This issue [already came up](https://github.com/SciTools/iris/pull/783#issuecomment-25805208). But I wasn't getting much love for the function idea so I was prepared to drop it for now.

And to be clear, just because I have a "benevolent dictator" hat on my desk doesn't mean I'm always wearing it. I see it as something to call on as a last resort in the event of split opinions.