Endeavour: Difference between revisions
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“Oh, right.”}} | “Oh, right.”}} | ||
“[[Endeavour]]” neatly illustrates the practical problem with plain English. It is a silly word: long; archaic; it conjures images of Captain Spaulding, in a pith helmet, slashing through jungle | “[[Endeavour]]” neatly illustrates the practical problem with [[plain English]]. It is a silly word: long; archaic; it conjures images of Captain Spaulding, in a pith helmet, slashing through jungle on the hunt for a pajama-wearing elephant. Its alternative — “[[try]]” — is better in every way that a plain speaker cares about: shorter, more idiomatic, clearer, less ''fussy''. | ||
But there | But there lies the problem: “[[try]]” slices cleanly through the semantic murk that “[[endeavour]]” so skilfully stirs up. It makes clear something the [[legal eagle]] rather hoped to obscure: namely, that to promise to ''try'' to do something is a ''feeble'' [[covenant]], hardly worth the paper it is written on. | ||
Consider | Consider: | ||
:''“The vendor shall [[endeavour]] to notify the purchaser of its intention within a reasonable period, but shall not have any liability for failing to do so.”'' | :''“The vendor shall [[endeavour]] to notify the purchaser of its intention within a reasonable period, but shall not have any liability for failing to do so.”'' | ||
Which sounds qualified — sure — but at least carrying some meat on its bones. | Which sounds qualified — sure — but at least carrying some meat on its bones. | ||
But the plain English alternative reveals how thin that old hogget really is: | But the [[plain English]] alternative reveals how thin that old hogget really is: | ||
:''“The vendor must [[try]] to tell the purchaser, but isn't responsible if it doesn’t.”'' | :''“The vendor must [[try]] to tell the purchaser, but isn't responsible if it doesn’t.”'' | ||
{{sa}} | {{sa}} | ||
*[[BAU]] | *[[BAU]] | ||
Revision as of 12:47, 18 January 2022
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Towards more picturesque speech™
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“Now look,” said I, flapping my arms: “I am trying”.
“Well, yes”, she replied, “I’ll give you that. You are trying.”
I smiled, flushed with the endorphins of an unexpected compliment.
“Very trying indeed.”
“Oh, right.”
“Endeavour” neatly illustrates the practical problem with plain English. It is a silly word: long; archaic; it conjures images of Captain Spaulding, in a pith helmet, slashing through jungle on the hunt for a pajama-wearing elephant. Its alternative — “try” — is better in every way that a plain speaker cares about: shorter, more idiomatic, clearer, less fussy.
But there lies the problem: “try” slices cleanly through the semantic murk that “endeavour” so skilfully stirs up. It makes clear something the legal eagle rather hoped to obscure: namely, that to promise to try to do something is a feeble covenant, hardly worth the paper it is written on.
Consider:
- “The vendor shall endeavour to notify the purchaser of its intention within a reasonable period, but shall not have any liability for failing to do so.”
Which sounds qualified — sure — but at least carrying some meat on its bones.
But the plain English alternative reveals how thin that old hogget really is:
- “The vendor must try to tell the purchaser, but isn't responsible if it doesn’t.”