Pawing the Yarn of Words with the Kittens Feet of Dreams
If you've been looking for a way to describe over breadth, I bring you this gem from yesterday's ConLaw:
Prof. ConLaw: So why then was it a no go?
Student: "Very basically, they are swatting the fly of homosexuality with a bazooka of tyranny."
Ummm . . . WTF?
While I admit the subtle nuance of complex metaphor escapes me, I know you don't swing bazookas. I also know when that same person used the word "mombastic" in a sentence a few days back, I was like, "Hold on. Let me look that one up on dick.com." Turns out it couldn't find a definition but did refer me to "dumbass attack" . . . so that's something.
posted by Jon Swanburg @ 1:08 PM
21 comments
21 Comments:
Nothing against the student as a person. As a person he is a good one . . . we've sung karaoke together. His language is just flowerier than most and I'd probably be fired from blogging if I didn't share the quote with everyone not fortunate enough to have been there.
I bet this person isn't aptly nicknamed the name of a Midwest city that lies on the shore of Lake Michigan and home of the second busiest airport (formerly the busiest). [/sarcasm] That is still considered the Midwest, right?
um....it was't. Here's mud in your eye!
Love,
Matt
Let's hope this joker doesn't write a decent outline -- or for the next few quarters, unsuspecting slackers will volunteer the same tortured metaphor to ol' Papa Guinn.
Really? Wow, I need a big crowbar to get my foot out of my mouth, proverbially speaking that is. That just seems something like that young man would say. Needless to say, my apologies for insinuating he would say such a thing go out to him.
Kesee? (sp)
there's nothing wrong with using big words to convey lofty ideas. how else will you separate the intellectual elite from the down trodden ignoramus dregs of society? i mean, if there's one thing history has shown us, it's that caste systems are AWESOME.
What sets some law students apart is the contempt they hold "lower" elements of society. This is a key to advancement among the corporate ranks. Its very important to keep a healthy distance between yourself (a rational, truth-seeker, with no illusions) and the great unwashed, who could never muster up the self-control to put down the bottle of Bud Light, ask dad for some $$, and apply to law school.
To the respond to several posters-
some of us have indeed come here on our own $$, not being financed by our parents. We are indeed motivated to be "seekers of the truth."
To insinuate that using "big words to convey lofty ideas" is somehow improper is preposterous. And to link it to "a caste system" is ridiculous. Yes, there is a "high barrier to entry" to the legal field. I am sorry, I give respect to everyone, but yes, we should speak properly in a legal context, as we are expected to be part of an elite, like it or not.
Some of us actually come from nothing and are self-conscious about it, and aspire to act properly- in stark contrast to some individuals who come from the opposite background, yet idealize a more plebian lifestyle. Since when did using elevated vocabulary become an unspeakable horror or some classist anachronism?
Finally- those of us singled out for assault as elitist have actually worked with individuals of the "lower orders," the modern plebs urbana, so to speak. Shockingly, we actually are friends with some of these people- OF LOWER SOCIAL CLASSES- OMFG! We should treat everyone with respect, and I am sorry if the last poster has seen laborers treated with disrespect by other law students. I personally thank almost every member of the cleaning crew/lunchroom staff at least weekly for the fine job they do here- did any of you bother to think how many times we have left laptops out, and the cleaning people have returned them to us? So, to anonym., I personally have not seen this arrogance on display at BLS.
so let me see if i can summarize what you said*:
(i) there's nothing wrong with communicating in a manner which others may not understand because law students are a part of a higher class of the more educated;** but
(ii) you will still descend to talk with mortals every so often, even though you are better than them.
*[my apologies for any inaccuracies. i'm still looking up the meaning of words you used]
**[my fellow translator believes that for sub(a), you're actually saying you're insecure so you use big words. seems very reasonable -- but things often get lost in translation, so i'll leave it to you to clarify]
This was by far the funniest post you have ever made, Swanburg. Hi-larious. I laughed for 5 minutes at a public computer and got stares. Genius.
And I thought some or, more appropriately, most lawyers/law students were pretentious asses...I was waaaayyyy wrong!!!
Hooray class warfare! Odi profanum vulgus et arceo too, but who doesn't?
Odi profanum vulgus et arceo- rock on- who says you can't learn new words on the internet! Swamburg, you should turn this into a "word of the day" post. My vocabulary has been greatly enriched by reading these comments.
obscurum per obscurius-
I guess that may be the issue if one uses too lofty language- this line of posts is really awesome- thank you for your comments, all!
"Very basically, they are swatting the fly of homosexuality with a bazooka of tyranny."
Since when were "swatting", "bazooka", or "tyranny" big words or lofty ideals?
If the goal was for this person to say "look at me, see how smart I am", then see swanburg's link to 'dumbass attack'. If you wanted to sound smart, then pull your cranium out of your rectal cavity, clean the debris from your aural cavities, and pay attention to the non-sensical jabberings eminating from your pie hole.
Wow.
I'm not really sure what to say to all that. I'm really sorry if I offended anyone... I concluded long ago that I'm not particularly well liked in this place, but I really sincerely try not to annoy people like... well... like I sometimes do. It's just how I am, I suppose... they say there is genius in brevity, and by that standard I acknowledge that I am truly a dumbass on the attack. It's something you learn to live with after a while.
I was trying to think of something to say in my defense, but I don't think it's really worth it. I regret that I have come across as an elitist asshole in class, as seems to be the consensus here. I don't always get myself across well, I guess... If you're ever legitimately curious about what I think about our system's need for limits on popular soveriegnty (in light of our nation's current dearth of true enlightened discourse), feel free to ask. I'd appreciate it, though, if my classmates wouldn't be so goddamn immature as to anonymously disparage people in this forum based on what they say in class. Because seriously... what's the point?
Love,
Dan Keesee
Most of these aren't attacks against you; they are just attacks against big words and the legal profession in general. You're smart and nobody can take that away from you. Most of these commentators have never met you. The dumb-ass comment was in reference to the actual word that came up when I looked for a definition. You were ranked one of the top speakers and you're amusing. Keep it up, and if you say something else I find amusing I might write about it.
Like the time Chicago compared his ideal woman to a car.
Nothing there was complicated. We have someone being creative and utilizing humorous exageration and obscure metaphor in expressing his thoughts. It kind of sucks that no one here can appreciate that sort of thing.
Meh... it's all good, dude. These dissenters are obviously all members themselves of the vulgar unwashed masses, jealous of my patrician lineage and GQ cover boy good looks. They are all unfit for participation in the political process, and will be sent to the gallows when I eventually ascend to power... the whole lot of them. :p
Faux elitism aside... "mombastic"? WTF? When did I say that? Cause normally I reserve that word to describe those situations when I want incorporate theatrical flare, bombast, and flowery language whenever I'm with your mom. But never in class...
-DK
Swamburg- thank you for your defense of the legal profession and words in general. You are truly the toyota of Intellectual Freedom, a tireless defender of it-and I have enjoyed learned many new phrases from this debate on the internet-
I will try to keep the bizzare metaphors up to date guys- I have to give Swamburg some material to work with!
P.S. Kesee- I enjoy debating stuff with you in Con Law
P.P.S. You also Swamburg!
- Chicago
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