By Rachel Mitchell Text Copyright 2018 by Rachel Mitchell

To stem from [Verb] (to be caused by/ as the result of something).
His problems stem from his difficult childhood. Her headaches stemmed from vision problems.
(To) surround [Verb] (to be all around someone or something).
The island is surrounded by fresh water.
She is surrounded by her loving family. He is surrounded by police officers.
To squander a chance/an opportunity [Expression] (to waste/fail to use a chance, by not taking advantage of it).
He squandered a chance by not retaking his CPF test, and he totally regretted it.
She squandered a chance to go to university by failing to study for her entrance exam.
Substandard [Adjective] (below the required standard).
Substandard housing conditions.
Too many families are still living in substandard housing.
To sift information [Expression] (to remove unwanted or less useful information).
As she sifted information, she reached some alarming conclusions. Our unconscious brain automatically sifts information.
To strike somebody as [Expression] (to give somebody a particular impression).
Her reaction struck me as odd.
His appearance struck him as strange.
Self-explanatory [Adjective] (easy to understand and needs no more explanation).
This document is self-explanatory.
The email appended below is self-explanatory.
The code sample is self-explanatory and it is very clear how the code works now.
Secure in the knowledge [Expression] (feeling safe or secure because you know something well).
The babysitter is available to secure in the knowledge that my kids are safe and sound.
She went on holiday, secure in the knowledge that she had done well in the exam.
Spot [Noun] (a particular area or place).
He always sits in the same spot in the library, near the window so that he can look out over the river.