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Amwelladmin (talk | contribs) (Created page with ":“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 illustr...") |
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: | :“''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. | 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. | :''“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.”'' | ||
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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: | 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.”'' | |||
:“The vendor must try to tell the purchaser, but isn't responsible if it doesn’t.” | |||
{{plainenglish}} | {{plainenglish}} |