Questions tagged [word-choice]
This tag is for questions which a dictionary cannot answer about the several possibilities available for a particular meaning, and which one of them would be the most appropriate.
4,977
questions
0
votes
2answers
37 views
is it idiomatic to say “She is going to the deathday party”?
deathday (noun): the day of a person's death or its anniversary
In some Asian countries, every year a family often holds a party for its members and guests to celebrate / memorize the deathday of one ...
0
votes
0answers
19 views
Do we say “to strap the hat behind the neck” or “to put the strap of the hat around the neck and fasten it”?
strap somebody/something + adv./prep. to fasten somebody/something in
place using a strap or straps
He strapped the knife to his leg.
Everything had to be strapped down to stop it from ...
0
votes
0answers
10 views
'This' v. 'that' when referencing smth just mentioned
I don't know, suppose it's something like this (I made up the sentences myself):
Dolphins have a smooth, streamlined body. This/that helps them accelerate up to 34.5 mph.
Sometimes, even in ...
0
votes
0answers
22 views
Do you say “don't leave your sleeve pendulous, roll it up”?
pendulous (adj): hanging down loosely and moving from side to side
The sleeve seems to be a bit too long, which makes you uncomfortable.
Do you say "don't leave your sleeve pendulous, roll it up"?
...
0
votes
0answers
13 views
is it idiomatic to say “the plastic tube is broken”?
broken (adj) that has been damaged or injured; no longer whole or working correctly
a broken window/plate
a broken leg/arm/bone
pieces of broken glass
How did this dish get broken?
...
0
votes
0answers
23 views
Is it “you, who refuses” or “you, who refuse” or other?
I'm writing a piece in the second person and I've stumbled on a weird complexity of grammar that I can't wrap my head around. My original sentence in the first draft:
"You, who refuse to even think ...
0
votes
1answer
17 views
Is electro-resuscitate a word? Can it be used?
I thought I would find the word in the dictionary. However, after doing a Google search I found out I was wrong.
The term electro-resuscitation has been used though:
... Giovanni Aldini, Professor ...
0
votes
0answers
36 views
Would you say “to face the screen of the smartphone downwards” or “ to turn the smartphone upside down”?
right side up (North American English) with the top part turned to
the top; in the correct, normal position
I dropped my toast, but luckily it fell right side up.
upside down: in or into a ...
1
vote
1answer
39 views
could we use the verb “poke” without an agent who caused it?
poke [intransitive, transitive] to quickly push your finger or some other pointed object into something or someone
poke somebody/something with something
Andy poked the fish with his finger ...
0
votes
0answers
21 views
Should the plural form of a word or phrase have an apostrophe?
I thought they should have an apostrophe. Since you add one with letters (e.g. There are two x's in this equation).
So I thought you were supposed to write:
They are many why's that don't have an ...
0
votes
1answer
33 views
How to use “right side up”, “upside down”, “sideways” correctly?
right side up (North American English) with the top part turned to
the top; in the correct, normal position
I dropped my toast, but luckily it fell right side up.
upside down: in or into a ...
0
votes
1answer
28 views
Awareness on X vs. awareness of X
Example, should one say "awareness on depression" or awareness of depression"?
I'm confused because I found both usages.
Example:
We'll also be hosting an event raising awareness on depression ...
0
votes
3answers
99 views
Reach manhood or reach to manhood?
1) When he reaches to manhood, he will visit England.
OR
2) When he reaches manhood, he will visit England.
Which of the two is correct?
1
vote
1answer
19 views
Using “for good.”
After the final blow, he was knocked out for good.
Is for good used correctly in this sentence?
0
votes
4answers
55 views
What noun do you use for an occasion of below zero temperatures?
What noun do you use for a period of very cold weather in which temperature drops below zero? Can I use the word frost For example:
There was a strong frost last night.
1
vote
1answer
39 views
what are the differences between the verb: “flick” and “flip”?
flick
1-[transitive] flick something + adv./prep. to hit something lightly
with a sudden quick movement, especially using your finger and thumb
together, or your hand
She flicked the dust ...
0
votes
2answers
30 views
Should I say “My child coughed sputum / phlegm / mucus up” in general everyday English?
sputum (uncount): liquid from the throat or lungs, especially when it is coughed up (= forced up from the lungs, etc) because of disease
blood in the sputum
phlegm (uncount): the thick ...
0
votes
0answers
26 views
Difference between social networks and social media?
What is the difference between "social networks" and "social media"? I often see these two terms used, and I can't figure out when to use one or the other. I also wanted to know if the natives could ...
0
votes
0answers
17 views
What is the difference between 'a few', 'some', 'several', and 'multiple'?
'A few', 'some', 'several', 'multiple' seem to have, more or less, the same meaning. But, as I see it, 'a few' appears to be less than 'some' and 'several' while 'some' and 'several', in turn, appear ...
1
vote
0answers
14 views
As if that wasn't bad enough vs. as if that weren't bad enough
I'm aware that should use was when talking about an event in the past. And you should use were if it's an hypothetical situation that hasn't happened.
I'm not sure to which category "as if that wasn'...
0
votes
1answer
35 views
What adjective do you use to describe someone who doesn't let others use their things when they themselves don't need them the moment?
Let's say there is a person who has three phones, which they don't all need at the moment. And one of the person's coworkers asks them if they can use one of the person's phones because their phone ...
0
votes
0answers
13 views
How do you describe the sound a chair makes when someone is heavily rocking it on the floor?
How do you describe the sound a normal chair makes when someone is heavily rocking it on the floor? Can I use the verb thump. For example:
Stop making that chair thump!
For that matter, is it ...
0
votes
2answers
26 views
“Ministry of Education” capital or small initials?
If I want to mention Ministry of Health in the middle of a sentence should I capitalize initials or not. For example:
Thanks to the German Ministry of Health
Or,
Thanks to the German ministry ...
0
votes
1answer
22 views
Free riders and freeloaders
I am wondering about the spelling of these two words.
Why is "free rider" spelled as two words, while "freeloader" is only one? Is there a rule for this?
Furthermore, where is the exact difference ...
2
votes
1answer
29 views
Is it natural to describe a common cold as long?
Is it natural to describe a common cold as long? For example:
I had a long cold for a week, but thankfully it went away.
Would it be more natural to use the adjective lengthy or prolonged for ...
1
vote
1answer
36 views
Is it better to say “This feature allows you to…” or “This feature lets you…”?
In the context of a web application, is it better to say:
"This feature allows you to (do something/action)."
or
"This feature lets you (do something/action)."?
0
votes
2answers
21 views
Using “role model” as an adjective
Can role model be used as an adjective? For example, in a thank you letter:
Thanks to my role model friends
1
vote
2answers
36 views
What adjective do you use to describe a movie that is so sad that it is hard to watch?
What adjective do you use to describe a movie that is so sad that it is hard to watch? Can I describe that movie as heavy?
1
vote
1answer
18 views
“over the past five seasons” or “over the previous five seasons”
I have made up (1) below.
(1) Players who score at least eighty goals in a season will win a gold medal. Over the past five seasons, Jack has scored no more than seventy goals per season. However, in ...
16
votes
11answers
7k views
What is the verb for describing the movement of a cat's paw when it is trying to hit something with it?
What is the verb for describing the movement of a cat's paw when it is trying to hit something with it? Can I use the verb punch? For examle:
The cat is punching the decorations hanging from the ...
2
votes
1answer
41 views
What is it called: a card necklace?
Look at the picture
This is a string that is knotted a card at 1 end. The card could be a swiping card or ID card (like some reporters often wear around the neck when they are on duty, they will be ...
0
votes
0answers
12 views
Oppressive vs oppressing
Let's look at the sentence. Our government is oppressive. Here the word 'oppressive' means to the one who oppresses. Now we can use the present participle form of a verb as an adjective. So here we ...
0
votes
1answer
26 views
What expression fits the best for the intended meaning?
I'm looking for an expression that would mean someone takes control over someone else, like in a bad relationship, when someone takes a dominant posture in spite of the other person. Google would ...
0
votes
1answer
26 views
How to express this action in English “He waved his soaked hands at my face for fun”: He flicked the water from his soaked hands onto my face?
wave [intransitive, transitive] to move your hand or arm from side to side in the air in order to attract attention, say hello, etc.
The people on the bus waved and we waved back.
wave at/to ...
0
votes
0answers
30 views
Is my sentence correct with the order of the words, and does it miss any other word to make it clear?
Please tell me if it is correct and if there are alternatives. I'm not sure about the order of the words, or if "with" is needed, especially in this part : "the heart devoured from within".
Love is ...
0
votes
1answer
19 views
Is fair-to-middling better than middling?
middling
[...]
1.1 Neither very good nor very bad.
(from here)
fair-to-middling
Slightly above average.
(from here)
Lexico didn't help me, though it kinda suggests that 'middling' ...
4
votes
2answers
325 views
what is the adjective to express “to make a fire stop burning”, can we say “to blow the candles off or extinguished”?
blow [intransitive, transitive] to be moved by the wind, somebody’s
breath, etc.; to move something in this way
adv./prep. My hat blew off.
adj. The door blew open.
blow somebody/...
0
votes
1answer
23 views
What are the differences between “a sip” and “a mouthful”?
mouthful [countable] an amount of food or drink that you put in your mouth at
one time
She took a mouthful of water.
Thank you, but I couldn’t eat another mouthful.
He talked eagerly ...
0
votes
1answer
13 views
Searching for a commonly used word to describe someone hardened over time
I have a word on the tip of my tongue. I’m fairly sure it’s either a gerundive or an adjective and it is frequently used to describe someone who has become hardened and/or disagreeable from age.
0
votes
1answer
32 views
do you say “to pour hard objects out of a container”?
pour [transitive] to make a liquid or other substance flow from a container in a continuous stream, especially by holding the container
at an angle
pour something + adv./prep. Pour the sauce ...
0
votes
1answer
41 views
How to distinguish grandma of your dad side & grandma of your mom side?
grand‧moth‧er /ˈɡrænˌmʌðə $ -ər/ (grandma) ●●● S2 W2 noun [countable] the
mother of your mother or father
Some other languages use different terms for grandma of your dad side & grandma of ...
0
votes
0answers
18 views
As as VS Though
As cute as the dog may have looked, they refused to let him inside their house.
Though the dog may have looked cute, they refused to let him inside their house.
What's the difference here? Thank ...
0
votes
1answer
20 views
The best synonym for “partition” in this sentence
I have a network. I want to divide this network into several domains. The first version of this sentence that I have written is like this:
The network is partitioned into several domains.
I want ...
0
votes
0answers
21 views
What is the difference between as and while here? [duplicate]
Is there a difference between as and while in the sentence below? Which one of them is the more natural choice to Americans? Is one of them more formal than the other?
James waits as/while April ...
0
votes
1answer
20 views
Usage of “If so” in a formal email
I'm working in a company as a supervisor.
can i say in a formal email :
"you must have received a confirmation email about the training. if so, could you please provide me with the attached invoice?"
...
0
votes
1answer
41 views
My toddler always refuses to eat vegetables whenever I ask her to, can I say this “you have an attitude about vegetables” to him?
"Attitude" has 2 main meanings
1 [countable] the way that you think and feel about
somebody/something; the way that you behave towards somebody/something
that shows how you think and feel
...
0
votes
1answer
44 views
Which to say “She is playing with toy cars” or “She is playing with car toys”?
toy 1 /tɔɪ/ ●●● S3 noun [countable]
1 an object for children to play with
some toys for the baby
toy car/soldier/gun etc
soft/cuddly toy British English (=a toy that looks like ...
0
votes
2answers
21 views
Is it natural to use the verb “stomp” in the sense of getting something off one's feet?
Is it natural to use the verb stomp in the sense of getting something off one's feet? For example:
Before you come in, please stomp off the snow of your feet.
If it is not, the what would a native ...
1
vote
1answer
43 views
What do you call a shop or place where phones, laptops and tablets are fixed?
What do native English speakers call a place where phones, computers, tablets, headphones are fixed. Would they call it a technician's shop? For example:
I am going to take my phone to the ...
0
votes
0answers
24 views
Do we say “to lean the broom AGAINST / ON the corner of the room” or “to lean the broom IN the corner of the room”?
lean [transitive] to make something rest against something in a sloping position
lean something against something Can I lean my bike against the
wall?
She leaned her head against his ...
