Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange |
- What is the word to describe something that is desirable in normal quantities but can become dangerous when its scale/caliber increases?
- Is "temporary substitute" redundant?
- What are the comma rules for sentences that list modifying clauses
- Location of "Only" in a Sentence [duplicate]
- Name for using foreign language (especially Latin) to convey a sense of dignity and wisdom
- Is there a word that is specific to a number being divisible specifically by 5?
- What's the name for phrases like "12 o'clock flasher"?
- Is this verb tense correct?: She is gonna teach the extra parts THAT he didn't tell you [migrated]
- Question about ambiguity of possessives
- Onomatopoeia for click sound made with tongue and mouth?
- What's the best way to call someone who delivers small packages at the door?
- Stop being a pu@$y ... divergence from original meaning and current usage?
- Expression/idiom for two ways of doing a similar thing
- Had or has or simple past in this context?
- Expression for a enjoyable moment being taken away before it could be celebrated [duplicate]
- Word search : forcing a deal
- Is it "increase" or "expand" when talking about vocabulary?
- In "He went to bed," what form is "to bed"?
- Alternative term(s) for 'not my family', 'not my kin'?
- What does "he broke into his hands" mean in The House on Mango Street?
- What is the meaning of Terry Pratchett's idiom/pun "coming and going"?
- "He, like her" or "He, like she"
- What is a word for "to create a universe"? Can 'universalize' be used?
- Does the book title "The Art of XYZ" imply doing XYZ is an art, requiring creative skill?
- Word to describe something both difficult and significant
- Is the verb ‘recollect’ used in American English? How is it different from ‘remember’?
- Word or phrase which means purposely playing below your skill level?
- Singular and plural possessive of "species"
- Etymology of "Buff" and "Nerf" as used in video-game slang
| Posted: 13 Jul 2022 09:48 AM PDT What is the word to describe something that is desirable in normal quantities but can become dangerous when its scale/caliber increases? One word pls. |
| Is "temporary substitute" redundant? Posted: 13 Jul 2022 09:51 AM PDT Is "temporary substitute" redundant? For example,
Would "temporary substitute" be redundant in this case? According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of a substitute is
To me that could mean that the person or thing is taking the place of another, but it's still the other's place. But it could mean that the person or thing is replacing the "another" in question. Certainly in conversation when a person says "Mrs. Williams is the substitute teacher" that implies it's temporary. "Replacement" would be the word if it was permanent. |
| What are the comma rules for sentences that list modifying clauses Posted: 13 Jul 2022 08:53 AM PDT Not sure if the title is very precise or correct, but I'll explain what I mean through examples:
With the 1A, 2A and 2B examples, my thinking is that the or when, I will be and I have been segments are adjuncts, and thus should be enclosed with commas. The problem with the 1A and 2A examples however, is that the modifier (can't think of a better term) is separated from what it's modifying by a comma. This seems a bit weird. With the 1C and 2C examples, my thinking was to avoid the Oxford comma, thinking perhaps these examples would perhaps be necessary in a style that doesn't use the Oxford comma. However, I guess it's probably not an Oxford comma if it's being used to segregate an adjunct? If this is the case, then the first comma in 1A isn't really an Oxford comma. In the 2-examples however, things are a bit different. Perhaps the actual adjunct is I have been and I will be. If that's the case, then the second commas in 2A and 2B examples are Oxford commas. So, what's right here? What are the different styles that apply, and what's the reasoning behind those styles' choices? |
| Location of "Only" in a Sentence [duplicate] Posted: 13 Jul 2022 08:33 AM PDT If one were to say that the day of the week on which it rained was Tuesday and no other day, one would say "It rained only on Tuesday". One could argue that "It only rained on Tuesday" would also be acceptable. However it could be argued that "It only rained on Tuesday" implies that the only thing it did on Tuesday was rain. While the first way is definitely clearer, could it be argued that the second way is also correct, albeit open to misinterpretation? |
| Name for using foreign language (especially Latin) to convey a sense of dignity and wisdom Posted: 13 Jul 2022 08:54 AM PDT There is a common figure of speech in English where we would use an epigram in a foreign language, especially Latin or French, to convey a particular sense of dignity or wisdom to the phrase. Some examples that I have recently encountered:
If we were to use the English translation of the phrase it would convey much less power, authority or putative wisdom than the foreign language phrases do. I was wondering if there is a name for this figure of speech, and what the origin of this strange phenomenon is? For you polyglots, is this common practice in other languages too, or a special feature of our mongrel English? |
| Is there a word that is specific to a number being divisible specifically by 5? Posted: 13 Jul 2022 08:39 AM PDT I'm searching for a word that would indicate an attraction to — or consistent use of — numbers that are divisible by "5". Example:
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| What's the name for phrases like "12 o'clock flasher"? Posted: 13 Jul 2022 07:33 AM PDT There's a construct/phrase etc. often used to comic effect that fits this pattern. Annoyingly I can't recall the name of the pattern, nor the pattern itself(!) - was it something like e.g. "They're a 12 o'clock flasher" meaning they're not good with technology, so all their clocks flash 12:00. Maybe "Flappy shuffler" might be one for someone who deals cards? Maybe it was that the adjective had to describe not the actor but the action? It's very frustrating. I believe my child learnt a name for this type of phrase at school, told me, and I've forgotten. Like a Spoonerism is a name for when you swap two sounds to make a new phrase "You always were a shining witt" - Churchill. I'd like to know the name and the pattern. I hope the examples I have given are correct enough to jog someone's memory! And that I won't get slammed by a "downvote-button briuser". Is that one? Sorry. |
| Is this verb tense correct?: She is gonna teach the extra parts THAT he didn't tell you [migrated] Posted: 13 Jul 2022 08:02 AM PDT
I've been googling with this over an hour; Can I start my sentence with verb tense This makes chocking me. Please help me. |
| Question about ambiguity of possessives Posted: 13 Jul 2022 08:05 AM PDT per say X is an attribute or part of the Ys, if I want to say "my X is bigger than all of your Ys combined " how do I make sure they do not misunderstand that I meant "my X is bigger than all of your Ys' combined". for example |
| Onomatopoeia for click sound made with tongue and mouth? Posted: 13 Jul 2022 07:00 AM PDT This question asks what the sound made when clicking one's tongue (sometimes used to express ease or correctness) is called. A slightly different question: is there a specific onomatopoeic expression for this sound (other than the obvious, but more general 'click')? An example is in Fawlty Towers episode The Builders:
Reference:
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| What's the best way to call someone who delivers small packages at the door? Posted: 13 Jul 2022 07:03 AM PDT What term for he/she will sound best? Delivery boy? Delivery person? Delivery men? Deliverer? Courier? Thanks! |
| Stop being a pu@$y ... divergence from original meaning and current usage? Posted: 13 Jul 2022 02:44 AM PDT The Latin word pusillanimous was too long, so it was shortened to "pussy" while holding its original meaning "cowardly" [feel free to edit the question and bring a longer etymological story and/or to clarify it in the answers]. However, it seems that when used in the vulgar language, as in the expression
It's always charged not only with gender-based meaning, but with the underlying sexual meaning ... am I correct? Are there different local usages/understandings? ps: This question has been triggered by the comments related to this answer to a question on another SE site. |
| Expression/idiom for two ways of doing a similar thing Posted: 13 Jul 2022 02:02 AM PDT I want to compare two vastly different ways of doing a similar task (marketing), but I can't seem to remember a good expression or idiom. Here's my sentence so far:
The bolded+italicized bit is the part I'm unsure about. Surely there's a better way to phrase this with an expression or idiom? |
| Had or has or simple past in this context? Posted: 13 Jul 2022 02:24 AM PDT
So there is an authors who has written some books already. And now his new book was going to be introduced to the public. Some think that in his books he has underestimated the role of the organization. Should it be has, had, or simple past? |
| Expression for a enjoyable moment being taken away before it could be celebrated [duplicate] Posted: 13 Jul 2022 01:51 AM PDT For example, being slapped with an unforeseen cost of selling an item making the money earned less enjoyable. An expression for the unexpected cost raining on my parade, or for being too optimistic that I had overlooked those costs. |
| Posted: 13 Jul 2022 02:53 AM PDT Conversation overheard: Her : ........ Thus, you can have X in exchange of Y. Do we have a deal? Him : no ma'am , that doesn't sound fair. I do not wish to walk in it. Her : Life is not fair, get used to it. Notice, that she's trying to force a deal on him, which he does not want, and she is justifying it as "life is unfair". But certainly he does not need to accept additional unfairness. Word search : how would you encompass the entire attempt of trying to force a deal and justify it using overall nature of life? A single word is sought. If that is impossible, a phrase is okay too. Thank you. My attempt : I considered gaslighting, but it is too broad in scope, and does not quite capture the sneaky attempt to hide behind life's unfairness. So it should be noted that I am searching a word to highlight the sneaky attempt to hide behind something unavoidable ( like life's unfairness) and the force additional unfairness on people ( like the seller here trying to enforce her proposition to the buyer who finds it unfair. She thinks because the buyer accepts life in general, he must accept additional ballast like her too) I hope I managed to explain what I am seeking. Thank you. |
| Is it "increase" or "expand" when talking about vocabulary? Posted: 13 Jul 2022 02:09 AM PDT When my son said he doesn't recognise all the words in Wordle I commented that he is thus increasing his vocabulary. He then contended that the correct word should be expanding. Who is correct? What are the most common verbs/collocations for this sense? |
| In "He went to bed," what form is "to bed"? Posted: 12 Jul 2022 11:41 PM PDT Is it a prepositional phrase or an infinitive phrase? In this phrase, we have to preceding a word that could be either a verb in base form or a noun in singular form. Some other examples of this pattern, along with some approximate frequency data as to how the last word is used generally, include:
I think (1) is entirely ambiguous as to whether work is a noun or verb. As a noun, work usually refers to the act of working, but it also connotes a place at which one is employed. In the latter sense, it can serve as a complement to the preposition to. But, depending upon context, the speaker might intend the verb sense of the word. In the case of (1), context makes a difference. As for (2), the data suggests that school could be regarded as one of those singular nouns that can occur without a determiner and so is acting as a noun complement to the preposition to. Yet, why not interpret school as an intransitive verb having the sense: to educate in an institution of learning? An example of that usage is, "The child was schooled at great cost to her family." In that light, it seems natural to read to school as an infinitive phrase. In the case of (2), context seems to make no difference. In (3), I think run must be a verb. I don't perceive any noun sense for the word that could be used without a determiner. Like school, bed is used as a noun about 99% of the time, it has an intransitive verb sense, and context seems to be of no help in establishing the function of the word. Perhaps the answer is that the absence of determiners conclusively indicates that to bed is an infinitive phrase. I'm really not sure. |
| Alternative term(s) for 'not my family', 'not my kin'? Posted: 13 Jul 2022 08:22 AM PDT I am looking for a term that describes not-family, or not kin. Other than not-family and not-kin. |
| What does "he broke into his hands" mean in The House on Mango Street? Posted: 13 Jul 2022 09:03 AM PDT In The House On Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, the chapter "What Sally Said" ends with the following:
I understand the implication is that Sally's father hit her with a belt, but what does "he broke into his hands" mean? |
| What is the meaning of Terry Pratchett's idiom/pun "coming and going"? Posted: 13 Jul 2022 10:14 AM PDT I have encountered a pun in a novel by Terry Pratchett that I cannot wrap my head around. I'm not a native English speaker, and any assistance with this would be highly appreciated. The pun seems to have nothing to do with the story and everything to do with the English language, which is why I'm asking here. To give context for the pun, I have to give a light spoiler for Jingo, directly, and Men at Arms, indirectly, from the Discworld series of novels, so skip this post if you're planning on reading either novels. At one early point in Jingo, two main characters, Carrot and Angua, visit a room rented by a landlady. The landlady mentions that no pets or women are allowed on the premises. While alone in the room, the below exchange takes place between Carrot, a human male, and Angua, a female werewolf:
I can tell from context that "coming and going" is some kind of pun, and possibly a lewd one, but I cannot figure out what the word play is based on. Is it an existing English phrase that's being reused with a different meaning, because of Angua being a werewolf? |
| "He, like her" or "He, like she" Posted: 13 Jul 2022 09:58 AM PDT I came across the following sentence in a book I am reading:
Should it be 'she' instead of 'her', since both 'he' and 'she' are performing the action (dying)? But "He, like she..." sounds strange to my ear. |
| What is a word for "to create a universe"? Can 'universalize' be used? Posted: 13 Jul 2022 02:41 AM PDT Per Lexico, universalize means:
Can this definition include the sense "to create a universe" within a context? Per Wiktionary, universal also means:
In many other credible dictionaries, universalize refers to a more succinct definition: "to generalize, to make available universally". For example:
When I did a Google search for Possible example sentence:
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| Does the book title "The Art of XYZ" imply doing XYZ is an art, requiring creative skill? Posted: 13 Jul 2022 06:31 AM PDT I am Chinese, when I read a book with the title "The Art of XYZ" I always assume doing XYZ is an art, requiring creative skills. A good example is The Art of War But the more I read the books with that title format, the more I doubt about it. For example after I read a book called "The Art of Project Management" I think what the author talks about is not art at all, just common sense. It doesn't require highly skilled professional to do what the author talked. Or this book "The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters" ? Why does gathering deserve a title called "The Art of Gathering" ? So I was wondering does the title really imply an art, an creative skill, having such connotation or it is just a way to prompt the book BTW I know this series "The Art of ..." but my question is not about them. |
| Word to describe something both difficult and significant Posted: 13 Jul 2022 09:09 AM PDT I want to describe one thing that has the meaning of both difficult and significant. Surely these two words can be used at the same time (a little bit verbose...maybe), however, if only one single word is allowed to be used here, which word can I try? Example:
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| Is the verb ‘recollect’ used in American English? How is it different from ‘remember’? Posted: 12 Jul 2022 11:13 PM PDT I (American English) am a plaintiff in a lawsuit taking place in Malta (UK English) that involves some British people as well as some Americans. When cross-examining a British person, many of his replies were:
I assumed that he meant I do not remember. To my ears, it sounds like it's linked to memory collection, etc. But I found the expression rather odd, and I've never heard it before.
Can anyone shine a light on the use of that verb? |
| Word or phrase which means purposely playing below your skill level? Posted: 13 Jul 2022 01:58 AM PDT I am looking for an idiom or expression which can be used to describe the action of someone deliberately playing below their skill level. For example, a pool or billiards expert missing a few shots on purpose. There are 2 situations where I am looking to use this expression, so, for any potential answer, I would like to know if it fits one or both of those meanings: 1. Negative ConnotationThe player is playing below his/her skill level because they are trying to deceive (for example, getting their opponent to feel overconfident and bet money on the next game). Example usage:
2. Positive ConnotationThe player is playing below his/her skill level because they want their opponent to have fun and not feel bad about losing by a heavy margin. Example usage:
What I considered
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| Singular and plural possessive of "species" Posted: 13 Jul 2022 12:42 AM PDT I need to construct a sentence, in which I'm referring to a feature of each of the animals in a given species. I don't quite know what the possessive of species should be, both in singular and plural. Example: (Talking about a single species with fuzzy ears.) The species' ears are notably fuzzy. Is the above correct? What if I had to mention multiple species all having fuzzy ears? |
| Etymology of "Buff" and "Nerf" as used in video-game slang Posted: 13 Jul 2022 09:55 AM PDT In video games, when the makers increase the power of something, it is sometimes referred to as a buff. If they decrease the power of something, it is called a nerf or a de-buff. This also applies to player abilities to temporarily increase or decrease their power. Where do these terms come from? |
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