English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

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Educ

00:01

I tried to not exceed the 40 words and keep the essential ideas

3 hours later…

Feeds

03:06

Q: Names for matching things

The context here is programming, so I'm not sure if anyone could understand. I have a function that takes in two parameters. The first parameter is an enum while the second parameter is a list (of enum). What the function does is to search through the list to see if any of the enum matches the f...

1 hour later…

SmokeDetector

04:26

[ SmokeDetector | MS ] URL in title, bad keyword in body, bad keyword in title, blacklisted website in body, blacklisted website in title, +2 more: freemp3download.club/the-weekend-sad-frosty-mp3-song-download/ by rontgred on english.SE

2 hours later…

SmokeDetector

06:01

[ SmokeDetector | MS ] URL in title, bad NS for domain in body, bad NS for domain in title, bad keyword in body, bad keyword in title, +2 more: 2conv.xyz/hero-comethazine-mp3-song-download/ by ankurbelgets on english.SE

Feeds

06:20

Q: a single word for "lack of accountability?"

What is another word for "lack of accountability?" I'm thinking unorganised, but something is telling me that I'm trying to describe something else when I use that word..

single-word-requests phrase-requests

2 hours later…

SmokeDetector

08:01

[ SmokeDetector | MS ] Bad keyword in body, bad keyword in title, blacklisted website in body, repeated URL at end of long post: such a big girl's blouse. Pro Diet Turmeric Forskolin by Juliourland on english.SE

3 hours later…

Feeds

10:44

Q: Address and Passport number in one word

Is it possible to name User's address data and passport details in one-word? I have come up to User Details, but I don't really like it

single-word-requests

SmokeDetector

11:10

[ SmokeDetector | MS ] URL in title, blacklisted website in body, blacklisted website in title: maleintalk.com/fresh-nature-hemp/ by user302379 on english.SE

Boris_yo

11:28

"I want to pet all the lions."

Does that make sense in a funny way?

SmokeDetector

11:56

[ SmokeDetector | MS ] Bad NS for domain in body, bad keyword in body, pattern-matching website in body: Have you been facing the problem of obesity? by hjufdh on english.SE

Mitch

@Boris_yo It's grammatical (the syntax is all correct).

It makes semantic sense (lions are pettable objects and to do so is wantable thing)

It makes pragmatic sense (lions are soft and furry, and cats in general are used to being petted).

It is ill-advised (lions will eat your face off).

Educ

12:42

any help please

1 hour later…

Izana wistaria

14:10

@Educ I don't know how to fix your version. I came up with this:

"American education redefined homemaking, as the country became highly industrialized and successful, making the ideal American homemaker a consumer rather than a producer. Schools trained women to be efficient homemakers, taking care of their home and family. However these notions are out of date now."

It's 45 words exact.

Anyway, just write the best you could and send it to them in the future. You will learn that way.

@Educ I don't mean to express superiority of any kind but please stop writing things like "any help please", it makes it sound like you are begging. :)

That is to say, if someone wants to help, they will. Otherwise don't care about people and do the best you can and submit your assignments. Better to learn a bit on your own eh?

Færd

14:32

@Mitch or inadvisable?

Feeds

Q: Only answering questions asked directly, only volunteering specific details

I've seen several characters in different mediums do this, and I was wondering if there is a word or phrase to more easily explain it. I'm referring to when someone gives specific details about something in a way which serves their purposes and refuses to volunteer information that might be usefu...

single-word-requests phrases

MetaEd

@Izanawistaria The train whistle.

Mitch

14:59

@Færd Sure, you could say that, too

@Izanawistaria He's trying hard already. This ain't his first rodeo. He's going through lots of ESL right now, already well aware of all the advice you all are trying to give him.

Which is not to say that repeated implorations (of that is a word) isn't annoying.

1 hour later…

Færd

16:27

@Mitch I thought you'd be ill-advised to use them interchangeably? Apparently not always.

Boris_yo

@Mitch Thanks Mitch!

"If you ordered mug" versus "If you ordered a mug"

Which is correct one? Err which is a correct one? :)

Færd

"the correct one" :)

Boris_yo

Well oops..

Is mug same?

"The mug"?

@Færd You have mythological sounding name there...

Færd

Probably not: it should be "a mug".

But it all depends on the context.

Boris_yo

To customer:

"If you ordered a mug: Delivery takes ... days etc."

Færd

16:35

Meaning the container used for drinking? Sure, it's "a mug".

Or "mugs".

@Boris_yo That's more or less all I have left of my mythical past.

Boris_yo

Okay. Thanks.

Færd

You don't want to know why?

Boris_yo

@Færd About your past?

Færd

Haha no. About whether it should be "order a mug" or "ordre mug".

Boris_yo

Yes, tell me.

Færd

16:43

English has count nouns and mass nouns.

Or countable/uncountable nouns.

For example you don't say "~~one water, two waters~~".

You probably know that?

But you could say "one apple, two apples".

Boris_yo

Yes.

Færd

Those that you could count (eg, apple, mug) are normally either used in the plural or with an article (a, the) or with a determiner (this, your), or a combination of these.

So you could have:

> a mug

> the mug

Boris_yo

an apple

Færd

> the mugs

@Boris_yo Yes

> your mugs

> these mugs

Etc.

But not mug alone in a sentence.

That's why you don't "order mug".

Boris_yo

Interesting.

When do I use "the" versus "a"? Why "a mug" and not "the mug"? Depends on sentense?

"If you ordered the mug" versus "If you ordered a mug"

Færd

16:50

You could learn about all these and more by studying a learner's grammar book.

@Boris_yo The mug could mean that specific mug that we know about.

A mug could be any mug in the store.

Boris_yo

Got it.

I have low memory. I tend to forget things.

But I know they are still somewhere in my subconscious.

Færd

That's an endemic disease all over the world.

Particularly as regards language learning.

That's why you need to constantly review and revise.

Boris_yo

Will there ever be invented bionic memory reserves?

Færd

Maybe.

Boris_yo

So everyone will be a walking Wiki

Færd

16:54

Pedestrian.

Boris_yo

Not good?

Right, everyone will be too smart, even bad people. Not good.

We already have them in government.

Færd

I don't know. I would think it should take the fun out of cognitive processes.

But I have no idea.

Boris_yo

You're in US?

Færd

Nope.

The US is in my bionic memory reserve tho MUHAHAHA

Boris_yo

Ah so you don't need GPS?

Færd

17:00

That's an interesting question.

I think crows develop their own GPS systems.

There are people with a lot keener sense of direction, only because they use geographical directions instead of the old left and right system in their language.

Feeds

17:15

Q: I need some idioms that can be used in paragraphs

I need some idioms that can be used in paragraphs in general not for a particular subject, like an idiom of the mean of necessary, important,or others giving the mean of bad

single-word-requests american-english british-english idiom-requests

Q: I'm looking for a word that describes someone who APPEARS to have it all (happy, successful, wealthy, friendships)

Similar to the recent suicides of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain. Not knowing these individuals, one would assume they were happy due to their success and social status seen on the surface.

single-word-requests

SmokeDetector

18:01

[ SmokeDetector | MS ] Bad keyword with email in answer, email in answer, potentially bad keyword in answer: Does the term "Brotherhood" imply that all members are males? by Raul Mark on english.SE

Feeds

18:28

Q: Opposite of "Shopping Cart," for sellers?

What's an appropriate term for a "shopping cart" when you're adding things to the cart and then selling them as opposed to buying?

single-word-requests antonyms

MetaEd

19:12

@Mitch Whoa whoa whoa whoa, and it comes out here.

Mitch

19:32

@MetaEd thank you for spelling 'whoa' correctly

@Færd pfft, crows. They ain't so smart. They move their lips when they read

1 hour later…

Feeds

20:36

Q: Synonym / Alternate expression for "for fear that"?

Can anyone help me out here? It's been nagging me all afternoon, scrounging around in my head for it and plumbing the Web--I swear I've heard a more literary alternative for this one before. Something like "God forbid" comes to mind, but that's not quite it: too idiomatic. Though it has a comple...

single-word-requests phrase-requests prepositional-phrases

Q: Equivalent for Brazil Portuguese 'desaplaudido'?

I read in Twitter in Spanish, translation mine: In Portuguese from Brazil there is a word for that people who always try to get the attention but cannot achieve that because, in fact, they are not good in anything: he/she is a desaplaudido. It is wonderful. We have to import it to Spanish. ...

single-word-requests colloquialisms portuguese

RegDwigнt

21:23

@Færd yeah I wasn't travelling alone this time. Also, I don't need a visum for Armenia, but I think I do for your place.

Feeds

21:49

Q: I did not get the job offer. What term could describe the brief sadness I experienced, then moving forward?

I was turn downed for a job offer after an onsite interview. This was sad news for me. What term could describe the brief sadness I experienced upon notification that I did not make the cut for a job offer? The key difference here is that I was upset, but now I am feeling better after some hours ...

single-word-requests semantics business-language

Q: What is a word that means "unwilling to learn"?

I train people in software and sometimes the students are resistant or unwilling to learn. I would like to know if there is a word to describe these people.

single-word-requests

Feeds

22:27

Q: Word for list of formulae

A project I work on for my engineering department (in French) needs a translation of a certain word in French which doesn't seem to have an English counterpart. The word in question, "formulaire", is used to mean "a list of mathematical or physical formulae that span a couple pages". Some possib...