In recent times, the use of phraases has become increasingly popular. The Phraase Regulatory Committee was created to regulate their use and to ensure that they are not be misused. The PRC has created a set of guidelines to help the public understand how to use phraases:
A phraase is generally a phrase that follows this form:
You + [adjective/adjectival phrase] + [animal/creature]!
Because this type of phrase contains an animal as well as an adjective, the term “phraase” was coined to describe them because it contains two a’s. The most common form of the phraase is the term “You sly fox!” With certain exceptions, however, all phraases should alliterate the adjective and the animal. For example,
You anonymous aardvark!
It is completely acceptable to use a multi-worded adjectival phrase (punctuated with hyphens) in a phraase, though, generally, the fewer words the better. Remember that there may be no spaces within the adjectival phrase.
You rodent-eating emu!
Note how the alliteration is performed with the last word of the adjectival phrase only. The alliteration must be performed with the last word of the adjectival phrase. All other instances of alliteration are acceptable, but not necessary. Keeping that in mind, please note how the next phraase has improved the previous one:
You rodent-eating eagle!
In this instance, the phraase was not changed to be consistent with a hard rule, rather, it was changed to be consistent with reality. If an animal can be chosen that matches the adjective more closely, then it should be chosen. Since eagles eat rodents and emus do not, it is only logical that you would choose the eagle for this phraase.
While it is typical to use phraases as an exclamation, it is perfectly acceptable to utilize them in the form of statements:
You sly fox.
Phraases may take any form as long as they contain the adjective and the animal/creature. The following are all acceptable saying that still qualify as phraases:
You. Sly. Fox
You are a sly fox.
He is a sly fox!
She is a sly fox!
One can often be a sly fox!
Those sly foxes!
That sly fox!
He is a fox that is sly.
It is important to know that the above list is non-exhaustive; there is no limit to the iterations of a single root form of a phraase. It will always qualify as a phraase if it contains these elements:
- An adjective or adjectival phrase containing no spaces and punctuated with hyphens when necessary
- An animal or creature that alliterates with the adjective.
That’s all a phrase needs to get an ‘A’, but there are some notable phraases that break one or more of the rules:
- You sly fox!
- You silly goose!
- You fiesty fiesta!
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