As Philodemus indicated in antiquity, encomia of Busiris [by Isocrates] belong to this category of paradoxical or adoxographic treatises, which flourished in nearly all periods of ancient Greek literature. These were speeches written in the encomiastic style on subjects that were immediately recognizable to ancient audiences as vile, trivial, ridiculous, or otherwise unsuited to praise.

the acceleratings and brakings of a vehicle

Plus, we keep having film noir fantasies about men in fedoras and their dangerous pencil-skirted gals downing sidecars.

to iron a wagon