I profoundly dislike the usage of the term "Protecting" in "Protecting your assets", especially when we have a more suitable verb: "Evading". It has the correct connotations too.
I think the right phrase here might have passed out of our vocabulary during a long recent period of extreme permissiveness. It's ungentlemanlike to speak of such things.
Alternately, they could be arguing that "prudery" that originates from a project of improving societal morality is not necessarily a bad thing.
The definition you propose applies a modern, negative connotation to "prude" that is certainly present in the English language, but there could also be more sympathetic interpretations of the same characteristic ("innocent" and "straight-laced" and "proper" come to mind).
I would have used the term "vigilant" instead of "litigious". There is much less connotation of barratry, shakedowns, and other distasteful activities.
> it can be easy to get caught out by licensing requirements
Yes, that's how it's mostly used today. But here are some dictionary definitions.
OED (I've cut the examples)
> prude, a. and n.
> A. adj. That maintains or affects extreme propriety of speech and behaviour, especially in regard to the relations of the sexes; excessively modest, demure, or prim; prudish: usually applied adversely. Now rare.
[...]
> prude, a. and n.
> (pru?d)[a. mod.F. prude adj. and n., said of a woman in same sense as the Eng. (Molière in Littré), in OF. prude, prode, preude, in a laudatory sense, good, virtuous, modest, respectable; either a back-formation from prudefemme (cf. prudhomme) or a later fem. form of prod, pro, pru: see preux, prow a.]
>prude, a. and n.
> B. n. A woman who maintains or affects excessive modesty or propriety in conduct or speech; one who is of extreme propriety: usually applied adversely with implication of affectation.
[...]
> prude, a. and n.
> Hence 'prudelike a., of the nature of, or characteristic of, a prude; 'prudely adv., in the manner of a prude.
[...]
> prude, v.
> intr. To conduct oneself in the manner of a prude; to act prudishly. Hence 'pruding vbl. n.
Websters Revised (1913):
> Prude \Prude\, n. [F., prudish, originally, discreet, modest;
> shortened from OF. prudefeme, preudefeme, a discreet or excellent woman; OF. preu, prou, excellent, brave + de of + fete woman. See {Prow}, a., {Prowess}.] A woman of affected modesty, reserve, or coyness; one who is overscrupulous or sensitive; one who affects extraordinary prudence in conduct and speech.
Chambers:
> prude /prood/
> noun
> 1. A person of priggish or affected modesty
> 2. Someone who has or pretends to have extreme propriety
Apparently we will have to stop using phrases like "avoid this like the plague" ... because people like the author of this drivel seem to want to run headlong towards the plague. We need a better euphemism...
It's not a good term, but the meaning is clear enough. You can't keep sweeping things under a rug indefinitely, your ass is due for some biting because of accumulation of poor decisions.
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