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language lawyer en · NOUN

Etymology

Compound of language + lawyer. Defined in the Jargon File. The definition is often cited verbatim as: A language lawyer is distinguished by the ability to show you the five sentences scattered through a 200-plus-page manual that together imply the answer to your question “if only you had thought to look there”.

Meanings

1. (slang) A pedant, someone overly focused on semantics.
   • This website is full of way too many language lawyers who get in the way of all the meaningful discussions.
2. (slang) An expert of a programming language who is extremely well-versed in its specification.
   • I need a language lawyer: is this UB?

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
language lawyers	Number=Plur		lexicographic

wikipedia: Jargon File

language lawyer en · VERB

Etymology

Compound of language + lawyer. Defined in the Jargon File. The definition is often cited verbatim as: A language lawyer is distinguished by the ability to show you the five sentences scattered through a 200-plus-page manual that together imply the answer to your question “if only you had thought to look there”.

Meanings

1. (slang) To behave in a lawyer-like way and discuss semantic differences pedantically. To lawyer over language.
   • Let's not language lawyer the little details; a big-picture approach will be fine for this tutorial.

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
language lawyers	Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres		lexicographic
language lawyered	Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part		lexicographic
language lawyered	Tense=Past		lexicographic
language lawyering	Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part		lexicographic
language-lawyer		alternative	lexicographic

wikipedia: Jargon File