English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room - 2011-06-17 (page 3 of 3)

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6:09 PM

0

Q: Correct naming form (with or without "of")

I have a system (software) that do topolygical analysis. How would be more correct to name it: "System of topological analysis" or "Topological analysis system" ? And what rules should I know to correctly speak in such situations? When better to use each form?

4

Q: Difference between the use of "for" and "of"

I am always confused by the difference between the use of for and of in cases like these: Principal component analysis of microarray data. Principal component analysis for microarray data. Which of these is correct? Is it OK to use both? If yes, when should I use 1. and 2., respecti...

word-choice prepositions

Ohai.

@Kit Excellent.

That is one of the questions I was thinking of.

Meanwhile, this:

0

Q: When should we use "and" and/or "and/or"?

does anyone knows when should we use "and" and/or "and/or"? is "and/or" even official english?

grammar grammaticality

25

Q: Alternatives to "and/or"?

As a programmer, I have no problem with seeing or using "and/or" in technical documentation. For example, I can upvote an answer that satisfies me and/or mark it as accepted. That's perfectly good English to me. However, if I were writing a novel, or even just an essay, or — heaven forbid —...

word-choice synonyms conjunctions formality

Well, then. My work here is done.

@RegDwight Well, it does have that oh-so-clever "Is this English?" part that you left out of your question...

I can edit it in. :P

6:24 PM

So you don't write poetry?

Red are the lips and/or cheeks of my lovely bride

I do, but while doing so, I don't use the knowledge from the answers to that question, as promised.

How I should like to give her a ride.

Oh. I see.

If "or" is not exclusive, is "nor" exclusive?

2

Q: Can something be a parent or child "to"/"of" something?

I am writing some software documentation. There are data structures that are organized in trees and every element in the structure can be child or parent "to"/"of" every other element. I am not a native speaker and my instincts are pretty divided on the matter themselves, so I guess I have to ...

word-choice prepositions

@RegDwight english.stackexchange.com/questions/30236/…

FF is agitating.

Yeah, I dunno what he's up to today.

6:31 PM

1

Q: What is a good synonym for "devil"?

If a person is very evil some would say he is a devil. Can anyone give me another word—devil sounds a bit strange to me.

There are a lot of questions about for and of, too

This was necroed but could probably be closed as General Reference?

4

Q: Difference between the use of "for" and "of"

I am always confused by the difference between the use of for and of in cases like these: Principal component analysis of microarray data. Principal component analysis for microarray data. Which of these is correct? Is it OK to use both? If yes, when should I use 1. and 2., respecti...

word-choice prepositions

1

Q: "Analysis on" vs. "analysis of"

Which is the best matching? I made an analysis on the software which I bought. I made an analysis of the software which I bought.

word-choice grammaticality prepositions

Okay, my brain hurts. No more searching.

@aedia Yeah, I know.

Yeah, buttloads of "for" and "of." It's diluting my patience.

6:33 PM

I've seen them all many times over... There are many more.

But at least one is closed as "too broad".

@RegDwight Do we have an authoritative preposition question/answer somewhere?

They seem to pop up more than other subjects

You mean covering all prepositions evarr?

Mostly just a general case for "What is the difference between prepositions A and B?"

Searching for them is kind of annoying

I figured you track links better than most... so I ask you :)

Actually it's not that hard. If I google for "of for", I get them all. It's much trickier to google for those "X of Y vs Y X" questions.

Especially if you don't remember neither X nor Y.

Hm. I will file that away.

Also, nice pic.

6:38 PM

But anyhow, my very own take on prepositions is, just friggin learn them.

english.stackexchange.com/questions/5839/…

List of English prepositions

This is a list of English prepositions. In English, some prepositions are short, typically containing six letters or fewer. There are, however, a significant number of multi-word prepositions. Throughout the history of the English language, new prepositions have come into use, old ones fallen out of use, and the meaning of existing prepositions has changed. The prepositions generally remain a closed class. Single words *' *' *' *' *' *' *' *' *' *' *' *' *' *' *' *' (see "a" for usage in front of consonants.) *' ("apropos of" is a common derived term.) *' *' (also an adverb and a conj...

Why are there so many?!?! I never knew there were so many.

@RegDwight Dude, prepositions are hard.

@MrHen That is precisely what I'm saying if you actually follow my link.

There, that little rejoinder ought to earn me a retaliatory down-vote.

@RegDwight So we precisely agree? ;)

6:39 PM

@MrHen I liked your "and/or" answer, but I think you ought to beef up the "and" part, since he was asking for differences.

@MrHen Sort for. I mean, sort of.

@Kit I don't think he was. The and was just there because of the clever title

But I can add something real quick.

I think you need air quotes around your "clever."

I already upvoted you, so don't worry about it. :)

Done and done.

Dun and dun. Monochromatic.

6:43 PM

@Robusto thwack

@Robusto Hmm... I looked up monochromatic. You get off on a technicality: "lacking in variety; monotonous"

Isn't "dunning someone" to thwack them?

Ouch. That's an oddly worded sentence.

Now look up "dun" ...

I'll save you the trouble: dun 2 (d n). n. 1. An almost neutral brownish gray to dull grayish brown.

Lots of newborn animals are dun.

Also means "to thwack", right?

So ... no technicality needed. The statement is fine as written.

6:49 PM

@Robusto Ah, point taken.

Also, dun was the OE word for "hill" (or one of them) and it is where dune comes from, and also the -don or -down endings of English place names (in most cases).

Pfah. Everyone knows Dune comes from Frank Herbert.

But don't confuse it with -ton endings, which come from tun meaning town.

Hm. Yeah, that isn't why I had filed under "dun" at all

Well, TIL

(Thanks.)

What's TIL?

6:53 PM

Today I learned.

That's a nice one.

TIL

Ten-Inch Linguini.

☺

TIWE

Tilman „Til“ Valentin Schweiger (* 19. Dezember 1963 in Freiburg im Breisgau) ist ein deutscher Schauspieler, Regisseur, Drehbuchautor und Produzent. Als Filmemacher war er für einige der erfolgreichsten deutschen Kinoproduktionen der 1990er und 2000er Jahre verantwortlich. Als Schauspieler gilt er als einer der wenigen deutschen Kinostars der Gegenwart. Im Jahr 2009 erreichte er mit drei Filmen jeweils mehr als zwei Millionen Zuschauer (Inglourious Basterds 2,1 Mio, Männerherzen 2,2 Mio. und Zweiohrküken 4,2 Mio.). Kein anderer deutscher Schauspieler hat seit Beginn der Auswertungen der F...

Today I was edified.

6:54 PM

Time Is Lost

In Soviet Russia, today learned I.

@RegDwight Oh yeah. I've had sexual relations with him as well. Linus was better though.

TIL

Oh, supper. AFK.

Ciao.

Der Teufel scheißt immer auf den größten Haufen.

7:00 PM

Ain't that the truth.

I hope you aren't casting aspersions on my choice of bed partners with that colorful expression, though.

I really need to learn more languages to hang out here.

Oh, don't worry. I don't speak a word of any other languages, and I get along here just fine.

☺

This is the best place to learn.

@Kit — I cast no aspersions, and I don't care who sleeps with whom. And I don't even need to know.

gasp You mean, you don't want to know all the details of my life? But, but...I'm the center of the universe, aren't I?

@Kit ni siquiera un poquito del Español?

7:06 PM

Non, pas une seule mot.

You can't trick me that way. ;)

D'oh.

@Kit Tee hee.

7:22 PM

@Kit Consider the observable universe. You are the center.

@aedia You are a good friend.

7:54 PM

Have a nice weekend, my peeps!

@Kit You too!

1 hour later…

9:26 PM

@Cerberus wake up, lil' doggies! I see you sleeping. You never told me how the eclipse looked for reals!

9:41 PM

Hi @Kosmonaut!

2 hours later…

11:35 PM

13

Q: How do I explain US English?

What's the best way to explain to my four-year-old son why "color" is the wrong way for him to spell "colour", but that it's not wrong in the book he's reading? (Also "mom", "favorite", etc). Similarly, although less importantly, that "z" is pronounced "zed" ("dance", "tomato", etc), but the ch...

It is inexplicable.

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Jun '1117

English Language & Usage: Multi-Layer…

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