Jelly in a vise is a proverb mentioned in “Asian Figure” by W.S Merwin. What does “Jelly” mean in this proverb? Does it mean gelatinous? Or the jelly that we eat? What kind of clamp is a “Vise”? Answer It is a metaphor. A Jelly cannot remain intact when tightened in a vise. A vise … Read more
I sometimes here casual phrases in English like a hipping and a hopping (a hippin and a hoppin). How exactly does this fit into English grammar and what is the history of the construct? Answer If you have access to the Oxford English Dictionary (e.g. through your local library), this is covered under a, prep.1. … Read more
I’m writing a scientific paper and my coauthor claims that ending a sentence with “did” is ungrammatical. The sentence has the following form: Half the boys jumped, but only a quarter of the girls did. Is he correct? How can we describe the grammatical role that did is playing here, by standing in for the … Read more
