--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Devising a vocabulary for gardening is…" description: "\"Devising a vocabulary for gardening is like devising a vocabulary for sex. There are the correct Latin names, but most people invent euphemisms. Those ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f3/diane-ackerman-1035_devising_devising-a-vocabulary-for-gardening-is-l_2675309.png" --- # Devising a vocabulary for gardening is like devising a… ![“Devising a vocabulary for gardening is like devising a vocabulary for sex. There are the correct Latin names, but most people invent euphemisms. Those who refer to plants by Latin name are considered more expert, if a little pedantic.” quote by Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f3/diane-ackerman-1035_devising_devising-a-vocabulary-for-gardening-is-l_2675309.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f3/diane-ackerman-1035_devising_devising-a-vocabulary-for-gardening-is-l_2675309.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f3/diane-ackerman-1035_devising_devising-a-vocabulary-for-gardening-is-l_2675309.png) > “Devising a vocabulary for gardening is like devising a vocabulary for sex. There are the correct Latin names, but most people invent euphemisms. Those who refer to plants by Latin name are considered more expert, if a little pedantic.” [Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Specialized language in gardening mirrors that of sex; both use technical terms and euphemisms, reflecting how expertise and taboo shape communication. **In simple terms:** Specialized vocabularies hide and reveal meaning. Key Takeaway Use precise language while respecting comfort. Themes language expertise taboo Mood thoughtful educational Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - academic writing - public outreach - intimate conversations Key Concepts communication cultural norms education Questions to Reflect On - When do you choose technical terms? - How do euphemisms affect understanding? A Different Perspective Technical jargon can alienate novices. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Devising](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devising/) [Devising Vocabulary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devising-vocabulary-2536191/) [Euphemism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/euphemism/) [Experts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experts/) [Gardening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gardening/) [Latin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/latin/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Names](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/names/) [Pedantic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pedantic/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Plant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plant/) [Plants Latin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plants-latin-2536190/) [Sex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sex/) [Vocabulary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vocabulary/) [Vocabulary Gardening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vocabulary-gardening-2536189/) [Vocabulary Sex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vocabulary-sex-2536192/) ## Related quotes > [Computer Science is a science of abstraction -creating the right model for a problem and devising the appropriate mechanizable techniques to solve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-aho/computer-science-is-a-science-of-abstraction-creating-the-right-model/) [Alfred Aho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-aho/) > [Christ taught us truth; the Devil teaches us falsehood, and strives in every way to contradict every truth; devising various calumnies against it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-of-kronstadt/christ-taught-us-truth-the-devil-teaches-us-falsehood-and-strives-in/) [John of Kronstadt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-of-kronstadt/) > [It is however pretty evident, on general principles, that in devising for mathematical truths a new form in which to record and throw themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ada-lovelace/it-is-however-pretty-evident-on-general-principles-that-in-devising/) [Ada Lovelace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ada-lovelace/) > [The scientific method ... is nothing but the exclusion of subjective opinions as far as possible, by the devising of experiments where observation can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-de-beer/the-scientific-method-is-nothing-but-the-exclusion-of-subjective/) [Gavin de Beer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-de-beer/) > [Black and Third World people are expected to educate white people as to our humanity. Women are expected to educate men. Lesbians and gay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/black-and-third-world-people-are-expected-to-educate-white-people-as/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [If the desire to get somewhere is strong enough in a person, his whole being, conscious and unconscious, is always at work, looking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-philip-grove/if-the-desire-to-get-somewhere-is-strong-enough-in-a-person-his-whole/) [Frederick Philip Grove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-philip-grove/) > [To those who study her, Nature reveals herself as extraordinarily fertile and ingenious in devising means, but she has no ends which the human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-wood-krutch/to-those-who-study-her-nature-reveals-herself-as-extraordinarily/) [Joseph Wood Krutch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-wood-krutch/) > [There was one field in which man was unsurpassed; he showed unlimited ingenuity in devising bigger and more efficient ways to kill off, enslave,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/there-was-one-field-in-which-man-was-unsurpassed-he-showed-unlimited/) [Robert A. 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The joy of dreaming, creating, building, whether in painting a picture, writing an epic, singing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/there-is-the-happiness-which-comes-from-creative-effort-the-joy-of/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [Work outside of school hours was a necessity at an early age, and with such time as I had I turned toward interests of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-carlson/work-outside-of-school-hours-was-a-necessity-at-an-early-age-and-with/) [Chester Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-carlson/) > [ God does not play dice \[with the universe\]. \[Ger., Gott wurfelt nicht.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/god-does-not-play-dice-with-the-universe-ger-gott-wurfelt-nicht/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Science has so accustomed us to devising and accepting theories to account for the facts we observe, however fantastic, that our minds must begin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/science-has-so-accustomed-us-to-devising-and-accepting-theories-to/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [I am often thought of as being remarkably bright, and yet my brains, more often than not, are busily devising new and interesting ways…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bradley/i-am-often-thought-of-as-being-remarkably-bright-and-yet-my-brains/) [Alan Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bradley/) > [Adults devise a plan and follow it, children do what feels good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-ramsey/adults-devise-a-plan-and-follow-it-children-do-what-feels-good/) [Dave Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-ramsey/) ## More by Diane Ackerman > [A self is a frightening thing to waste, it's the lens through which one's whole life is viewed, and few people are willing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/a-self-is-a-frightening-thing-to-waste-it-s-the-lens-through-which/) [Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/) > [“Our lives together, our duet, also continues to evolve, and even if we can’t go back to how it was, we’re designing a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/our-lives-together-our-duet-also-continues-to-evolve-and-even-if-we/) [Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/) > [Hit a tripwire of smell and memories explode all at once. A complex vision leaps out of the undergrowth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/hit-a-tripwire-of-smell-and-memories-explode-all-at-once-a-complex/) [Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/) > [Horses have made civilization possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/horses-have-made-civilization-possible/) [Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/) > [Look at your feet. You are standing in the sky. 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They are the soul of a people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/libraries-change-lives-they-are-the-soul-of-a-people/) [Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/) > [“The etymology of the Hebrew word for prophet, navi, combines three processes: navach (to cry out), nava (to gush or flow), and navuv (to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/the-etymology-of-the-hebrew-word-for-prophet-navi-combines-three/) [Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/) > [Knee-deep in the cosmic overwhelm, I’m stricken by the ricochet wonder of it all: the plain everythingness of everything, in cahoots with the everythingness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/knee-deep-in-the-cosmic-overwhelm-i-m-stricken-by-the-ricochet-wonder/) [Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/) > [ Symbolic of life, hair bolts from our head\[s\]. Like the earth, it can be harvested, but it will rise again. We can change its… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/symbolic-of-life-hair-bolts-from-our-head-s-like-the-earth-it-can-be/) [Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/) > [“Most people know that 30 to 40 percent of the world's Jews were killed during World War II, but not that 80 to 90…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/most-people-know-that-30-to-40-percent-of-the-world-s-jews-were/) [Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/) > [Choice is a signature of our species.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/choice-is-a-signature-of-our-species/) [Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/) > [The further we distance ourselves from the spell of the present, explored by our senses, the harder it will be to understand and protect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/the-further-we-distance-ourselves-from-the-spell-of-the-present/) [Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/) > [Culture is what people invent when they have lost nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/culture-is-what-people-invent-when-they-have-lost-nature/) [Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/) [Explore all 304 Diane Ackerman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/) ## More Devising quotes > [Computer Science is a science of abstraction -creating the right model for a problem and devising the appropriate mechanizable techniques to solve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-aho/computer-science-is-a-science-of-abstraction-creating-the-right-model/) [Alfred Aho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-aho/) > [I am often thought of as being remarkably bright, and yet my brains, more often than not, are busily devising new and interesting ways…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bradley/i-am-often-thought-of-as-being-remarkably-bright-and-yet-my-brains/) [Alan Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bradley/) > [Science has so accustomed us to devising and accepting theories to account for the facts we observe, however fantastic, that our minds must begin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/science-has-so-accustomed-us-to-devising-and-accepting-theories-to/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [ God does not play dice \[with the universe\]. \[Ger., Gott wurfelt nicht.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/god-does-not-play-dice-with-the-universe-ger-gott-wurfelt-nicht/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Work outside of school hours was a necessity at an early age, and with such time as I had I turned toward interests of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-carlson/work-outside-of-school-hours-was-a-necessity-at-an-early-age-and-with/) [Chester Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-carlson/) > [There is the happiness which comes from creative effort. The joy of dreaming, creating, building, whether in painting a picture, writing an epic, singing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/there-is-the-happiness-which-comes-from-creative-effort-the-joy-of/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [With support from institutions like the United Nations as well as the donor community, governments can strengthen their national technological and scientific capacities by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talal-abu-ghazaleh/with-support-from-institutions-like-the-united-nations-as-well-as-the/) [Talal Abu-Ghazaleh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talal-abu-ghazaleh/) > [There was one field in which man was unsurpassed; he showed unlimited ingenuity in devising bigger and more efficient ways to kill off, enslave,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/there-was-one-field-in-which-man-was-unsurpassed-he-showed-unlimited/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [To those who study her, Nature reveals herself as extraordinarily fertile and ingenious in devising means, but she has no ends which the human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-wood-krutch/to-those-who-study-her-nature-reveals-herself-as-extraordinarily/) [Joseph Wood Krutch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-wood-krutch/) > [If the desire to get somewhere is strong enough in a person, his whole being, conscious and unconscious, is always at work, looking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-philip-grove/if-the-desire-to-get-somewhere-is-strong-enough-in-a-person-his-whole/) [Frederick Philip Grove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-philip-grove/) > [Black and Third World people are expected to educate white people as to our humanity. Women are expected to educate men. Lesbians and gay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/black-and-third-world-people-are-expected-to-educate-white-people-as/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [The scientific method ... is nothing but the exclusion of subjective opinions as far as possible, by the devising of experiments where observation can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-de-beer/the-scientific-method-is-nothing-but-the-exclusion-of-subjective/) [Gavin de Beer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-de-beer/) > [It is however pretty evident, on general principles, that in devising for mathematical truths a new form in which to record and throw themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ada-lovelace/it-is-however-pretty-evident-on-general-principles-that-in-devising/) [Ada Lovelace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ada-lovelace/) > [Christ taught us truth; the Devil teaches us falsehood, and strives in every way to contradict every truth; devising various calumnies against it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-of-kronstadt/christ-taught-us-truth-the-devil-teaches-us-falsehood-and-strives-in/) [John of Kronstadt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-of-kronstadt/) > [Adults devise a plan and follow it, children do what feels good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-ramsey/adults-devise-a-plan-and-follow-it-children-do-what-feels-good/) [Dave Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-ramsey/) [Browse all 49 Devising quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devising/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Devising a vocabulary for gardening is like devising a vocabulary for sex. 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