--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The minute you read something and you…" description: "\"The minute you read something and you can't understand it, you can be sure it was written by a lawyer. Then, if you give it to another lawyer to read a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f70/will-rogers-272_few-words_the-minute-you-read-something-and-you-ca_728986.jpg" --- # The minute you read something and you can't understand it… ![“The minute you read something and you can't understand it, you can be sure it was written by a lawyer. Then, if you give it to another lawyer to read and he don't know just what it means, then you can be sure it was drawn up by a lawyer. If it's in a few words and is plain, and understandable only…” quote by Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f70/will-rogers-272_few-words_the-minute-you-read-something-and-you-ca_728986.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f70/will-rogers-272_few-words_the-minute-you-read-something-and-you-ca_728986.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f70/will-rogers-272_few-words_the-minute-you-read-something-and-you-ca_728986.jpg) > “The minute you read something and you can't understand it, you can be sure it was written by a lawyer. Then, if you give it to another lawyer to read and he don't know just what it means, then you can be sure it was drawn up by a lawyer. If it's in a few words and is plain, and understandable only one way, it was written by a non-lawyer.” [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Legal writing tends to be complex and obscure, while plain language indicates a non‑lawyer author. **In simple terms:** Complex legal text signals a lawyer; simple text signals a non‑lawyer. Key Takeaway Prefer clear, plain language to avoid confusion. Themes communication law clarity Mood critical informative Type advice observational When to use this quote - contract drafting - policy writing - public speeches - educational materials Key Concepts legalese plain language interpretation Questions to Reflect On - How can you simplify legal documents without losing meaning? - When is technical language essential? A Different Perspective Legal jargon can be necessary for precision, limiting plainness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Lawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lawyer/) ## Related quotes > [Allowing a non-lawyer to be on the Supreme Court strikes me as a very American thing, in a good way. 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These few words are enough If not these few words, this breath If not this breath, this sitting here This opening to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-whyte/enough-these-few-words-are-enough-if-not-these-few-words-this-breath/) [David Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-whyte/) > [Every parent who has ever said a few words over a goldfish in a toilet bowl or felt the numbness of an unexpected diagnosis…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-borgman/every-parent-who-has-ever-said-a-few-words-over-a-goldfish-in-a/) Lori Borgman > [When I was a young kid, my dad, a man of few words, told my brother and me, "Boys, Christmas is about Jesus." I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/when-i-was-a-young-kid-my-dad-a-man-of-few-words-told-my-brother-and/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [The main characteristic of Nature's farming can therefore be summed up in a few words. Mother earth never attempts to farm without live stock;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-main-characteristic-of-nature-s-farming-can-therefore-be-summed/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The question may seem embarrassing, but it can be answered in a few words. For two people to live in peace they must both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errico-malatesta/the-question-may-seem-embarrassing-but-it-can-be-answered-in-a-few/) [Errico Malatesta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errico-malatesta/) > [I don't find myself interesting as a person and the details I find boring, quite frankly. You could sum it up in a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ackroyd/i-don-t-find-myself-interesting-as-a-person-and-the-details-i-find/) [Peter Ackroyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ackroyd/) > [Conversation! Supple sentences, with first and second meanings and overtones beyond, outrageous challenges with cleverly planned slip-points, rebuttals of elegant brevity; deceptions and guiles,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-vance/conversation-supple-sentences-with-first-and-second-meanings-and/) [Jack Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-vance/) > [I am a man of few words, but many riddles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gorshin/i-am-a-man-of-few-words-but-many-riddles/) [Frank Gorshin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gorshin/) > [... mathematics is very much like poetry ... what makes a good poem -- a great poem -- is that there is a large…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lipman-bers/mathematics-is-very-much-like-poetry-what-makes-a-good-poem-a-great/) Lipman Bers > [I'd like to say a few words about one of the most popular concepts in the modern education--show and tell. Show and Tell is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-orben/i-d-like-to-say-a-few-words-about-one-of-the-most-popular-concepts-in/) [Robert Orben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-orben/) > [He who thinks much says but little in proportion to his thoughts. He selects that language which will convey his ideas in the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washington-irving/he-who-thinks-much-says-but-little-in-proportion-to-his-thoughts-he/) [Washington Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washington-irving/) > [Usually the characters I play are men of few words, who communicate in non-verbal ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/usually-the-characters-i-play-are-men-of-few-words-who-communicate-in/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) ## More by Will Rogers > [She was so ugly she could make a mule back away from an oat bin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/she-was-so-ugly-she-could-make-a-mule-back-away-from-an-oat-bin/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [We are always saying: Let the Law take its Course but what we really mean is: Let the Law take OUR Course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/we-are-always-saying-let-the-law-take-its-course-but-what-we-really/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [The Democrats and the Republicans are equally corrupt where money is concerned. It's only in the amount where the Republicans excel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/the-democrats-and-the-republicans-are-equally-corrupt-where-money-is/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [Farmers, get out your sense of humor. Congress meets to relieve you again next week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/farmers-get-out-your-sense-of-humor-congress-meets-to-relieve-you/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [Politicians, after all, are not over a year behind public opinion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/politicians-after-all-are-not-over-a-year-behind-public-opinion/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [American invents everything, but the trouble is we get tired of it the minute the new is wore off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/american-invents-everything-but-the-trouble-is-we-get-tired-of-it-the/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [I don't know what humor is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/i-don-t-know-what-humor-is/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [There are two things I don't care how smart you are, you will never understand. One is an alienist's testimony, and the other is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/there-are-two-things-i-don-t-care-how-smart-you-are-you-will-never/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [The more you observe politics, the more you've got to admit that each party is worse than the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/the-more-you-observe-politics-the-more-you-ve-got-to-admit-that-each/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [I don't think you can make a lawyer honest by an act of legislature. You've got to work on his conscience. And his lack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/i-don-t-think-you-can-make-a-lawyer-honest-by-an-act-of-legislature/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [There are two theories to arguing with a woman. Neither works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/there-are-two-theories-to-arguing-with-a-woman-neither-works/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [America is a great country, but you can't live in it for nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/america-is-a-great-country-but-you-can-t-live-in-it-for-nothing/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [There ought to be one day - just one - when there is open season on senators.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/there-ought-to-be-one-day-just-one-when-there-is-open-season-on/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [Every Gag I tell must be based on truth. No matter how much I may exaggerate it, it must have a certain amount of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/every-gag-i-tell-must-be-based-on-truth-no-matter-how-much-i-may/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [So live that you would not mind selling your pet parrot to the town gossip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/so-live-that-you-would-not-mind-selling-your-pet-parrot-to-the-town/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) [Explore all 776 Will Rogers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) ## More Few words quotes > [Usually the characters I play are men of few words, who communicate in non-verbal ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/usually-the-characters-i-play-are-men-of-few-words-who-communicate-in/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [He who thinks much says but little in proportion to his thoughts. 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Supple sentences, with first and second meanings and overtones beyond, outrageous challenges with cleverly planned slip-points, rebuttals of elegant brevity; deceptions and guiles,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-vance/conversation-supple-sentences-with-first-and-second-meanings-and/) [Jack Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-vance/) > [I don't find myself interesting as a person and the details I find boring, quite frankly. You could sum it up in a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ackroyd/i-don-t-find-myself-interesting-as-a-person-and-the-details-i-find/) [Peter Ackroyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ackroyd/) > [The question may seem embarrassing, but it can be answered in a few words. For two people to live in peace they must both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errico-malatesta/the-question-may-seem-embarrassing-but-it-can-be-answered-in-a-few/) [Errico Malatesta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errico-malatesta/) > [The main characteristic of Nature's farming can therefore be summed up in a few words. Mother earth never attempts to farm without live stock;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-main-characteristic-of-nature-s-farming-can-therefore-be-summed/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When I was a young kid, my dad, a man of few words, told my brother and me, "Boys, Christmas is about Jesus." I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/when-i-was-a-young-kid-my-dad-a-man-of-few-words-told-my-brother-and/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [Every parent who has ever said a few words over a goldfish in a toilet bowl or felt the numbness of an unexpected diagnosis…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-borgman/every-parent-who-has-ever-said-a-few-words-over-a-goldfish-in-a/) Lori Borgman > [Enough. These few words are enough If not these few words, this breath If not this breath, this sitting here This opening to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-whyte/enough-these-few-words-are-enough-if-not-these-few-words-this-breath/) [David Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-whyte/) > [The most basic barrier was language itself, very few Americans in Iraq whether soldiers or diplomats or news paper reporters could speak more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dexter-filkins/the-most-basic-barrier-was-language-itself-very-few-americans-in-iraq/) Dexter Filkins > [On a few words of what is real in the world I nourish myself. I defend myself against Whatever remains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stevens/on-a-few-words-of-what-is-real-in-the-world-i-nourish-myself-i-defend/) [Wallace Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stevens/) > [You have it easily in your power to increase the sum total of this world's happiness now. How? By giving a few words of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/you-have-it-easily-in-your-power-to-increase-the-sum-total-of-this/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) Browse all 165 Few words quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The minute you read something and you can't understand it, you can be sure it was written by a lawyer. Then, if you give it to another lawyer to read and he don't know just what it means, then you can be sure it was drawn up by a lawyer. 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