Newest Questions
133,029 questions
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Are the words "leech" and "leach" related?
A "leech" is a blood sucking worm. We often use the word figuratively as in something or someone that derives advantage parasitically, for example a "leech on society" is someone ...
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2
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65
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What's the meaning of "by nothing"? [closed]
I found a sentence:
I meant '\keys_set:nn'. By 'nothing', I mean 'nothing the latex people would approve'.
I'm not very clear the meaning of "by nothing", please help explain.
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1
answer
62
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Answering "Is the squeeze worth the juice?" [closed]
I need to make a proposal to management. Their thinking often ends in "Is the squeeze worth the juice?", conveying an underlying requirement for a positive return on investment.
I'm not a ...
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1
answer
39
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although I say it
What does the bolded phrase mean from the book The Lady's Maid by Rosina Harrison?
The staff at the Tuftons’ was one of the happiest I ever knew or saw, and when we all went up to Appleby Castle we ...
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3
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1
answer
289
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What does the author indicate to by writing "Listen to the NEVER HAVES" in poem
"Listen to the MUSTN'TS, child,
Listen to the DON'TS.
Listen to the SHOULDN'TS
The IMPOSSIBLES,
the WONTS.
Listen to the NEVER HAVES,
Then listen close to me...
Anything can happen, child.
...
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1
answer
76
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Questions about the verbs brief and debrief [closed]
According to dictionaries, brief means: to inform someone before an event:
brief [verb]:
instruct or inform (someone) thoroughly, especially in preparation for a task.
[Oxford Dictionaries, courtesy ...
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3
votes
4
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385
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A term for the incapability of letting go of an idea until one has fully explored it
Is there a word or phrase that describes the following condition?
Once you have an idea, you are incapable of letting go of it until you have explored it fully, that is, explored every conceivable ...
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40
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Is there anything wrong with this sentence? Especially with "debrief", "brief", and "two-street"? [closed]
If you're not a native English speaker, do not answer please.
At a press conference after a major summit, politicians and journalists find themselves in a two-way street where politicians brief ...
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10
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988
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Proverb for when one is already in a hurry but the condition wastes even more time
I am looking for a proverb (short adage) for when one is already in a hurry but the situation makes the person wait even more.
Today I was in a hurry. I had to reach home at 2 o'clock but the driver ...
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vote
1
answer
158
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Is there a minimal set of words distinguishing all (or at least more than ten) vowel sounds in American English?
For example, this set distinguishes ten vowels (for those without the cot/caught merger; nine otherwise).
sit / seat / soot / suit / set / sate / sat / sot / sought / sight
But there are still a few ...
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1
answer
894
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Why is the verb "to sic" conjugated with a double c rather than the more typical ck?
When appending a suffix beginning with a vowel (-ed, -ing, -y, etc.) to a word ending in -ic, one typically appends a k first. We see this in words like panicking, picnicked, and garlicky. (Presumably,...
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1
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75
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Why use past future tense in this sentence "in middle age Nelson would die in battle with honour" [duplicate]
In 2005, during a year of celebrations to commemorate the bicentenary
of the death of Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, there were also a small
number of low-key events to mark the bicentenary of the birth ...
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4
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389
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A word describing a disease that was a pandemic in past but no longer exists today [duplicate]
Rinderpest and smallpox were devastating diseases that caused widespread mortality for centuries but have been completely removed through extensive global vaccination campaigns, rigorous surveillance, ...
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1
answer
291
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What does the sentence mean here? I understand each sentence but can't find the logic behind this one in connection with all the others in the passage
A few days ago, I posted a question about a passage from the book The Lady's Maid by Rosina Harrison. Since I'm translating it, there will be more questions to follow, so please bear with me!
Okay. So ...
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Is "he was as straight as a circle" a metaphor? [duplicate]
I am confused of whether the sentence "he was as straight as a circle" is a metaphor or a simile. I have asked multiple people but have found no answer.
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What does it mean to “toss balls”?
A notorious incident in Bentley family history is when William, the first Bentley in America, murdered his neighbor Thomas Godby on February 9th, 1628.
The incident was detailed at trial. A witness ...
3
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2
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442
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I believe [person] [thing]
I'm a German native speaker.
In German, you can say:
I believe him (the source) his story (the material).
I don't believe her (source) anything (material).
Using direct and indirect objects.
Now, ...
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votes
1
answer
68
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set or setting the standard [for something]
It would seem there are some who think that the phrase "setting the standard" used as a title on its own in some context involving industrial production and people (though it needn't only be ...
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vote
1
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62
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Is it possible to read "or" as "and" in this case?
I race sailboats and our rules can be a bit arcane. We file protests when we see a rules infraction. Following is a rule that defines a case when the protest is invalid. I want to know if there are ...
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Best instructions on handling commas [closed]
How to best know when you need to insert a comma. I always have issues understanding when to add a comma.
Thank you.
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2
answers
1k
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What does sectarian mean/imply in this passage?
Nobody could accuse my mum and dad of being sectarian because as soon as lunch was over and cleared up, we children were sent to the Wesleyan chapel for Sunday School. I questioned Mum about the ...
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2
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303
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Are there "eigen-Englishes"? Did the Great Vowel Shift happen because of a small spectral gap?
This may be a really dumb question that I don't know how to properly formalize, but I've wondered if languages and dialects - which go through various stages of change - could have distinct and ...
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1k
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Unexpected "would" that doesn't feel right in this context
From 'All Creatures, Great and Small' by James Herriot:
“They [pigs] belted out through the yard door at full gallop.”
“The yard door was open then?”
“Too true it was. I would just choose this one ...
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General practice / general medical practice / practice in general medicine
I need to understand the slight or not so slight differences between the three terms practice in general medicine, and general medical practice, and general practice so that I can choose the one that ...
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practice/internship/practical training/on-the-job training/academic training/placement
Which collocation or word is usually used in universities/colleges (especially medical ones) to refer to the kind of classes where:
students stay at their university/college to work on their ...
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10
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Bivouacs made by the homeless
I am just marking a private student's writing where he says
Reports of nightly anti-social behaviour, vandalism, and unregulated bivouacs under the porticoes create a hostile environment.
I had to ...
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vote
1
answer
68
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Is "Save this date" correct? [closed]
We are launching an e-commerce site in December, and will send a physical card to some influencers. I would like to write "Save this date" instead of "Save the date" to give more ...
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5
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What term describes a person who always remains ill?
What term describes a person who mostly/always remains ill due multiple factors, such as being surrounded by multiple diseases or due to an incurable chronic disease?
Can I simply call that person as ...
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3
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131
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The meaning and cultural context of "popped his membrane" in GTA San Andreas dialogue
I encountered an unusual expression while playing Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. During this dialogue exchange, The characters say:
– Hey, Old Reece still run the barber shop?
– Like a ragged-assed ...
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Why do "economic" and "economical" coexist with distinct meanings, while "dramatical" has largely disappeared? [duplicate]
I am trying to understand the logic behind English adjectives ending in -ic versus -ical.
There seems to be a category of words where both forms exist and are accepted, but they have evolved to mean ...
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2
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212
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Is there some logic to The Economist's spacing in "8m" and "8 bn"?
What's up with the space before bn (billion), but not before m (million), as seen repeatedly in The Economist's style guide (12th ed., p. 51)? This seems inconsistent, but also intentional. Is there ...
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171
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I need ideas for a child to call her biological donator that is not in her life [duplicate]
My daughter is now getting older and asking questions about her origins including why her biological father is not present. I have been flip flopping on what to call him that is elementary school age ...
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35
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Comma between two clauses after where [closed]
Which one is correct?
Let (A,B), where A is so-and-so and B is so-and-so.
or
Let (A,B), where A is so-and-so, and B is so-and-so.
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2
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127
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Use of semicolon followed by conjunction: standard English punctuation?
I recognize my query nearly duplicates this question from 9 years back, but since usage evolves apace and because the below hurts my ear while my supervisor insists the sentence sounds as sweet as ...
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123
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Looking for a word like "fey" in the sense of otherworldly that can be used as a noun, without referencing specific mythological creatures
The title is the short version. More details below.
I'm writing a fantasy story, and I've got characters with culture clash. One is trying to describe a non-human centric view of power progressions, ...
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124
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Is there a term like “onomatopoeia” but for movement?
There is a train signaling thingy called a “wig wag.”
“Wig wag” does not represent the sound the device makes, so I wouldn’t consider it an onomatopoeia. However, the name is clearly inspired by the ...
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0
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798
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What's the point of "I shan’t try to hit two balls" joke? [migrated]
I am reading Ethel Lina White’s novel Fear Stalks the Village, written in 1930s, and came across this passage:
In spite of her short sight, the novelist was the best tennis player
in the ...
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0
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Need help with “who/whom” question [migrated]
_______ is the lady Jim was talking to?
a.) Who
b.) Whom
Hi all, may I know what is the answer to the above question? From my understanding of grammar rules, Jim is the subject and the lady is the ...
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5
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Proper antonym of "body shaming"
"Body shaming" is being used since 1990s to refer to: the act of criticizing or humiliating someone based on their body shape, size, or physical appearance, which can be directed at another ...
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Is "don't" an auxiliary verb?
I remembered my teacher told me that "don't" is an auxiliary verbs. But today I jave just learnt that only "do" in "don't" is an auxiliary verb and "don't" is ...
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Past Simple vs Past Progressive [migrated]
I am sorry for asking such a simple grammar question, which caused some confusion among teachers at my school.
Is it natural for a native speaker to use the "past progressive" in the ...
- 1,474
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3
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How do you parse the clause inside this sentence?
I recently read an article titled “The myth of the eight-hour sleep” by BBC Learning English, which itself is an adaptation of another BBC article of the same title. And I am perplexed by the clause (...
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105
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Why are most English learning resources are written in or focused on British English? [closed]
For example, have a look at popular or big modern grammar books:
(Advanced) English Grammar in Use - British
Practical English Usage - British
Cambridge Grammar of English: A Comprehensive Guide - ...
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143
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Is there a specific term that describes a person's inability to determine another person's age?
I have never been able to determine a person's age. Aside from knowing they're a child, adult, or a mature adult (grey hair, wrinkles), I cannot determine an actual age. A 19-year old can look 40 to ...
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2
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Etymology of “snooty"
I have not found a satisfactory origin for the word snooty (proud, disdainful of others) in Modern English. I wonder if there is any evidence that could be considered for an origin in the Old English ...
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How to say I’m a homebody, not a social butterfly [closed]
What’s a way I can say I’m not into public places with large crowds and I don't socialize with a lot of people?
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'Adjective + of noun' vs 'adjective + to-infinitive'
Easy/difficult... of accomplishment / to accomplish
Cannot find much info about this change of trend in current English. It seems to apply only to certain noun-verb pairs (compare easy... *of failure /...
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What is the name for sayings that have come to mean the opposite of what they were originally?
There are a few colloquial sayings that have come to mean the opposite of their original intent perhaps due to being used out of context. For example:
"Pull yourself up by the bootstraps":
...
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2
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598
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a tree five feet around — Do you think "around" is an adverb or an adjective here?
There isn't a general consensus among dictionaries whether "around" is an adverb or an adjective when it's used for showing a measurement of something in circumference.
So I'm interested to ...
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In APA style, is “i.e.” always needed to express “that is” in a parenthetical material, or can it be omitted sometimes?
It can be unclear when “i.e.” needs to be used in parenthetical material in an APA style paper and when it can be left out. For example, does the parenthetical material in the examples below require “...
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