What does your sense of language tell you about this blog post title?

Question

The title is "Boiling React Down to Few Lines in jQuery".

Is it confusing? Is it appealing or bringing attention? Does it feel wrong? And last, are there anything grammatically wrong with it?

Please state whether you are a native speaker in your answer.

P.S. I ask in a such a weird way 'cause grammar could be googled to an extent and I am trying to tap into your sense of language instead.

If you're writing a headline or title for a story or post, be very careful not to cause a Crash Blossom. — John Lawler, Mar 08 '15 at 17:45
"Boiling React down to a Few Lines using jQuery". "Using jQuery to boil React down to just a few lines". — Ian MacDonald, Mar 08 '15 at 17:47
I would interpret it as meaning that "React" (which is presumably some web application concept/function) is "boiled down" (reduced to essence) by a few lines of code written in the jQuery language. (I speak native geek.) — Hot Licks, Mar 08 '15 at 18:11
@HotLicks To, not by; but otherwise, that’s how I’d parse it, too. “Boiling down to few lines” still sounds very odd to me, though. — Janus Bahs Jacquet, Mar 08 '15 at 18:20
@JanusBahsJacquet - "Boil down" is a fairly common metaphor used to mean "reduce", or "produce a summary", or "calculate the 'bottom line'". I don't find its use at all unusual in the above context. — Hot Licks, Mar 08 '15 at 18:25
(The metaphor is of processing maple syrup or making jelly or some similar cooking activity where large volumes of dilute liquid are boiled until a concentrated product is produced. It's a metaphor which would be meaningful to just about anyone in the US who was born prior to maybe 1960, even without prior exposure to its metaphorical use.) — Hot Licks, Mar 08 '15 at 18:29
@HotLicks I don’t find boil down unusual—it’s the phrase few lines that makes it awkward, with or without an article, though less so with the article, and even less so if we say “boil down to just a few lines”. (And the metaphor should be meaningful to just about anyone born anywhere in the world, even nowadays—if it’s not, they need some basic home ed teachin’s!) — Janus Bahs Jacquet, Mar 08 '15 at 18:29
@JanusBahsJacquet - Well, it's a title -- articles in titles are often omitted to conserve space. (And I suspect the meaning may be lost on some of the microwave generation.) — Hot Licks, Mar 08 '15 at 18:31
@HotLicks True, but with few there’s a substantial difference in meaning between the articled and the unarticled version. Even in a title, I would personally prefer to skirt the issue entirely and say “Minimising React code with/in jQuery” or something along those lines instead. — Janus Bahs Jacquet, Mar 08 '15 at 18:33
Whether it's "Confusing", "appealing", "attention-getting" or it "feels wrong" are all opinion-based. The only question which is on-topic is "Is there anything grammatically wrong with it," and we already have a question on headline syntax. — Andrew Leach, Mar 08 '15 at 20:22
@AndrewLeach, even that question falls afoul of the "too-generic proofreading request", I think. — Hellion, Mar 08 '15 at 22:14
I don't get the point of this question. Is it about a particular grammar aspect? Do you want it written for non-natives? Are you writing it or just wondering about an existing blog title? Do you find something wrong with it? — Mitch, Mar 08 '15 at 22:44
Suor, the PS did not clarify the question. I'll just answer then. Change 'react' to 'reaction', if you are trying to simplify: "I am trying to boil down the reaction to a few lines in jQuery". Titles are in headlinese, so you don't really need the 'a' or 'the'. — Mitch, Mar 09 '15 at 14:39
@Mitch React is a name of JavaScript framework http://facebook.github.io/react/ — Suor, Mar 09 '15 at 15:20
Suor: Oh. Well, my fault then. But for those less knowledgeable, quotes would have helped with that. And then 'a few' might make things sound smoother. — Mitch, Mar 09 '15 at 18:52

score 0 · Accepted Answer · edited Jun 15 '20 at 07:40

Compare with

Boiling the new taxation bill down to a few lines with respect to the US Constitution.
Boiling his mental illness down to a few lines in layman's terms.
Boiling the chemistry of valency down to few lines of quantum mechanics.

jQuery is JavaScript library of routines commonly used by other JavaScript libraries as well as directly used by many browser-side UI developers.

React, AngularJS and Ember are JavaScript libraries for implementing higher abstract UI concepts. They depend on, or compete with, jQuery on their low level JavaScript operations.

Boiling is a quaintly used word for the act of creating boilerplates, but due to rarity of such usage, I am unable to produce evidence of such usage.

Boiling-down is the act of reduction of a mass down to its basic non-ethereal entities or concepts. e.g., It all boils down to the govt needing more money. The stew boiled down to few pieces of chicken bones.

Therefore, "Boiling React down to few lines in jQuery" is either, or combination of,

Reducing the need to use React, by using a few lines of JQuery.
Reducing the mass of React down to the equivalent of a few lines of JQuery.
For those familiar with JQuery, explaining what React does by substituting React calls with a few lines JQuery calls.
How to call React using a few lines of jQuery calls.

Calling a function or operation is code written to jump into the entry-points of functions or operation of libraries, by transferring a payload of data into the function/operation thro those entrypoints.

boil down

vb (adverb)

(Chemistry) to reduce or be reduced in quantity and usually altered in consistency by boiling: to boil a liquid down to a thick glue.
boil down to a. (intr) to be the essential element in something b. (tr) to summarize; reduce to essentials

Thank you very much for your answer. There are few more specific things I am interested in. 1. Is writing "in jQuery" is ok if I mean jQuery as a kind of language? Or it's too confusing and I better go with "of" or "using"? 2. Is inserting a word between "Boiling" and "down" correct? Shouldn't I wrote that as "Boiling down React ... "? — Suor, Mar 09 '15 at 01:45

What does your sense of language tell you about this blog post title?

1 Answers1