There are specific phrases and expressions within the English language that don’t come by usually, however once they do, they stand out from the remainder and change into memorable.
What makes these phrases and expressions distinctive will be one in all many issues. A few of them sound nice, whereas others could make you cringe.
In any case, a phrase like “moist” has been discovered to be universally hated by the English talking neighborhood simply due to how it sounds.
Some phrases are memorable for coming throughout as very formal, whereas different expressions are remembered for being a product of colloquial speech, the sort that will by no means make it to a authorized doc.
Talking of authorized paperwork, there’s a legalese expression that you just may need come throughout just a few instances, and, to my thoughts, it is sort of unforgettable. I’m speaking in regards to the expression “a scarcity thereof.”
Not solely does this expression sound unusual, however it can be utilized in essentially the most weird means potential, overturning the complete meaning of a sentence.
To get a greater concept of what I’m speaking about, let’s see what “a scarcity thereof” means and how it is used.
What does “a scarcity thereof” mean?
It is a phrase that signifies that no matter was simply talked about is lacking or missing indirectly. As an illustration, whenever you say, “His confidence, or lack thereof, was the rationale he failed the check” you’re saying that his insecurity prompted him to fail the check.
Now, clearly, the above instance would possibly strike a lot of you as unusual.
In any case, who talks like that? And, why take the roundabout means to simply say that he wasn’t assured so he failed his check?
We’ll reply all this and extra.
On a aspect notice, it is value noting that “Lackthereof” can be the title of a solo challenge by one of many founding members of the band Menomena Danny Seim.
The place does “a scarcity thereof” come from?
Earlier than something, let’s start by breaking this expression down.
The 2 primary parts are the phrases “lack” and “thereof.”
“Lack” is a noun, and it means to be with out or to not have sufficient of one thing.
Instance:
When a rustic experiences a mind drain, it is mainly having to cope with a scarcity of expertise.
“Thereof” is a little bit of an archaic phrase, the sort that you’re extra seemingly to discover within the bible than in a modern-day novel.
It’s an adverb, and it is used to refer to one thing beforehand talked about.
An issue and the answer thereof are offered on this textbook.
One other means to rephrase the above sentence can be “An issue and its answer are offered on this textbook.”
When you have been following our weblog for a while, you may need seen our discussions on what distinguishes formal writing from casual writing. One issue that we at all times circle again to is wordiness.
The extra wordy a sentence is, the extra formal it comes throughout.
Consequently, it ought to be clear that “thereof” is just not solely wordy but in addition principally reserved for very formal paperwork and speeches.
Now, whenever you put “lack” with “thereof,” you get an expression that states that no matter was beforehand talked about is poor or is with out indirectly.
Examples:
The youngsters’s manners, or lack thereof, obtained them into numerous hassle.
The above sentence is saying that the youngsters obtained into loads of hassle as a result of they lacked manners.
His household has by no means requested him about his profession, or lack thereof.
That is an attention-grabbing sentence. On the one hand, it is telling that his household doesn’t contain itself together with his profession. However, the writer of the sentence makes an interjectional aspect notice, telling us that the particular person in query doesn’t even have a profession.
Other ways of utilizing “lack thereof”
The 2 examples above exhibit very completely different makes use of of the phrase “lack thereof.”
Within the first sentence, “lack thereof” provides necessary data. It lets us know what was improper with the youngsters’s manners and why it obtained them into hassle. This is the reason you’ll be forgiven for not utilizing commas round “lack thereof” on this instance.
The youngsters’s manners or lack thereof obtained them into numerous hassle.
With out “lack thereof,” we might perceive that the youngsters’s manners prompted issues, however we wouldn’t be clear on why these issues got here to be. We’d assume that the youngsters have been too well mannered for their very own good. We additionally may be forgiven for pondering that possibly their manners weren’t suited to the context they have been in.
Nevertheless, “lack thereof” clears up all of this potential confusion and lets us know that the issues happened as a result of the youngsters lacked manners.
A really related sentence in meaning can be the next.
The youngsters’s manners, or rudeness to be extra precise, obtained them into hassle.
To simplify later discussions, we are going to name this sort 1.
Now, within the second sentence, “lack thereof” doesn’t add any additional data to the unique sentence however lets us know what the writer thinks of the person’s profession.
In different phrases, if we have been to take away it, it wouldn’t change a lot within the authentic sentence, and we wouldn’t be confused in any respect.
His household by no means requested him about his profession.
We simply wouldn’t have that additional tidbit, that the writer thinks that the person has no profession.
This can be kind 2.
There’s a third means of utilizing “lack thereof.”
Instance:
Her social expertise, or lack thereof, will decide whether or not she will get the job or not.
Right here, “lack thereof” can be utilized in an interjectional trend, but it isn’t including any new data to the sentence. It isn’t even letting the writer touch upon how he perceives her social expertise.>
If she has social expertise, she’s going to get the job. Alternatively, if she lacks social expertise, she will be unable to get the job.
Clearly, this alternative phrasing is a bit longer, however its objective is demonstrative in nature, so I assume it’s okay.
And, lastly, this final one can be kind 3.
Different phrases to “a scarcity thereof”
As talked about earlier, “a scarcity thereof” can come throughout as stuffy, which is why you’ll discover it in formal paperwork and authorized paperwork.
Nevertheless, when talking informally, you may want to use an alternative that’s extra palatable. And, it ought to go with out saying that this alternative will rely upon how “a scarcity thereof” is used.
Options to kind 1
Sort 1 is when “a scarcity thereof” provides necessary data to the sentence and lets us know how a sure deficiency affected an consequence. Let’s look again on the instance we used.
The youngsters’s manners or lack thereof obtained them into numerous hassle.
We’ve already seen one alternative, utilizing “rudeness to be extra exact” as an interjectional assertion.
Nevertheless, if you need an alternative phrase that can work throughout the board, then you may want to change the construction of the sentence. Extra exactly, you need to use the verb “lack.”
The youngsters lacked manners, which obtained them into numerous hassle.
Or, when you don’t need to put the truth that they obtained into numerous hassle in a relative clause, you could possibly say the next.
The truth that the youngsters lacked manners obtained them into numerous hassle.
Options to kind 2
That is the sort the place “a scarcity thereof” provides inessential data to the sentence, and this data tends to be an interjectional assertion by the writer.
Once more, let’s revisit the earlier examples:
His household has by no means requested him about his profession, or lack thereof.
Since “lack thereof” is an interjectional assertion, you may change it with one other interjectional assertion that will be simpler for the reader.
One apparent selection goes for a easy noun phrase.
His household has by no means requested him about his profession, a profession that’s virtually non-existent.
Options to kind 3
This final kind is the one the place “a scarcity thereof” is used as a substitute of “whether or not.” So, the only alternative would simply be to use “whether or not.”
Her social expertise, or lack thereof, will decide whether or not she will get the job or not.
Whether or not she has social expertise or not will decide whether or not she will get the job or not.
”Lack thereof” in popular culture
Despite the fact that most stuffy phrases and phrases by no means make it into popular culture, “lack thereof” managed to worm its means.
Danny Seim, recognized for being one of many founding members of Menomena, an indie rock band that got here out from Portland, Oregon, additionally had a solo challenge known as “Lackthereof.”
Lackthereof launched a number of albums, the primary six of which have been recorded at dwelling and handed to pals of Seim.
In 2005, Lackthereof’s seventh album was launched by FILMguerrero, an impartial file label.
