Saturday, July 16, 2022

Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

“could see someone returned/return to the White House”

Posted: 16 Jul 2022 04:17 AM PDT

Democrats are bracing themselves for heavy losses in mid-term elections in November, which would doom most of the administration's remaining ambitions. A gerontocratic rematch in 2024 could well see Donald Trump returned to the White House—legitimately.
The Economist

I assume the use of past tense here is a passive form, like being returned. However, if the present tense, return, is used. I wouldn't see the difference. So what's the difference?

When do we need to use "to" here?

Posted: 16 Jul 2022 03:20 AM PDT

I would like to know when we use "to" before the second verb (in this case communicate) in the following sentence.

Sir Percy Grigg, a high Treasury official who knew both well, described how "they seemed to understand each other and to communicate without having to exchange more than a few monosyllables."

Is it gramatically correct to drop "to" and present the sentence this way?

Sir Percy Grigg, a high Treasury official who knew both well, described how "they seemed to understand each other and communicate without having to exchange more than a few monosyllables".

What is really meant by this quote from Jordan Belfort? [closed]

Posted: 16 Jul 2022 02:34 AM PDT

I recently came by this quote from Jordan Belfort.

"When you live your life by poor standards, you inflict damage on everyone who crosses your path, especially those you love."

What does it really mean? How the level of standards can inflict damage on the people I love?

Sailed back safe

Posted: 16 Jul 2022 01:06 AM PDT

See this problem:

  1. How about the ship then?

  2. It sailed back _____.

A. safe

B. safely

C. safety

The answer is A. Although it's understandable, I still wondered why B isn't the answer?

What is the appropriate word/phrase/idiom to describe this situation?

Posted: 15 Jul 2022 10:22 PM PDT

I got on the bus and stood beside a white lady. She seemed to be uncomfortable. She was busy securing her belongings and [stood like a coiled centipede] as if she was scared I would snatch away her handbag.

What is the appropriate word/phrase/idiom to describe this situation?

Verb forms in writing [closed]

Posted: 15 Jul 2022 09:14 PM PDT

I was told to add more variations to the verb forms in terms of Aspect, Voice, Participle and Gerunds in my essays. Can someone please explain in detail what each of the four areas mean? I thought one shouldn't be encouraged to use passive voice in essays, so what does it mean by variation in voice then?

What type of word is "preceding" in: "The preceding difference is that the level is higher"?

Posted: 15 Jul 2022 08:23 PM PDT

What type of word is "preceding" in:"The preceding difference is that the level is higher"?

What do you call a learning website that gives you specific instructions and you just have to follow them? Do you call them interactive websites?

Posted: 15 Jul 2022 08:04 PM PDT

I was self-learning excel and I stumbled upon this website https://excelexercises.com/ and this website tells you what to do exactly in each step, so I thought this was a very good approach to learning something. I wanted implement this to other subjects but how do you call these types of website where the website (instructor) gives you a specific task each step, and you just have to follow them for learning something

Relative clause - situational instances

Posted: 15 Jul 2022 08:01 PM PDT

I was taught "which" can be used to refer to a situation or event in the preceding clause, as well as referring directly to the person or thing immediately in front of "which". But how do you tell the difference?

  1. He bought some flowers, which were her favourites. -> Simple enough, here " which" refers to the flowers.

However in the example below,

  1. Many parents had to homeschool their children during the pandemic, which was difficult. -> here the "which" is supposed to be substituting the event of homeschooling, but how can you justify that it won't be confused with "parents" or "pandemic", since pandemic is immediately preceding "which", and parents are the subject of the clause?

Many thanks to the lovelies.

What past participle verb would fit in the blank of:"Why are selfishness and entitlement ________ negative behaviours? [closed]

Posted: 15 Jul 2022 07:57 PM PDT

What past participate would fit in the blank?

What is a word for messed up yet perfect? [closed]

Posted: 15 Jul 2022 07:19 PM PDT

I'm looking for new words to tattoo and I want a word that encapsulates something worn out or not perfect but perfect at the same time, can someone help me out?

Unusual Title for a workshop

Posted: 15 Jul 2022 09:25 PM PDT

I saw this sign above a roller door on an old Garage in Hobart Tasmania. Procrastitorium. What does it mean?

A word to describe a "I didn't want to be in your club anyway!" style strop [duplicate]

Posted: 15 Jul 2022 10:09 PM PDT

It's hard to describe exactly what I mean here.

There's a certain childish attitude where when rejected from something a person will dishonestly go "Well I didn't want to do that anyway!".

Also commonly seen is in the midst of a discussion when one is proven wrong they will simply proclaim "Boring!" and pretend the discussion was never important to them.

I'm pretty sure there's a word for this sort of attitude, or at the least a small 2 or 3 word expression, but it is escaping me what this is. Throwing a strop is the closest that comes to mind for me but I feel that doesn't quite sum up the attitude entirely accurately, being a more general word that would equally apply to a child who gets upset because they aren't allowed any chocolate with no association of pretending they didn't want it anyway.

A word that encompasses both "handwriting" and "typing"

Posted: 15 Jul 2022 04:57 PM PDT

I'm in a discussion about the relative advantages of taking notes by typing or by handwriting. However, in the context of the discussion, both typing and handwriting notes have advantages over only verbalizing the information. So, I'm looking for a word that encompasses both handwriting and typing when referring to those latter advantages so that I can use "writing" to refer solely to the act of handwriting.

For context, here's part of the text from the discussion. Currently, "writing" sometimes refers to both "handwriting" and "typing" and sometimes just to handwriting. I've included notes in []

When you write [ed: handwrite and type], you're bringing multiple brain processes to bear on your task. You're using muscle memory in forming the words, other memories to spell them correctly. Or even just to shape the letters correctly [applies only to handwriting]. You're summarizing information by choosing key words – which keeps your thinking going. When you write [handwrite and type] something down, you also don't have to keep it in active memory

What is the symbol connecting the letters "c" and "t" called, and when did it go out of style?

Posted: 15 Jul 2022 10:25 PM PDT

I have become so used to the long 's' that I read it as quickly as if they were the standard short 's', but it took me awhile to stop seeing them as 'f's. Luckily the "ct" connection thing is not as confusing as the long 's' but it did throw me off for a minute the first time I encountered it. Here's what I am talking about:

Look at the word "conjuncture" or "act".

You can find it in other papers of the day such as: Look at the word "acting"

So, what is that little connecting thing between 'c' and 't' called? For bonus points say when it stopped being used. Thank you.

Meaning of "tapped on the shoulder"

Posted: 16 Jul 2022 02:35 AM PDT

I am a native French speaker and I do work as a translator in the legal field, and literature (mainly fantasy).

I need an explanation for 'tapped on the shoulder':

As for full-time appointments, the frank stories indicated how small the old-boy network had been. All but one of the senior judges and some veteran district and circuit judges had been tapped on the shoulder for their full-time job.

From my point of view, it means that they have been recommended by some people, like when you apply for a job along with several others, but it's already attributed to someone else (like the son of a director, etc.).

I might be wrong. Would you mind explaining this idiom?

What type of adjunct is ‘at most’ in a certain example?

Posted: 15 Jul 2022 05:57 PM PDT

What type of adjunct is at most in the sentence below? As in, does it indicate degree, manner, time, etc.?

We won't need to take anything with us to the cinema on Friday – at most all we will need is a few snacks.

Is there an equivalent to a 'quarter' for twelfths?

Posted: 15 Jul 2022 08:05 PM PDT

I've heard of quintants, septants, octants, and quandrants, but I can't find a word for a sector of a twelfths. Any ideas?

Slang or scientific term for "mental food"?

Posted: 15 Jul 2022 10:02 PM PDT

By saying "mental food" I mean something that you enjoy digesting mentally, like watching a football game or reading a comic book. (It is in contrast to "physical food" which you physically eating the food). For example:

Asian U23 football championship is the "____________" for Vietnamese people.

Car Interior synonym?

Posted: 15 Jul 2022 09:02 PM PDT

Is there a synonym for a car's interior? E.g. 'cockpit', 'cabin', etc. "He sat quietly in the _____ and waited."

What is the term for the incorrect use of a similar sounding word when writing?

Posted: 15 Jul 2022 05:51 PM PDT

What is the term when, in writing, a word is incorrectly replaced by a similar sounding word?

I think this occurs more commonly with popular phrases where the writer has only heard the word being used in speech, and hasn't seen it in text.

Some examples:

  • Things took a turn for the worst - where it should be worse
  • These events are unpresidented - where it should be unprecedented

I think this is a different issue than misspelling, because the writer is unaware of the proper use of the word they have written, even if they have spelled it correctly.

The most relevant term I have seen is misword, but according to the Merriam-Webster, it is for a word that is "wrongly spoken" not written.

EDIT: This also includes words that are similar sounding, but not homophones.

EDIT2: Using the wrong word when writing, not in conversation

Phrase for "able to concentrate for long periods of time"

Posted: 15 Jul 2022 05:08 PM PDT

I am looking for a word or phrase that describes someone who is able to concentrate and work for long periods of time without taking a break. An example would be a computer programmer who can sit in front of the computer and write code for hours without getting distracted or needing to take a break.

Edited to clarify:
I am looking for a word/phrase that describes the positive attribute of someone who is able to do this (along the lines of "diligent" or "assiduous"), not a phrase that describes someone who is actually doing it.

Example: "John is responsible, diligent, and ___. "

How is the predicate of the verb 'to diagnose' formed?

Posted: 15 Jul 2022 04:25 PM PDT

So often nowadays one hears people say He was diagnosed with walliballi disease.

Is this grammatically correct? What does a doctor diagnose? My own instinct, supported by the OED is that a doctor diagnoses an illness, or a medical condition - he/she does not diagnose a person.

The OED definition* of the verb, with examples is:

a. trans. To make a diagnosis of (a disease), to distinguish and determine its nature from its symptoms; to recognize and identify by careful observation.

1861 A. Wynter Our Social Bees 339, I was enabled to diagnose the complaint at once.

1877 F. T. Roberts Handbk. Med. (ed. 3) I. 231 Articular rheumatism has also to be diagnosed from the other forms.

1887 Homeop. World 1 Nov. 497, I diagnosed chronic jaundice.

So can it be correct to say He was diagnosed with...?

Would it not be more correct to say:

He was found by diagnosis to have.....

Or what would be an alternative way of saying the same thing?

*It would be less than honest not to include the caveat in the most recent edition of OED: 'This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1895)' (Contributed by Edwin Ashworth)

Had the OP been aware of such caveat he would naturally have included it. It does not appear in the current online edition. And whilst on the subject of 'honesty', have the editors of this post ever actually seen such a caveat in print? (OP's response).

Pessimism idiom - opposite of rose-tinted glasses?

Posted: 16 Jul 2022 02:32 AM PDT

In Hebrew, we say "pink glasses" to mean optimistic observation, and "black glasses" for pessimism. I was trying to figure out how popular the literal translations are in English. I found "rose-tinted glasses" as a popular equivalent to express optimism. But is there an analogous expression for pessimism?

Googling "looking through black glasses" made it seem not to be a popular phrase. Is this in fact a recognized idiom? Is there a similar, more common one?

Origin of the word "mainframe"?

Posted: 15 Jul 2022 03:58 PM PDT

What might be the origin of the word "mainframe" for describing a type of computer?
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