As part of keeping my kids (aged six and 10) entertained when we were housebound in the school holidays due to injury, I read them words and phrases from my legal dictionary and asked them what they thought each one meant. Here are some of their responses…
Ad hoc – adding a hock to the soup
Barrister – adds things to drinks
Causation – something extremely wet
Codicil – 1. group of people who have a code 2. getting some soda
Contentious – trying to get someone’s attention
Covenant – someone in charge of a place
Duty of care – caring about somebody
Debenture – adventure
Ex parte – ex wife party
Prima facie – going to law school
Felonious tort – someone holding a torch
In personam – something wrong with someone’s soul
In situ – people that sleep in the same bed
Inter vivos – internal virus
Nemo dat qui non habet – a problem in the ocean
Res jeste – something in someone’s digestive system making them angry
Onus – someone who owns something
Immunity – taking care of a community
Liability – someone very good at lying
Vexatious – someone addicted to doing wrong things
Verbatim – a farm
We get so used to these strange words and phrases and yet, it is often not until we stop and look objectively through the eyes of another, that we realise just how ridiculous legalese can be.
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