This is the thread where we post odd phrases from official documents

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My current odd phrase, from a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP)
notice:

After completion of the contractor-work, LADWP forces will replace the fire hydrants in the area.

The first thing that caught my eye was the hyphenated "contractor-work". The second was using the word "forces" as if the water and power employees are an elite cadre of military hydrant specialists who will descend on the city in an absurdly named military exercise called "Operation Noble Plug" or something. Are we so militarized in our culture that even civil workers are "forces"? Or are they meant to be seen as forces of nature? It's all rather grand.

― Orbit (Orbit), Wednesday, 8 October 2003 19:29 (twenty-one years ago)

Reasons for economic inactivity: by gender, Spring 1999: Social Trends 30

People who do not have a job and either do not want one, or who are not both seeking and available to start a job, are termed economically inactive. This includes people who have retired, long-term sick or disabled, discouraged workers and students. In Spring 1999 there were 7.8 million people in the United Kingdom who were economically inactive. The most common reason for economic inactivity among men of working age who wanted a job but had not sought one in the four weeks before interview was long-term sickness or disability. For women the most common reason was looking after the family and home.

From http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/xsdataset.asp?vlnk=152&Pos=3&ColRank=2&Rank=256

I think 'discouraged workers' is a great official term.

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 8 October 2003 19:59 (twenty-one years ago)

From California Special Education law dealing with grounds for expulsions and suspensions:

(p) Unlawfully offered, arranged to sell, negotiated to sell, or sold the prescription drug Soma

I found this odd because Soma was specified, and none of the other illegal drugs were listed separately. They gave Soma its own item (p). Now of course I don't think that kids should be selling muscle relaxants, but why this *particular* one was singled out in the law seemed bizarre to me. Was there a Soma craze in 1997 when the regs were written, or in 1999 when they were revised?

― Orbit (Orbit), Wednesday, 8 October 2003 23:50 (twenty-one years ago)

from the Fed-ex slip on a package:

**UPDATE ALL INFORMATION AND POD INTO COSMOS**

POD MUST BE OBTAINED WHEN DELIVERY IS COMPLETED

This sounds like something out of a Philip K. Dick novel, like coded instuctions from another universe. Finish the delivery. Obtain a pod. Enter the cosmos.

― Orbit (Orbit), Monday, 13 October 2003 20:22 (twenty-one years ago)

"No data is presented for the north-west forest park as this operation is reactionary to sightings and no hunting has occurred here"

― isadora (isadora), Monday, 13 October 2003 21:32 (twenty-one years ago)

two weeks pass...

From a law review article: "Post-Judgment Activities"

When the court officer levies upon a bank account, the bank will freeze the amount in the account up to the judgment amount. You will be notified of this by the court officer's return of the writ of execution. If the amount is significant, you may find out before then because the judgment debtor will likely call you in hysterics. This often leads to a favorable resolution for your client.

― felicity (felicity), Tuesday, 28 October 2003 22:05 (twenty-one years ago)

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