Language and the Law

Posted by lukegilman

July 9, 2006

The language of lawyers is furtile ground for hilarious euphemisms, none more so that in criminal law. Reading People v. Beardsley today yielded “houses of assignation” aka “brothel”. Using “Assignation” to indicate sex is achingly lawyerly, as it connotes a transaction or occurrence, or even worse, an allotment or apportionment. I can almost see them drawing up the contract…

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