Friday, June 17, 2022

Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

What is a formal word for 'coming weeks'?

Posted: 17 Jun 2022 01:11 PM PDT

Is there a way to write this sentence more formally?

I will follow up with you to discuss my research work in the coming weeks.

How could I reword the sentence and replace the phrase 'coming weeks'?

In the context of this sentence, which verb tense would be grammatically correct and why?: "Prevails" or "Prevail"

Posted: 17 Jun 2022 12:18 PM PDT

Peace And Love Prevail Over evil, Throughout The Entire Universe, Multiverse, Metaverse, Omniverse, And Throughout All Realms, Always And Forever.

or

Peace And Love Prevails Over evil, Throughout The Entire Universe, Multiverse, Metaverse, Omniverse, And Throughout All Realms, Always And Forever.

What's the origin of the idiom "get/be shot of"

Posted: 17 Jun 2022 12:49 PM PDT

Definition

Get/be shot of someone/something - To get rid of.

Examples

  • He didn't want to be seen near me and couldn't wait to get shot of me.

  • City experts still reckon the company wants to get shot of its brewing division.

  • The house was full of bad memories and he was glad to be shot of it.

"health product industry" or "health-product industry"?

Posted: 17 Jun 2022 10:38 AM PDT

I would have written "health-product industry", but Googling makes "health product industry" seem more common. I thought that if we created a compound adjective ("health-product" describing "industry"), we should hyphenate. But I also see stuff like "sports equipment industry", unhyphenated.

Should I be hyphenating here?

when to use move-in vs move in in general english [duplicate]

Posted: 17 Jun 2022 10:21 AM PDT

is there a difference between move in vs move-in? It seems to be the same

'Want to move in to my house?' vs 'Want to move-in to my house?'

Has or have in or context [closed]

Posted: 17 Jun 2022 10:20 AM PDT

Consider the following example:

No new game or book has been issued.

Or

No new game or book have been issued.

Should I use has or have?

Meaning of 'pelted clover' and 'gorged pastures' in Louise Glück poem? [closed]

Posted: 17 Jun 2022 10:22 AM PDT

What do 'pelted clover' and 'gorged pastures' mean in the following poem by Louise Glück? Clover leaves that are being thrown? A pasture land with a pathway in the middle?

Labor Day

Requiring something lovely on his arm
Took me to Stamford, Connecticut, a quasi-farm,
His family's; later picking up the mammoth
Girlfriend of Charlie, meanwhile trying to pawn me off
On some third guy also up for the weekend.
But Saturday we still were paired; spent
It sprawled across that sprawling acreage
Until the grass grew limp
with damp. Like me. Johnston-baby, I can still see
The pelted clover, burrs' prickle fur and gorged
Pastures spewing infinite tiny bells. You pimp.

gorge:

A gorge is a deep, narrow valley with very steep sides, usually where a river passes through mountains or an area of hard rock

(Collins)

: a narrow passage through land
especially : a narrow steep-walled canyon or part of a canyon

(Merriam Webster)

pelt:

noun (1)
1. a usually undressed skin with its hair, wool, or fur

[...]

verb (2)
transitive verb
2. HURL, THROW
// pelted snowballs at them

(Merriam Webster)

Is there a term for, and what is the correctness of, splitting a verb with a nonrestrictive clause?

Posted: 17 Jun 2022 11:59 AM PDT

This is a question about splitting a verb with a clause, not a word. Thus, it's similar to but different from usual verb splitting. Or, rather, I'm wondering if it's different enough to have its own term, and its own rules for correctness.

For example, for the two sentences ...

Our main participation will be, as usual, a demo.

Our main participation will, as usual, be a demo.

... (1) is there a term for the kind of verb splitting going on in the second sentence, and (2) are both considered more-or-less equally correct, as with regular verb splitting (by a word or words)? Or is the second form considered incorrect, or significantly less correct?

I have reviewed these previous posts (and their references):

Name of phenomenon when you place a word(s) between 'will' and the verb?

Can be potentially provided

I have also looked about for rules on placing commas, and while nonessential clauses are covered, this exact circumstance is not; e.g.:

Extended Rules for Using Commas

Is there a phrase or idiom for a huge task/work/job? [closed]

Posted: 17 Jun 2022 12:16 PM PDT

To repair all these houses is (really) a ______.

I want a phrase/idiom/expression for the blank above which means a huge task, or huge work.

I want the idiom/phrase/expression to mean a task that is very difficult, needs a lot of attention, and a lot of work, and cannot be done fast and quick.

'Course' as the name of the institution [closed]

Posted: 17 Jun 2022 07:49 AM PDT

Is it wrong to use 'course' as the name of an institution, e.g: Smart English Course?

The meaning of “whacked” [closed]

Posted: 17 Jun 2022 07:28 AM PDT

I've recently heard about the word "whacked" as having the meaning of being tired and exhausted. When I searched for examples in movies using this expression, it seemed to me that there were other meanings to the word "whacked", but I couldn't recognize the difference.

So, how can I tell when the word "whacked" is not referring to the state of being tired?

Here are five examples.

1: "did you break up with her?" "That chick's whacked"

2: I can't believe this. 00:01:09 : DANA: Oh, no. 00:01:11 : I'll talk to her. 00:01:14 : I don't know what you're talking about. 00:01:16 : She's whacked. 00:01:19 : All right, you guys go back to the car. 00:01:22 : KELLY: Go away. 00:01:26 : (INDISTINCT ARGUING) 00:01:28 : Leave it alone!

3: 01:02:42 : You got to dress seriously if you want people to respect you. 01:02:45 : What do you think, l'm blind? 01:02:47 : You keep banging that shit in your arm, ain't nobody going to take you serious. 01:03:09 : What are you doing, giving him any more? 01:03:11 : He's whacked. 01:03:14 : Bullet, been a long time, man. 01:03:17 : - What's up, Paddy? - How you doing, bro? 01:03:20 : - What youse doing under here? - Just waiting here for you. 01:03:23 : l was going to see you at the house,

4: 00:10:13 : Don't let's make too much of it. 00:10:18 : I'm fine. 00:10:22 : Good afternoon. 00:10:32 : I'm going in. 00:10:35 : I'm completely whacked. 00:10:37 : Don't tell your mother. 00:10:40 : Can you make sure he gets a proper rub-down? He did well. 00:10:43 : Yes, m'lady. 00:10:54 : - Who are you? - Rita Bevan.

5: 01:15:59 : because the computer sticky thing is at the bottom of the East River, 01:16:03 : which is where we'll be if those cops catch up with us. 01:16:06 : Okay, you know I'm not so good with complicated plots, 01:16:09 : -so walk me through this again. -Hon... 01:16:11 : Honey, if I'm gonna get whacked off, 01:16:13 : I at least deserve to understand why it's happening. 01:16:16 : -What're you smiling about? -No. You're very sweet. 01:16:18 : We're not going... Hon, we're not going to get whacked off. 01:16:21 : I think we are.

Sorry if the examples are a little vague, I've found them in some movies, and I didn't really understand the context.

Thank you.

Whats the meaning of this sentence? [closed]

Posted: 17 Jun 2022 07:23 AM PDT

Dogs which have been mistreated often remain very wary of strangers.

What does this sentence mean?

Can the word 'partner' mean 'customer/client'?

Posted: 17 Jun 2022 08:37 AM PDT

My question stems from the fact that the word 'partner' is excessively used in the former USSR countries when referring to or addressing their customers/clients/buyers. Russian-speaking manufacturers/suppliers/providers/sellers etc. very often use 'our partners' in the meaning of 'our customers/clients/buyers' or start letters with 'Dear Partners, ...' - with the same meaning.

It's not so odd as far as Russian is concerned, but is it in English?

Many thanks in advance!

What is a word for ‘not-fitting’?

Posted: 17 Jun 2022 12:48 PM PDT

I do not seem to fit within this social group. This ————— might be due to social anxiety.

For the blank above I want to use something that means 'lack of fitting', but cannot find a good word that conveys this idea. Is there one.

Translating "wessen-dessen" sentences [closed]

Posted: 17 Jun 2022 10:02 AM PDT

I'm struggling a bit with the translation of the German "wessen...dessen..."

To clarify, here's the full German sentence, which is not idiomatic at all, it's just phrased to sound like it is: "Wessen Bier du trinkst, dessen Regeln du achtest"

I've found two possibilities:

"Whose beer you drink, whose rules you respect"

"Whose beer you drink, his rules you respect"

Are they both correct? Which one sounds better? Is there a difference in undertone/connotation?

What is a word for thinking that there is a word for any concept/idea

Posted: 17 Jun 2022 10:29 AM PDT

This question was prompted by an exchange of comments in another single word request question. Here is the exchange:

-What makes people think that English has a one-word for anything they could imagine? That's what phrases and clauses and sentences are for.

-I don't know, but there should be a word for it.

I've decided to ask this question because it can be useful to explain this phenomenon as we get many single word request questions here, where many or most of them have no context/details, no explanation/example of how to use it and no research effort.

It is kind of humorous to ask this question as it almost puts me in the same category 😊 However, I'm including details, I've done my research and it can be useful. It is a self-referential question and almost meta.

An example usage:

There is a phenomenon called _____. Some people think that there is a single word for any concept or idea. However, it is not the case and it requires phrases, expressions and sentences to explain some concepts/ideas; and you can't reduce it into a single word.

I'm thinking that it might be a logical fallacy, a possible -ism word, a possible French/Latin borrowing (possibly a -mania word) or even a linguistic phenomenon/term. It can be slang too. And, of course, if we can't find a single word, it can be an idiomatic phrase/expression also.

I've found the word verbomania (from Latin verbum word) but it has a different meaning:

a mania for words : excessive use of or obsession with words - [MW]

However, the answer doesn't have to be a -mania word.

Related questions but not the same:
- Word for someone who wants to find a single word to describe a relatively obscure concept, and posts such questions on internet boards?
- What is the word for individuals who unwittingly post very similar questions asking for the same words, without doing any previous research?

Is using "complete" as a gradable adjective ok in some situations?

Posted: 17 Jun 2022 12:02 PM PDT

So in writing, I want to express various degrees of completion. Originally, I used "in a more complete implementation". A reviewer remarked that this was wrong, as complete is not gradable. They suggested using 'comprehensive' instead.

However, comprehensive as I understand it is used to express for example additional aspects that are at some point not yet covered. I agree that something cannot be 'more complete' in the sense of being over a 100 %. But I would like to express "more complete" in the sense of something being closer to fully functional, closer to a 100%. I would also avoid writing something like "a higher degree of completion".

I am also quite sure that I have read this expression ('more complete implementation') a lot in technical writing. This does not make it correct of course, but could it be that this is used in certain domains/became common there over time, or do you know of a good replacement?

P.S.: I also considered asking in 'writing.stackexchange' but it seems they are not interested in specific grammar questions.

Is there a single word that means "almost certainly (but not technically 100%)"?

Posted: 17 Jun 2022 09:44 AM PDT

I'm looking for a single word that means "almost certainly" but leaves room for 'technical' or 'philosophical' doubt. That is, something like 99.99999...% certain. Or "close enough to certain that we don't need to get hung up on it".

  • probably doesn't work because it just means over 50% – way too low.
  • indubitably doesn't work because it literally means "undoubtable", i.e. its definition explicitly excludes the possibility of any doubt.
  • definitely, certainly, doubtless – strictly speaking, these do not allow for any doubt either (even though they are often used in casual speech for things that aren't truly certain). I want a word that, when used precisely and literally according to its dictionary definition, perhaps in a philosophical/technical/engineering context, actually means "certain, except for the usual 0.00000...1% doubt".

The word should acknowledge a shade of doubt without getting stuck on it, if that makes sense. I don't know if such a word exists, but it seems odd to me if it doesn't, as it seems like it would be very useful in epistemological and engineering discussions.

I guess "beyond reasonable doubt" is a common phrase that means roughly what I want, but I'm wondering if there is a word that (a) is a single word or simple compound, and (b) is used in more of a philosophical/technical/engineering/critical thinking context than a legal one.

Seeking a word with specific connotations of excessive, unashamed hypocrisy

Posted: 17 Jun 2022 07:33 AM PDT

There is a word, which I'm sure exists, but which has eluded me for the best part of a year; it's driven me so mad as to finally buckle and write this question in the hopes of drawing it out to the surface at last.

I'd tentatively define it as follows,

Of a person's action or comment that is so hypocritical as to be unbelievable* that they'd try to take such a position. *(The word itself could be used here to describe the unbelievably hypocritical behaviour)

The idiom, "That's rich (...coming from you)", sums up the sentiment, but if normal hypocritical behavior is rich, then the word I'm looking for is the mud-cake rich version of it.

Examples of situations where the word could be used to describe the (insert word) hypocritical nature,

  1. A dubious politician takes a hard stance against a respected senior public servant for allegedly making misleading comments.
  2. A social media influencer, who gains all their wealth from posting selfies to Instagram, has a go at society for its modern revelry in vanity.
  3. A wealthy individual, who pays substantial sums to accountants to maximise what benefits they receive from government initiatives, criticises people with disabilities who receive government welfare.
  4. One person, with extremely partisan political views, has a go at another person for their holding of their own extremely partisan political views.

An example sentence referencing an above scenario would be,

Their behaviour was utterly (insert word).

I've searched through various thesauruses without luck (merriam-webster, wordhippo, Macquarie, ect.). Two words that keep blocking my mind's eye are incredulous and egregious; I believe the word in question likely sounds similar to these, therefore. However, these don't fit as it has to relate specifically to the demonstration of excessive hypocrisy which is unpalatably rich.

What do you call someone who doesn't observe details?

Posted: 17 Jun 2022 07:24 AM PDT

My mom is so ... that I had to explain that I was being sarcastic.

Is there an adjective for "opportunistic" that lacks its connotation of amorality?

Posted: 17 Jun 2022 07:36 AM PDT

A real life example might be that when a flight attendant asks this type of person whether they want pretzels or crackers, they ask if they can have both. If they can't, it's no problem. They just like to probe and see what they can get if they want more than what seems to be available to them. There's an audaciousness about them in that many people wouldn't do that, but this person still has morals and doesn't necessarily lie or steal to get what they want.

These are my opinions, but opportunism ("opportunistic") implies a lack of morals and evokes thoughts of graft. Self-indulgence ("self-indulgent") implies excess, and maybe gluttony. Immoderation ("immoderate") has a similarly "sinful" tone.

Taking another path, the best antonymic phrase I can think of for this concept is abnegation, but it also seems to have a moral connotation (this time positive) of sacrifice and self-denial. An example sentence might say that "one who abnegates denies themselves of things they could otherwise possess, whereas a ____ person seeks to get things they may not have otherwise had if they didn't probe for them."

Is there an adjective for this type of person with a more neutral "feel" and definition? I have tried looking at definitions and synonyms of the words mentioned above (and others) in Merriam-Webster and through Google.

Word that means 'speak comfortingly/reassuringly'?

Posted: 17 Jun 2022 07:20 AM PDT

Is there an English word that means "to speak in a manner intended to comfort or reassure"? For example:

"Oh, honey, what's wrong?" her mother ____ed.

I keep wanting to say it is "croon", but Wiktionary insists that "croon" means "sing", and Thesaurus.com seems to agree based on what it considers acceptable synonyms.

"Cosset" is also in the neighborhood, but doesn't seem to imply speaking. "Console" is even closer, but doesn't really fit asking a question in such manner a la the above example.

(An answer with references that agrees with my intuition and can demonstrate that my sources are wrong is also acceptable.)

Edit: To clarify, an ideal answer would be a word that describes tone, such as "shout", "whisper", "hiss", etc., rather than a word that describes intent such as "placate", "assuage", etc. (the latter of which would otherwise be good answers).

A word for the application of a solution to an altogether different problem

Posted: 17 Jun 2022 07:39 AM PDT

I am looking for a word that describes one or both of the following situations:

  • A researcher presents a new solution to a problem of his/her field of research by applying a strategy or idea used in an unrelated field of research for the first time.
  • The solution to problem A or a derivative is applied to problem B, which is not related, but structurally similar in a way that the solution can be transferred.

Noun or adjective are both acceptible:

The solution was found through X=noun with the research field of Meteorology.

The X=adjective solution was inspired by the research field of Meteorology.

I have considered synergy, interdisciplinary, knowledge transfer and analogy. None of these fits.

One word to describe 'living in the moment'?

Posted: 17 Jun 2022 07:28 AM PDT

Title says it all - I am looking for a single word to describe 'living in the moment' or 'appreciating the now'. Something similar to 'Carpe Diem'.

I've used a thesaurus, but only can find multiple word answers.

A simple sample of how I would like to use it:

"Enjoy your life through _________"

grammar of 'sit perched on'

Posted: 17 Jun 2022 10:03 AM PDT

Is the grammar of 'perch' in the following sentence correct ?

The tower sits perched on a stone structure.

If 'perch' is used as verb in the sentence, should it be as sit perching? Could anyone please kindly help me to figure out sit perched.

The Term for Singing in a Very Sad Way

Posted: 17 Jun 2022 10:52 AM PDT

Imagine a mother who's lost her child recently. She's vocalizing and singing beautiful and tearjerking love songs to herself all the time, because she loves to reminisce about her lovely departed child. Sometimes the rest of the family join her: she sings and they all cry and sigh and stuff. You might say that she has a nice voice, but that's not the point in what she does. There's no intention of amusement or entertainment or showing off. It's all about remembrance and grief and (subconsciously) taking solace.

What is the term for that?

Edit: I want a verb that describes what she does.
I know of such verbs in Persian and in Arabic, but couldn't find a good English equivalent for them.

If the letter J is only 400–500 years old, was there a J sound that preceded the design of the letter?

Posted: 17 Jun 2022 11:19 AM PDT

I understand that the letter "J" is relatively new — perhaps 400–500 years old. But since there has long been important names that begin with J, such as Jesus, Joshua, Justinian, etc., and which predate the introduction of a special letter, does that mean that the "J" sound predated the letter, or were such famous names spelled and pronounced differently?

Does the word "Vaccum" exist?

Posted: 17 Jun 2022 09:01 AM PDT

If yes, does it have the same meaning of vacuum?

Ref:

  • Vacuum (Wikipedia)
  • Vaccum.org (dead link / domain not in use; verified on 28.12.2020).

Both the sites define the same meaning, but the spelling differs.

Some dictionaries also have an entry for vaccum which links to vacuum.

Using a comma before "but"

Posted: 17 Jun 2022 10:56 AM PDT

I was once told by an English professor that a comma should never be used before but in a sentence. For years, I have followed her advice but sometimes I just feel like it just needs to be there. On the other hand, my brain also tells me that the word but is, in a sense, performing the same function as a comma in the sentence.

Does anyone know if there is a rule for this?
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