Re: Dress
codes
Posted by R. Berg on March 10, 2002
In Reply to: Re: The Spirit of the Law vs. The
Letter of the Law posted by Sauerkraut on March 10, 2002
: : I have always understood that people who behave according to the letter of
the law maybe technically correct, but may miss the point or spirit of why the
law was made in the first place.
: : I have used the phrase, "he's sticking
to the letter of the law" in a disparaging way. However, I have found people I've
met here in the US using the same phrase in exactly the opposite sense. Also,
when they say he's acting in the spirit of the law, they mean it in a negative
way.
: My usage of the term matches your understanding, and I'd be interested
if you could give a reference to the opposite use.
: When I attended George
Washington University (Washington D.C.) in the 60s, most students dressed for
class in what we would now call business casual. In an attempt to upgrade the
students' appearence the Administration decreed that male students must wear a
shirt and tie to classes. Since GWU is known for it's excellence as a University
that teaches law, the students complied with the letter of the law and began wearing
tattered T-shirts - with a tie - to class. They also abandonded socks with their
shoes, and wore ragged cut-off shorts.
: The Administration soon realized that
dress codes could be written with ever increasing stipulations that students would
circumvent, and repealed the dress code.
: The students went back to their their
normal decent attire, and common sense ruled once again.
Amazing story. I attended
the U. of California at Berkeley in the 60s. Tattered T shirts and cutoffs would
have been an upgrade there.
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