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 though the author stripped all of the personality out of the entries, and left only dry facts.
( It ( ( 's ( as ( though ( ( the author ) ( ( ( ( stripped ( all ( of ( ( the personality ) ( out ( of ( the entries ) ) ) ) ) ) ) , ) and ) ( left ( only ( dry facts ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) . ) )
(ROOT (S (NP (PRP It)) (VP (VBZ 's) (SBAR (RB as) (IN though) (S (NP (DT the) (NN author)) (VP (VP (VBD stripped) (NP (NP (DT all)) (PP (IN of) (NP (NP (DT the) (NN personality)) (PP (RB out) (IN of) (NP (DT the) (NNS entries))))))) (, ,) (CC and) (VP (VBD left) (NP (RB only) (JJ dry) (NNS facts))))))) (. .)))