I'm looking for: "There is a corporation of pilots conducting operations outside of their corporate airspace.". Now, if there is instead an "an alliance of pilots", what's a predictable construction to replace corporate in the example above? |
| What’s the difference between “disordered” and “disorderly”? Posted: 28 Dec 2021 08:40 PM PST I looked up the dictionary, and I found that they have pretty much the same meaning. Under what circumstances are these two words used and how the usage is different? For instance, in the sentence, "A disorderly evacuation ensued.", can I say "A disordered evacuation ensued."? |
| Is "as" in "come as you are" a conjunction, or a preposition? [closed] Posted: 28 Dec 2021 06:53 PM PST
Is the "as" above a conjunction, or a preposition? Why? |
| What is the best term for 'perspective options' Posted: 28 Dec 2021 07:20 PM PST I'm writing about ways to obtain complete understanding, and that requires every possible perspective. I've got most of them covered, but I'm stuck on what I'm calling proximity... fairly certain it's not the right word for what I'm trying to convey. The concept I'm thinking of includes both distance and sides. Sides include in, out, right, left, above, below, etc., and distance only includes how far away. I believe proximity is more about how far away...but I'm looking for a term that considers sides too. Please keep in mind, this is not limited to physical perspective, it also includes temporal, mental and more. So sides also mean his, her, their, before, after, etc. As you can see from these synonyms for proximity, proximity is not exactly what I mean: adjacency, closeness, contiguity, immediacy, nearness, propinquity, vicinity. The term I'm looking for does not have to include nearby, but it does include a degree of that because you can't sense something that is too far away. On the outer edge of this term lies "access," so where this term leaves off, "no practical access" begins. Here's how the word/term would be used in a sentence. On a more practical level, "____ is important because if you are only seeing it from the south, your perspective is limited, or if you are only seeing it from the post-modern age, you are not seeing it from the people who had to deal with it in the middle ages." Here's more of the same for an additional example. "Experiences include _____ too, because the way you feel depends on how close you are to the situation, and what you can actually sense in the process, from your physical point of view to your attitude when you experienced it." |
| What's the word for the sound of snow racing down a roof? Posted: 28 Dec 2021 11:33 PM PST So I'm trying to describe a scene set in winter, and I've this sentence I can't write to my satisfaction. Basically, I'm at a loss trying to figure out the precise verb that should go into the blank space. The sentence is:
I assume you get the picture. I don't have the word for this type of sound. The closest candidates I found are swish/swoosh, but I've reservations as to their felicity. Could anyone please supply the appropriate verb for the given context? (Bonus points if some writer of note has used the sought word in a similar setting.) |
| What is origin of the term “dry” to mean lack of a sweet taste? Posted: 28 Dec 2021 01:34 PM PST I am aware that "London Dry" is a style of unsweetened gin and that this has influenced how we talk about other drinks. I am interested in why the word dry was initially used in this context to describe that type of gin at that time. |
| Series of portraits "by" or "from" different artists? [closed] Posted: 28 Dec 2021 09:50 AM PST The exhibition features five unique series of portraits from four different artists. Or The exhibition features five unique series of portraits by four different artists. |
| Preposition for use of "proxy" as an adjective Posted: 28 Dec 2021 03:36 PM PST I would like to say that some thing A is used as a proxy for another thing B. How would I express this with "proxy" as an adjective? To me,
sounds more natural than
Are to and for both fine, is only one of them correct, or is neither correct? Thanks |
| A Gordian Knot of a question [closed] Posted: 28 Dec 2021 09:26 AM PST Could a complex and difficult task be described as simply a 'Gordian' task, or should the word 'knot' be included also? |
| "has been" vs "have been" when dealing with multiple nouns [duplicate] Posted: 28 Dec 2021 09:09 AM PST I have seen a lot of similar questions asked but none of them applies to my case. If it exists, please do post the link. So, my question is do we use have or has been when referring to more than one noun? Both seem right to me. Example: Their support and expertise have or has been crucial for this project's completion. |
| Looking for a word to describe the nature at higher places Posted: 28 Dec 2021 04:10 PM PST I am looking for a word to describe nature at higher places, say, 2000 meters and above. e.g. "I love ____ (mountains)" does not include water bodies, waterfalls, lakes etc. |
| Posted: 28 Dec 2021 03:11 PM PST The task is taken from the test for Intermediate Students. **Write the second sentence. Use the Future Continuous, future perfect,**could, or the first conditional The criminals escaped from this prison two months ago. They/leave/the country/by now The clues say that it is The will have left by now I cannot figure out why do we use Future Perfect here???? Isn't it more appropriate to use Present Perfect? |
| Is there a single word that can describe the phrase "in their view"? Posted: 28 Dec 2021 09:35 AM PST When talking about a concept that someone else thinks is correct, but I as the writer am skeptical about, is there a word that can summarise that feeling?
But I don't necessarily agree that what she's fighting for is just. So you'd think the solution would be
But I want to take a more neutral stance, and that sentence sounds confrontational, as if I DISAGREE with what she's saying. I'm looking for something that looks a bit like "the woman was fighting for her justice" maybe I'm overthinking it. |
| What's the word/verb meaning "to bend something inwards"? Posted: 28 Dec 2021 10:48 AM PST I'm struggling hard to remember a word I came across many months ago. It's not an uncommon word as far as I can remember. The word in question means, again if I can recall correctly, to bend something inwards. I think it's a synonym of, or at least related to, telescope (as in The cars telescoped during the collision). I also have a vague remembrance that the word starts with the letter 's'. I've been cudgeling my brains hard over this, but the word is still eluding me. I know this is probably not the right place to be asking such a frivolous question, but I'm pretty sure I'll be rid in no time of this compulsive obsession to recall the word ASAP. |
| Only this way (we can)/(can we)? (Or why is negative inversion necessary?) Posted: 28 Dec 2021 06:31 PM PST In general, we would say "Only this way can we", but I also came across many sentences in the internet which use "Only this way we can". Is the expression "Only this way we can" grammatically correct and natural? Many thanks!
———— The above is the same question as in https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/only-this-way-we-can-can-we.3564026/ ; however, the answers there seem not to be theoretical or persuasive to explain why this grammar is necessary, so I copy and paste it here. |
| Posted: 28 Dec 2021 10:37 AM PST In Portuguese we have a specific word for that, cravar (as in to nail or to affix with nails, from Latin clavare) but I don't know if in English there's a single word that works like that. It's about piercing or pinning the flesh with really sharp pointed claw, like how you'd nail a picture to the wall by driving a sharp pointed nail into the wall. I first thought about to carve, but then I found out these are false friends (because carve in English is etymologically related to verbs for notching and probably even to engraving). Someone also told me that the animal "drives its claws into" the prey's flesh, and that makes sense, I've heard this before, but I'd like to know of more words that describe this action. |
| Posted: 28 Dec 2021 09:12 AM PST Having a hard time understanding an idiom a person used on an anonymous bbs.
What could he have meant by this? I'm aware that it's a reference to an old video game meme or something, but it's still very confusing.
|
| Posted: 28 Dec 2021 04:03 PM PST
Is the above sentence correct? Can 'to' be used twice in a list? |
| Having + past tense as a subject in a sentence? Posted: 28 Dec 2021 09:08 PM PST is it possible to use the form "having + past tense" as a subject in a sentence? For example, is it grammatically correct to say:
Is having applied considered the subject in this sentence? My gut feeling tells me this sentence is correct, but I would like to be 100% sure. Thank you for help. Best regrads, Kate |
| Is it correct to call a scientific project worked on during a vacation "Volunteer scientific work"? Posted: 28 Dec 2021 01:06 PM PST During my vacation I worked on a scientific project. Since I would like to put it on my resume, I have added the following:
Is it correct to say the project is a "Volunteer scientific work"? I want to say that I developed it myself during my vacation. |
| Posted: 28 Dec 2021 10:47 PM PST What's a better way of saying "removes responsibility"?
I thought already of "alleviation", "assuagement" but I know that there's a far better alternative that's almost specifically for responsibility, but I can't seem to recall it. Hard determinism is a philosophical branch which states that everyone's actions are caused by prior events outside of their control. Therefore, no one ever makes a truly "free" choice, and ultimately someone's actions can be predicted if one were to know all prior causes. This removes responsibility from the individual. |
| Posted: 28 Dec 2021 11:54 AM PST I'm not sure if this is where I should be asking this.. But it seemed to be the most appropriate community on StackExchange. Anyways, I'm setting up a Google+ page for a small business that does window cleaning. As a first post, I want to post a nice photo of a window that they sent me, and accompany it with a nice quote that has to do with windows. This is one I found:
It's a quote from a work by Edith Wharton. Now, I take it to mean, very simply, that someone wants to open their window wide and enjoy the view. My question: Is that the meaning of the quote? Does it mean anything deeper? Mostly I just don't want to embarrass myself by posting that and then realizing it has some totally different meaning. |
| Is the word "palaver" in common use anywhere in the English-speaking world? Posted: 28 Dec 2021 05:29 PM PST In a sci-fi movie from 1957, an astronaut says he's "going to palaver" with the cave-dwelling natives. I'd never heard the word before, but my husband—a history buff—knew it by its original meaning: a conference between a 'civilized' person (or persons) and folks from a more primitive culture. Supposedly, it has disintegrated colloquially to mean something like "meaningless blather" (probably because of the way it sounds) but when I checked that Ngram thingy, it looked as though its main use in writing is in its original sense—ironically, or not. Is "palaver" still in use? (If so, in what part of the world is it used?) In what sense is it used? |
| Posted: 28 Dec 2021 12:57 PM PST Seen this in a few movies, spelling is probably incorrect. It appears to be an irish-american slang for an idiot in usage. Mostly interested in the correct spelling/actual word(s) and origin. The usage I noticed this in recently was in 'The Equalizer (2014)', the quote's context is reproduced on this page (search for 'flipperhead' or scroll down). This is the scene in question (warning; NSFW language). I'd swear i've heard the term before in the same context (movie american-irish people insulting people). |
| What's a word for a voice doppelganger? Posted: 28 Dec 2021 12:32 PM PST Someone that looks exactly like you is a dead ringer or a doppelganger. But what if they just sound exactly like you? |
| Posted: 28 Dec 2021 09:34 PM PST It's quite likely you've read a P.G. Wodehouse book. Well, then you'd also know about Jeeves, and something he says quite often:
Jeeves is a butler. And he isn't the only one to reply with those words, whenever asked to do something. I've heard many butlers (all in TV shows, or movies, or books) say it. Where did it originate from, though? |
| When we should use "freak out" & when "afraid" Posted: 28 Dec 2021 05:00 PM PST What is the difference between freak out and afraid? When should we use freak out and when afraid? OED definition for freak out:
OED definition for afraid:
|
| How are relative familial titles used for members who died prior to your birth? Posted: 28 Dec 2021 05:16 PM PST This may seem an odd and morbid question, but I am curious about the use of relative familial titles when the family member you are referring to died prior to your birth. For example, say my mother has a brother named Bruce. When I am born he becomes my uncle. While we are both alive I would refer to him as Uncle Bruce. Even when he dies, I would continue to refer to him as Uncle Bruce, as in, "Remember the time we went to the beach with Uncle Bruce?" Moreover, I would argue this title stays even after my death. My children might say, "My dad's uncle was a shoe salesman." But how would I refer to my mother's brother Bruce if he died before I was born? I would think I would refer to him as "my mother's brother." It seems odd to refer to him as my uncle because he was not alive when I was born, therefore he only attained that title posthumously. And would it make any difference as to when my mother's brother died? Say my mother had a brother who died when he was an infant. Would he still be referred to as "my uncle?" |
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