It is as if you looked up, say, infer/imply in a usage manual and the author's treatment, in place of an explanation and sound advice, were an unpleasant diatribe against anyone so dense and rude as to have had to look up the entry to begin with.
( It ( ( is ( as ( ( if ( you ( ( looked ( ( ( ( up , ) say ) , ) infer/imply ) ) ( in ( ( ( a ( usage manual ) ) and ) ( ( the ( author 's ) ) treatment ) ) ) ) ) ) ( , ( ( in ( place ( of ( an ( explanation ( and ( sound advice ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ( , ( were ( ( an ( unpleasant diatribe ) ) ( against ( anyone ( ( ( so dense ) and ) ( ( rude as ) ( to ( have ( had ( to ( ( look up ) ( the ( entry ( to ( begin with ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) . ) )
(ROOT (S (NP (PRP It)) (VP (VBZ is) (SBAR (IN as) (S (SBAR (IN if) (S (NP (PRP you)) (VP (VBD looked) (PP (IN up) (, ,) (INTJ (VB say)) (, ,) (ADVP (RB infer/imply))) (PP (IN in) (NP (NP (DT a) (NN usage) (NN manual)) (CC and) (NP (NP (DT the) (NN author) (POS 's)) (NN treatment))))))) (, ,) (PP (IN in) (NP (NP (NN place)) (PP (IN of) (NP (DT an) (NN explanation) (CC and) (NN sound) (NN advice))))) (, ,) (VP (VBD were) (NP (NP (DT an) (JJ unpleasant) (NN diatribe)) (PP (IN against) (NP (NP (NN anyone)) (ADJP (ADJP (RB so) (JJ dense)) (CC and) (ADJP (JJ rude) (RB as) (S (VP (TO to) (VP (VB have) (VP (VBN had) (S (VP (TO to) (VP (VB look) (PRT (RP up)) (NP (DT the) (NN entry) (S (VP (TO to) (VP (VB begin) (PP (IN with)))))))))))))))))))))) (. .)))
It's as if the author replaced the explanation for infer/imply with their own rant against anyone who would dare to look it up in the first place.
( It ( ( 's ( as ( if ( ( the author ) ( ( replaced ( ( the explanation ) ( for infer/imply ) ) ) ( with ( ( ( their ( own rant ) ) ( against anyone ) ) ( who ( would ( dare ( to ( ( ( look it ) up ) ( in ( the ( first place ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) . ) )
(ROOT (S (NP (PRP It)) (VP (VBZ 's) (SBAR (RB as) (IN if) (S (NP (DT the) (NN author)) (VP (VBD replaced) (NP (NP (DT the) (NN explanation)) (PP (IN for) (NP (NN infer/imply)))) (PP (IN with) (NP (NP (PRP$ their) (JJ own) (NN rant)) (PP (IN against) (NP (NN anyone))) (SBAR (WHNP (WP who)) (S (VP (MD would) (VP (VB dare) (S (VP (TO to) (VP (VB look) (NP (PRP it)) (PRT (RP up)) (PP (IN in) (NP (DT the) (JJ first) (NN place)))))))))))))))) (. .)))