whimperative
n.— «We shall not discuss here the complicated questions of implicit performatives, e.g., of so-called whimperatives, debated in the linguistic literature.» —“Directives, Norms, and Performatives” by K. Opalek Normative Structures of the Social World Jan., 1988. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. We all know this proverb means to respect local customs when traveling, or more generally, to go along with a larger group. But why Rome? There’s a surprising story behind this phrase. And: Do we inherit our...
A book of photographs and essays by famous writers celebrates libraries — and the librarians who changed their lives. Plus cutting doughnuts, spinning cookies, and pulling brodies: There are lots of ways to talk about spinning a car in circles on...