Miserable Donuts offers a sample of business-speak, in which a company offers a lengthy sentence whose meaning is “We are consolidating 7 of our Staff Legal Offices.”
“Seven Universal Underwriters Group Staff Legal Offices (SLO) are co-locating with existing North America Commercial facilities in a move designed to boost synergy among SLO employees while improving business efficiencies.”
But his final translation of the meaning is quite funny. Go read it.
And Clayton Cramer has an 837 word SENTENCE from the Maryland Legislature in 1773. That’s two and a quarter pages of sentence in 12 point font.
And Language Log offers a bit of a facetious take on the singular use of they, quoting from the Bible and offering that as “divine authority.”