Questions tagged [single-word-requests]
On Meta, this tag is for discussion of single-word-request questions asked on the main site.
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Request for reopening
This question was closed as a duplicate. I have edited to add a couple of paragraphs explaining why I do not think the alleged duplicate is relevant.
In brief: I am asking for a word that describes ...
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How can word choice questions be closed for being opinion-based?
I asked a word choice question recently, and it was closed within minutes for being "opinion-based". Fine, I suppose it is.
But there are over 11000 questions tagged for word choice, not ...
user333815
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Why I enjoy EL&U users more than dictionaries [closed]
I need to share my heart. Maybe this is a therapy post, but I really mean it.
I don't like Dictionary-only answers
I don't want to single out any users as examples, because that's not my point.
I want ...
- 1,077
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Single-word-request rule clarification needed
My question Alternative to trumped was recently closed for being opinion-based. However, the tag single-word-requests has 300+ pages of questions similar to mine.
Why is there the tag single-word-...
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Suggestion: Capping points that can be earned for a single-word request
This may have been discussed before, but I didn't find anything relevant with the search function. I'll be happy to delete if someone directs me elsewhere.
There's a limit to how much can be earned ...
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Why is suggesting words on word suggestion questions insufficient?
I'm confused by the following notice on my answer to a question which is basically "we do this thing where we promise something; what would you call that?" to which I provided several good words with ...
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Warn people of the rules for [Single-Word-Requests] before posting
As everyone probably knows, very few people actually follow the main rule of single-word-requests:
YOU MUST INCLUDE A SAMPLE SENTENCE
Thus we have many low-quality questions, many of which get ...
LaurelMod
- 65.4k
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Three SWRs suddenly closed for being POB
Yes, I am aware that many users including tchrist ♦, and perhaps eight of the nine EL&U mods, really dislike SWRs (Single Word Requests) but for a mod to shut all three questions as Primarily ...
- 90.3k
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Are single word requests bad? Or are they great?
I asked a question that boils down to a single word request. The question got 7 upvotes, the answer got 14, but it also has 3 close votes, so it seems to have gotten a very positive and very negative ...
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What to do about single-word-request answers that provide many answers?
From this question I get the impression that there is some agreement that single-word-requests should really only give one answer per post. However, this behavior doesn't seem to be enforced in any ...
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What widely-accepted standards should be used to judge whether a single-word-request is too broad?
This question is an off-shoot of this Meta question focused on the deletion, and consequently on the closure, of a particular single-word-request question.
Deleted Upvoted and Popular Question: Why?
...
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Is this forum appropriate for teachers of English as a second language?
I'm new to the forum, and I've participated in answering questions and asking them. IMHO esl teachers are in general a poorly trained lot. I strive to develop my understanding of grammar, semantics, ...
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“What’s wrong with single word requests?”
In the proposal to merge ELU and ELL, the asker in passing mentioned:
On the other hand, many native speakers actually ask questions such as single word requests which should not be the focus of ELU ...
tchristMod
- 134k
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Naming vs. Single word requests
It seems that naming is off-topic and single words requests are on-topic on this site.
How do I identify whether I'm asking a naming question or I have a single word request?
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Should EL&U clarify with other SE sites what constitutes a suitable single-word-request?
In a recent post
What are names for territories in space?
The OP seemed to ask for us to make up new words for him. OP seems to realize this, based on the later comment
I pointed this out in ...
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How should reviewers (and other users) handle SLAs to SWRs?
On deleting low quality single-word-request answers established the consensus that single line answers (SLAs) to single word requests (SWRs) shall be deleted, however the highest-voted answer argues ...
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Redirect for SWRs?
It is a long standing annoyance that SWRs (single word requests), though unusually highly trafficked, the source for rep for many people, and having a few catchy interesting questions, are poorly ...
- 70.9k
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Can a newly constructed word answer a single word request?
When I searched for this question, I found questions regarding whether asking for people to coin words is on-topic.
I have a little bit of a different question.
Suppose if OP is making a single word ...
- 3,305
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On deleting low quality single-word-request answers
This morning, I and my fellow moderators are faced with a quandary. Once again, we have a pile of disputed low quality flags in our queue, the majority of which are for answers to single-word-requests....
Kit Z. FoxMod
- 27.8k
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How to answer single-word-request when a single word exists, but a multi-word phrasing is preferable?
I know the SWR topic gets a lot of debate here, but given that the things exist, I am asking for a best practice in a particular set of cases.
Quintilian said something like "the goal of ...
- 12.9k
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Word request answers - one answer per word? [duplicate]
Is there a preferred method for answering single-word requests or phrase request answers if you have two or more recommended words/phrases?
There are a few possibilities I can think of:
Multiple ...
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Should I downvote multi word answers on single-word-requests?
Reading through single-word-requests questions I often notice that a lot of the answers are not 'single word'-answers. Instead they give a combination of words describing the requested topic. Some ...
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Do word/phrase requests need to say what word class they want?
Taking this recent question as an example, word/phrase request questions frequently get answers for many different word classes. It has several verbs and adjectives, and 'tooth and nail' would be an ...
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A word that means 'language and usage'
As is known, when things aren't working the way you want them to, or you feel you're surrounded by problems, it can be tempting to look outward and try to change the things that you feel are causing ...
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How do you explain why a word phrase is unlikely to exist?
I've had a few occasions where it was apparent to me why a word a speaker was looking for was unlikely to exist, as in this answer. I've had it happen a couple times that while many answers with ...
user36720
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For [single-word-requests], should we encourage "there is no such word" as an answer? [duplicate]
With single-word-requests, quite often the decisive, true, and most useful answer (most useful: for the OP, for 100,000 years of future googlers, etc) is simply that "hmm, there is in English no ...
- 11.4k
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Can anything be done for well-wishing requests for terminology?
I've really been harping on things like this recently, and I think I need to go somewhere else to cool down for a bit.
So I'm deleting my account for now but intending to continue visiting in the ...
user39720
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Can anything be done about mean-spirited requests for terminology?
tl;dr: Mean people suck, and we should not help them.
EDIT: I don’t actually believe anything mechanical can be done here, and I certainly don’t expect a “closed due to meanness” reason. That’s just ...
tchristMod
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Word for disrespecting eldest half-sister by referring to her husband as girly-girl-manly-boy though he's amused but the rest of the family isn't?
Are these single word requests getting out of hand, or am I just still too new to this site to recognize a long-standing problem and standard ways of dealing with them?
I thought that by using ...
- 55.2k
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Why was this question about word choice closed and sent to Writers?
As per the FAQ here, questions about word choice are clearly on-topic. However, this word choice question was closed and sent to writers, where these questions are very clearly off-topic. It's ...
- 4,963
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Reconsidering the single word request
In light of the recent launch of our sister site, English Language Learners, I would like to propose that this site no longer accept questions of the "What is another word or phrase for...?"
Single ...
Kit Z. FoxMod
- 27.8k
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Is it really so important in English to find a single word to express a single concept?
Recently, this forum has seen many questions of the what is the single word for type.
Is this really such a concern in English?
Single words such as obfuscate or elucidate can obfuscate as much they ...
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Single word requests, crosswords, and the fight against mediocrity
A call to action
This topic has been brought up here numerous times before, most recently by JSBangs:
I'm now of the opinion that single word requests should be either disallowed entirely or subject ...
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Against single word requests
We've discussed single-word-requests before:
Are single word requests always welcomed questions?
Are word requests allowed?
The consensus of earlier discussions was that these questions are on the ...
- 54.2k
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Are single word requests always welcomed questions?
Are there any cases where a single word request is not welcomed on EL&U?
The FAQ clearly states that users should ask "practical, answerable questions based on actual problems." In which cases ...
- 58.9k
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Are word requests allowed?
Is it okay to use this site to ask for words that fit a given definition? Dictionaries are great for looking up definitions if you know the word you're looking up, but not the other way around. I'm ...
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