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 . . . SPEECH see: "COMMUNICATION" for related links No man means all he says, and yet very few say all they mean, for words are slippery and thought is viscous. --Henry Brooks Adams (1838—1918) American historian & man of letters. _The Education of Henry Adams_, ch. 31 [1907] I have always been convinced, that the abuse of words has been the great instrument of sophistry and chicanery, of party, faction, and division of society. --John Adams (1735—1826) First VP and second President of the United States. Letter to J.H. Tiffany [31 March 1819], in _Works of John Adams_, vol. 10 [1856], ed. by Charles Francis Adams. The day of the jewelled epigram is passed and, whether one likes it or not, one is moving into the stern puritanical era of the four-letter word. --Noël Annan (1916—2000) English historian and writer. In the House of Lords [1966]; quoted in George Greenfield _Scribblers for Bread_ [1989]. She was not a woman of many words, for, unlike people in general, she proportioned them to the number of her ideas. --Jane Austen (1775—1817) English writer. _Sense and Sensibility_, vol. 2, ch. 12 [1811] Gentlemen, there comes a tide in the affairs of bastards when no amount of cursing will suffice. Let us merely observe a moment of silence, like a deaf-mute who has just hit his fingers with a hammer. --John Barrymore (John Sidney Blythe) (1882—1942) Shakespearean actor. Quoted in Gene Fowler, _Good Night, Sweet Prince_ [1943]. - Speak gently! -- It is better far To rule by love, than fear -- Speak gently -- let not harsh words mar The good we might do here! Speak gently! -- Love doth whisper low The vows that true hearts bind; And gently Friendship's accents flow; Affection's voice is kind. Speak gently to the little child! Its love be sure to gain; Teach it in accents soft and mild: -- It may not long remain. Speak gently to the young, for they Will have enough to bear -- Pass through this life as best they may, 'T is full of anxious care! Speak gently to the aged one, Grieve not the care-worn heart; The sands of life are nearly run, Let such in peace depart! Speak gently, kindly, to the poor; Let no harsh tone be heard; They have enough they must endure, Without an unkind word! Speak gently to the erring -- know, They may have toiled in vain; Perchance unkindness made them so; Oh, win them back again! Speak gently! -- He who gave his life To bend man's stubborn will, When elements were in fierce strife, Said to them, "Peace, be still." Speak gently! -- 'tis a little thing Dropped in the heart's deep well; The good, the joy, which it may bring, Eternity shall tell. --David Bates (1809—1870) American poet. "Speak Gently" in _Eolian_ [1849]. - Don't make use of another's mouth unless it has been leant to you. --Belgian proverb - A man's heart determines his speech. A good man's speech reveals the rich treasures within him. An evil-hearted man is filled with venom, and his speech reveals it. --Bible "Matthew" 12:34-35 Hear and understand: not what goes into the mouth defiles a man, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man. --Bible "Matthew" 15:10-11 - - Be brief, for no discourse can please when too long. --Miguel de Cervantes (1547—1616) Spanish novelist. "Don Quixote de la Mancha", pt. 1, bk. 3, ch. 7 [1605] Think before thou speakest. --Miguel de Cervantes (1547—1616) Spanish novelist. _Don Quixote de la Mancha_, pt. 1, bk. 4, ch. 3 [1605] I must speak the truth, and nothing but the truth. --Miguel de Cervantes (1547—1616) Spanish novelist. _Don Quixote de la Mancha_, pt. 1, bk. 4, ch. 3 [1605] Be slow of tongue and quick of eye. --Miguel de Cervantes (1547—1616) Spanish novelist. Attributed in "Teachers World", vol. V, no. 1 [September 1893]. - The tongue is like a sharp knife; it kills without drawing blood. --Chinese proverb - We should be as careful of our words as of our actions, and as far from speaking ill as from doing ill. --Marcus Tullius Cicero (106—43 BC) Roman orator and statesman. Attributed in J. K. Hoyt & Anna L. Ward (eds.) _The Cyclopedia of Practical Quotations, English and Latin_ [1886]. Brevity is the best recommendation of speech, whether in a senator or an orator. --Marcus Tullius Cicero (106—43 BC) Roman orator and statesman. Attributed in Tryon Edwards _A Dictionary of Thoughts_, p. 51 [1891]. - A word spoken is past recalling. --John Clarke (1596—1658) Comp. _Proverbs: English and Latine_ [1639] A superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions. --Confucius (551—479 B.C.) K'ung Ch'iu, Chinese philosopher. Quoted in Maturin M. Ballou _Treasury of Thought_, p. 490 [15th ed. 1894]. [Of Gladstone:] A sophistical rhetorician, inebriated with the exuberance of his own verbosity. --Benjamin Disraeli (1804—1881) British Tory statesman, novelist, and Prime Minister [1868, 1874-80]. Speech at Knightsbridge [28 July 1878]. Cecilia, as played by Knightley with stunning style, speaks rapidly in that upper-class accent that sounds like performance art. When I hear it, I despair that we Americans will ever approach such style with our words, which march out like baked potatoes. --Roger Ebert (b. 1942) American film critic. In an online review of the movie "Atonement" [2007]. Blessed is the man who, having nothing to say, abstains from giving us wordy evidence of the fact. --George Eliot [Mary Ann Evans] (1819—1880) English novelist. _Impressions of Theophrastus Such_ [1879], "A Man Surprised at his Own Originality" - The music that can deepest reach, And cure all ill, is cordial speech. --Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803—1882) American philosopher and poet. _The Conduct of Life_ [1860], "Considerations by the Way" Don't SAY things. What you ARE stands over you the while, and thunders so that I cannot hear what you say to the contrary. --Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803—1882) American philosopher and poet. _Letters and Social Aims_ [1876], "Social Aims" - The more you say, the less people remember. The fewer the words, the greater the profit. --François de Salignac de la Mothe-Fénelon (1651—1715) French theologian and author. Attributed in Samuel Arthur Bent _Short Sayings of Great Men_, p. 212 [1882]. Speak boldly, and speak truly, shame the devil. --John Fletcher (1579—1625) English Jacobean dramatist who collaborated with Francis Beaumont and other dramatists on comedies and tragedies between 1606 and 1625. _Wit Without Money_, IV, iv [c. 1614] When a thing has been said and said well, have no scruple. Take it and copy it. --Anatole France [Jacques Anatole Thibault] (1844—1924) French novelist, man of letters, and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1921. Attributed in Robert Andrews _The Routledge Dictionary of Quotations_ [1987]. - The heart of the fool is in his mouth, but the mouth of the wise man is in his heart. --Benjamin Franklin (1706—1790) American politician, inventor, and scientist. _Poor Richard's Almanack_ [1733] Speak little, do much. --Benjamin Franklin (1706—1790) American politician, inventor, and scientist. _Poor Richard's Almanack_ [1755] - Consider not so much who speaks, as what is spoken. --Thomas Fuller (1654—1734) English writer and physician. Comp., _Introductio ad Prudentiam_ [1731] Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind. --attributed to Theodor Seuss Geisel [Dr. Seuss] (1904—1991) American writer and illustrator of children's books. You like potato and I like po-tah-to, You like tomato and I like to-mah-to; Potato, po-tah-to, tomato, to-mah-to — Let's call the whole thing off! --Ira Gershwin (1896—1983) American songwriter. "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" [1937 song] The most important things to say are those which often I did not think necessary for me to say — because they were too obvious. --André Gide (1869—1951) French novelist and critic; awarded Nobel Prize for Literature in 1947. _The Journals of André Gide: 1914-1927_ [23 August 1926] ^ Letter to the editor of the Wall Street Journal: "Let's Start Speaking Good" December 13, 2006 So Joseph Epstein's like, we oughta have a focus group to save the English language from, you know, going down the tubes, because we all know that bad English really sucks. Wow, I mean, this dude is so totally cool in saying we don't talk right. So I'm like, we need to speak more clearly, but then society's like, never mind, do your own thing, whatever. If a person speaks correctly they sound more educated, but then other people go, like, you are some sort of snob or bigot. Rachel Eve Glyn Cherry Hill, N.J. & note: Has society become so, like, totally . . . I mean absolutely . . . You know? That we've just gotten to the point where it's just, like . . . whatever! And so actually our disarticulation . . . ness is just a clever sort of . . . thing to disguise the fact that we've become the most aggressively inarticulate generation to come along since . . . you know, a long, long time ago! --Taylor Mali (b. 1965) American teacher and poet. "Totally like whatever, you know?" ^ Most men make little other use of their speech than to give evidence against their own understanding. --George Savile, 1st Marquess Halifax (1633—1695) English politician and essayist. _Political, Moral, and Miscellaneous Thoughts and Reflections_ [1750] I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. --Evelyn Beatrice Hall [pseudonym Stephen G. Tallentyre] (1868— ?) _The Friends of Voltaire_ [1906] Summing up Voltaire's attitude and often mis-attributed to Voltaire himself. Sheridan once said of some speech, in his acute, sarcastic way, that 'it contained a great deal both of what was new and what was true; but that unfortunately what was new was not true, and what was true was not new.' --William Hazlitt (1778—1830) English essayist. _Table Talk_ [1821] Essay XV, "On Paradox and Common-place" The phrase "we (I) (you) simply must —" designates some thing that need not be done. "That goes without saying" is a red warning. "Of course" means you had best check it yourself. These small-change clichés and others like them, when read correctly, are reliable channel markers. --Robert Heinlein (1907—1988) American science-fiction writer. _Time Enough for Love_ [1973] Speech is conveniently located midway between thought and action, where it often substitutes for both. --John Andrew Holmes (1874—?) American physician and writer, _Wisdom in Small Doses_ [1927] - From his tongue flowed speech sweeter than honey. --Homer (c. 850? BC) Greek epic poet. _The Iliad_, Book I, Line 249 [c. 800 B.C.] Hateful to me as the gates of Hades is that man who hides one thing in his heart and speaks another. --Homer (c. 850? BC) Greek epic poet. __The Iliad_ [c. 800 B.C.] - When we advance a little into life, we find that the tongue of man creates nearly all the mischief of the world. --Edwin Paxton Hood (1820—1885) English Congregational minister and writer. _Blind Amos and His Velvet Principles_, ch. XI [1859] - When angry count 10 before you speak. If very angry 100. --Thomas Jefferson (1743—1826) American statesman and president [1801-09]. Letter to Samuel Kercheval [12 July 1816]. & note: When angry, count four; when very angry, swear. --Mark Twain [Samuel Langhorne Clemens] (1835—1910) American humorist, novelist, journalist, and river pilot. _Pudd'nhead Wilson_ [1894], ch. 10 epigraph: "Pudd'nhead Wilson's Calendar" - What is objectionable, what is dangerous, about extremists is not that they are extreme, but that they are intolerant. The evil is not what they say about their cause, but what they say about their opponents. --Robert F. Kennedy (1925—1968) American Democratic politician _The Pursuit of Justice_, pt. 3 "Extremism, Left and Right" [1964] Words can destroy. What we call each other ultimately becomes what we think of each other, and it matters. --Jeane Kirkpatrick (1926—2006) American Conservative political scientist, professor, author, and the first woman to serve as the American Ambassador to the United Nations. ''Israel as Scapegoat,'' an address before the Anti-Defamation League [11 February 1982]. The British capitalize on their accent when they don't want you to know what they're saying. But if you wake them up at 4 A.M., they speak perfect English, the same as we do. --attributed to Henry Alfred Kissinger (b. 1923) German-born American diplomat. We seldom repent of speaking little, very often of speaking too much: a vulgar and trite maxim, which all the world knows and, but which all the world does not practice. --Jean de La Bruyère (1645—1696) French essayist and moralist. Attributed in Maturin M. Ballou _Treasury of Thought_, p. 491 [10th ed. 1884]. Lower your voice and strengthen your argument. --Lebanese proverb In my youth [...] there were certain words you couldn't say in front of a girl; now you can say them, but you can't say 'girl'. --Tom Lehrer (b. 1928) American songwriter and satirist. Quoted in _Washington Post_ [3 January 1982]. Some people advise us to put on the brakes, as if the movement of which we are conscious were that of a railway train running down an incline. But a metaphor is no argument, though it be sometimes the gunpowder to drive one home and imbed it in the memory. --James Russell Lowell (1819—1891) American poet, critic, essayist, and diplomat. "Democracy", Address at Town Hall, Birmingham, England [6 October 1884]. Speech is civilization itself. The word, even the most contradictory word, preserves contact — it is silence which isolates. --Thomas Mann (1875—1955) German novelist. _The Magic Mountain_ [1924] She plunged into a sea of platitudes, and with the powerful breast stroke of a channel swimmer made her confident way towards the white cliffs of the obvious. --W. Somerset Maugham (1874—1965) English novelist, playwright, and short-story writer. _A Writer's Notebook_ [1949] A man's character is revealed by his speech. --Menander (343?—291 B.C.) Greek dramatist. "Fragment" 72, tr. Francis G. Allinson [1921] No man is exempt from saying silly things; the mischief is to say them deliberately. --Michel Eyquem de Montaigne (1533—1592) French moralist and essayist. _Essais_ (Essays) [pub. 1580-88] Success depends on three things: who says it, what he says, how he says it; and of these three things, what he says is the least important. --Lord [John] Morley (1838—1923) British Liberal politician, writer, and newspaper editor. _Recollections_ [1917], v. II, bk. 5, ch. 4 Ten people who speak make more noise than ten thousand that are silent. --Napoleon I (1769—1821) Emperor of France [1804-15]. _A Manuscript Found In The Portfolio Of Las Casas: Containing Maxims And Observations Of Napoleon_ [Alexander Black, London 1820] - Do you wish people to speak well of you? Then do not speak at all yourself. --Blaise Pascal (1623—1662) French mathematician, physicist, and moralist. _Pensées_ ("Thoughts"), vi. 59 [1670] Continual eloquence is tedious. --Blaise Pascal (1623—1662) French mathematician, physicist, and moralist. _Pensées_ ("Thoughts") [1670] - - Where Judgment has Wit to express it, there's the best Orator. --William Penn (1644—1718) Quaker leader and advocate of religious freedom who oversaw the founding of the American Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as a refuge for Quakers and other religious minorities of Europe. _Some Fruits of Solitude_ [1693] Speak properly, and in as few Words as you can, but always plainly; for the End of Speech is not Ostentation, but to be understood. --William Penn (1644—1718) Quaker leader and advocate of religious freedom who oversaw the founding of the American Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as a refuge for Quakers and other religious minorities of Europe. _Some Fruits of Solitude_ [1693], "Of Conduct In Speech" If thou thinkest twice before thou speakest once, thou wilt speak twice the better for it. --William Penn (1644—1718) Quaker leader and advocate of religious freedom who oversaw the founding of the American Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as a refuge for Quakers and other religious minorities of Europe. _Some Fruits of Solitude_ [1693], "Reflections And Maxims" - Speak when you are angry--and you will make the best speech you'll ever regret. --Attributed to Laurence J. Peter (1919—1990) and to Ambrose Bierce (1842—1914). As empty vessels make the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest blabbers. --Plato (427?—347 B.C.) Greek philosopher. Attributed in _Mental Recreation Or, Select Maxims_, p. 286 [Longman & Rees, London, 1831]. Do not be arrogant because of your knowledge, but confer with the ignorant man as with the learned. [...] Good speech is more hidden than malachite, yet it is found in the possession of women slaves at the millstones. --Ptahhotpe 24th century B.C. philosopher. _The Maxims of Ptahhotpe_ [c. 2350 B.C.] - Speech is the mirror of the soul; as a man speaks, so is he. --Publilius Syrus (85—43 B.C.) Latin writer of mimes who was originally a slave. _Moral Sayings_, #1873, tr. Darius Lyman Jr., [1862] I have often regretted my speech, never my silence. --Publilius Syrus (85—43 B.C.) Latin writer of mimes who was originally a slave. _Maxims_ # 1070 Let a fool hold his tongue and he will pass for a sage. --Publilius Syrus (85—43 B.C.) Latin writer of mimes who was originally a slave. Maxim 914 as quoted in John Bartlett _Familiar Quotations_ [9th ed., 1894]. - - A wound from a tongue is worse than a wound from a sword; for the latter affects only the body—, the former, the spirit, the soul. --Pythagoras (582—486 B.C.) Ionian mathematician and philosopher. Attributed in James Comper Gray _The Biblical Museum_ [vol. V, 1878]. Be silent, or say something better than silence. --Pythagoras (582—486 B.C.) Ionian mathematician and philosopher. Attributed by William Makepeace Thayer in _Ethics of Success_ [1893]. - I have always been fond of the West African proverb, 'Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.' --Theodore Roosevelt (1858—1919) American Republican statesman and President [1901-09]. Letter to Harry L. Sprague [26 January 1900]. When asked: 'Is sloppiness in speech caused by ignorance or apathy?' an English teacher replied: 'I don't know and I don't care.' --William Safire (1929—2009) Journalist, speechwriter, novelist, lexicographer, and winner of the 1978 Pulitzer for commentary. _On Language_, p. 151 [1980] - I understand a fury in your words, But not the words. --William Shakespeare (1564—1616) English dramatist. _Othello_, IV, ii [1604-05] I want that glib and oily art To speak and purpose not. --William Shakespeare (1564—1616) English dramatist. _King Lear_, I, i [1605-06] I do not much dislike the matter, but The manner of his speech. --William Shakespeare (1564—1616) English dramatist. _Antony and Cleopatra_, II, ii [1606-07] Fie! what a spendthrift is he of his tongue! --William Shakespeare (1564—1616) English dramatist. _The Tempest_, II, i [1611-12] - The trouble with her is that she lacks the power of conversation but not the power of speech. --attributed to George Bernard Shaw (1856—1950) Irish dramatist and critic. Such as thy words are, such will thine affections be esteemed; and such as thine affections, will be thy deeds; and such as thy deeds will be thy life. --Socrates (470?—399 B.C.) Greek philosopher. Attributed in Tryon Edwards _A Dictionary of Thoughts_, p. 542 [1908 ed.]. There are three things in speech that ought to be considered before some things are spoken — the manner, the place and the time. --Robert Southey (1774—1843) English poet. Attributed in S. Austin Allibone _Prose Quotations from Socrates to Macaulay_ [1880 ed.]. Faith, that's as well said, as if I had said it myself. --Jonathan Swift (1667—1745) Anglo-Irish poet and satirist. _Polite Conversation_ [1738] Nothing is said that has not been said before. --Terence [Publius Terentius Afer] (c. 190—159 BC) Roman comic dramatist. _Eunuchus_, line 41 (Prologue) True eloquence, indeed, does not consist in speech. It cannot be brought from far. Labor and learning may toil for it, but they will toil in vain. Words and phrases may be marshaled in every way, but they cannot compass it. It must exist in the man, in the subject, and in the occasion. --Daniel Webster (1782—1852) American orator and politician. Address delivered in Faneuil Hall, Boston [2 August 1826]. You may choose your word like a connoisseur, And polish it up with art; But the word that sways, and stirs, and stays, Is the word that comes from the heart. --Ella Wheeler Wilcox (1850—1919) American author and poet. _New Thought Pastels_ [1906] What can be said at all can be said clearly; and whereof one cannot speak thereof one must be silent. --Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889—1951) Austrian philosopher. _Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus [1922] Think like a wise man but express yourself like the common people. --William Butler Yeats (1865—1939) Irish poet and dramatist who received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923. _Letters on Poetry from W. B. Yeats to Dorothy Wellesley_ [1940], "21 December 1935" Thoughts shut up want air, And spoil, like bales unopen'd to the sun. --Edward Young (1683—1765) English poet. _The Complaint: or, Night Thoughts_ [1742-45], "Night The Second" The reason why we have two ears and only one mouth is that we may listen the more and talk the less. --Zeno of Cittium (333—261) Greek philosopher. In Diogenes Laërtius _Lives of the Philosophers_. - "Our Lips And Ears" If you your lips would keep from slips. Five things observe with care: Of whom you speak, to whom you speak, And how and when and where. If you your ears would save from jeers, These things keep meekly hid: Myself and I, and mine and my, And how I do and did. --anon. - Keep your words sweet — you may have to eat them. --anon. ----- affectation [af-ek-TAY-shuhn], noun: 1. an artificial way of talking or behaving put on to impress others; pretense. 2. an unnatural action, expression, or trait that indicates artificiality. apposite (adjective) ['æ-pê-zit] Strikingly appropriate, applicable, or fitting; well put. apropos (adj.) [æ-prê-'po] Very appropriate at a particular moment or in a particular situation. as preposition: In regard to, speaking of, concerning. asseverate [uh-SEV-uh-rayt], transitive verb: To affirm or declare positively or earnestly. badinage [bad-n-AHZH], noun: Light, playful talk; banter. balderdash [BAWL-der-dash], noun: Senseless, stupid, or exaggerated talk or writing; nonsense. blandish (verb) ['blæn-dish] To flatter, to cajole or seduce with kind and ostensibly affectionate words. Flattery may be sincere, as may be cajolery but blandishment is generally taken as insincere, beguiling flattery. "Wheedle" implies persistent flattery while cajolery implies flattery against the staunch resistance of the person being flattered. blarney (noun) ['blahr-nee] Empty words, double-talk, fabrication, nonsense. Etymology: An eponym from Blarney Village just outside the city of Cork, Ireland. The world famous Blarney Stone is perched high up in the battlements of Blarney Castle there. bloviate (verb) ['blo-vee-eyt] To speak or write verbosely and windily. bombast [BOM-bast], noun: Pompous or pretentious speech or writing. bon mot (noun) [bõ(n)-'mo] A witticism, a clever or witty turn of phrase. brogue [brohg], noun: 1. Any strong regional accent. 2. An Irish accent in the pronunciation of English. cacoepy (noun) [kæk-'o-ê-pee or 'kæk-o-e-pee] Incorrect pronunciation. cadence [KAYD-'n(t)s], noun: 1. the measure or beat of music, dancing, or a regularly repeated movement. 2. a rising and falling sound; modulation; also, the falling inflection of the voice, as at the end of a sentence. calumniate (verb) [kê-'lêm-nee-eyt] To make malicious statements known to be false in an effort to harm someone's reputation or character. cant [KANT], noun: 1. The idioms and peculiarities of speech in any sect, class, or occupation; jargon. 2. The use of pious words without sincerity. circumlocution [sir-kuhm-loh-KYOO-shuhn], noun: The use of many words to express an idea that might be expressed by few; indirect or roundabout language. claptrap (noun) ['klæp-træp] Pretentious, insincere speech designed to gain applause; a trick or phrase designed to capture praise. Suggested Usage: Remember, claptrap is not just drivel, but drivel designed to stimulate a positive response. colloquial (adj.) [kê-'lok-wi-yêl] Characteristic of ordinary, informal speech, conversational rather than written speech style. contumely [kon-TYOO-muh-lee]; noun: 1. Rudeness or rough treatment arising from haughtiness and contempt; scornful insolence. 2. An instance of contemptuousness in act or speech. coruscate [KOR-uh-skayt], intransitive verb: 1. To give off or reflect bright beams or flashes of light; to sparkle. 2. To exhibit brilliant, sparkling technique or style. The noun form is coruscation. diatribe [DAHY-uh-trahyb], noun: A bitter verbal attack or speech. disparage (transitive verb) To refer disapprovingly or contemptuously to somebody or something. dithyramb (plural dith·y·rambs) Fervent speech: a passionately emotional speech or piece of writing. effusive (adj.) Expressing emotions at undue length or intensity. elocution [el-uh-KYOO-shuhn], noun: The art of speaking or reading clearly in public, including gestures, pronunciation, and tones. enunciate [ee-NUN-see-ayt]; transitive verb: 1. To utter articulately; to pronounce. 2. To state or set forth precisely or systematically. 3. To announce; to proclaim; to declare. intransitive verb: To utter words or syllables articulately. felicitous [fuh-LIS-uh-tuhs], adjective: 1. Suitably applied or expressed; appropriate; apt. 2. Happy; delightful; marked by good fortune. fulminate [FUL-muh-nayt], intransitive verb: 1. To issue or utter verbal attacks or censures authoritatively or menacingly. 2. To explode; to detonate. 3. To utter or send out with denunciations or censures. fustian as adjective: Written or spoken with pretentiousness or pomposity (formal). as noun: 1. Pompous or pretentious speech or writing (formal). 2. A coarse sturdy cloth that is a blend of cotton and linen. gasconade (noun) Boastful or blustering talk. germane (adj.) [jêr-'meyn] Closely related: relevant, pertinent, apposite. hackneyed (adj.) ['hak-need] Repeated too often, made trite by overuse, stale. harangue [huh-RANG], noun: 1. A speech addressed to a large public assembly. 2. A noisy or pompous speech; a rant. heterophemy (noun) ['het-ê-rê-fee-mi] The inadvertent use of one word or phrase when another is intended. idioglossia [id-ee-uh-GLOS-ee-uh], noun: 1. A private form of speech invented by one child or by children who are in close contact, as twins. 2. A pathological condition in which a person's speech is so severely distorted that it is unintelligible. invective [in-VEK-tiv], noun: 1. An abusive expression or speech; a vehement verbal attack. 2. Insulting or abusive language. jabberwocky (plural jab·ber·wock·ies) [noun] Nonsense language: speech or writing that is meaningless and often deliberately whimsical or humorous. From “Jabberwocky,” nonsense poem by English writer Lewis Carroll, in his book _Through the Looking Glass_ [1872]. laconic [luh-KON-ik], adjective: Using or marked by the use of a minimum of words; brief and pithy; brusque. Laconia was an ancient region of southern Greece in the southeastern Peloponnesus; Sparta was the capital. Its people were noted for being warlike and disciplined, and also for the brevity of their speech. Synonyms: concise, succinct, pithy. lambaste [lam-BAYST], transitive verb: 1. To give a thrashing to; to beat severely. 2. To scold sharply; to attack verbally; to berate. "lapsus linguæ" (a slip of the tongue) lexicon [LEK-suh-kon], noun: 1. A book containing an alphabetical arrangement of the words in a language with the definition of each; a dictionary. 2. The vocabulary of a person, group, subject, or language. lexiphanic (adj.) [lex-ê-'fahn-ik] Employing pretentious words; using overblown language in speech or writing. lilt (verb) ['lilt ] To move or speak musically, in a lively, pleasant, and cheerful fashion. litotes (noun) ['li-tê-teez, lI-'to-teez] A figure of speech that uses dramatic understatement to express a positive idea by negating its opposite. logorrhea [law-guh-REE-uh], noun: 1. Pathologically incoherent, repetitious speech. 2. Incessant or compulsive talkativeness; wearisome volubility. macrology (noun) [mæ-'crah-lê-jee] Wordiness, prolixity, excessively redundant speech. Macrology refers to speech that is not merely excessive in length but also tedious and pointlessly redundant. magniloquent (adj.) [mæg-'ni-lê-qwênt] Grandiloquent, flowery, elevated, orotund speech. malapropism (noun) ['mæ-lê-prahp-iz-êm] The unintentional use of one word that sounds a bit like another (almost homophones), but which is wrong in context. maunder [MON-dur], intransitive verb: 1. To talk incoherently; to speak in a rambling manner. 2. To wander aimlessly or confusedly. obloquy [OB-luh-kwee], noun: 1. Strongly condemnatory or abusive language or utterance. 2. The condition of disgrace suffered as a result of public blame, abuse, or condemnation; ill repute. orotund (adj.) ['or-ê-tênd] Clearly and elegantly articulated (speech), sonorous, full of deep, rounded sounds. oxymoron (noun) [ahk-see-'mo-rahn] A phrase comprising two mutually contradictory words. Ex.: living dead, near miss, old news. palaver [puh-LAV-uhr; puh-LAH-vur], noun: 1. Idle talk. 2. Talk intended to beguile or deceive. 3. A parley usually between persons of different backgrounds or cultures or levels of sophistication; a talk; hence, a public conference and deliberation. patois [pat-WAH], noun: 1. A regional version of a language differing from its standard, literary form. 2. Arural or provincial form of speech. 3. Any jargon or private form of speech. periphrasis (noun) [pe-rê-'fræs-is] The figure of speech whereby a longer, descriptive phrase is used in place of a simple word or phrase; circumlocution; the use of several words where one would do. perorate [PUR-uh-rayt], intransitive verb: 1. To conclude or sum up a long discourse. 2. To speak or expound at length; to declaim. persiflage (noun) ['pêr-sê-flahzh] Light, sociable chatter or a superficial, sociable manner of speaking. pleonasm [PLEE-uh-naz-uhm], noun: The use of more words than are necessary to express an idea; as, "I saw it with my own eyes." pontificate [v. pon-TIFF-ih-kate or n. pon-TIFF-i-kit] To speak with exaggerated authority, lecturing as knowing everything about a topic. Syn.: sermonize, exhort, admonish, preach, and lecture. prolix (adj.) ['pro-liks] Lengthy, too temporally long; (of speech or writing) verbose, long-winded, using too many words. raconteur, noun: One who excels in telling stories and anecdotes. raillery [RAY-luh-ree] noun: 1. Good-humored banter or teasing. 2. An instance of good-humored teasing; a jest. reticent (adjective) ['re-tê-sênt] Reluctant to speak or say anything; taciturn. rhapsodize [RAP-suh-dahyz], verb: 1. To talk with extravagant enthusiasm. 2. To speak or write rhapsodies. rigmarole (noun) ['rig-mê-rol (not 'ri-gê-mê-rol)] 1. Rambling, disconnected speech. 2. Red tape, complicated procedure or process. riposte (noun) [ree-'post] (Sports: fencing) A quick thrust following a parry and a lunge from the opponent in fencing; an effective response, verbal or otherwise, a rejoinder, a repartee. A repartee is specifically a witty reply or a series of them. A riposte is any kind of effective response, it could be a repartee or a countermove. The noun may be used as a verb. rococo [roh-kuh-KOH], adjective: 1. Ornate or florid in speech, writing, or general style. 2. Pertaining to a style of painting developed simultaneously with the rococo in architecture and decoration, characterized chiefly by smallness of scale, delicacy of color, freedom of brushwork, and the selection of playful subjects as thematic material. noun: 1. A style of architecture and decoration, originating in France about 1720, evolved from Baroque types and distinguished by its elegant refinement in using different materials for a delicate overall effect and by its ornament of shellwork, foliage, etc. sententious (adjective) 1: Using or marked by pompous, high-flown moralizing. 2: Using many truisms or maxims. 3: Rich in pointed, concise truths. Related: meaningful sesquipedalian [ses-kwuh-puh-DAYL-yuhn], adj.: 1. Given to or characterized by the use of long words. 2. Long and ponderous; having many syllables. sibilant [SIB-uh-luhnt], adjective: 1. Hissing. 2. Phonetics. Characterized by a hissing sound; noting sounds like those spelled with s in this. noun: 1. Phonetics. A sibilant consonant. solecism (noun) 1. A violation of rules or conventions; a mistake, a blunder. 2. A blunder in speaking or writing; esp. a mistake of grammar. sonorous (adj.) 1. Producing or possessing sound. 2. Sounding with loud, deep, and clear tones. 3. Speaking, spoken, or expressed in a rich, full, and impressive manner. sotto voce [SAH-toh-VOH-chee], adverb or adjective: 1. Spoken low or in an undertone, as not to be overheard. 2. (Music) In very soft tones. Used chiefly as a direction. Spoonerism (noun) ['spu-nêr-iz-êm] A speech error involving the transposition of the initial consonants of two neighboring or proximate words, especially if the result is a funny meaningful phrase, e.g. "When our boys come home from France, we will have the hags flung out. Etymology: "Spoonerism" is a commonization of the surname of Reverend W. A. Spooner, Dean and Warden of New College, Oxford. stentorian (adjective) [sten-'to-ri-ên] Extremely loud or having an extremely loud voice. Etymology: The eponym is Stentor, the Greek herald in the Trojan War whose voice was as powerful as those of fifty other men according to the Iliad. susurration (susur-ra ion): A whispering; a soft murmur. synecdoche [si-NEK-duh-kee], noun: A figure of speech by which a part is put for the whole or whole for a part or general for the special or vice versa. tirade [TY-raid; tih-RAID], noun: A long angry speech; a violent denunciation; a prolonged outburst full of censure or abuse. tmesis (noun) [tê-'mee-sis] The insertion of words between the constituents of words, e.g. "abso-bloody-lutely" or "abso-bloomin'-lutely." treacle (noun) ['tree-kêl] 1. Syrup, especially from the first pressing of sugar cane but also the molasses left over after the sugar crystals are removed; 2. Sugar-coating, cloying sentiment, sweetness of speech, especially insincere compliments. turgid [TUR-jid], adjective: 1. Swollen, bloated, puffed up; as, "a turgid limb." 2. Swelling in style or language; bombastic, pompous; as, "a turgid style of speaking." unctuous [UNGK-choo-us], adjective: 1. Of the nature or quality of an unguent or ointment; fatty; oily; greasy. 2. Having a smooth, greasy feel, as certain minerals. 3. Insincerely or excessively suave or ingratiating in manner or speech; marked by a false or smug earnestness or agreeableness. vapid [VAP-id; VAY-pid], adjective: 1. Lacking liveliness and spirit; unanimated; spiritless; dull; as, "a vapid speech." 2. Flavorless; lacking taste or zest; flat; as, "vapid beer." vituperation [vy-too-puh-RAY-shuhn, -tyoo-], noun: 1. The act or an instance of speaking abusively to or about. 2. Sustained and severely abusive language. voluble [VOL-yuh-buhl], adjective: 1. Characterized by a ready flow of speech. 2. Easily rolling or turning; rotating. end page | SACRED PLACES - SANTA CLAUS | SARCASM - SCHOOL | SCIENCE - SCULPTURE | SEA (THE) - SEEING | SELF - SELF-ESTEEM | SELF-EXAMINATION - SELLING OUT | SENATE (THE U.S.) - SERIOUSNESS | SEX | SEX SYMBOLS - SHEEP | SHIPS - SHYNESS | SICKNESS - SILENCE | SILLINESS - SINGING | SINGLE-MINDEDNESS - SKY | SLANDER - SLAVERY | SLEEP - SMILES | SMOKING - SOCIETY | SOLDIERS - SOPHISTICATION | SORROW - SOUTH SEA | SPACE - SPAM | SPEECH | SPEECHES - SPENDTHRIFTS | SPIDERS - SPY | SPORTS & SPORTSMANSHIP | STAGE (THE) - STERILIZATION | STOCK MARKET - STRANGERS | STRENGTH - SUBURBS | SUCCESS | SUFFERING - SUMMER | SUN - SUPREME COURT | SURPRISE - SYSTEM (THE) | | R | S | T | U - END | | Return Home | The Credits | The Cast | Act 1 | Act 2 | Act 3 | The Reviews | |
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