Language question: I'm searching for a word or phrase (in English or any language) that describes the act of communicating a positive opportunity/event/thing but then includes qualifiers that downplay the opportunity/event/thing. [more inside]
posted by surfgator at 1:10 PM - 15 answers

I think I'm in love. Problem is, my beloved speaks a different language -- a language I can understand much of and speak some of, but with little nuance, sophistication, or precision, thus doing no justice to what I mean, or indeed even to what he means. Yet of my language he speaks far, far less, so we stay with his. And we don't live on the same continent, so phoning/Skyping/emailing -- language-dependent communication -- will have to do for the times we can't rely on the tacit, graceful understandings that happen in person. I can be miserable about this, but my heart is full of ardor and my gut, even, actually feels a strong sense of hope. [more inside]
posted by taramosalata at 11:57 AM - 13 answers

I am looking for feedback on the possibility of creating an elderly memoir blog. A couple of weeks ago my mother’s minister told a story based his father’s reminiscing about the past. The minister fortunately videotaped the conversation with his father so it was saved but he added “many great stories die with the storyteller.” His remarks got me to thinking that many stories and much wisdom from the elderly will be lost if not recorded in some fashion. [more inside]
posted by jcbach at 7:27 PM - 14 answers

I want to give my husband a money clip for Valentine's day and am would love to have a sweet quote or phrase engraved on it, but I'm drawing a blank... [more inside]
posted by Bella Sebastian at 10:44 AM - 18 answers

How do I properly credit popular (presumably copyrighted) popular music when quoting lyrics in the context of original fiction being released under Creative Commons? [more inside]
posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 6:42 PM - 4 answers

My High School Latin Is Failing Me-Filter: What would a good translation of "I eat brains, therefore I am?" that keeps as close to the shortness of "cognito ergo sum" as possible?
posted by The Whelk at 7:28 AM - 14 answers

"Sunday 7 February 2010." Is a comma required between "Sunday" and "7"?
posted by Busoni at 1:58 AM - 16 answers

What are some details of military life that authors writing for generic military settings often get wrong? What details, if I got them right, would convince you that I had really done my homework? Note that I'm not looking for punctilio like the particular way somebody carries his hat indoors but rather broader things that would be ring true for servicemen of any tradition (e.g., strict rules about exactly how to carry a hat). [more inside]
posted by d. z. wang at 1:51 AM - 19 answers

I am looking for journals and periodicals that would be appropriate for submitting interdisciplinary articles in the humanities. [more inside]
posted by crazylegs at 2:38 PM - 5 answers

What is the best (or just your favorite) book about the home front in the United States during World War I or the early 20th century? [more inside]
posted by elder18 at 10:47 PM - 12 answers

WordNerdFilter: Help me figure out what word my friend is thinking of! The word starts with "v" and you would use it to to describe, say, how you deal with a store that is not giving you what you want. None of us can figure out what the word is, and it's driving me crazy! [more inside]
posted by luazinha at 9:01 AM - 24 answers

There's a word that means something like 'useless party skills' -- little tricks like bouncing ice off your elbow into a glass, rolling coins across your knuckles, flicking cards into a hat. I think it sounds a little like 'caltraps'. It's driving me crazy trying to remember it. Anyone know this word?
posted by Cantdosleepy at 5:38 AM - 20 answers

What are some books that are similar in storyline and writing style to Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet? [more inside]
posted by fogonlittlecatfeet at 5:21 PM - 21 answers

Pronouncing the word "Magdalene." [more inside]
posted by phaedon at 5:11 PM - 15 answers

A friend of mine is seeking the title of an old children's book about synonyms and language; his description inside. [more inside]
posted by chazlarson at 12:33 PM - 3 answers

What's the name of that illusion (if that's the right word) where you think you came up with an idea but you actually heard it from someone else previously?
posted by palet at 12:00 PM - 7 answers

Is there a term to describe the act of using a heterograph or someone who habitually uses heterographs when writing? [more inside]
posted by Fezboy! at 8:37 AM - 18 answers

A good friend of mine really wants a job as an interpreter. Before he is able to interview he has to take a medical terminology test where he must translate English words into Bosnian. Because he left Serbo-Croation speaking world for the U.S. when he was 13, he's a little rough on medical speak (read: he probably never learned many of the words). Does anyone have any resources for him to brush up on some words before he takes the test?
posted by hannahelastic at 4:49 PM - 4 answers

What are some good books on writing suitable for a 14yr old girl? [more inside]
posted by doost at 1:02 PM - 22 answers

De-constructing 'code': I am looking for philosophical (from W. Benjamin through to post-structuralism and beyond) examinations of 'code'. That both includes the assumptions contained in the word 'code' and any actual objects or subjects that code is connected to - including, but not limited to: computer programming, cyphers, linguistics, genetics etc. [more inside]
posted by 0bvious at 6:35 AM - 16 answers