Slightly less, more than it, zero plus point 2

Once upon a time seriousness took a wrong turn, and became crossed eyed. It spiralled endlessly wherever it went. It's etymology granddad was ashamed, and cursed it saying "Begone thou foul thing, into that herd of swine over there"

Former seriousness cackled, Fair Etymology chafed at it's frowardness and took a wrong turn as well, and both spiralled like buzz saws, till they split each other into trillions of smaller thems.

Now as it was, here as it was there, down as it was up.