Demonics differs from standard English primarily in its use of irregular verbs. That is, most verbs in English follow a simple pattern regardless of who is doing the action: "I jump, you jump, he jumps", or "I stand, you stand, he stands". But some verbs do not follow this pattern. For example, "I am, you are, he is" -- the verb is completely different depending on who is doing the action.
Such verbs are very common in demonics. A completely different form of the verb is used depending on whether the person doing the action is a liberal or a conservative. Here are a few of the more common examples:
| liberal form | conservative form |
|---|---|
| liberals educate the public | conservatives spread propaganda |
| liberals learn from history | conservatives live in the past |
| liberals stamp out hate speech | conservatives censor opponents |
| liberals stand on principle | conservatives push their ideology |
| liberals make mistakes (More technically, it is generally considered incorrect in such contexts to use a subject at all. Rather, the correct usage is, "Mistakes were made.") | conservatives flout the law |
| liberals create economic incentives | conservatives give tax breaks to the rich |
| liberals enact laws for the good of the people | conservatives impose their morality on others |
| liberals seek support from the religious community | conservatives impose their religion on others |
| liberals investigate official misconduct | conservatives conduct witch-hunts |
| liberals stand by their convictions | conservatives are close-minded |
| liberal form | conservative form |
|---|---|
| When a liberal tells a joke about a political opponent, it is funny. | When a conservative tells a joke about a political opponent, it is mean-spirited mud-slinging. |
| Someone who has been an activist on the liberal side of an issue for many years is expert. | Someone who has been an activist on the conservative side of an issue for many years is biased. |
| A liberal organization which is not officially associated with a political party is non-partisan. | A conservative organization which is not officially associated with a political party is right-wing. |
| Any position held by a liberal, no matter how popular or unpopular, is moderate. | Any position held by a conservative, no matter how popular or unpopular, is extremist. |
Created 6 May 1997.