Verbing weirds language
As does writing adverbly. Law actually kills language in that it analyses each word so much that you have to make up new words or strange phrases in order to provide a clear meaning or define new legal ground. In patents, you wouldn't want to claim "a ring that is able to rotate on a rod", because what do you really mean by "able"? And what is the relationship between the ring and the rod? Are they even connected? Better to say "a ring rotatably mounted on a rod". Which isn't even that bad, english-wise.
Sometimes it makes sense. For example, why say "means for carrying" or "a handle designed to carry" when you can just say "a carrier"? Or "the two chambers being connected to each other for the passage of fluid" when you can say "the two chambers being in fluid communication". As a side note, I love writing something as being in "fluid communication" :) Anyway, those are the good cases.
But then you get things like "a flap hingedly connected to a box", or "each joint being independently actuatable". Clearly, these phrases would not be approved by your spellchecker. And yet, I must continue to verb, to write adverbly, and to embrace adjective writing.
And on the subject of weirding things, the kangashark at left is but one of the terrifying enemies you'll encounter in the new Earthbound game. It's the perfect mix of ruthless killer and cuddly baby animal. Also ranking high on the terrifying scale is New Age Retro Hippie and Manly Fish's Brother. Sephiroth has nothing on them, nothing.
Sometimes it makes sense. For example, why say "means for carrying" or "a handle designed to carry" when you can just say "a carrier"? Or "the two chambers being connected to each other for the passage of fluid" when you can say "the two chambers being in fluid communication". As a side note, I love writing something as being in "fluid communication" :) Anyway, those are the good cases.
But then you get things like "a flap hingedly connected to a box", or "each joint being independently actuatable". Clearly, these phrases would not be approved by your spellchecker. And yet, I must continue to verb, to write adverbly, and to embrace adjective writing.
And on the subject of weirding things, the kangashark at left is but one of the terrifying enemies you'll encounter in the new Earthbound game. It's the perfect mix of ruthless killer and cuddly baby animal. Also ranking high on the terrifying scale is New Age Retro Hippie and Manly Fish's Brother. Sephiroth has nothing on them, nothing.
posted by Lucky Monkey at
10:10 p.m.
2 Comments:
How could I have neglected to mention Enraged Fire Plug? I'm not joking. If I remember correctly, there's an area in which you fight abstract paintings. I kid you not.
By
Lucky Monkey, at 11:52 p.m., March 31, 2006
My sister often mocks the bombastic way some law students write. Some judgements, however, are remarkably amusingly written (judges aren't as humourless as I thought).
And I'd love to see a video game character fight a Mondrian or a Pollock. Or, ooh, a Dali painting, although he didn't paint abstracts.
By
wy jay, at 1:47 a.m., February 29, 2008
Post a Comment
<< Home