Compound preposition: Difference between revisions

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A [[preposition]], only more tedious, and therefore more beloved of our old friend the [[mediocre lawyer|mediocre attorney]].  
A [[compound preposition]] does the same job as a plain old [[preposition]], only more tediously. Therefore it is beloved of our old friend the [[mediocre lawyer|mediocre attorney]].  


We know that our legal brethren delight in perverting the ordinary use of words - [[nominalisation|nominalising]] {{tag|verb}}s into {{tag|noun}}s, and so on, and the [[compound preposition]] is a neat way of co-opting {{tag|noun}}s, {{tag|conjunction}}s — all kinds — into the servile business of putting one noun in relation to another.
We know that our legal brethren delight in perverting the ordinary use of words - [[nominalisation|nominalising]] {{tag|verb}}s into {{tag|noun}}s, and so on, and the [[compound preposition]] is a neat way of co-opting {{tag|noun}}s, {{tag|conjunction}}s — all kinds — into the servile business of putting one noun in relation to another.

Revision as of 17:25, 16 March 2017

A compound preposition does the same job as a plain old preposition, only more tediously. Therefore it is beloved of our old friend the mediocre attorney.

We know that our legal brethren delight in perverting the ordinary use of words - nominalising verbs into nouns, and so on, and the compound preposition is a neat way of co-opting nouns, conjunctions — all kinds — into the servile business of putting one noun in relation to another.

Why, for example, exercise your rights “under” a contract when you can do so “in accordance with” or “pursuant to” it?