saw an old saying often repeated.
semantics the study of the development and change of word meaning throughout history.
simile a figure of speech characterized by the comparison of two unlike things, as in "he hissed like a snake," or "the cliffs rose like cathedral spires."
Socratic irony feigning ignorance in a debate in order to win a point.
soliloquy a dramatic monologue; a speech made aloud to oneself when alone.
spoonerism an inadvertent transposing of word sounds, as in "Hoobert Herver," for "Herbert Hoover," or a "White Horse souse" for a "White House source."
staccato a form of speech or writing characterized by the frequent use of short, abrupt sentences, for effect.
stemwinder a crowd-agitating speech.
stream of consciousness in speech or writing, inner dialogue, or the articulation of one's thoughts and emotions.
succinct articulated clearly and to the point with the use of as few words as possible.
suppressio veri suppressing the facts; deliberately ignoring or failing to mention information that may alter someone's decision, as in a court trial.
surrealistic descriptive and evoking images of dreams, nightmares, hallucinations, and the unconscious.
synecdoche a figure of speech in which a whole is represented by a partial description or expression, or vice versa, as in "The Sox won two of three games," instead of "The Boston Red Sox baseball team won two of three games."
synonym a word having the same or similar meaning to another word, such as "car" and "automobile." The opposite of antonym.
syntax the manner in which words, clauses, and sentences are constructed or arranged.
tacenda things that are better off left unsaid. terse succinct, to the point.
transliteration the altering of letters or words to fit them into another language, as "snap, crackle, pop" translates to "poks, riks, raks" in Finnish.
trite unoriginal, stale, banal.
tu quoque in a debate, accusing a rival of criticizing that which he himself is guilty of.
twaddle foolish, silly talk.
verbatim word for word.
verbiage wordiness.
vernacular native language of a region. Also, trade jargon or idiom.
vogue word a currently hip-to-use word; a word in fashion.
waffle to speak vaguely or evasively.
weasel word any word used to mislead, evade, or whitewash.
whitewash to gloss over a wrong.
AW
contract law
adhesion contract a contract that heavily favors one party over the other, raising suspicions that the agreements in the contract may have been coerced or involuntary on the part of the disfavored party.
bad faith willful failure to follow through on a contractual obligation.
binding obligatory.
boilerplate any universal or formal language used in a standard contract or legal document.
breach of contract the failure to carry out or follow through on a contract agreement.
consideration the giving or promise of money, goods, or services in return for something else of value, the basis for any contract; the inducement offered to enter into a contract.
covenant an agreement to carry out or perform some duty or promise, as in a deed.
covenantee the person a covenant is intended for.
covenantor the person who makes a covenant.
duress any inducement or action by a person that compels another to do something he or she wouldn't ordinarily do, such as making a threat to force someone to sign a contract.
earnest something of value, such as money, given by one party to another to bind a contract.
escalator clause a clause in a contract that provides for a higher price to be paid if certain conditions occur.
escape clause a clause allowing a person to get out of a contract and be free of liability if certain conditions do or do not occur.
in extremis most often refers to the writing of a will when death is impending, but it can also refer to any contract written under "extreme circumstances" that could possibly alter the interpretation of the contract.
meeting of the minds mutual understanding and agreement to the terms of a contract between two parties.
mitigation of damages understanding that a damaged party in a contract must not do anything that will increase the amount of damages.
notary public one authorized to administer oaths, to take depositions, and to witness and certify the signing of documents.
postnuptial agreement an agreement entered into by a husband and wife that determines how assets will be distributed in the event of death or divorce.
prenuptial agreement an agreement entered into by a couple intending to marry that determines how assets will be distributed in the event of divorce or death.
proviso a stipulation or condition.
rider an amendment or addition added to a contract.
severable contract a contract in which the agreements are considered as separate and independent so that a breach of any agreement does not void the contract as a whole.
criminal and tort law
(Also see contract law, probate law, property and real estate law)
ABA American Bar Association.
abscond to skip town or otherwise avoid court action through hiding or concealing oneself.
abuse of process using process for a purpose other than that intended by law.
accessory one who assists or facilitates others in a crime.
accessory after the fact one who knowingly receives or assists a person who is being sought for committing a felony.
accessory before the fact a person who plans a crime, gives advice about a crime, or commands others to commit a crime, but who does not actively commit the crime.
accomplice a partner in the commission of a crime.
accusatory instrument an accusation, an indictment, or information that forms the basis for a criminal charge.
ACLu American Civil Liberties Union.
acquiescence any behavior that implies consent, such as remaining silent and failing to raise an objection when an accusatory statement is made.
acquit to set free one who has been absolved of charges.
action the prosecuting of one party by another for a misdeed or for protection of rights or other reasons.
ad damnum the amount of damages sued for.
additur an increase of the amount of damages, awarded by the court when a jury award is deemed inadequate.
adjourn to break temporarily from a court proceeding through recess.
Admiralty court a court or tribunal having jurisdiction over actions related to the sea, such as maritime contracts or injuries at sea.
admissible evidence evidence acceptable to the court.
affidavit a written statement made by a person under oath before the court or a notary public.