Questions in the Writing & Language category.
Displaying 1 through 20 of 6568. Subscribe:

May 18

What's That Novel
NovelFilter: please help me identify a novel which begins with a suicide - there is a wealthy (they have a cook & a maid) family dinner, someone leaves to go to the restroom, finds the daughter in a pool of blood. I also remember that the father continues to chew on his food as he stares in shock at the body, an uneaten ice-cream cake, and possibly that the suicide results in the narrator marrying the daughter's fiance. That's all I got - any ideas?
posted by forallmankind at 4:30 PM - 2 answers
Longshot: I'm looking for a particular fairy tale illustration
It was published pre1980. It might have been Hansel & Gretel, or Oliver Twist. At least one of the characters (possibly two) had white blonde hair. The skin wasn't creamy, more rosy, pinkish - a real contrast. The clothing was not contemporary. It was a fairly realistic style. Oh, the hair was shaggy, shoulder length at the most.
posted by b33j at 6:17 AM - 3 answers

May 17

"Hosed" etymology - When did this phrase come into use?
At what point did the phrase "I'm/you're/we're hosed" come into play in the US vernacular? Earliest record? From pop culture somewhere? Are there regions of the US that did not ever use this turn of phrase?
posted by juniperesque at 9:26 AM - 17 answers

What is the source of the quote, "All young men are platoons?"
What is the source of the quote, "All young men are platoons?" [more inside]
posted by vraxoin at 9:03 AM - 8 answers

How is it I just learned about conjunctive adverbs
Looking to confirm that the following and variations are grammatically correct and the grammatical reasoning why: He put the spoon on the mat, then put the fork to the side. [more inside]
posted by angrycat at 7:51 AM - 7 answers

May 15

After the Quake
Does Murakami's collection *After the Quake* mention the Great Kantō earthquake or include anything about tensions between ethnic Koreans and the Japanese?
posted by slowlikemolasses at 9:43 PM - 2 answers

The power of creative procrastination.
Years ago, quite possibly while I was still in high school, I read a humorous essay in which the writer was able to complete a day's worth of household chores by creatively procrastinating. I have NO recollection of the author or the title. [more inside]
posted by tantrumthecat at 9:07 AM - 11 answers

May 13

Golden Compass close read
Due to persistant recommendations on AskMe, I am finally reading (well, listening to) The Golden Compass. It's amazing. Now I want to read about The Golden Compass. [more inside]
posted by latkes at 7:41 PM - 15 answers

Help me learn more about contemporary Indonesia!
I'm trying to learn more about contemporary Indonesia, and I'd love book & essay recommendations, especially of narrative non-fiction with a strong first person narrative voice! (But I'd also love suggestions of fiction, good travelogues, podcasts, blogs, zines, films, academic articles--really anything that doesn't demand prior in depth knowledge.) [more inside]
posted by tapir-whorf at 9:04 AM - 4 answers

May 12

Space Junk
What's the word for the useless filler reticulations on spaceships? I think it was coined by the model builders of Millennium Falcon or Star Destroyer. --(I'm certain this question has been asked and answered here before. No luck in the FU Google machine. )--Thanks!
posted by at the crossroads at 9:56 PM - 4 answers

Children's book about sinister chicken?
I'm asking this for an acquaintance trying to find a children's book from the '90s (or possibly earlier) which centers around a cafeteria meal that is not what it seems. [more inside]
posted by queensissy at 12:15 PM - 3 answers

Who wrote this poem?
Who wrote the following (religious?) poem? [more inside]
posted by ar0n at 11:46 AM - 4 answers

Getting back into Star Wars
I read the first six Young Jedi Academy books, but only a few of the adult expanded universe novels... and the ones I read I don't remember. What should I read before the new movie comes out in 2015? [more inside]
posted by spunweb at 10:57 AM - 10 answers

May 11

Writing credits for small theater productions.
Are there some established practices for writing credits (cast and crew) on theater productions? In my case, I make weekly audioplays and have five to ten people helping me each week, with some people working in multiple roles. So I don't need to do too much here. But I'd like to present the project and the people that work on it professionally. And I'd like to be fair and consistent in how people are credited, avoiding angst and hurt feelings. [more inside]
posted by ErikH2000 at 2:54 PM - 5 answers

Tips on starting up a science-themed blog
I was convinced to start a blog under my real name, for the purposes of being visible on the internet in a positive light while applying for jobs. Unfortunately, now it's up, I hate it and never want to write anything there. Since my partner is sick of me wailing about it, I thought I'd ask you guys for tips on low-effort ways to post on a blog with a general theme of 'interesting science news'. [more inside]
posted by daisyk at 3:16 AM - 7 answers

May 10

Help with Latin!
Hey! Any of you Latin aficionados care to help me translate? I'm looking for a phrase that means something like "(Administrative/Bureaucratic/Decision-Making) Power IS (the greatest form of) Power. It's for a faux-sigil for someone who just got a big promotion to an administrative leadership role.
posted by lalalana at 4:50 PM - 4 answers

May 8

Help me find this book featuring a female police detective!
It's actually a series. The protagonist is a female detective, who seems to be in love with her ex-husband, and at some point has to live with him and his new wife because she is injured. I think she has lived with her elderly mother, too. Sorry, not much to go on!
posted by cherrybounce at 5:44 PM - 4 answers

May 7

did I just make up this story?
I heard this short story on audio on a family car trip ~15 years ago, give or take a few years. I'm pretty sure it was a horror story. I don't know if it was targeted towards kids, but I was elementary aged when I heard it. Two kids, a carnival, and a evil being in the clouds. [more inside]
posted by tan_coul at 9:38 PM - 2 answers

What was that science fiction short story?
I remember reading a short story about a futuristic treatment which causes long-life (1000 years?). In the story, a young couple gets the treatment, and we follow their lives up through old age. The only particular I remember has the couple bored with nothing else to learn or experience, and they sit, playing million piece all-white jigsaw puzzles to pass the time. [more inside]
posted by klausman at 8:46 PM - 4 answers

Help with coming up with a titular character for my book
I need help coming up with a titular character of my book, someone who is sympathetic and sounds like a reasonable person to ask for advice. [more inside]
posted by philosophistry at 12:51 PM - 25 answers

« Older questions