Indiana bans linguistics

[Joel S. Berson]

At 5/9/2014 02:08 PM, Laurence Horn wrote:
>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,

I too read it this way.

>although I'm still not sure exactly what counts.

That's the key to the Indiana court ruling.  Similarly a couple of
days ago, as I have commented on Language Log:

"Similarly (or is it mutatis mutandis?), the New Hampshire Supreme
Court has recently ruled that its DMV improperly denied someone a
license plate reading COPSLIE.  The court decision states that
because of its vagueness the DMV regulation violates the free speech
right guaranteed by the New Hampshire Constitution."

Joel

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

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