texts: On the meaning of 'give an inch on him' in this context

texts:
This text was excerpted from this newspaper article (fifteenth paragraph)

  “They don’t want to get bludgeoned,” a person who served in Congress told me. “Their mind is looking for a rationale for not having to do it.” In addition, this person added, Mr. Trump has “conditioned people in the base so much so that it’s just ‘us versus them’ and that if you give an inch on him, you’re just giving the other side what they want. You’ve made yourself a ‘useful idiot.’”

The parts of the paragraph that are between quotes are answers given by a Republican who explains why many Republicans are still supporting Trump.

Does the sentence in bold mean if a Republican chooses to neutrally distance himself from Trump to some extent, or if a Republican chooses to slightly criticizes Trump?


texts: Informal way of saying some time expressions

texts:
I was wondering what the informal equivalent for the following expressions are:

A matter of time

  It is a matter of time, before somebody find it

As time goes by

  As time goes by, he found that his colleague is dishonest.

In other words, How can I use these phrases in my conversation?


texts: "The scientists are required." vs. "The publishers are required."

texts:
Science : A new mandate highlights costs, benefits of making all scientific articles free to read
In 2018, a group of mostly European funders sent shock waves through the world of scientific publishing by proposing an unprecedented rule: The scientists they funded would be required to make journal articles developed with their support immediately free to read when published.
The new requirement, which takes effect starting this month, seeks to upend decades of tradition in scientific publishing, whereby scientists publish their research in journals for free and publishers make money by charging universities and other institutions for subscriptions.

This is what the sentence sounds like:
The scientists (who are funded by the funders) have the control on the articles they publish. So, they can decide whether it is free to read the articles. And therefore they have to make their articles free.
But the reality is:
The scientists themselves should pay to read their own articles published by the publishers. That is, only the publishers can decide whether it is free to read. Therefore it is the publishers who have to make the articles free.
In that case, the sentence should have been:

"The publishers are required to make the articles written by the scientists who are funded by the funders immediately free to read."

The question of this thread is:
Has the author correctly used the subject?
(A question of "the scientists are required" vs. "the publishers are required")


texts: What is total cost on renting room for vacation?

texts:
I am read about a room for vacation but I am not understand here:

"Additional fees are not calculated automatically in the total cost and will have to be paid for separately during your stay."

Why it say "additional cost not calculated" but it says it is "total cost"? It's wrong?

I think total cost mean everything. ?

http://www.booking.com/hotel/us/town-house-motel.en-us.html?aid=398636;sid=f1b9ae011ed2984c4da2efb0294ed1c7;dcid=4;src=clp;openedLpRecProp=1


texts:
Can the “ that”  be used with all verbs as is the case with sentence below. I mean Is the structure in sentence below genaral grammar rule ?

  It affected my life that she left me without saying goodbye.


texts:
The non native speaker does not want to fall into the trap of using a foreign strange word.

Does the word trap in the above sentence make sense in context?


texts: Does "heavy ... but restorative" describe a food which is healthy but not for weak people?

texts:
Would you like to eat breakfast?
No, last night I eate a lot. I ate spinach as dinner. It was heavy but it is generally a restorative dish; not for those who are in restoration but for an ordinary, normal man like me.

I am pretty sure the choicee of the word heavy is correct here. But my concern has to do with the word restorative . We usually refer to a medicine or tonic that rebalances you as a restorative. What word should we use instead of it when talking about a good and healty food that is restorative but not for weak people? I mean spinach can give you additional strengh as a normal person. Thanks in advance.


texts:
Sometime it is difficult to live a honest life.

Should sometime be changed to sometimes and should there be a comma after it?


texts:
What kind of grammatical structure is "give it a listen"? We hear and use these kind of grammatical structures a lot in which a verb is preceded by an article. I have heard that verb cannot precede an article.
This structure is: Verb + subject + article + verb.
Examples:

Give it a go
Give it a listen
Give it a read etc

All these are the examples of the structure I described


texts: That was a mistake what made him famous/ what have made him famous..wich one i should use?

texts: We have to write an interview from english and I'm not sure wich one should I use?..or if it's there even a differences between them?


texts:
Are these expressions common and appropriate?

I have to fix my cold.
This medicine can fix your hay fever.


texts: Can I be "clueless of" instead of "clueless about" something?

texts:
The following sentence is correct (see Oxford dictionary):

  I'm clueless about something

But can you also say:

  I'm clueless of something

?


texts: 'I'm dressed warmly' or 'I'm dressed warm'?

texts: There are some controversies about the word usage in this context. So, which example is grammatically correct: "I'm dressed warmly" or "I'm dressed warm"?


texts: “survive in a one-on-one battle with one another” or “survive a one-on-one battle with one another”？

texts:
I read this sentence in my son's composition (about reading his favorite novel),

  I always try to figure out which character can survive in a one-on-one battle with one another.

I can't tell what's wrong but just feel something incorrect somewhere. And I am not sure if “in” is needed in this sentence.

Can you help me?


texts:
There is a sentence from GoT: I'm to go north to the Wall. Are there any differences between the sentences:

  I am to go north

  I have to go north

?


texts: "Assume you are given ..." or "Assume that you are given ..."?

texts:
I have often read people using sentences like...

  Assume you are given a ball.

in place of

  Assume that you are given a ball.

While both sound correct while speaking, the first sentence does not sound quite right while writing. Is it correct to use the first sentence in writing?


texts: Difference between "display" and "screen"

texts:
What would we call the device that is used to deliver the computer's image on the bigger electronic screen (like a PC monitor)? It is about the actual device that provides a visual output of every other device connected to it.

So literally it is an external monitor that commonly called a monitor, a TV, a screen or a display.

I believe that the word monitor stands for the part of the computer equipment that is connected to it with wires.
The word TV stands for the device that is used only for telecasting receiving.
A display is the part of a device that has a function of displaying the image. While a screen is the glass part of the display.

So what is the proper word for such a device?


texts:
I know that we can say go grocery shopping, go clothes shopping when you want to buy groceries and clothes.

Can I say I am gonna go Amazon shopping when I want to buy stuff on Amazon?

(I'm not buying Amazon.)


texts: To get so rich that you are not in need of anymore money

texts:
I wonder if there is an informal idiom to say that someone made so much money that became needless of any more money and retired themselves (meaning that from then on they work only for fun / pleasure and not for the sake of earning money)?

Example:

  He is really a clever guy. He entered to this market just three years ago; just focused on his job and payed no attention to anything else. As a sociable person he managed to connect to the market's most influential people and the big shots in his own field and after awhile he ................. selling silk carpets and retired by the time he was 40.

I used to think that, "make a pile" is the only possible term here, but Cambridge Dictionary says that it means just: "to earn a large amount of money", which has no hint to getting needless of money (becoming very wealthy so that you don't need to try too much to earn any more money).

I wonder if there is any better idiom encompassing all the explained information?


texts: Is there any saying about "learning by messing up things"?

texts:
We Spanish-speakers have a saying that we learn or gain experience when we mess up things: "echando a perder se aprende", that can be translated literally as: "you learn by messing up things".
For example, I disarm my fan just for curiosity and by taking one specific piece it doesn't work anymore; then I have new knowledge about fans: they need that piece to work correctly.
It's kinda like "learn from our mistakes", but on cases that the mistakes were kinda intentional or expected because we tried to do something we didn't have knowledge about.
Do you have any existing recurrent phrases or saying for that?


texts:
I've always used 'had been' in conditionals but today I was talking with a friend online and before logging in I practiced speaking English with myself for 30 minutes. So I said:
"I had been practicing for 30 minutes before coming here."

1) Was my sentence correct given the context?

2) Could I have also said:
"I practiced for 30 minutes before coming here."


texts:
Which is correct? For example:

  That can have long-run benefits.

or

  That can have long run benefits.


texts: Speeds and feeds -- what does that mean?

texts:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ16Njh-5JE&index=43&list=PLaPygi1zEFDol1N_YbwvZirr075k6SLQ4

  In this module, we've been discussing Ethernet. We began by talking about the history of Ethernet. Remember? It was developed by Xerox back in 1972 and it's come a long way since then. We talked about some of the different speeds and feeds. Some of the different media that we might use to transmit Ethernet.

Alright, he did talk about different data speed options offered by Ethernet technology during the module, but I'm at a complete loss as to what he means by feeds. Is this some sort of expression he's using?


texts:
What does pants-dropping mean?

Examples:

  A pants-droppingly good film.

Webpage about The Hobbit

  About the orphan kid who goes on to become pantsdroppingly wealthy.

Outlaw: Google Books Result


texts:
Do we have any difference in the meanings of the following sentences:

    Kathy got infatuated towards Brad because she was highly impressed by the personalities of the characters essayed by him.

    Kathy got infatuated towards Brad because she was highly impressed by the personalities of the characters played by him.

I checked the meanings of both of these words at Oxford dictionary.

    play VERB with object Represent (a character) in a theatrical performance or a film.

    essay VERB Attempt or try.

So, from these meanings it appears that using the word "play" is more appropriate in this case.


texts:
Is it acceptable to say “John earned a medal of Bravery through his actions”?

It would makes sense to prefer ‘because of’ instead of ‘through’ but is this acceptable or simply poor grammar?


texts:
My friend answered me with this sentence:
If you want. It's your call.

What does "It's your call" mean?


texts: When not to use 'because' in a sentence?

texts:
The reason why he was rejected was because he was too young.

The above sentence is improved by replacing that in place of because.  My query is why because is not the correct form here?


texts:
Does placing a possesive pronoun in front of a common noun create a proper noun?
For instance:

At night, the city's illumination blocks the night-time stars.

At night, our city's illumination blocks the night-time stars.

In example 2, has our created a proper noun?


texts: Can I say "It's based on .Net Framework 2.0 for more versatility"

texts:
I am asking about this phrase:

  "It's based on .Net Framework 2.0 for more versatility”

I’m not sure which one is the best way to say something like this, and also I'm not sure this community is related to this topic or not. Maybe some computer programming knowledge is required to understand what I looking for.

First issue is that I don't know can I say "based on .Net framework 2" or I have to say "is targeted on .Net framework 2"

Second one is about "Versatility". I didn't use this word before, is it correct in this sentence? should I use "more" before it?


texts:
I was reading an article and there was a sentence;

  It is therefore gratifying that the Madras High Court has broken the mould to set aside the perverse acquittal of all those involved in the attack on the Madurai office of Dinakaran, a Tamil daily, in 2007 and sentenced nine of them to life.

 I think Madurai office of Dinakaran is used to say the office of Dinakaran that is situated in madurai, but to me its usage looks very awkward. If its usage is correct it would be fine to write The india office of google, The india office of facebook

Thanks in advance..............


texts: Meaning of 'give some point' and 'protracted description'

texts:
Here is the sentence that I don't know the meaning exactly.
I know the meaning of 'give point', which means like 'accent' and
I know the meaning of both 'protracted' and 'description' but I can't translate
both together.

It does not seem an unreasonable expectation that something will follow which will give some point to this rather protracted description of Simon Lee.


texts: Inversion of a negative sentence including there

texts:
Sometimes inversion seems really complicated. Suppose the following sentence:

If there had not been modern communication platforms across the globe,
there could have not been any scientific progress.

What could be the inverted form? Is the following correct?

had not modern communication platforms been across the globe, there
could have not been any scientific progress

Does it make sense to use inversion in this case?


texts: Are 'bud' and 'butt' pronounced identically in American English accent?

texts: Just for clarification, I'm more uncertain of the way the vowel after /b/ is pronounced in the two words and if it's the same in both words, rather than the ending consonant(s), although I would appreciate it if you also let me know for sure if the last consonant in 'butt' is a silent T? (ie the kind of /t/'s you almost don't pronounce in American accent).


texts: why for the same duration past perfect and past simple

texts:
period the Sex pistols were active there had always been an intention to produce a film based around the band. It was always part of McLaren's master plan that the Pistols were more than merely a band

why not had been as it is the same duration as the intention of producing a film .First was the intention of producing a film then became the idea for McLaren that the sex pistols should  be more than a band, I think that it
did not work like that : first was for McLaren the idea that the Pistols should be more than a group and to achieve this goal to produce a film with them .

I don't understand the meaning of this past simple


texts: "the data that were observed." When to use plural verbs and pronouns with mass nouns?

texts:
I was bumping into the word them used together with mass nouns in some translations from Chinese, but according to this ELL post, we don't use plurals with mass nouns.

And now I encounter the 10k medium article which has the same behavior, and I am seriously concerned that I miss something.

  Maximum likelihood estimation is a method that determines values for the parameters of a model. The parameter values are found such that they maximize the likelihood that the process described by the model produced the data that were actually observed.

Perhaps the author wanted to say something like data points that were observed? Otherwise I don't understand where it is appropriate to use plural verbs and pronouns with mass/uncountable nouns and where not.


texts: Direct answer to an indirect question in the past

texts:
Taking the indirect question:

He asked, if she was there.

What would be the direct answer when switching from reported to direct speech in a text?

Tim responded:
"Yes, she is."

or

"Yes, she was."

(In direct speech, it would be "Is she there?" "Yes, she is")


texts: What 'objective' means in following sentence?

texts:
"Dhrisrashtra is the very image of ignorance; and Sanjaya is the embodiment of self-restraint. Ignorance lurks at the core of the objective, the outward-looking", mind. With his mind enveloped in darkness, Dhrisrashtra is blind since birth, but he sees and hears through Sanjay, the epitome of self-control."

I checked the Merriam Webster dictionary, but I can't figure out which definition of objective best fits here.

Does objective in this context means: Unbiased?


texts:
Would a native English speake ever say or ask the following?

  I have passed my all exams well.

  Did you pass your exams well?

What I mean by pass exams well is pass exams successfully.


texts: “Would have never had” vs “would not have”

texts:
(Excerpt from Steve Jobs' commencement speech)

  "If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts..."

What is the difference between would have never had and would not have? Because if I were to construct a sentence, I would probably use "would not have" – due to what I am only familiar with.


texts: Why "if so be's" rather than "if so be"?

texts:
"Well, of all things that ever were or will be!" ejaculated Mrs. Rachel when she was safely out in the lane. "It does really seem as if I must be dreaming. Well, I'm sorry for that poor young one and no mistake. Matthew and Marilla don't know anything about children and they'll expect him to be wiser and steadier than his own grandfather, if so be’s he ever had a grandfather, which is doubtful. It seems uncanny to think of a child at Green Gables somehow; there's never been one there, for Matthew and Marilla were grown up when the new house was built—if they ever were children, which is hard to believe when one looks at them. I wouldn't be in that orphan's shoes for anything. My, but I pity him, that's what."
-- L. M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

If there were if so be he ever had a grandfather, I wouldn’t have wondered. But why is there ‘s after be?


texts:
I sent my wife to company.
My child asked his mother back in the car.

  Mummy has to work. We are going to pick up your mummy at twelve.

Does it sound grammatically correct and natural?


texts:
A piece of narrative that is set in the past (with only very occasional references to the present day)

'To her friends, Fiona must have represented the quintessence of piety. For them, belief was a constant struggle; to her, it came almost without effort,  even though she practiced it in an obscure, half-forgotten village church.'

I wonder whether I am correct in reading the second sentence as a diluted form of reported speech - telling us what Fiona's friends think of her piety, in contrast to their own? If so, should the sentence not be: 'For them, belief had been a constant struggle'? But, while this feels natural to me, saying 'to her, it had come almost without effort' doesn't (in this context). So perhaps it would be better to stick to past simple throughout?

Many thanks, Sophie


texts: what do you intend to do after graduation

texts:
If I want to know what career/occupation/job a student intends to have, how should I phrase the question idiomatically? Do native speakers say these?

What do you intend to do after graduation?
What job do you want to take after graduation?
What occupation do you want to have after graduation?

Are there other ways to express the same meaning?


texts:
“I want to kill the queen myself, for all the good it does me,” the younger one said.

  Is not supposed the preposition For to come after does: to be like all the good it does me?


texts:
That method can help you to level up the accuracy

What I meant to say is that method can help you to improve the accuracy, is the sentence above grammatical and idiomatic?


texts: What is the meaning of skunk handler's clothing?

texts:
A terrible odor that was impossible to expunge permeated the skunk handler's clothing

Can you help me to understand this sentence? In specific, can you explain how I should interpret "skunk handler's"?

Additionally, how does "permeated" relate to this phrase?


texts:
What does "to conjure out of the void" mean ?

  For centuries, scientists scrutinized minute aspects of human
  activity, but showed little interest in the time that people spent in
  sleep. Sleep seemed inaccessible to medical probing and was perceived
  as an unvarying period of inactivity — a subject best suited to poets
  and dream interpreters who could conjure meaning out of the void.


texts: "Yesterday I was fired from work, broke up with my girlfriend, and this morning, to cap it all off, lost my wallet."

texts:
Which sentence is more accurate

Yesterday I was fired from work, broke up with my girlfriend, and this morning, to cap it all off, lost my wallet.

or

Yesterday I was fired from work and broke up with my girlfriend, and this morning, to cap it all off, I lost my wallet.


texts: Is 'I will never do it' + 'anymore' = 'I will not do it again'?

texts:
Can 'anymore' be added to 'I will never do'?

And, if so, does 'I will never do anymore' mean something like 'I did something, and I wont do it again'?


texts: What is the difference between "trying" and "tried" in this context?

texts:
I want to say that in a near past I tried to run a computer program,but it didn't work.

What is the difference between the following sentences:

  1 I tried to run the computer program,but it didn't work.

  2 I was trying to run the computer program,but it didn't work.

  3 I tried running the computer program,but it didn't work.


texts: What does the phrase "Richard of York gave battle in vain" have to do with a rainbow?

texts:
This question is from the TV game show, "Million Dollar Mind Game" on ABC:

  What phrase is "Richard of York gave battle in vain"'s American counterpart?

The contestants gave the final guess: "Moving upstream without a paddle", but the correct answer was "Rainbow".

I still don't get it. Why is the counterpart "Rainbow"?


texts: Demonstratives + adverbs of frequency + adjective/participle + noun

texts:
Demonstrative pronouns are determiners used instead of nouns to refer
to things and identify their position and distance from the speaker.

Then, if I want to use 'this always-walking guy,' should I (as a speaker) be always near to the action of always walking of the guy or can I be just near to the guy in one specific time?


texts:
1-I don't want my photo taken.

  2-I don't want my photo being taken.

  3-I don't like my photo being taken.

As far as I know we can use the (sentences-1,2,3) but why can't we use the following sentences ? Especially while the sentence 1 is okay why the sentence 4 not okay?

  4-I don't like my photo taken.

  5-I don't like my photo be taken.


texts: What is the meaning of Past participle in English sentence?

texts:
What is the meaning of past participle verb in the English sentences.

a) Does it mean past action?

I have/had seen that movie. (Movie was seen in the past)

b) Does it mean completed action?

This is/was broken window ( Already broken window)

c) future status?

You will be killed by him. ( future possible but completed action )

I am expecting exact meaning of Past participle in English sentence. I am aware that it is used for passive voice, perfect tenses and as an adjective.

If my understandings are correct what will below sentence mean.

All festivals are celebrated in our country.

What is the meaning of Celebrated in above sentence.


texts: Is it possible to use the present simple tense after the conjunction 'while'?

texts:
I have come across the following pair of sentences on an iTool to the course book which prepares students for Cambridge Key English Test.

There must be a mistake in the second pair of sentences because option A should be correct (though option B is ticked as the correct one).

Am I right in thinking so?


texts: Appropriate response to: Would it be suitable to meet tomorrow noon at your office?

texts:
Can I respond to:

  "Would it be suitable to meet tomorrow noon at your office?"

with:

  "Sure would!"


texts: Asking multiple questions successively and grammar structure

texts:
Do you see where I am coming from or my idea is still not clear?

Do you see where I am coming from or is my idea still not clear

I was thinking which is more grammatically correct, I know that, in a question, the other verbs following the main verb, that got inverted, doesn't need inversion (this has a grammatical name but I can't find it) however I'm confused wether to consider the sentence after or a new question or not.
Are both forms grammatical but with a slight difference in meaning?


texts: Whether "illiteracy" is rude or impoliteness internet user name?

texts:
I want the "illiteracy" name say I'm an English illiteracy in other words Maybe I'm lack English skills to accurate express and understand, but some people say:

  And... please, change your name... it really doesn't look very well.


texts:
"Smooth," said Ron approvingly, as the waiters popped up on all sides, some bearing silver trays of pumpkin juice, Butterbeer and Firewhisky, others tottering piles of tarts and sandwiches.

  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

I know 'totter' is an intransitive verb, but here it seems to be used as a transitive verb. I'm confused. Can it be transitive in any case?


texts: Does this structure have a grammatical name?

texts:
Use it, when necessary
Take, when needed
Write, when told.

So, sentences like this have something omitted. In the first one, it’s ..., when it’s necessary. or the second one has two of them being Take it, when it’s needed.. The third one can be written as Write, when you’re told..
So, what is this structure called? Does this have a specific name? Thanks in advance.


texts: Is there a word for using a shell as a refuge?

texts: Some animals use shells as a sort of refuge to protect themselves. Is there a particular verb for it? I am not sure if I ever heard of such a word, but there must be a word for it or at least a better way to say it than "take refuge in a shell", because it's too long-winded.


texts: Diffrence in between "indeed," "obviously," and "of course"

texts: Can someone please tell me what the difference between indeed, obviously, and of course is?


texts: Which is grammatically correct when using its or their

texts: I am writing a DoD IG evaluation report.  Throughout the report we refer to The Joint Task Force.  I am trying to determine which is correct to write.  The Joint Task Force follows their authorities or the Joint Task Force follows its authorities.


texts: Don't take this (or that?) the wrong way

texts:
I know the meaning of this sentence.
But can I change `this’ to ‘that’?

For example,

  I think you should get a proper job.
  But don't take that—a proper job—the wrong way.

Oh and could you check the dashes whether I use it correctly?
Thank you!


texts: Position of prepositional/adverbial phrases in a sentence

texts:
Which of the sentences below is the most correct when asking for specific location, and why?

Where in Australia do you live?
Where do you live in Australia?

Here, is 'In Australia' an adverbial phrase as well as a prepositional one? If so, is there a rule for where in the sentence it should go (or where it should go in a sentence)? I read somewhere that adverbial sentences can be at the front, in the middle or at the end of a sentence. However, acccording to sources, changing the position of adverbial phrases can alter the meaning/implication, and 'In Australia, where do you live?' sounds to me that the person have homes in multiple countries. Am I correct in thinking that?

Many thanks.


texts:
I don't understand the "balance" here. To reach a balance on a scale, you have weight A on one tray and weight B on another when A = B. Now what are A and B here? A = the rist of rare side effects and B = the dangers of severe COVID-19?

These events illustrate how fiendishly challenging it is to prove that a medical problem following immunization — known as an ‘adverse event’ — was caused by the vaccine itself. Public-health officials must strike a “delicate balance” when communicating the risk of rare side effects alongside the dangers of severe COVID-19, says vaccinologist Kathryn Edwards at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee.

Source:  Nature
Why is it so hard to investigate the rare side effects of COVID vaccines?


texts: What does "cite" mean in "She opens her current (checking) account on a mobile app, then cites a rainy-day fund at another bank"?

texts:
LINDA, A 54-YEAR-OLD event consultant in Los Angeles, is neither disorganised nor innumerate. Ask about her finances, however, and you lose her for two hours. She opens her current (checking) account on a mobile app, then cites a rainy-day fund at another bank. She has 14 credit cards, five mortgages, six insurance policies and several pensions with ex-employers.

  The Economist: Wealth managers are promising business-class service for the masses

I looked up this word in several dictionaries but couldn't find suitable meaning.


texts: What is the meaning of "vice president"?

texts:
Young woman Regina telling to Peter about his husband that he
mixed up in something terrible and she must do someting about it.

  Regina: It doesn't sound like the sort of thing a young woman can
  handle by herself.

  Peter: How about making me vice president in charge of cheering you
  up?


texts: It's been a long time since I (went/have been) to Canada

texts:
It's been a long time since I went to Canada

Does the above sentence mean: since first or last went to Canada?

When you as a native speaker hear the above and below sentences, could you give me probabilities (by a sample of number of visits ) on the difference between those two sentences? This is of course if the first sentence has the meaning: first went to Canada

  It's been a long time since I have been to Canada

If you feel it is better to change a long time into e.g. 5 years to make your answer clearer, then please do so.


texts:
This is a good news.
  This is good news.

Which one is correct? Clarify the difference


texts:
What does have got it to mean in this sentence:

  I've got it to work in the emulator running Q image

I know that we use have got to when we are saying that something is necessary. But I don't understand how it is applied to the above sentence.


texts: what does "under no circumstances should you approach the man"?

texts:
"Under no circumstances should you approach the man".

This sentence has been taken from Cambridge Dictionary. To know the meaning of "approach" I searched in this dictionary and I found this sentence.

I cannot understand the meaning of it at all. It would be helpful if anybody like to rewrite it.

Thanks!


texts:
I feel ill or sick. Both mean the same. But when they modify a noun, do they mean the same? For example,

Sentence A: He is a sick person.

Sentence B: He is an ill person.

Do they mean the same?

I want to know the difference because 'ill' can mean 'bad' in some senses.


texts: What is the difference between "work on computer" and "work on the computer"?

texts:
I have heard people say both work on computer and work on the computer. For example:

  I work from home because I work on computer.

  I work from work because I work on the computer.

Is there any difference in meaning between the two? If there isn't any, then which one is more common?


texts:
I'm reading a programming book and found the following paragraph.

Collections do not usually implement enumerators; instead, they
provide enumerators, via the interface IEnumerable:
public interface IEnumerable
{
    IEnumerator GetEnumerator();
}

By defining a single method retuning an enumerator, IEnumerable
provides flexibility in that the iteration logic can be farmed off to
another class. Moreover, it means that several consumers can enumerate
the collection at once without interfering with one another. You can
think of IEnumerable as “IEnumeratorProvider,” and it is the most
basic interface that collection classes implement.

What does "farmed off" mean? Is it a common English usage? From the context I guess it probably means "moved", but I can't find this it in the dictionary.

Update (3/27/2021)
I've written an email to the author of the book and below is his reply.

Yes, it was intentional. However, "farm out" has more matches on Google, so I'm happy to switch to that.

So it seems "farm off" has its use in some parts of the US.


texts:
It is from Crash Course US history. It is at 8 minute and 10 second.

  So with its stirring anti-tariff, anti-monopoly, do not pass go, do not collect 200 dollars stance, New Freedom won out.

Actually I cannot get the whole sentence, so could you please explain it to me?


texts:
Why do we use the active form of verbs rather than using the passive form of it.

For example,

  it spells as “W.O.R.k”
  it is spelt as “W.O.R.K”

And

  the oranges sell at $2 Lb
  the oranges are sold at $2 Lb

My question is in which cases can we use the active form where at the same time we can use the passive form?

I want to know if the orange can sell itself or the word can spell itself! Or the word is spelt by someone and the oranges are sold by someone

I hope you can understand my point to answer.


texts: What does "on the fly" mean in "generate code on the fly"

texts:
I saw "generate code on the fly" in a lot of posts.

What does "on the fly" mean here?


texts:
Brown bears are one of the largest types of bear.

Brown bears are one of the largest type of bear.


texts: Requesting someone to ask a question of another person

texts:
Which one would be correct, please

  a) Just ask him if he has received the payment
  b) Just ask him has he received the payment
  c) Just ask him whether he has received the payment


texts: meaning of "mapped users" in learning context

texts:
On some website related to learning courses I found the phrase "mapped users".

I was in doubt what's the appropriate meaning for it in that context?
The meaning in google translator is "represent (an area) on a map; make a map of."


texts: What's the meaning of "shaves" in "Jesus saves, Bart shaves"?

texts:
I was watching an episode of The Simpsons, Bart was playing basketball for Springfield and winning all games. Then Fat Tony bribes him to lose the game. When Bart loses and everybody finds out about the bribe, all the people get upset and it shows lots of messages of disapproval around the town. One of them caught my attention, on a billboard in front of the church the expression

  Jesus saves, Bart shaves.

What does shaves mean in this context? Is it something offensive?


texts:
In "In the Midst of Alarms" (1894) by Robert Barr, Renmark wanted to tell someone that his son is missing, but he didn't want to alarm the boy's sister

“Is your father in the house?”
“Yes, but he is worried about mother. Tell me what it is. It is better to tell me.”
Renmark hesitated.
“Don’t keep me in suspense like this,” cried the girl in a low but intense voice. “You have said too much or too little.

What does "say too much or too little" mean?


texts: In the simplest way possible - could someone explain the rule you followed in spotting the error?

texts:
Basically the sentence flowed well enough for me not to notice the error.

This is the sentence:

  More importantly was the renaissance discovery of the literature of classical Greece.

I now know that the error is "importantly" and that it should be replaced with "important".

Can someone please explain how I could have spotted that "importantly" needed to be replaced with "important"?


texts: What is the difference between 'I see the walking robot.' and 'I see the robot walking.'?

texts:
I want to know the difference between the two sentences.
1. I see the walking robot.
2. I see the robot walking.
I want to know the difference in meaning between the two sentences.
Please, tell me the difference.


texts:
Is it correct to say:

"As a fan, I'm always going to support him."

Or, should I just use this:

"As  a fan, I'll always going to support him."

And, is it redundant to use going to in the sentences above?


texts: What's the difference between "That is not good" & "That is not well"? In what context each expression should be used?

texts:
What's the difference between "That is not good" and "That is not well"?  In what context should each expression be used or does it not make any difference?

Example:

  That's not good. He should do the right thing.

and

  That's not well. He should do the right thing.


texts:
I came up with the following structure , trying to say that everyone should take their own precautionary measures.
The structure:
Every one should take a self-precautionary measures.
My question: is using the prefix "self" applicable ???


texts:
BANE: No one cared who I was until I put on the mask.
CIA: If I pull that off, would you die?
BANE: It would be extremely painful….
CIA: You’re a big guy!
BANE: For you!
--The Dark Knight Rises

I wonder what Bane tries to mean here.
Is it "a big guy for you" or "extremely painful for you"?


texts: Is "The user conference had a videographer who filmed the participants as they spoke about their experience using the software." correct?

texts:
"The user conference had a videographer who filmed the participants as they spoke about their experience using the software."

I wonder if the sentence is correct.
Aren't "of" or "On" needed to put in between "their experience" and "using the software"?

I think that if "using the software" is Participial Phrases, then that sentence comes to mean "they spoke about their experience by using the software", which is not an appropriate meaning.


texts: Is there any difference between 'ever since' and 'since' when used in a sentence? Are they same and interchangeable to use? Please explain with examples.


texts:
Give the new material time to soak in-your brain has to build new physical connections.

I know that this sentence has different meaning from word by word meaning but I'm unable to understand it.
Also I don't know why it has used "—" symbol. Please someone explain meaning of sentence and "—" symbol. Thanks!


texts: What do you call a text we append at the end of a work after it was published?

texts: Sometimes, news articles, scientific articles and other works add a small text to correct certain things that were said, but happened to be wrong, so how do you call this type of text we append like that after it was initially published? I am not sure if the definition depends on the content, which in this case are corrections.


texts: What is the meaning of "Life is true to form..."?

texts:
I've come to read this Mark Spitz' quote:

Life is true to form; records are meant to be broken.

Second part is 100% clear to me and surprisingly the first part is nearly none percent. I'm not good enough in English to understand it. I understand all words of "Life is true to form" seperately and seen them very frequently elsewhere but all together, I can't make a meaning.
Can you help?


texts: Police got someone "on 8 counts of statuary"

texts:
In The Leftovers S01E02, one officer tells another while describing a criminal:

  We had him on 8 counts of statuary in Pelsinvania but he got away in April.

As I understand the sentence, she means to say the criminal was arrested by 8 statuary officers and jailed but escaped in April, right?


texts:
I have studied English for 3 years.
I have studied English over 3 years.

What is the difference of over and for in this sentence?


texts: How to call left-handed people who were not forced to change to writing right-handed? Unrelearnt left-handers? Is there any optimal name?


texts: Is to talk "under four eyes" a common idiom in English?

texts:
In German there is an idiom "unter vier Augen" (under four eyes) which means privately, for example to talk with someone under four eyes. My question is if it is in also used in English, and whether I'll sound weird to an English speaker by using it.

I found a site which describes the German phrase well:

  "As a matter of fact, the literal translation of an idiom is often
  absurd or comical. The German phrase 'mit jemandem unter vier Augen
  sprechen' literally translates as 'to talk with someone under four
  eyes,' but the meaning is 'to talk privately with someone."

But it's not clear if it's in use in English as well.


texts: What does "catch" mean in this sentence?

texts:
What does the word "catch" mean in this sentence?

  There must be a catch/incentive.

I looked it up in the dictionary the closest meaning to it seems to be

  a hidden problem or disadvantage in an apparently ideal situation

I am still unsure if that's the exact meaning.


texts: "What do" or "what does" when using "and" or "or"?

texts:
Consider the following sentences, where X and Y represent words that the person does not understand:

What do X and Y mean?

What does X and Y mean?

What do X or Y mean?

What does X or Y mean?

From my understanding, (1) and (4) are correct, while (2) and (3) are wrong. Am I right?


texts: Should I take a look to see if there are?

texts:
Should I take a look to see if there are the people who raise dogs ?
Q: In the above sentence, can I replace "should" with "would"? thanks in advance!


texts: Why is "many a man" singular while "many men" plural?

texts:
Recently I came to know that there is a construction "many a man" which is equivalent to "many men". But I also noticed that the former construction is considered as singular, e.g.

Many a man has lost his life at sea.

But for the later construction we go something like this,

Many men have lost their lives at sea.

I am quite confused in the former construction. It behaves like we are talking of a single man but we are actually talking of many men. Please explain in detail why it is so.


texts:
The 5th & 6th definition of "all" in OALD:

  5.consisting or appearing to consist of one thing only

    The magazine was all advertisements.

    She was all smiles (= smiling a lot).

  6.any whatever

    He denied all knowledge of the crime.

I don't understand why OALD classifies it as a determiner rather than an adverb when it's used in the 5th sense.

Besides, the 6th sense of "all" seems rare. I would reword it like this: "He denied any knowledge of the crime." Is this usage of "all" archaic or formal? Any difference between it and my rewording? The original example would cause me to think he knew something about the crime, but not all of it.


texts: "He was the first one to complete the challenge" "I forget his name"

texts:
I'm really confused about present and past tense usage, I'll provide some examples.

He was the first one to complete the challenge

Why not is? Because right now, he's still in fact the first man to complete the challenge?

I forget his name

Why not forgot...? Because in the past you forgot his name...It's like when we just completed something, we say 'we did it' not 'we do it'


texts:
I wanted to know when "since" come after a person, Is there a change in the meaning of the word? for example, in this context:

  Gödel, the greatest logician since
  Aristotle, was well aware of the logical problems of time travel.

  source: Source: The Outer Limits of Reason: What Science, Mathematics, and Logic Cannot Tell Us by Noson S. Yanofsky

Does this mean that "after Aristotle; that is, the Gödel is in the second place after Aristotle" or does it mean "from the time that Aristotle lived until now, Gödel is the biggest logician" or does it mean something else?


texts:
Consider:

  I had 2 (other?) packages with/besides/in addition to/ together with my bag and a flower which my student had given to me.

Or

  besides my bag, I had 2 other packages with myself and a flower which my student had given to me.

I think "with my bag" in sentence 1is ambiguous, so I look for a better preposition or rephrasing. Which ones do work?

In sentence 2 I'm not sure about "with my self".


texts: Is it correct to use The word taste for movie

texts:
Is it correct to say this movie is not according to my taste.
Could one use taste in this respect. Is there any other appropriate word?


texts: How do I describe the situation where there are two versions of the same manual and there is a contradiction between them

texts:
so I encountered this problem recently. I found a product has two different versions of the manual. And there are sections that are contradictory to each other in both versions. For example, there is a Section A in both versions, which describes how to maintain the product after using it. But one version's Section A is described differently than the other version.
My question is, what are some of the possible, natural-sounding ways to describe this situations


texts:
I see this sentence on https://twitter.com/jfbastien/status/1003697787911966720

  A: I've made my submissions for @cpponsea, have you?

  B: Sorry, I only do Sea on Classes

  C: you can do classes on the sea at C++ on Sea - and in class, too

Google tells me nothing: do sea do sea on class


texts: The difference between "by themselves" and "in themselves"

texts:
Which of the two sentences below is grammatically better (or correct)?

  Of course, the stories of this large family are interesting and
  well-developed in themselves.

or:

  Of course, the stories of this large family are interesting and
  well-developed by themselves.


texts:
I'm a non native English learner.I was learning grammar and found repetition of same helping verb in following sentences

How do you do?
What did you do?

Why there are 2 do/did in such sentences.
Can anyone explain me easily.
Thanks


texts: Nuance between 'swarming somewhere' and 'rushing into somewhere'

texts:
A large group of the protesters ...... the national parliament's building.

a) swarmed
b) rushed into
c) flocked to

I think 'c' has somehow implies an interest and a movement out of excitement, while 'a' and 'b' have implications of urgency. So for me both 'a' and 'b' work here and 'c' sound unidiomatic in this particular context. Do you confirm me?


texts: "A last couple of week" vs. "the last couple of weeks"

texts:
What is the difference in meaning between a last couple of weeks and the last couple of weeks? I thought that the former was totally wrong, but in the second episode of the fourth season of Breaking Bad, Walt uses exactly that. Here is the context:

Walt: I feel like I need to explain myself. There were some actions that I took which I want you to understand. I
didn't want any of this to happen. Everything I did, I did out of
loyalty to my partner. And then, later... ...of course... ...purely
out of self-defense. I hope you can appreciate that. Just like I
appreciated that... I appreciate that when you were going to kill
me... ...you were simply following orders. I get that. Completely. And
I harbor no ill will.
Mike: Well, there's a load off my mind.

Walt: Mike, I'm trying to tell you... Mike: I get it. Fine.
Mike:Drink up, Walter.
Walt: Hell of a last couple of weeks.
Makes a man wonder exactly where he stands.

How would the meaning would change if he use the insdead of a there?


texts:
Someone is having a vision problem.(that person can't see clearly wity one eye)So what should be used:

  I can't see with my left eye.

  I can't see out of my left eye.

What would sound more natural and idiomatic?(which will be more likely to be used in day-to-day conversations?) And do my sentences give you a feelig of complete or partial blindness? (What can be used for both?)

  I can bearly see with/out of my left eye.

  I can't see clearly with /out of my left eye.


texts:
One popular way of remembering these relationships is by remembering this statement.

I'm not sure whether this sentence is grammatical and if it's grammatical, whether "by remembering this statement" is modifying "one popular way of remembering these relationships" or not.

Lastly, is it grammatically possible to rewrite that sentence as "One popular way of remembering these relationships by remembering this statement seems to be no effective"

or by adding commas,

"One popular way of remembering these relationships, by remembering this statement, seems to be no effective"


texts:
I was talking with someone who's trying to quit smoking. Then the topic moved to how I want to live here because of poor air quality in my hometown and I said this:

  I don't want to get lung cancer like you do.

Is it correct to say that? How about:

  "I don't want to get lung cancer like you don't"?

I know that this is a correct way of saying:

  I don't want to get lung cancer either.


texts: Thinking about v-ing vs thinking about noun

texts:
I was surfing the web when I came across this line:

I'm thinking about some milk tea next so I'll have some milk too, please.

I'm thinking that this sentence is missing a "having" before "milk tea", because I think that when you want to have something, you think about having that thing, not think about that thing, but I'm not sure.
What do you think? Thanks for your opinions!


texts:
I'm taught that in indirect questions   the verb   comes after the subject:

  Do you know what time the bank opens?

But what if  the question proper goes first? Should one say

  What time the bank opens is an interesting question

or

  What time does the bank open is an interesting question?


texts: What is the meaning of to have in this sentence?

texts:
Quite frankly, to have the ACLU even make that insinuation is not only insulting, it's completely misinformed

How can change this sentence into a simple sentence? What denotes 'to have' in this sentence?


texts:
I'm wondering, which verb is the most common one and the best one with the phrase "to a whole new level"?

lead
bring
take
raise

Example:

This discovery will (lead,bring,take,raise) evolution to a whole new level.


texts: The Yearly Silly Trip - Chant vs Jingle?

texts:
I was looking for a trick [mnemonic] for little children to remember the months of the year in order but I couldn't find any online. Then I made this below and called it The Yearly Silly Trip.

My question is: is what I did, a chant or jingle?

  The Yearly Silly Trip

  January‘s for Jane

  In February’s her fame

  In March she’ll march

  With April, from noon.

  And May rest in June,

  Then fly high in July

  Gusty August’s the awesome member

  Offered his gust till September

  That October will remember

  The fun till November

  Cause it’s over in December

  By Antiscam, Mr.Zero = F.S.


texts: Once he said "developed by a chiropractor," I took it with a few tablespoons of salt. Can I substitute word Once for word When?


texts: Which punctuation will be used in the below sentence?

texts:
They also investigated the severity of depression in A and B group by ABC exam; which was found to be higher in A than B.

They also investigated the severity of depression in A and B group by ABC exam, which was found to be higher in A than B.

In the above sentences, semicolon or comma is correct?


texts: A bicycle can/could/may be defined as a two-wheeled vehicle

texts:
Consider these sentences, please:

A bicycle can be defined as a two-wheeled vehicle propelled by human energy.

A bicycle is defined as a two-wheeled vehicle propelled by human energy.

Q1) Does the "can" in (1) suggest, as opposed to sentence (2), that the "definition" is newly created by the writer (their own opinion), and is understood not to be a standard one used by other people?
Q2) Can I replace the "can" with "could" or "may"?


texts: Does "no stranger to" mean "to be familiar with" in this sentence?

texts:
Source

The sentence :

  Among the biggest gainers since election day have been shares of Fannie Mae (OTCQB:FNMA) and Freddie Mac (OTCQB:FMCC) which are no strangers to large price swings themselves.

"Which are no strangers to large price swings themselves" is an attributive clause that modifies the noun phrase "shares of Fannie Mae (OTCQB:FNMA) and Freddie Mac (OTCQB:FMCC)".

I can't understand "which are no strangers to large price swings themselves".

Can I rewrite it as shares of F&F are no strangers to large price swings themselves?

It is hard for me to understand that "shares of F&F are no strangers to large price swings themselves".

*F&F is abbreviation of "Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac".

I had new discovery in the
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/be-no-stranger-to-sth

It is said that "no stranger to" is an idiom meaning "to be familiar with a particular experience or activity".

F&F are high volatility stocks from the historical data, it would rise 40% in one single day and down 50% in one single day too,it is speculation to buy the common stocks of F&F,so can we say this?

  "shares of F&F are no strangers to large price swings"

Is that the same as saying "shares of F&F are familiar with high volatility"?


texts:
I have a question about the usage of the verb see in this article:

  New York City also saw its one millionth runner on Sunday since the race's inception in 1970. Julissa Sarabia, of Sunnyside, New York, crossed the finish line in 5:19:47.

How does a city "see" a person?  No dictionary definitions fit the usage above.  A person could "see" a city though.

The closest definition is definition 14 for the verb "see" in this dictionary:

  def 14. to be the place or time in which (something) happens

, which says that a place could see a event, but does not say a place could see a person.


texts: On / after learning the news he left for home

texts:
As a basic learner I have confusions between these sentences:

  On learning the news he left for home.

  After learning the news he left for home.

  Learning the news he left for home.

The 1 and 3 , to me, seems to convey that there is no time- gap between the two actions.
Am I right?

Are they interchange?

Thank you.


texts: A term for this gesture (signs by hands) on the wall/screen

texts:
What do we call this?

Hand signs on the wall? Hand gestures?


texts:
Until they become conscious they will never rebel, and until after they have rebelled they cannot become conscious.

Until they become conscious they will never rebel. Is this part meaning that
if they became conscious, they will rebel?

second part: they rebelled but it doesn't matter because they didn't do it consciously?

This part of 1984 is a bit tricky for me and I want to understand it properly.


texts: Some children are from (broken families / a broken family)

texts:
I’m always confused on how to make sentences that have plural subjects and they belong to a group.

I want to make a general statement that "some children are from a broken family" but I’m not sure whether to use a family or families as they are not coming from same family.


texts: Confused as to where is the adjectival phrase in this sentence?

texts:
Which word is modified by the adjectival phrase in the sentence below?

  The savings to the project manager at NASA were substantial.

A. savings
B. project
C. were
D. NASA

An adjectival phrase usually starts with a preposition or a particle.

Is the adjectival phrase to the project manager at NASA?

I think the modified word here is savings. Is that correct?


texts: What is the difference between "run after someone/something" and "run for someone/something"?

texts:
Tell me please the difference between the following sentences.

  I ran after the bus as fast as I could.

  I ran for the bus as fast as I could.

To me it feels as though the first sentence means that the runner was chasing the bus with no intention to get on it, whereas the second one seems to mean that the runner wanted get on board. I am not sure though if my thinking is correct. If it is, then what about the following pair of sentences?

  The police officer ran after the suspect.

  The police officer ran for the suspect.

I cannot think of any difference between these two. Is there any?


texts: "If you don't think that X, which I personally do..." Does the speaker think X or not think X?

texts:
I am puzzled with a meaning of a sentence with negation and referring to it.
When someone says:

If you don't think that our case has been won, which I, personally do, then...

Is the person saying she/he agrees with the statement "our case has been won" or disagrees with it?


texts: What does "embraced" mean in this sentence?

texts:
I ran into the following sentence in a book.

  "Napoleon's expedition to Egypt embraced both soldiers and scientific and scholarly experts."

Does this sentence mean that:

  by taking an expedition to Egypt, Napoleon accepted both Egypt soldiers who surrendered to him and Egypt experts who were willing to serve him?

Or

  Napoleon took both soldiers and experts with him from his own country to go to attack Egypt?


texts:
The title sentence is a dialogue from "Friends" (the sitcom):

Monica has become acquainted with a man named Paul. On a date Paul says to Monica: "since my girlfriend left me I haven't had sex with any girls for two years" (of course he was lying for attracting Monica's pity) and Monica believes him and pities him. And then one night she invites him to her home and ... Then when Monica finds that he is a liar, she tells the story to her friends. Joey (Monica's friend) says laughingly: "Of course, it was a line".

In the "a line", is "a" an article or something else? And what meaning does "it was a line" have?


texts: It's a duty + infinitive Vs. It's a duty + gerund

texts:
In the sentence:

  It's a duty to take the bus to Barcelona, the most beautiful city in Spain.

Shall I use the infinitive or the gerund after "duty"?


texts:
What does "You get this endless downward ratchet" mean here? Does it mean "we always get downward progression"? This is from a fortune.com article

“In economic booms, it always picks up, but it never picks up as far as the previous peak,” Deaton said. “You get this endless downward ratchet. That’s something we really need to turn around, and it’s going to be hard.”


texts:
Can I say 'he works away and away'?

work away means work hard and I wonder if I can use the 'away' once again with and together.


texts: "I am going based off of that statistic"?

texts:
Is the following correct?

  I am going based off of that statistic"?

If not what's a good way of phrasing the intended meaning and when can "based off of" be used?


texts:
I read this sentence and it confuses me:

  "Consumption of coffee in USA totals in 4 Kg per person."

"USA totals" -- what does it mean?


texts: ...as a young Navy ENSIGN in his dress whites - why does the word ensign (which is a noun) come after the noun "navy"?

texts:
Source: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/vladimir-putin-gave-george-h-193912966.html

  "Yes, they spoke at 2 p.m.," he wrote. "President Putin also sent a portrait. ... It is a portrait of President Bush as a young Navy ensign in his dress whites."

Is Navy used as an adjective that tells what kind of ensign he is? And why is Navy spelled with a capital letter? I'm confused.


texts: Is it correct to say "fold the paper longways in half" and "rip it apart in half along the folded line" and "don't rip it apart from the folded line"?

texts:
You are instructing a child to divide an A4 paper into 2 equal pieces as the above picture.
Is it correct to say
"fold the paper longways in half" (I don't want to fold it sideways)
"then rip it apart in half along the folded line" or "then rip it straight in half along the folded line"
"don't rip it apart from the folded line" (if I don't rip it along the folded line, then I might end up having 2 pieces that are not equal and stright)


texts: I'm really confused on this sentence identifying subjects and need some help

texts: I have a sentence that says,"I tripped over a branch yesterday and broke my ankle" I was wondering if 'my' could be a subject


texts: Song: Why are the lyrics, "I'm sorry for the sombrero thing on Cinco de Mayo" funny?

texts:
I am sorry for watching and enjoying this sketch, to keep my dementia at bay, (only available in some countries, sorry). In the sketch, a singer performs a Spanish song (you can see the English subtitles) which is called, "A Latin pop star’s Spanish-language hit delivers a pointed message to its ignorant white fans.". Now from 1:54, he sings, "I'm sorry for the sombrero thing on Cinco de Mayo". What would be funny about this line or would the line just be meaningless if the whole theme is "A Latin pop star’s Spanish-language hit delivers a pointed message to its ignorant white fans."?
*I know what sombrero is.
*Cinco de Mayo : Cinco de Mayo, or the fifth of May, is a holiday that celebrates the date of the Mexican army’s May 5, 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. The day, which falls on Wednesday, May 5 in 2021, is also known as Battle of Puebla Day. While it is a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the United States, Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a commemoration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with large Mexican-American populations.
I didn't know about Cinco de Mayo. But it looks like it is not at all offensive to the U.S people even if the sketch theme is "A Latin pop star’s Spanish-language hit delivers a pointed message to its ignorant white fans."?
Does it mean anything or is it just nonsense?


texts:
I'm looking for the sentence which is the opposite of "The traffic is busy."
The sentence I want to make is, "The traffic to the downtown is usually very busy during rush hour, so we should leave very early around 5 o'clock when the traffic is light/ the traffic is empty / the traffic is smooth / the road is empty.   Which sentence is the most natural English to say? Or if there are other sentences, could you tell me? I've checked it myself, but I'm sitll not sure which is the appropriate sentence.


texts: An idiom or expression to describe an atmosphere where everyone in the group is in a creative mode

texts:
I am looking for an idiom or an expression to describe a creative vibe in a group. Here is what I mean by a creative vibe:
"The group feels elated, lively and in good spirits. They want to go beyond the existing solutions and boundaries. Their minds idle freely and diverge in alternatives. Everyone is actively thinking of new ideas. Inspiration is ready to be triggered. The group is open to receive any input that is new and interesting. There is a joint effort to create. Humour and jokes create a comfortable and non-judgmental environment for self expression. The members builds upon each other’s ideas playfully."
As an idiom I thought of " heads in the clouds" but that means daydreaming and thinking out of reality, as far as I understood. I want to find an idiom which can work for being creative in the process of generating ideas while handling a real-life issue. Secondly, I thought of " creative juices are flowing", but I prefer not to use the word creative in the idiom/ expression itself. Would you have any other suggestions?


texts:
What words can I use to distinguish between a land-plot that has a water source (e.g. well, spring, oasis...) and a land-plot that doesn't?

I thought of wet vs. dry, but these seem too general, not specific to lands.

I thought of fertile vs. infertile, but these are not specific to water.


texts: Should I say within 1-2 weeks or in 1-2 weeks?

texts:
within 1-2 weeks or in 1-2 weeks.
Are they the same?
Which one is right?


texts: which preposition does fit in this sentence?

texts:
I want to say the following sentence, but I'm not sure about the correct preposition to put in the highlighted blank.

  I can bring my e-books with me on my cell phone which is not possible [...] paper books.

[for/with/through/...] ?


texts:
Rachel: I   am giving Sophie the iPhone for her birthday. What  (you / give) her?
Fiona: I will probably get her a new purse. She keeps losing money from her old one.

The answer is "What are you giving her?"

Can I use here will?(What will you give her?)

Also I wonder why is Fiona using Present continuous while she doesn't know if Rachel has thought about the bday gift at all? Is she asking this question from her point of view(thinks that Rachel must have already planned)?


texts:
In the context of a volunteering experience itemized in a CV, I would like to express the idea of waking up early everyday and working all the day long.

I wonder if one of the following phrases is correct.

Intensive work timetable
Intensive work schedule
Intensive working timetable
Intensive working schedule

Any other suggestion is appreciated.


texts: widely accepted as the heir apparent of -- what does "the heir apparent of" mean?

texts:
HTML5 (http://www.w3.org/TR/html5/) is the fifth major revision of the W3C’s HTML, the markup language for publishing on the World Wide Web. It has been in draft for several years and changes regularly, but it is widely accepted as the heir apparent of HTML 4.01 and XHTML.

I don't understand "the apparent of" part.


texts:
I want to ask why in the title "KKnD" it's:

Krush, Kill 'n' Destroy

instead of

Crush, Kill 'n' Destroy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KKnD_series

I couldn't find this word in the dictionary and I've never seen it anywhere else.


texts: "We passed through (the bridge)" - can "through" be used on a road?

texts:
We just drove through the bridge.

My son asked me, "Where is the bridge"

  "We passed through it."

Can the preposition "through" be used on a road?


texts:
1.The higher the sun gets, the hotter the day gets.

  2.The higher the sun, the hotter the day.

Which is more natural? We need to omit "get" in both clause to be natural?


texts:
TheFreeDictionary says about "convolute":

  intr. & tr.v.
  To coil or fold or cause to coil or fold in overlapping whorls.

You can see that article here - convolute

Can you explain to me why there is not enough to say just "to coil or fold", but there is also world "cause"? I mean why English people distinguish "to coil" and "cause to coil"?


texts:
From Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 31, Demogorgon:

  These days his name is sometimes used in a more generic way of something that is bizarre or monstrous.

Is this "of" the same as in "the city of Rome"?


texts:
Help me please to understand is it correct to use Past Perfect in this sentence:

  "(I met him 2 weeks ago). It seemed that he hadn't changed a lot".

"It seemed" refers to past tense, so it is appropriate to use Past Perfect.

Am I right, what do you think?


texts:
The secretary arranged a convenient time and place for the applicants to have an interview.

As for the sentence, I think in the phrase "convenient time", the word "convenient" means "allowing you to do something easily or without trouble"(http://www.learnersdictionary.com/definition/convenient) and in the phrase "convenient place",  the word "convenient" means "located in a place that is nearby and easy to get to"(http://www.learnersdictionary.com/definition/convenient).

Am I right? Or does  "convenient" also mean "allowing you to do something easily or without trouble" in the phrase "convenient place"?


texts: "are the right size" vs "are OF the right size"

texts:
Which of the two forms below are correct (or are they both correct)?

  1 The elements are the right size.

  2 The elements are of the right size.


texts:
Can we use the verb "dress" without a direct object or should we only use the phrasal-verb "dress up"? How different are these two sentences?

I dressed and came out.
I dressed up and came out.


texts: Does "all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had" mean "not all the people have had"?

texts:
"Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone," he told me, "just
  remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages
  that you've had."

-- Quote from The Great Gatsby

"Not all the people in this world have had the advantages that you've had" makes more sense to me, or it literally means "all the people not"?


texts: Excessively figurative and wrong usage of a phrase

texts:
The first line of the passage is:

  My emotions are complicated and not readily verifiable. I feel a vast yearning that is simultaneously a pleasure and a pain. ...

The question related to the italicised portion above is to identify which of the given options matches correctly with the author's meaning. The dictionary meaning of verifiable is - for your reference -:

  able to be checked or demonstrated to be true, accurate, or justified.

surely it happens to correspond more with "unable to be authenticated" (prove or show (something) to be true, genuine, or valid.) than with "not completely understoood".

While I understand that the author must have meant the latter option (and it is given correct option as well), my question here is that:

  Isn't the author wrong in  using a word which doesn't reflect at all what he means?

Consider the point that:

this isn't a poem so figurative speeches should be limited
such misuse of words can confuse the readers anyway
if I wrote verified - when I actually meant understood - in my high school examinations - the examiner would deduct my marks

here's the complete passage and question for reference - courtesy KhanAcademy


texts:
Is the phrase "claims of fraud" used properly here? To me, "expose and prosecute the fraud" is correct while "expose and prosecute claims of fraud" is wrong because, claims of fraud are exactly the exposure of the fraud which should be prosecuted."  I am not very sure.

A Donald Trump supporter who donated $2.5m to help expose and prosecute claims of fraud in the presidential election wants his money back after what he says are “disappointing results”.
Source: The Guardian   Trump supporter who gave $2.5m to fight election fraud wants money back


texts:
Is "in her pride she sat" grammatical and idiomatic?

  In her pride, she sat quietly and observed the loudmouths around her.

  She stood there quietly in her pride.

  She isolated herself from the others in her pride.

I am not sure if it's idiomatic, because I rarely ever encountered similar sentences. I think it's grammatical, but I am not sure if it's idiomatic.

Saw some examples on the Internet with similar wording:

  In his pride he performed many a wonder until the high King of Kings,
  who sees and knows all things, took vengeance on his pride (2809).


texts:
Also, in a novel like this, I would expect to be left guessing at the end as to what was real and what was imaginary, or supernatural.

I am not sure if I understand this sentence properly. My interpretation is as follows: the author says that he does not want  the end of the book to reveal whether the facts presented in the story are imaginary or supernatural. But it seems to be very odd. I would await from the (horror) story exactly the opposite (clarification and and reducing the ambiguity) but in this case it would have to "stop guessing" instead of "left guessing". So what does "left guessing" mean in the context?


texts: If 'God bless someone/something'; is it positive or negative? Same with 'All the best'?

texts:
I have heard it both:

On someone's birthday -

  God bless you

And also, when someone/thing is ruining up completely, we use the same greetings.

For instance, a newly appointed CEO is very badly known for his mismanagement. For a company called ABC, we then say,

  God bless ABC

It clearly means that 'save ABC' from whatever is happening.

The question is how do we take god bless something if someone just utters it without any further comment/explanation. Because the greetings in many cases come as a standalone sentence.

The complexity doubles when you don't know the context. And, it can happen.

For example, if I'm getting migrated to a new country and some friend of mine living in the same country or having experience in visiting it greets - "Are you going to XYZ? Ah, 'God bless you!'"

My understanding:

When we use 'god bless' to an inanimate thing, it is generally negative and taunting. But then this is not true in case of 'God Bless America!'

The same thing is with 'All the best'. I've encountered many guys greeting 'all the best' in a sarcastic way. Say, a project in my company is completely ruined, and it is confirmed that the client has gone bananas due to several reasons. Now, if I'm replaced as the Project Manager has  knows 'in and out' about the client and the project but has resigned from the company. He meets me for the final time and says, "Ah, you are on that project? All the best!' (chuckling!)


texts:
Is using "it" with common names grammatically correct?

For example:

  Who drink this Tea?. It's John.


texts: Why does the dictionary explain that verbs begin with "to" ? what does "to" mean here?

texts:
Example:

abandon

to leave someone, especially someone you are responsible for

what does "to" mean here?


texts: "Only me" or "Only I" (is working today)

texts:
Which is correct?

  Only me is working today?
  Only I is working today?

Which of these should I use? Or neither?


texts: What is the difference, if any, between spaceship and spacecraft?

texts:
I'm confused about the difference, if any, between the meaning/usage of spaceship and spacecraft.
Different dictionaries seem to disagree on it:

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/spaceship: defines spaceship as a synonym of spacecraft.

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/spacecraft:

Vehicle used for travel in space: a manned/unmanned spacecraft (= with/without people inside)

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/spaceship:

(especially in stories) a vehicle used for travel in space

Definitions from Oxford Languages:

spaceship: a spacecraft, especially one controlled by a crew.
spacecraft: a vehicle used for traveling in space.

In other words, the first dictionary says there are no differences, the second dictionary says spaceship is mostly used in stories, and the third dictionary says that it depends on whether the vehicle is controlled by a crew.
Related: Is there a difference between a spaceship and a starship? (the difference is more clear in that case).


texts:
Should I use effective or efficient in the following sentence? Both of them are adjectives. However reading the definitions, I see that effective can be used as a NOUN while efficient is always an adjective. Does that really matter?

This has been considered as an effective technique for many years
This has been considered as an efficient technique for many years


texts: 'Has + V3' and 'Is + V3' are these active or passive voice?

texts:
1)The show has started.
2)The show is started.

Are these active or passive voives?

Please give reason alse.

Note: V means verb form


texts: Meaning of X is as (adj) as he/she/it can be

texts:
A famous song by The Beatles has the following lines:

  He's as blind as he can be
  Just sees what he wants to see

I have run across similar phrases more than once and now am determined to finally sort it out. So what does it mean? Is it a kind of emphasis? Or does it mean he is doing his best to be as blind as possible?


texts: Is 'cow' derogatory in the context of 'poor cow', the Ken Loach film?

texts:
According to Wiktionary, meaning #5 of cow is:

  (derogatory, informal) A woman who is considered despicable in some way, especially one considered to be fat, lazy, ugly, argumentative, mean or spiteful.

Is this always so?  I'm thinking of the film title Poor Cow.  I haven't seen the film yet, but from the synopsis, from knowing his style of film, and from the film title in other languages, I rather have the impression that Loach has a sympathy for the main character.  A derogatory name would not suit that.  Is cow derogatory in the context of the film title Poor Cow?


texts:
Are these infinitive and gerund clauses?

He agreed to give him the ball - Here in this sentence, the infinitive clause is "to give him the ball" which is the object of the verb "agreed"? Am I right?

He has problems repairing his car - Here in this sentence, the gerund clause is "repairing his car" and it acts as an adverb to "has".

Did I understand the things correctly? Or there is something wrong?


texts: past simple, past continuous and past perfect continuous

texts:
Am I correct?

  Yesterday lunchtime we had a bust-up.

This is just stating a fact. The bust-up happened at lunchtime.

  Yesterday lunchtime we had been having a bust-up.

This is emphasizing the fact that at lunchtime the bust-up had been going on for a while.

  Yesterday lunchtime we were having a bust-up.

The bust-up was in progress at lunchtime. I am probably talking about the bust-up, describing it.

  Yesterday lunchtime we had had a bust-up.

The bust-up finished before lunchtime.


texts: "Norway to ban full-face veil in nurseries, schools and universities" - is this correct?

texts:
Some minutes ago, I've seen news (here on BBC) where the title is:

  "Norway to ban full-face veil in nurseries, schools and universities"

I understand that the meaning is "> "Norway is going to ban etc. or "Norway on the way to ban etc. as written in the article by itself:
"Norway is proposing a ban on the Muslim full face veil and other face-covering clothing because it says it hinders communication between pupils and teachers."

Now, my question if this omitting is intentionally and this structure of sentence is considered correct in English or maybe it's just a mistake and it's not correct?

Another topics of differences in tenses don't answer my question which deals with structure.


texts:
How should I use this word ?

  Deadline required by the agreement expired.

or

  Deadline required by the agreement is/was(?) expired.

What is the correct usage ? if both are correct grammatically, what is the difference in the meanings.

Thanks.


texts: Is the midwest accent the standard accent in TOEFL and CNN?

texts:
Of late I had somebody told me that midwest accent is the standard accent in TOEFL and CNN. If this is the case, then how to get used to this accent? CNN is a bit too fast for me now, so I want to find an alternative source for accustoming to this accent.

Incidentally, if this question is off-topic, please feel free to tell me directly and I would either delete it or make necessary revisions.


texts: meaning of "expenses' in "hand in expenses"

texts:
Does it make sense to say "hand in expenses," as in "Please hand in the expenses by Friday"?

I think the object of "hand in" is some sort of document, but "expenses" does not refer to documents.


texts:
See these sentences:

  See there, it seems that someone is inside the house. OVER   See there, it seems that someone is in the house.

Another example:

  The doctors found two bullets in his body. OVER   The doctors found two bullets inside his body.

Certainly, both are interchangeable, aren't they? But in the bullet's example, the second one looks natural. I'm not sure why. Is it something that bullets were first out and then they went inside? But if that's the case, someone is in the house is also okay. That person too was out first!


texts:
What expressions do we use to invite friends to a place?
For example when inviting friends to a library, what sentence do we use?


texts: Is "At the foundation of ... is ..." correct?

texts:
In my english test, I wrote this :

  At the foundation of our society is law, and taking a look at it might be a good start to get an idea of how much our modern world
  tends to a perfect equality between men and women.

I was wondering if "At the foundation of ... is ..." was a correct way to say that the law is the foundation of our society.


texts: Which option to say "in the entire country" is correct?

texts:
How do I say in the entire country of France?

In all of France
In whole France
In the whole France


texts:
When a person is addicted to something, lets say a drug, and they are deprived of it for too long, they start getting sick, have anxiety attacks and crave for it extremely and uncontrollably.
Is there a word in English for that exact condition?


texts:
I have heard that you can talk about the content of movies and novels in the present tense.

If you had a dream two weeks ago, could you talk about it today to someone in the present tense?

Generally speaking, can you talk about your dreams in the present tense?


texts: Using "hold" in the sense of "taking place"

texts:
Are these examples right:

  "The conference is held in ",

  "it [the event] holds in "

  "they held a meeting on Monday."

Do I have to use the passive as in the first example?


texts:
He shook his head. “No. You were forced to wed him. I’ve seen your aunt bully you. She made you do it.”
      Deirdre laughed shortly. “You cretin, I proposed to him!” She wiped the back of her hand across her brow. “I’ve loved that stubborn idiot for years. It broke my heart when I thought he’d marry my cousin.”
      Something in her voice seemed to pierce his delusion at last. He gazed at her as if he’d never seen her before. “But. . . you saw how I loved you. You saw and you smiled to see it! What sort of monster are you, that you would toy with me so?”
  (Celeste Bradley, The Duke Next Door)

To infinitive’s seeing time seems equal with your smiling and the seeing is the reason or condition for smiling. Are these all right or do I have to see otherwise? (for example, seeing is anterior to smiling, and to see is, in fact, to have seen, and the latter is replaced by the former, as a tense simplification (CGEL,p158). For you know the time sequence well, without perfect tense.)


texts: What is the meaning of "of trouble" in the following sentence?

texts:
What is the meaning of "of trouble" in the following sentence:

  Reports are now coming in of trouble at yet another jail.

Does it mean "Reports(=trouble at yet another jail) are now received" ?

What is the difference between without "of":

  Reports are now coming in trouble at yet another jail.

and with "of":

  Reports are now coming in of trouble at yet another jail.


texts:
In the Seinfeld's episode The Contest, George's mother caught him masturbating. Later George telling this story to his friends.

GEORGE: So, she fell, and then she started screaming, "My back! My back!" So, I picked her up and took her to the hospital.
...
GEORGE: Her back went out. She's gotta be there for a couple of days. All she said on the way over in the car was, "Why, George, why?!".. I said, "Because it's there!"

What does it mean, because it's there?


texts: Does Jessica Lange's character in "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof" accurately portray a Southern US accent?

texts:
Jessica Lange was born and brought up in Minnesota.

It seems to me that her southern accent in the movie is a bit too exaggerated (read overacted) compared to that of Tommy Lee Jones. Am I mistaken?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RL1Nmc7woxM

Are there ways of differentiating a Louisiana accent (the setting of the play) from a general Southern accent?


texts:
Since both “that” and “which” can be used to modify things in a sentence with an adjective clauses, which one is preferred in which situations?
I found the following rules on the Internet. I am wondering if there are other rules.
Rules cited from http://www.worldwidewords.org/articles/which.htm

In clauses that follow impersonal constructions, such as it is, that is preferred: “It was the dog that died”.
Clauses that refer back to the words anything, nothing, something, or everything have a slight preference for that over which: “Can you think of anything that still has to be done?”
Clauses that follow a superlative also tend to prefer that: “Thank you for the most superb dinner that I’ve ever eaten”.


texts: Should I use 'been' instead of 'lived' with present perfect?

texts:
He has been in London

or

  He has lived in London

Which one is appropriate with 'has'?


texts: Can you clear my these doubts of movie review article?

texts:
Source

  The men unleash the brutal side and battle it out to win their lady love.

Here 'it' does not refer to 'brutal side'.Am I right?

  It is difficult to root for the characters even as the actors score.Tiger's back flips may make you cheer and his stunts have gotten dishier since Heropanti, but that's about it.

'Even when' is clear to me but I am unsure of 'even as'. In 'that's about it' , what is 'it' referred to?


texts:
Could you explain me which is the correct answer:
I'm 19 and I'm quite shy. I _____ (always was/have always been) like that since I remember and probably would still be if I hadn't met Rebecca.....


texts: Which preposition would be correct: "in" or "during" a time period?

texts:
In the sentence below, which preposition is the correct one – in or during? Or are they both correct? In that case, is there a difference in meaning?
Following an expansive phase in/during 2020, we will now slow down production.


texts: Can "that have been" be omitted the same way as "that are"?

texts:
We can omit that are in sentences like:

  "Things that are done by our manager are really vital." = "Things done by our manager are really vital."

Now, can I omit that have been the same way:

  "Things that have been done by our manager over the years are really vital."?

Thanks in advance.


texts: Is "Popped up" appropriate in this context?

texts:
The masked man started down an aisle of cubicles. As he reached the
end of it and looked into the cubicle on his right, Lena popped up
from a cubicle behind him and threw a computer screen at him, hitting
him in the head.

Hi. Can I use "popped up" here to mean she stood up in a cubicle and became visible suddenly? It doesn't seem to be commonly used but I can't find a better alternative. Does it seem OK to you? Thank you.
Pop up:
To appear or occur suddenly.


texts:
English is not my native language so I don't know it very well.

I'm trying to learn when to use whom, which, and who.

  I can't find my new coat _____ I bought last week.

Could someone explain to me which one is correct and why?


texts:
What is the meaning of "off of" please?
E.g., "All of these CPUs come off of the same assembly lines."

How to use it in some examples please?


texts:
I'm unsure how to correctly construct the following sentence using the past tense of the word 'bequeath' and/or 'donate'.

  It's what I wanted to do since I was 14, the year my math teacher
  bequeathed to me a Model 1 Radio Shack TRS80.

  It's what I wanted to do since I was 14, the year my math teacher
  bequeathed me a Model 1 Radio Shack TRS80.

  It's what I wanted to do since I was 14, the year my math teacher
  donated me a Model 1 Radio Shack TRS80.

  It's what I wanted to do since I was 14, the year my math teacher
  donated to me a Model 1 Radio Shack TRS80.

I'm open to any reconstruction suggestion as well. Thanks in advance.

UPDATE:
I initially failed to notice or perhaps misinterpreted the title English Language Learners that this was an exchange for actual learners of the English language (as in a 2nd language). Apologize for the misplaced post. I will look into finding another forum.


texts: Ideas on how to maintain a rhythm on a translated line from a poem

texts:
I'm trying to translate two lines from a poem while maintaining a rhythm. The one I see most appropriate is:

  Let fate do the work,
  and live your life
  carefree.

  (Because) in the blink of
  an eye...

  God may flip things
  upside down.

How can we make  upside down rhyme with an eye or with carefree?

The original lines literally translate as:

  Let fate do the work (or let fates run in their predestined course) and
  sleep sound (or go to sleep unconcerned)

  In the blink of an eye...
  God changes things (or changes situations from state to state).


texts:
The difference between say and tell is quite known. Most of the grammar sites/books make it very clear and I understand this topic.
According to those sources, you tell someone something and you say something. Now, I'm pasting a portion from another site:

Usage rules for Tell and Say
Tell is used only to instruct or inform, and when the receiver of the information is included as an object of the verb. Do not use for quotes.
Has she told you the good news, yet?
Please tell us your name and occupation.
The police officer told him to stop. [NOT The police offer told him, "Stop."]
Can you tell me what happened?

Now, when it comes to tell the truth I have read some instances where the object is NOT present.
Say...

Good people always tell the truth

Where is the object then? You always tell someone something. You never tell something. You say that.
Okay, so here is the quote I made and always tell (to!) others. Which version is better and grammatical?:

You should tell the truth to those who deserve it OR   You should tell those the truth who deserve it

If I go by books then the latter one seems correct - you tell someone something because we know she told me what was happening over she told to me what was happening.


texts:
Are both sentences correct? Do both share the same meaning? How do native speakers say about it?

(1) How much time does it take to get from Shanghai to New York City?
(2) How long does it take to get from Shanghai to New York City?


texts: Meaning of "plunged in, covering for the students who were in the lavatory throwing up"

texts:
When we were faced with our first cadaver,
  smelling partly of formaldehyde and stinking partly of rot, because it had not
  been well preserved, we all held our noses and plunged in, covering for the
  students who were in the lavatory throwing up.

Dose the whole sentence in bold mean: we quickly fled into the lavatory and vomited up in turn?

Source: Listening for Lions by
Gloria Whelan


texts: avoke meaning by using other words' definition

texts:
Can somebody write the   another definition to the word  avoke
other than:  call from or back again? [I can't understand this expression, can somebody explain to me the expression by another expression with a example to use the word]?


texts: An exception here is Canada, where people prefer other means of transport/ways of traveling

texts:
I have an IELTS writing task 1:

I also have a description to check.
There is one sentence that goes like this:

An exception here is Canada, where people prefer other ways of traveling.

"Ways of traveling" sounds off to me.
Would it be better to say:

An exception here is Canada, where people prefer other means of
transport?

Or is the original sentence ok?


texts:
A sentence written on a parcel:

  The box has one side opening  and secured by shipping label.

Shouldn't we use an auxiliary verb is before secured by...?

Or could it be left out without affecting the sentence?

Thanks in advance.


texts: Is it idiomatic to say "He sneaked the spider on his mom's shoes to freak her out"?

texts:
A child wanted to make his mom freak out by secretly putting a spider on Mom's shoes.
I had no experience of using the verb "sneak", so I just followed the dictionary

sneak: 2 TAKE/GIVE SECRETLY [transitive] to hide something and take it
somewhere or give it to someone secretly
I snuck her a note.
sneak something through/past etc somebody/something
Douglas had sneaked his camera into the show.

So, we can "give something to someone secretly"
I am not sure if this sentence is common or idiomatic "He sneaked the spider on his mom's shoes to freak her out"?
Some suggest "He sneakily put the spider on his mom's shoes to freak her out".
But which one is more natural?


texts: What's the common usage of the term "innit" in British slang?

texts:
This question is primarily for Brits, although anyone knowledgeable is welcome to contribute.

Recently I conducted an activity at my school to spread a bit of information about common British slang.  I selected the words to be used from a list found at: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/british-phrases-english-language-sayings-britain-england-uk-different-a8138046.html

However, it was pointed out that my description may not have been accurate.  I used it as an affirmative answer to a question:

  Boy: Lovely weather today.

  Girl: Innit?  (Meaning: "Yes, it is.")

My co-worker informed me that the term most commonly is used as a question tag expecting a positive answer.

  Boy: Lovely weather today, innit?

  Girl: Right you are!

So, the question is: Can "innit" be used as a response to someone's statement with which you can agree, and are there any other usage notes that would be important to have?


texts: "He go to school directly". Why this sentence is wrong?

texts:
"He go to school directly"

I heard this sentence from someone and he told me that it's wrong. But I don't know why it is wrong. I need full explanation with examples which get me to understand this sentence.


texts: Question mark or period for the mentioned sentence?

texts:
Is such an act necessary, one might ask

Does the above sentence need a question mark or a period?


texts: correct usage of phrasal verb, bring that incident up and bring his words

texts:
Scenario 1
Suppose that you and your friend, Mary, have just interviewed your ex-coworker, David, who wanted a job at your company. After he has left, Mary says something to you about him.
(1) Mary said, "Do you remember David?"
I replied, "He looks familiar."
She said, "At least fifteen years ago, we both worked with him at ABC Supermarket."
I said, "Right. I remember him now."
She said, "He was fired for swearing and spitting at our manager."
I said, "I remember that. I'm glad you brought that incident up."
Scenario 2
Suppose that you are talking to your cousin that you need money to pay your rent.
(2) I said, "I lost my job six months ago. I'm running out of savings. What should I do?"
He said, "I wish I could help. I lost my job last month too. Don't worry. I remember that our uncle said he's always willing to help us with anything."
I said, "I'm glad you brought his words up."
Is it correct to say "brought that incident up" and "brought his words up"?


texts: Too vs Either in agreement of negative sentences

texts:
SAM: I don’t like choclates.

  BOB: 1) I too, don’t like choclates. (Or) 2)I don’t like choclates, either.

What would be the correct sentence of Bob, Sentence1 or Sentence2?

If anyone sentence of bob is wrong why is it wrong?


texts:
I have the following sentence:

  Successfully ran the "user.js" seed.

Is that "the" necessary?

When is it necessary and when is it not?


texts: Is there an idiom that means "that something seems to be brewing"?

texts:
Idioms are hard to search for, especially if it cannot be put in a single word. This is one of those cases I believe, so are there idioms that allows you to say that something doesn't feel right, your sixth sense tells you that something bad may happen, or other similar things?

For example:

  I am a bit worried, there's ____.

  I don't like where this is going, I feel ____.


texts:
He missed the car in front by that much.

What does this sentence mean?

Does "in front" modify "the car"?
What amount does "by that much" indicate?


texts: "A car of the family" to mean "one of the family's car"?

texts:
Can we use the below expressions to mean "one of...."

(1) A car of the family

to mean one of the family's cars?

(2) A hat of the man

to mean one of the man's hats?

(3) A son of the old man

to mean one of the old man's sons?

(4) A car of a lawyer

to mean that there is a lawyer and what we're talking about is one of the lawyer's cars?

If we use the below expressions, do they mean the the things possessed are the only ones? Or it depends on the context?

(5) The car of the girl

implies the girl has one car only ?
By the way, I know "the girl's car" is preferred, but "the car of the girl" is also correct, right?

(6) The son of the old woman

implies the old woman has one son only ?


texts:
From The house of mirth by Edith Wharton
When people crowd their rooms so that you can't get near any one you want to speak to, I'd as soon sup in the elevated at the rush hour.

what does "in the elevated" mean?


texts:
Here are two examples from a computer book that are used right on the same page (to be more specific, the examples come from this book: Access 2013: The Missing Manual by Matthew MacDonald):

  The logo is a tiny picture that usually sits in the top-left corner of a report, next to the title.

A little later on that page it says:

  The logo and title typically sit at the top of your report.

I was taught that you should always say at the top-left corner of something, but in the first of the two examples the author, as you can see, says in the top-left corner of. Do you think his English there is totally fine? Maybe, his choice of words has something to do with the fact that there is some sort of spatial implication that the thing he's talking about is contained within boundaries rather than at a certain point as is the case with the at version (the corner of something can be thought of as a point and for points we usually use at)?


texts: What does “the session was packed” mean in this context?

texts:
I couldn’t believe the hall wasn’t standing room only. But I probably shouldn’t have been surprised! I was at the Cannes Lions International Advertising festival, and in an auditorium next door, Anderson Cooper was having an onstage discussion with Conan O’Brien. That session was packed. Meanwhile, in my forum, a little-known Chinese executive named S.Y. Lau was speaking.

Checking the translation of pack does not show very good relation in this sentence, however I guess they mean session was recorded? Please advise.


texts: What is it "palm-rooms" from “Girl” by O Henry

texts:
Robbins, fifty, something of an overweight beau, and addicted to first nights and hotel palm-rooms, pretended to be envious of his partner's commuter's joys.

What "hotel palm-rooms" is really mean? (seems like cosy and very comfortable room)
I don't think it means some palm-trees (or some "hand" here) there... or palm hut (shelter).
Maybe it has a historical explanation and origin?


texts: What is the difference between "You have been banned from this server" and "You were banned from this server"?

texts:
What is the difference between the following sentences?

  1 You have been banned from this server.

  2 You were banned from this server.


texts: Is there an idiom or expression saying or implying that gambling is a good thing? I am pretty sure there are idioms about gambling, but I am not sure if any of them are "positive".