Endeavour: Difference between revisions
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: | :“Give me credit,” I said, “I ''am'' trying”. | ||
:“Well”, she replied, “I’ll give you that. You ''are'' trying.” I smiled, flushed with such an unexpected compliment. | |||
:“''Very'' | :“''Very'' trying.” | ||
A {{t|verb}} that illustrates the practical problem with plain English. “[[Endeavour]]” is a silly word: long, archaic, and it conjures images of Captain Spaulding, in a pith helmet, slashing through mangroves in the Congo on the hunt for Dr. Livingstone. Its alternative — to “[[try]]” — is better in every way that a plain | A {{t|verb}} that illustrates the practical problem with plain English. “[[Endeavour]]” is a silly word: long, archaic, and it conjures images of Captain Spaulding, in a pith helmet, slashing through mangroves in the Congo on the hunt for Dr. Livingstone. Its alternative — to “[[try]]” — is better in every way that a plain speaker cares about: shorter, more idiomatic, plainer, less fussy. | ||
But there lies the problem: “[[try]]” slices cleanly through the semantic murk that “[[endeavour]]” so | But there lies the problem: “[[try]]” slices cleanly through the semantic murk that “[[endeavour]]” so skillfully stirs up. It makes clear something the [[Mediocre you|draftsman]] rather hoped to obscure: namely, that this is a feeble covenant, barely worth the paper it is written on. | ||
Consider these alternatives: | Consider these alternatives: | ||
:''“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 | 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.”'' | :''“The vendor must [[try]] to tell the purchaser, but isn't responsible if it doesn’t.”'' | ||
{{plainenglish}} | {{plainenglish}} | ||
{{egg}} | |||
{{Published}} | |||
Revision as of 10:18, 20 June 2017
- “Give me credit,” I said, “I am trying”.
- “Well”, she replied, “I’ll give you that. You are trying.” I smiled, flushed with such an unexpected compliment.
- “Very trying.”
A verb that illustrates the practical problem with plain English. “Endeavour” is a silly word: long, archaic, and it conjures images of Captain Spaulding, in a pith helmet, slashing through mangroves in the Congo on the hunt for Dr. Livingstone. Its alternative — to “try” — is better in every way that a plain speaker cares about: shorter, more idiomatic, plainer, less fussy.
But there lies the problem: “try” slices cleanly through the semantic murk that “endeavour” so skillfully stirs up. It makes clear something the draftsman rather hoped to obscure: namely, that this is a feeble covenant, barely worth the paper it is written on.
Consider these alternatives:
- “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.”
Plain English Anatomy™
Noun | Verb | Adjective | Adverb | Preposition | Conjunction | Latin | Germany | Flannel | Legal triplicate | Nominalisation | Murder your darlings
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