Indiana bans linguistics

[Laurence Horn]

On May 9, 2014, at 12:51 PM, Ben Zimmer wrote:

> Good stuff... now on Language Log:
>
> http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=12309

Perhaps partly a question of scope. The key condition is

(8) Uses linguistics, numbers, and phonetics, translations from foreign languages, or upside-down or reverse reading to reference any other prohibited numeric and letter combination.

If we interpret it as

(8) Uses linguistics, numbers, and phonetics, translations from foreign languages, or [upside-down or reverse reading to reference any other prohibited numeric and letter combination].

then the use of linguistics is ruled out (as, however, is the use of numbers, which seems somewhat implausible as a banned category).  If we read it as

(8) Uses [linguistics, numbers, and phonetics, translations from foreign languages, or upside-down or reverse reading to reference any other prohibited numeric and letter combination].

then linguistics (etc.) is banned only as a way to reference "prohibited numeric and letter combination", which sounds more reasonable, although I'm still not sure exactly what counts.  Of course this is Indiana, land of

WATCH YOUR SPEED.  WE ARE.

so all bets are off.

LH


>
> On Fri, May 9, 2014 at 12:15 PM, Galen Buttitta wrote:
>>
>> It means "Don't try to be clever and sneak obscenity past the radar", that's all.
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>>> On May 9, 2014, at 10:55, Herb Stahlke wrote:
>>>
>>> Among the Indiana BMV's potentially prohibited vanity plates:
>>>
>>> Messages that involve linguistics, numbers, phonetics, translations from
>>> foreign languages or upside-down or reverse reading to reference any other
>>> prohibited numeric and letter combination.  (IndyStar, May 9, 2014, p. A6.)
>>>
>>> I'm not sure what that means.
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org