Can you describe a person as short stalk?
0
Can you refer to a person as follows:
A man of short stalk met him at the bar.
Normally, stalk refers to a part of a plant.
Or, is it: A man of short stock met him at the bar.
vocabulary
asked Dec 22 at 16:47
user237736
1103
|
show 6 more comments
0
Can you refer to a person as follows:
A man of short stalk met him at the bar.
Normally, stalk refers to a part of a plant.
Or, is it: A man of short stock met him at the bar.
vocabulary
asked Dec 22 at 16:47
user237736
1103
1
What are you trying to convey here? Just "A short man met him at the bar"?
– Mark Beadles
Dec 22 at 16:50
2
Maybe you want man of short stature.
– Peter Shor
Dec 22 at 16:55
Neither are idiomatically natural usages. The nearest version that would be acceptable is probably as in A man of short, stock appearance passed underneath the tree wherein the lynx cat crouched.
– FumbleFingers
Dec 22 at 16:59
1
Stock would be fine if you're describing somebody who comes from a family or group of people genetically inclined to be short. Stalk would be fine if you're using it figuratively, and drawing a parallel to a plant (perhaps alluding to someone whose growth is stunted). What are you actually trying to express?
– Jason Bassford
Dec 22 at 17:19
1
@ThePhoton: Probably not. But this is ELU, not ELL, so I don't think we're in the business of teaching non-native speakers which version is more likely. And as to "might be a typesetter's error", I'd be prepared to bet a considerable amount it's not. Note that here are at least 3 relevant (syntactically identical) instances of his stock body. You can't rule them all out as incompetent writers and/or printers.
– FumbleFingers
Dec 22 at 18:31
|
show 6 more comments
0
0
0
1
Can you refer to a person as follows:
A man of short stalk met him at the bar.
Normally, stalk refers to a part of a plant.
Or, is it: A man of short stock met him at the bar.
vocabulary
asked Dec 22 at 16:47
user237736
1103
Can you refer to a person as follows:
A man of short stalk met him at the bar.
Normally, stalk refers to a part of a plant.
Or, is it: A man of short stock met him at the bar.
vocabulary
vocabulary
asked Dec 22 at 16:47
user237736
1103
asked Dec 22 at 16:47
user237736
1103
asked Dec 22 at 16:47
user237736
1103
asked Dec 22 at 16:47
user237736
1103
asked Dec 22 at 16:47
user237736
1103
1103
1
What are you trying to convey here? Just "A short man met him at the bar"?
– Mark Beadles
Dec 22 at 16:50
2
Maybe you want man of short stature.
– Peter Shor
Dec 22 at 16:55
Neither are idiomatically natural usages. The nearest version that would be acceptable is probably as in A man of short, stock appearance passed underneath the tree wherein the lynx cat crouched.
– FumbleFingers
Dec 22 at 16:59
1
Stock would be fine if you're describing somebody who comes from a family or group of people genetically inclined to be short. Stalk would be fine if you're using it figuratively, and drawing a parallel to a plant (perhaps alluding to someone whose growth is stunted). What are you actually trying to express?
– Jason Bassford
Dec 22 at 17:19
1
@ThePhoton: Probably not. But this is ELU, not ELL, so I don't think we're in the business of teaching non-native speakers which version is more likely. And as to "might be a typesetter's error", I'd be prepared to bet a considerable amount it's not. Note that here are at least 3 relevant (syntactically identical) instances of his stock body. You can't rule them all out as incompetent writers and/or printers.
– FumbleFingers
Dec 22 at 18:31
|
show 6 more comments
1
What are you trying to convey here? Just "A short man met him at the bar"?
– Mark Beadles
Dec 22 at 16:50
2
Maybe you want man of short stature.
– Peter Shor
Dec 22 at 16:55
Neither are idiomatically natural usages. The nearest version that would be acceptable is probably as in A man of short, stock appearance passed underneath the tree wherein the lynx cat crouched.
– FumbleFingers
Dec 22 at 16:59
1
Stock would be fine if you're describing somebody who comes from a family or group of people genetically inclined to be short. Stalk would be fine if you're using it figuratively, and drawing a parallel to a plant (perhaps alluding to someone whose growth is stunted). What are you actually trying to express?
– Jason Bassford
Dec 22 at 17:19
1
@ThePhoton: Probably not. But this is ELU, not ELL, so I don't think we're in the business of teaching non-native speakers which version is more likely. And as to "might be a typesetter's error", I'd be prepared to bet a considerable amount it's not. Note that here are at least 3 relevant (syntactically identical) instances of his stock body. You can't rule them all out as incompetent writers and/or printers.
– FumbleFingers
Dec 22 at 18:31
1
1
What are you trying to convey here? Just "A short man met him at the bar"?
– Mark Beadles
Dec 22 at 16:50
What are you trying to convey here? Just "A short man met him at the bar"?
– Mark Beadles
Dec 22 at 16:50
2
2
Maybe you want man of short stature.
– Peter Shor
Dec 22 at 16:55
Maybe you want man of short stature.
– Peter Shor
Dec 22 at 16:55
Neither are idiomatically natural usages. The nearest version that would be acceptable is probably as in A man of short, stock appearance passed underneath the tree wherein the lynx cat crouched.
– FumbleFingers
Dec 22 at 16:59
Neither are idiomatically natural usages. The nearest version that would be acceptable is probably as in A man of short, stock appearance passed underneath the tree wherein the lynx cat crouched.
– FumbleFingers
Dec 22 at 16:59
1
1
Stock would be fine if you're describing somebody who comes from a family or group of people genetically inclined to be short. Stalk would be fine if you're using it figuratively, and drawing a parallel to a plant (perhaps alluding to someone whose growth is stunted). What are you actually trying to express?
– Jason Bassford
Dec 22 at 17:19
Stock would be fine if you're describing somebody who comes from a family or group of people genetically inclined to be short. Stalk would be fine if you're using it figuratively, and drawing a parallel to a plant (perhaps alluding to someone whose growth is stunted). What are you actually trying to express?
– Jason Bassford
Dec 22 at 17:19
1
1
@ThePhoton: Probably not. But this is ELU, not ELL, so I don't think we're in the business of teaching non-native speakers which version is more likely. And as to "might be a typesetter's error", I'd be prepared to bet a considerable amount it's not. Note that here are at least 3 relevant (syntactically identical) instances of his stock body. You can't rule them all out as incompetent writers and/or printers.
– FumbleFingers
Dec 22 at 18:31
@ThePhoton: Probably not. But this is ELU, not ELL, so I don't think we're in the business of teaching non-native speakers which version is more likely. And as to "might be a typesetter's error", I'd be prepared to bet a considerable amount it's not. Note that here are at least 3 relevant (syntactically identical) instances of his stock body. You can't rule them all out as incompetent writers and/or printers.
– FumbleFingers
Dec 22 at 18:31
|
show 6 more comments
active
oldest
votes
Your Answer
StackExchange.ready(function() {
var channelOptions = {
tags: "".split(" "),
id: "97"
};
initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);
StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function() {
// Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled) {
StackExchange.using("snippets", function() {
createEditor();
});
}
else {
createEditor();
}
});
function createEditor() {
StackExchange.prepareEditor({
heartbeatType: 'answer',
autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
convertImagesToLinks: false,
noModals: true,
showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
reputationToPostImages: null,
bindNavPrevention: true,
postfix: "",
imageUploader: {
brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
allowUrls: true
},
noCode: true, onDemand: true,
discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
});
}
});
draft saved
draft discarded
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function () {
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fenglish.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f478230%2fcan-you-describe-a-person-as-short-stalk%23new-answer', 'question_page');
}
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
draft saved
draft discarded
Thanks for contributing an answer to English Language & Usage Stack Exchange!
- Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!
But avoid …
- Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.
- Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.
To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.
Some of your past answers have not been well-received, and you're in danger of being blocked from answering.
Please pay close attention to the following guidance:
- Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!
But avoid …
- Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.
- Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.
To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.
draft saved
draft discarded
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function () {
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fenglish.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f478230%2fcan-you-describe-a-person-as-short-stalk%23new-answer', 'question_page');
}
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
1
What are you trying to convey here? Just "A short man met him at the bar"?
– Mark Beadles
Dec 22 at 16:50
2
Maybe you want man of short stature.
– Peter Shor
Dec 22 at 16:55
Neither are idiomatically natural usages. The nearest version that would be acceptable is probably as in A man of short, stock appearance passed underneath the tree wherein the lynx cat crouched.
– FumbleFingers
Dec 22 at 16:59
1
Stock would be fine if you're describing somebody who comes from a family or group of people genetically inclined to be short. Stalk would be fine if you're using it figuratively, and drawing a parallel to a plant (perhaps alluding to someone whose growth is stunted). What are you actually trying to express?
– Jason Bassford
Dec 22 at 17:19
1
@ThePhoton: Probably not. But this is ELU, not ELL, so I don't think we're in the business of teaching non-native speakers which version is more likely. And as to "might be a typesetter's error", I'd be prepared to bet a considerable amount it's not. Note that here are at least 3 relevant (syntactically identical) instances of his stock body. You can't rule them all out as incompetent writers and/or printers.
– FumbleFingers
Dec 22 at 18:31