English Language & Usage

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1answer
100 views

Is it really true that those who down / up vote and/or close a question do not have to provide any reason why? [duplicate]

I have a question about my English Language & Usage Stack Exchange post: Seeking clarification on the use of “They/Them/Their” as a personal gender pronoun The title is the total question. I ...
-4
votes
2answers
230 views

Please reopen the question about the meaning of 'wong'

I think the following question recently posted by a new user should be reopened: Why is "wong" a bad word? The meaning the OP is looking for is not present in any available online ...
8
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2answers
196 views

Inappropriate replacement of question?

Please see this question on dialect and (specifically) its edit history. While I can’t say that I approve of the original question’s choice of example, I think that the “revision&...
1
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1answer
82 views

How did this question ever get so much attention?

There is a question of mine that sometimes makes me chuckle. A trivial, very non-urgent question with little to no practical value. A question on why names starting with "J" are more common than words ...
1
vote
1answer
45 views

Is this a translation question?

This question about the phrase no stinkin' way has the translation tag. Here is the tag description for translation: Determining English equivalents for words or phrases in other languages (that ...
2
votes
4answers
299 views

Vote to reopen 'gradations of beautiful' question

A question was asked about ranking the strength of the synonyms of 'beautiful'. It was closed very quickly as 'Primarily Opinion Based'. I think this is misguided. Questions about nuances of words ...
4
votes
0answers
125 views

Why is my question closed as “unclear”?

What's the correct word to refer to a believer of scientism? I don't understand what's unclear with this question. The comment says: Wait... what is scientism exactly? It sounds like a very ...
1
vote
2answers
84 views

How to change a closure from “proofreading” to “duplicate”?

Ed Chu's question Is “I was having a walk” correct? has been closed (with just one vote plus mod) for supposed "proofreading". I think the proofreading flag was inappropriate here, as the question is ...
4
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0answers
231 views

Determiner question

The question below seems to be very simple at first glance and swifty got closed: Are articles pronouns? However, the answer is not as clear as it seems at first glance. For those of us well ...
1
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0answers
89 views

Improper merger

The recent question about the early usage of optics meaning “point of view” has been improperly merged into an older similar question. Can you please restore the new original question? Thanks.
5
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2answers
129 views

Please help me improve my babel answer?

I have authored an answer to a SWR. While I believe my suggestion provides a near precise answer to the asked question, it seems to be rather unliked. I understand the word may be rare, but an ...
2
votes
2answers
126 views

Why was my question downvoted?

I recently asked a question on English Language & Usage, and it was received poorly. Now, I have nothing against criticism, but I just wonder why. Here's the question. What should I use when ...
7
votes
1answer
167 views

What is wrong with my question and how could I have done it better?

I was reading the meta post on coping with downvotes in which ColleenV made an excellent point about how receiving multiple downvotes warrants a closer look at the post in question. Earlier today I ...
7
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3answers
152 views

Closing on-topic questions as duplicates of questions closed as off-topic

Regarding this question, I believe duping it to a question that was closed as off-topic is a bit disingenuous. I believe there was general consensus the question itself was on-topic. Is this really ...
5
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4answers
227 views

Is it offensive to use someone's comment as a basis of another question on its own?

I'm surprised. I did this without any intention to be offensive. Yet I was told I was deeply offensive. Long story short: @RobbieGoodwin posted an anecdotal comment under my question, saying that he ...
5
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1answer
193 views

Re-open request: “Stick vs aerosol” question

A question on "What does "you like stick and I like aerosol" mean? has been closed as "Primarily Opinion Based". It's not opinion-based. There is a clear meaning to those who know that deodorant ...
7
votes
0answers
115 views

Please consider reopening my question

My question is closed as off-topic. First, my question is not so elementary. It is not about the usual use of past perfect as in When I came up with the idea of climbing all the statues taller ...
0
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2answers
157 views

Is this question still off-topic?

The question What's a word for a 'thing that makes one sleepy'? has attracted a good number of upvotes and a series of interesting answers IMO, but users appear to think that it is still ...
6
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3answers
184 views

On the recently-migrated question “Need help with understanding the sentence”

... which is now on ELL : https://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/122505/need-help-with-understanding-the-sentence After the following comment by the OP: I personally agree with the second option (...
3
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0answers
114 views

Can we change the linked-to question here, folks?

This question here was rightly closed as a duplicate: Which is grammatically correct: "There is tea and juice" or "There are tea and juice"? It has currently been linked to the ...
5
votes
1answer
152 views

Could anyone please provide me a feedback on my effort to improve my question?

I have a question about my English Language & Usage Stack Exchange post: When do I use each word? Notes, notices, updates, status, releases, announcements? I asked this question, and it got ...
-3
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2answers
229 views

Should the following question have a proper answer?

I am re-editing this post hoping to convey the sense of my request: This recent question has been closed as a duplicate but IMO the issue appears to be still open and needs a more definitive answer....
5
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0answers
315 views

Can we reopen this question please? [Now re-CLOSED]

Edit note 2: The patient and long-suffering OP has now re-asked aspects of this question in three separate posts. So, there's now probably no harm in leaving this one closed. This useful question on ...
1
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1answer
80 views

Should we migrate this game terminology question here?

Subject question: https://gaming.stackexchange.com/questions/256801/whats-the-difference-between-bug-and-glitch Should this question be migrated from Arqade to English Language & Usage, ...
6
votes
1answer
359 views

What is wrong with my question?

Is it correct that my question: Idiom request for wasting time or money was put aside as not respectful of the site rules. I have a short experience here but I think it was clear and it actually ...
3
votes
2answers
157 views

Why was my flag declined, and can we close this question?

I flagged this question as unclear, expecting it would be a pretty cut and dry case. Every answer expresses uncertainty regarding what the asker is asking. There are multiple comments asking for ...
5
votes
3answers
373 views

Why is the question about “the name of a small unluxurious restaurant” so attractive?

What is the name of a small unluxurious restaurant? 42 votes? Nearly 10k views? 20 answers? In only one week? I can't believe it. I even had thought about skipping this question with a thought: "Nah, ...
1
vote
1answer
104 views

Wording of question caused confusion; how to correct it?

I asked this question: I _____ a work of fiction. (Fill in the blank.) By "work of fiction", I meant "fictional story", or "fictional narrative", or "product of imagination that relates a series of ...
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1answer
91 views

What should I do about the comments on this answer?

What would you prefer I do about the comment that's repeatedly being applied to this answer? People keep making the same comment, I object to the comment and/or warn against using the phrase being ...
5
votes
2answers
248 views

Question feedback - Did I do anything wrong here?

I'm not a native English speaker, but I usually do try my best in interacting with the Stack Exchange-sites. I haven't been using this site much so maybe there is something culturally I have missed ...
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2answers
141 views

Why was this question asking for examples of singular they referring to a specific person put on hold?

Why was this question put on hold as unclear what you're asking by tchrist, Mysti Sinha, Hellion, medica, Barmar? I think it's pretty clear what it's asking. Examples of singular they referring to a ...
2
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2answers
77 views

I need a better answer for why my question was closed, so that I can become a better user

I am not unused to having to use the meta of an SE in order to figure out what I did wrong in asking a question, and what I can do better next time. This post is similar. Here's the question I had ...
-9
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1answer
179 views

Why was this question voted to be put on hold as being POB by a user while his question is far from being objective?

Why was this question(https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/225083/on-referring-to-a-specific-definite-person-whose-gender-is-known-as-they) voted to be put on hold as being POB by a user while ...
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2answers
152 views

Why was this question asking how we should refer to the Christian God migrated to the Christianity site?

Why was this question asking how we should refer to the Christian God migrated to the Christianity site? https://christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/36254/how-should-we-refer-to-the-christian-...
0
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3answers
101 views

Curious about my question being closed as off topic when I see other similar ones well received

I was just reading this question: Why is it "behead" and not "dehead"? And it reminded me of a question I asked a while back: Why does the word delight have positive connotations? I'm not sure why ...
2
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0answers
79 views

Why was my question closed as 'off-topic'?

I recently asked this question on ELU: Should there be a comma in "You again?"? The answer to this question may be obvious to some of you, but for me, it isn't. I tried searching on ELU and ...
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votes
2answers
291 views

Why do people think this question(Like Niobe, all tears) is proofreading?

This question(Is "Like Niobe, all tears" an apposition?) was put on hold as proofreading. Why do people think it is proofreading? The question is not about an English composition.
4
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1answer
149 views

How can I improve my question?

I asked a question on the distinction between hypocorism and diminutive when referring to the form of a word. I cam back this morning to find that it had been downvoted. Now, as a user of several ...
5
votes
1answer
292 views

Why was this question closed as “not clear what you're asking”?

I am a native speaker of English (not a pineapple), who classes himself as a "serious enthusiast" of the language. This site, as has been discussed elsewhere (most notably here), takes some getting ...
10
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2answers
211 views

Why was this grammar question closed as general reference?

The question What does “would not have been possible had I remained” mean? was closed as general reference. It's a grammar question. Of course any grammar question can be looked up in a grammar ...
6
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2answers
352 views

Is asking a question on English usage which is obvious for native English speakers but not so for English language learners off-topic?

I asked this question and it was closed as off-topic. Is asking a question on English usage which is obvious for native English speakers but not so for English language learners off-topic in this site?...
0
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2answers
91 views

Request to undo comment up-vote and flag

I upvoted a comment (under highly contentious "All-American" answer) in an attempt to be ironic/funny. I actually find this answer incredibly offensive. Somebody has their act together, and has ...
3
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1answer
78 views

Redundant duplicates obviated by general references

The question, What's a word for “to eliminate the need for”?, has been voted as a duplicate of Is there a word that means “make someone (or something) redundant”? which is itself closed as a general ...
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1answer
137 views

“Do lunch” vs. “have lunch”: question closure

I realise there's a lot of this lately, and I'm about to add to it, but here goes: Difference between "I am doing lunch" and "I am having lunch" A perfectly valid question. The ...
12
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1answer
237 views

Why was the amber/yellow lights question closed as general reference?

My question Amber or yellow lights was closed as general reference. I do not understand why: what general reference? The one reference that was cited in a comment is the Wikipedia article about the ...
1
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0answers
78 views

Request to reopen “Is 'deuce' (tennis) a corruption of the French phrase 'à deux de jeu'?” [closed]

This is a request to reopen the question, "Is 'deuce' (tennis) a corruption of the French phrase 'à deux de jeu'?", as per the reasons stated in the question's comments.
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0answers
71 views

Request to re-open “Rosie the Riveter”

I'm writing to request to re-open the question Rosie the Riveter. It was closed as off-topic, but there is an interesting association between the cultural icon of Rosie the Riveter and the expression "...
4
votes
1answer
67 views

Does this question belong on English or Writers? [closed]

Before a commenter mentioned it, I was unaware that there was a Writers site. Is https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/49380/techniques-to-disguise-authorship-of-text better suited to English ...
1
vote
1answer
79 views

Would you kindly undo the rejection of my edit and re-open this question?

This suggested edit for this question was just rejected. It was an attempt on my part to incorporate the OP's clarification made in this comment on my answer into the question. The edit was rejected ...
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2answers
96 views

Please re-open the “oldest profession” question

Please re-open Why (and since when) is prostitution called “the world's oldest profession”? . Talking about a well-known euphemism that's used in polite company (even Ronald Reagan has referred to ...

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