Instances of intentionally complex language

[inkd]

Hello, all. I was wondering if any of you knows of instances in literature (of any genre) in which something simple is (humorously and intentionally) described in a complex manner—like a water droplet, for instance, being described as "a spherical coalescence of elements" or something. I believe John Swift's Gulliver's Travels contains something like this, but I can't locate the passage, nor am I sure, generally speaking, of the name of this technique. But I suppose what I'm looking for, to be succinct, is the application of complicated (especially scientific) language to simple things or situations. Thanks in advance.

[stlukesguild]

Look for the legal agreement between Tristram Shandy's Mother and Father early on in Lawrence Sterne's Tristram Shandy.

[Lykren]

The Oxen of the Sun chapter in Ulysses.

[MANICHAEAN]

THE IMP OF THE PERVERSE.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

IN the consideration of the faculties and impulses — of the prima mobilia of the human soul, the phrenologists have failed to make room for a propensity which, although obviously existing as a radical, primitive, irreducible sentiment, has been equally overlooked by all the moralists who have preceded them. In the pure arrogance of the reason, we have all overlooked it. We have suffered its existence to escape our senses, solely through want of belief — of faith; — whether it be faith in Revelation, or faith in the Kabbala. The idea of it has never occurred to us, simply because of its supererogation. We saw no need of the impulse — for the propensity. We could not perceive its necessity. We could not understand, that is to say, we could not have understood, had the notion of this primum mobile ever obtruded itself; — we could not have understood in what manner it might be made to further the objects of humanity, either temporal or eternal. It cannot be denied that phrenology and, in great measure, all metaphysicianism, have been concocted à priori. The intellectual or logical man, rather than the understanding or observant man, set himself to imagine designs — to dictate purposes to God. Having thus fathomed, to his satisfaction, the intentions of Jehovah, out of these intentions he built his innumerable systems of mind. In the matter of phrenology, for example, we first determined, naturally enough, that it was the design of the Deity that man should eat. We then assigned to man an organ of alimentiveness, and this organ is the scourge with which the Deity compels man, will-I nill-I, into eating. Secondly, having settled it to be God's will that man should continue his species, we discovered an organ of amativeness, (amorous) forthwith. And so with combativeness, with ideality, with causality, with constructiveness, — so, in short, with every organ, whether representing a propensity, a moral sentiment, or a faculty of the pure intellect.

[Pompey Bum]

I believe John Swift's Gulliver's Travels contains something like this, but I can't locate the passage

Swift does this with nautical language. In Gulliver's Travels, he was lampooning (among other things) the sensational pamphlets and travel narratives of his day, and sometimes he'd let loose with sailing jargon so thick that few of his readers would have understood it. I think the joke was that fans of sensational adventure narratives didn't much know or care about what they were reading about as long gas it sounded cool.

Hope that helps.

[MANICHAEAN]

Interesting tactic. I sometimes engage in something similar when holding rather formal meetings with attendees a lot younger than my 71 years of age.
I pick on a particular point and comment in a rather throwaway manner to say something like, " I remember something similar just after the war!" or " We had something akin to that during the Blitz."
Looks of total bewilderment on their faces.
"What is the old fool rambling on about now?"