Endeavour

“Well”, a drama tutor said to me once, “I cannot argue with you about that. You are trying. Very fucking trying.”

To endeavour is a verb that illustrates the practical problem being a plain English fanatic. It is a silly word. It is long, archaic, and its alternative — to try — is better in every way that a Plain Englishman cares about: Shorter, more idiomatic, plainer, less fussy. But therein lies the problem: try slices cleanly through the semantic murk that endeavour so skillfully stirs up, and makes plain something the draftsman rather hoped to cover up: That his client’s convenant is barely worth the paper it is written on.

“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 gruel really is:

“The vendor must try to tell the purchaser, but isn't responsible if it doesn’t.”

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