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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! -- 't is 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 - - Think before thou speakest. --Miguel de Cervantes (1547—1616) Spanish novelist. _Don Quixote de la Mancha_ [1605—1615] Pt. 1 [1605], bk. 4, ch. 3. I must speak the truth, and nothing but the truth. --Miguel de Cervantes (1547—1616) Spanish novelist. _Don Quixote de la Mancha_ [1605—1615] Pt. 1 [1605], bk. 4, ch. 3. Be brief, for no discourse can please when too long. --Miguel de Cervantes (1547—1616) Spanish novelist. "Don Quixote de la Mancha", I, III, vii [1605] Be slow of tongue and quick of eye. --Miguel de Cervantes (1547—1616) Spanish novelist. - 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—1880]. 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. "Considerations by the Way" in _The Conduct of Life_ [1860]. 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. "Social Aims" in _Letters and Social Aims_ [1876] - 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 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—1809]. 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]. 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 words you couldn't say in front of a girl; now you can't say 'girl'. --Tom Lehrer (1928— ) American songwriter and satirist. Interview in "The Oldie" [1996]. 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—1588] 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 - 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. _Pensees_ [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). 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 BC] - 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—1909]. 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 do not much dislike the matter, but The manner of his speech. --William Shakespeare (1564—1616) English dramatist. _Antony and Cleopatra_, II, ii [1606—1607] I understand a fury in your words, But not the words. --William Shakespeare (1564—1616) English dramatist. _Othello_, IV, ii [1604-1605] I want that glib and oily art To speak and purpose not. --William Shakespeare (1564—1616) English dramatist. _King Lear_, act I, sc. i, l. 226 [1605—1606] - 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) 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" 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. 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 (formal) effusive (adj.) Expressing emotions at undue length or intensity. Example: effusive and tiresome apologies. 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. Ex.: John Maynard Keynes, a famous economist and outstandingly successful investor, enunciated the theory most lucidly in 1936. --Burton G. Malkiel, _A Random Walk Down Wall Street_ 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. 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 [Early 20th century. From “Jabberwocky,” nonsense poem by English writer Lewis Carroll, from 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. Ex.: Readers' reports range from the laconic to the verbose. --Bernard Stamler, "A Brooklyncentric View of Life," _New York Times_ [28 February 1999] 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; plural lexicons or lexica -kuh: 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 (referring to language) 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. Ex.: As in one of his earlier novels,... Kerr invents a credibly grim scenario for our future: most of the earth's inhabitants are infected with a deadly virus and maunder in fetid cities. --Charles Flowers, "Blood on the Moon (Really!)," _New York Times_, [14 February 1999] 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. 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. Ex.: Our mother favored a staccato, stand-up style; if our father could perorate, she could condense. --Annie Dillard, "The Leg In The Christmas Stocking: What We Learned From Jokes", New York Times, December 7, 1986 persiflage (noun) ['pêr-sê-flahzh] Light, sociable chatter or a superficial, sociable manner of speaking. 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 [ack-on-TUR], 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 Derived: sententiously, adv. ; sententiousness, n. 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. 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. Adv: stentorianly 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 Ex.: Photographers had to resort to visual synecdoche, hoping that a small part of the scene -- a wailing child, an emaciated mother, a pile of corpses in a freshly dug trench -- would suggest the horrors of the whole. --Paul Gray, Looking At Cataclysms, _Time_, August 1, 1994 Ex.: We're using the part-for-whole type of synecdoche, for instance, when we describe a smart person as a "brain." --We Live by the Brand, _Hartford Courant_, August 9, 1995 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." Ex.: Especially in his coverage of the first 800 years of Russian architecture, he resorts to a prose of vapid enthusiasms; too many buildings are described like this, about a country palace: 'a breathtaking masterpiece that fairly shimmered with Baroque splendor.' --Richard Lourie, "Firebrands and Firebirds," _New York Times_ [5 April 1998] 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. Ex.: He listened patiently and with quiet amusement to my enthusiasm. Indeed, this turned out to be our pattern: I, more ignorant but more voluble, would babble on, while he would offer an occasional objection or refinement. --Phillip Lopate, "Totally, Tenderly, Tragically" end page  . . see: "ORATORS" see: "COMMUNICATION" for other related links In that oration there were some things that were true, and some things that were trite: but what was true was trite, and what was not trite was not true. --Arthur James Balfour (1848—1930) British Conservative statesman and Prime Minister [1920—1925]. In Winston Churchill "Arthur James Balfour" _Great Contemporaries_ [1937]. - ...In any case, in my eighty-sixth year, I must speak tonight. And it will be very easy indeed for me to make a better speech than Sir John [Macdonald] could have delivered at the age of eighty-five. And I will tell you why. Because he died at seventy-six. --Lord Beaverbrook (1879—1964) Canadian-born British newspaper proprietor and Conservative politician. His last speech. Here I must say, in my eighty-sixth year, I do not feel greatly different from when I was eighty-five. This is my final word. It is time for me to become an apprentice once more. I have not settled in which direction. But somewhere, sometime soon. --Lord Beaverbrook (1879—1964) Canadian-born British newspaper proprietor and Conservative politician. His last speech. - I do not object to people looking at their watches when I am speaking. But I strongly object when they start shaking them to make certain they are still going. --Lord Birkett (1883—1962) English barrister and judge. In "Observer" [30 October 1960]. ^ Eamon De Valera (1882—1975), three times prime minister of Ireland [1932—1948], [1951—1954], and [1957—1959]. In the middle of a fiery political speech at Ennis, De Valera was arrested. After a year's imprisonment, he was released. At once he hastened back to Ennis, summoned a meeting, and began to speak: "As I was saying when I was interrupted—" --_Bartlett's Book of Anecdotes_ edited by Clifton Fadiman and André Bernard [2000 ed.] ^ When asked what was first in oratory, [he] replied to his questioner. 'action,' what second, 'action,' and again third, 'action.' --Demosthenes (c.364—c.322 B.C.) Athenian orator and statesman. In Cicero _Brutus_. I was reminded of the after-dinner speaker who went on and on until a guest was so fed up that he picked up a bottle and shied it at the speaker's head. Unfortunately it missed the speaker and hit a little man sitting beside him, knocking him out. Immediately people rushed to revive him, and when he eventually came round, he was heard to say: 'Please hit me again. I can still hear him.' --Tim Heald, in _The Best After-Dinner Stories_ "Introduction" [2003]. ^ Thomas Heggen (1919-1949) American writer. When Heggen's "Mister Roberts" appeared, the publishers arranged for him to make some public appearances to advertise the book. His first speaking engagement was at a luncheon in a New York hotel. Thoughout the meal he sat among the ladies at the head table, paralyzed with apprehension and unable to swallow anything. Called upon to speak, he stood up and, overcome with nerves, failed to utter a single word. A neighbor, seeing his agony, tried to get him started by saying kindly, ''Perhaps you can tell us how you wrote your book.'' Heggen gulped and the words suddenly came: ''Well, shit, it was just that I was on this boat. . . '' --_Bartlett's Book of Anecdotes_ edited by Clifton Fadiman and André Bernard [2000 ed.] ^ Gentlemen, do you know what is the finest speech that I ever in my life heard or read? It is the address of Garibaldi to his Roman soldiers, when he told them: "Soldier, what I have to offer you is fatigue, danger, struggle and death; the chill of the cold night in the free air, and heat under the burning sun; no lodgings, no munitions, no provisions, but forced marches, dangerous watchposts and the continual struggle with the bayonet against batteries; — those who love freedom and their country may follow me." That is the most glorious speech I ever heard in my life. --Lajos Kossuth (1802—1894) Hungarian lawyer and journalist. I never made a dime talking. --Sebastian Spering Kresge (1867—1966) American entrepreneur, founder of the S. S. Kresge Company. Entire speech at the dedication of Kresge Hall at the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration in 1953. Be sincere; be brief; be seated. --Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882—1945) American Democratic statesman and President [1933—1945]. Advice on speechmaking to his son James. In Bill Adler, comp. _Presidential Wit: From Washington to Johnson_, p. 164 [1966]. Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears. --William Shakespeare (1564—1616) English dramatist. _Julius Caesar_ 3.2.79, [1599] HECKLER (from the crowd): Tell 'em what's on your mind, Al. It won't take long. SMITH (grinning and pointing at the man): Stand up, pardner, and I'll tell 'em what's on both our minds. It won't take any longer. --Alfred E. Smith (1873—1944) American politician; four-time Democratic governor of New York and the first Roman Catholic to run for President of the U.S.. In "Lyndon's Fables" _Time_ [8 May 1964]. Do you remember that in classical time when Cicero had finished speaking, the people said, 'How well he spoke,' but when Demosthenes had finished speaking, they said, 'Let us march.' --Adlai E. Stevenson (1900—1965) American Democratic politician. Introducing John F. Kennedy in 1960, in Bert Cochran _Adlai Stevenson_ [1969]. ^ William Howard Taft (1857—1930) 27th President of the United States [1909—1913] and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court [1921—1930] During a political speech a listener threw a cabbage at Taft, who then paused, examined the cabbage, and said, 'I see that one of my opponents has lost its head.' --_Bartlett's Book of Anecdotes_ edited by Clifton Fadiman and André Bernard [2000 ed.] ^ I don't speak. I write. Thank you. --Donald E. Westlake (1933—2008) American mystery writer who won the Edgar Award three times. His entire speech upon winning the 1967 Edgar Allan Poe Award for _God Save the Mark_. I will be brief. Not nearly so brief as Salvador Dali, who gave the world's shortest speech. He said 'I will be so brief I have already finished,' and he sat down. --Edward O. Wilson (b. 1929) American entomologist and biologist. Quoted in Brian Fugere, Chelsea Hardaway, & Jon Warshawsky _Why Business People Speak Like Idiots: A Bullfighter's Guide_ [2005]. If I am to speak for ten minutes, I need a week for preparation; if fifteen minutes, three days; if half an hour, two days; if an hour, I am ready now. --Woodrow Wilson (1856—1924) American Democratic statesman and President [1913—1921]. In Josephus Daniels _The Wilson Era_ [1946]. I accept this very gratefully for keeping my mouth shut for once. I think I'll do it again. --Jane Wyman [Sarah Jane Fulks] (1914—2007) American actress. Accepting the 1949 Academy Award for best actress for her role as a deaf-mute in "Johnny Belinda." -- At an afternoon tea for officers and their wives, the commanding general of the base delivered a seemingly endless oration. A young second lieutenant, listening with obvious disfavor, grumbled to the woman at his side, “What a pompous and unbearable old windbag that slob is.” The woman turned to him, her face red with rage and said, “Lieutenant, do you know who I am?” “No, ma’am.” “I am the wife of the man you just called ‘an unbearable old windbag.’ “ “Indeed,” said the young lieutenant, looking steadfast and unruffled, “and do you know who I am?” “No, I don’t,” said the general’s wife. “Thank God,” said the lieutenant as he disappeared into the crowd. ----- glossophobia The fear of public speaking. valediction (noun) A speech or statement made as a farewell. Synonyms: valedictory, valedictory address ;void(0)) SPEED . . see: "HASTE" see: "IMPULSIVE" see: "PUNCTUALITY" see: "TRAVEL" for other related links It is impossible to travel faster than light, and certainly not desirable, as one's hat keeps blowing off. --Woody Allen [Allen Stewart Konigsberg] (1935— ) American actor, screenwriter, and director. Make haste slowly. --Augustus [Gaius Octavius] (63 B.C.—14 A.D.) The first Roman emperor. In _Lives of the Caesars_ [c.121] by Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus. There was a young lady named Bright, Whose speed was far faster than light; She set out one day In a relative way And returned home the previous night. --Arthur Buller (1874—1944) British botanist and mycologist. "Relativity" [1923] Men love in haste, but they detest at leisure. --Lord Byron [George Gordon Byron] (1788—1824) English Romantic poet and satirist. "Don Juan" canto XIII [1818—1824] 'Well, in our country,' said Alice, still panting a little, 'you'd generally get to somewhere else — if you ran very fast for a long time as we've been doing.' 'A slow sort of country!' said the Queen. 'Now, *here,* 1 see, it takes all the running *you* can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!' --Lewis Carroll [Charles Lutwidge Dodgson] (1832—1898) English writer and logician. _Thorough the Looking-Glass_ [1872] The Loco Motive machine was to be upon the railway at such a place at 12 o'clock. So of course we were at our post in 3 carriages and some horsemen at the hour appointed. I had the satisfaction, for I can't call it _pleasure_, of taking a trip of five miles in it at 20 miles an hour. As Accuracy was my great object I held my watch in my hand at starting and all the time, and as it has a second hand, I knew I could not be deceived. During the five miles, the machine was occasionally made to put itself out or _go it_; and then we went at the rate of 23 miles an hour, and just with the same ease as to motion or absence of friction. But the quickest motion is to me _frightful_; it is really flying, and it is impossible to divest yourself of the notion of instant death. It gave me a headache which has not left me. Altogether I am extremely glad to have seen this miracle, but having done so I am quite satisfied with my _first_ achievement being my _last_. --Thomas Creevey (1768—1838) English politician. (After riding in a railroad carriage at 23 mph [14 November 1829].) Quoted in Jacques Barzun, _From Dawn to Decadence_ [2000]. When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight. --Federal Express delivery service advertising slogan Great haste makes great waste. --Benjamin Franklin (1706—1790) American politician, inventor, and scientist. Attributed in James Wood (ed.) _Dictionary of Quotations from Ancient and Modern, English and Foreign Sources_, p. 133 [1899]. I thought the perfection of rapid transit had been reached. We traveled at least eighteen miles an hour when at full speed, and made the whole distance averaging as much as twelve miles an hour. This seemed like annihilating space. --Ulysses S. Grant (1822—1885) American Unionist general and 18th President of the United States [1869—1877]. (On riding the railroad in 1839.) The illegal we do immediately; the unconstitutional takes a little longer. --Henry Alfred Kissinger (1923— ) German-born American diplomat. Quoted in _Washington Post_ [23 December 1973]. Do not cross the bridge till you come to it. --Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807—1882) American poet. "Journal" [29 April 1850] [Of director Sidney Lumet:] The only guy I know who could double-park in front of a whorehouse — he's that fast. --Paul Newman (1925—2008) Amercan actor. Quoted in Al Clark _The Film Yearbook_ [1984]. [On "Cool Papa" Bell:] That man was so fast he could turn out the light and jump in bed before the room got dark. --Leroy "Satchel" Paige (1906—1982) American baseball pitcher in both the Negro Leagues and the Major League; inducted in the Hall of Fame in 1971. Quoted in "Sporting News" [26 May 1973]. - "You will allow," said Mr Foster, as soon as they were again in motion, "that the wild man of the woods could not transport himself over two hundred miles of forest, with as much facility as one of these vehicles transports you and me through the heart of this cultivated country." "I am certain," said Mr Escot, "that a wild man can travel an immense distance without fatigue; but what is the advantage of locomotion? The wild man is happy in one spot, and there he remains: the civilised man is wretched in every place he happens to be in, and then congratulates himself on being accommodated with a machine that will whirl him to another, where he will be just as miserable as ever." --Thomas Love Peacock (1785—1866) English satirist and author. _Headlong Hall_, (The vehicle referred to is a horse-drawn mail coach.) - Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. --Alexander Pope (1688—1744) English poet. "An Essay on Criticism", l. 625 [1711] Half of our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save. --Will Rogers [William Penn Adair Rogers] (1879—1935) American humorist and actor. Letter to the "New York Times" [29 April 1930]. Wisely and slow. They stumble that run fast. --William Shakespeare (1564—1616) English dramatist. _Romeo and Juliet_, act II, sc. 4 [1595—1596] -- TRIVIA: President Ulysses S. Grant was once arrested during his term of office. He was convicted of exceeding the Washington speed limit on his horse and was fined $20. ----- alacrity (noun) [ê-'læ-krê-tee] Willing promptitude in responding, eager and happy quickness or speed. celerity [suh-LAIR-uh-tee], noun: Rapidity of motion or action; quickness; swiftness. fulgurate [FUHL-gyuh-reyt], verb: 1. To flash or dart like lightning. 2. Medicine. To destroy (esp. an abnormal growth) by electricity. ;void(0)) SPELLING . . see: "LANGUAGE" for related links Orthography is so absolutely necessary for a gentleman, that one false spelling may fix a ridicule upon him for the rest of his life; and I know of a man of quality who never recovered the ridicule of having spelled **wholesome* without the *w*. --Lord Chesterfield [Philip Dormer Stanhope] (1694—1773) British writer and politician. 1750 letter to his son, quoted in Daniel J. Boorstin _The Discoverers_ [1983]. ^ Favras, Thomas de Mahay, Marquis de (1744—1790) French aristocrat. Favras's trial lasted nearly two months; the evidence against him was inconclusive and the witnesses disagreed, but in the end he was found guilty. Before being lead to the scaffold he was handed his death sentence, written down by the clerk of the court. He read it through, then said, 'I see, monsieur, that you have made three spelling mistakes.' --_Bartlett's Book of Anecdotes_ edited by Clifton Fadiman and André Bernard [2000 ed.] ^ It's a damn poor mind that can think of only one way to spell a word. --Andrew Jackson ["Old Hickory"] (1767—1845) American military hero and 7th president of the United States [1829—1837]. Attributed in _Ebony_ (mag.) [May 1988]. Also, in July 1882, this quote from _The New England Historical and Genealogical Register_, p. 273: "The variety of ways in which Groton Town-Clerks contrived to spell the same office is marvellous to behold. Evidently, like General Jackson, they despised a man who could spell a word in only one way." see: http://quoteinvestigator.com/2010/06/25/spelling/#more-760 Take care that you never spell a word wrong. Always before you write a word, consider how it is spelled, and, if you do not remember it, turn to a dictionary. It produces great praise to a lady to spell well. --Thomas Jefferson (1743—1826) American statesman and president [1801—1809]. 1783 letter to his daughter, Martha Jefferson. I'm not very good at it myself, but the first rule about spelling is that there is only one z in "is." --George S. Kaufman (1889—1961) American playwright, director, and producer. (To the writer of a manuscript filled with spelling errors.) Correct spelling, indeed, is one of the arts that are far more esteemed by school ma'ams than by practical men, neck-deep in the heat and agony of the world. --H.L. (Henry Louis) Mencken (1880—1956) American journalist and literary critic. _The American Language_ [1919] My spelling is Wobbly. It's good spelling but it Wobbles, and the letters get in the wrong places. --A. A. (Alan Alexander) Milne (1882—1956) English writer for children. _Winnie-the-Pooh_ [1926] A man occupied with public or other important business cannot, and need not, attend to spelling. --Napoleon I (1769—1821) Emperor of France [1804—1815]. ^ Headline in the Narragansett (R.I.) Times. LITERARCY GRANT BENEFITS LOCAL STUDENTS --_New Yorker_ (magazine) [24 December 2007] ^ I was once in a spelling bee but I lost because the other contastents cheeted. --Paul Paternoster In writing essays, there are two things one has difficulty with — spelling and stops. Nearly everybody says it is the spelling that matters. Now spelling is one of the decencies of life, like the proper use of knives and forks. It looks slovenly and nasty if you spell wrongly, like trying to eat your soup with a fork. But, intellectually, spelling — English spelling — does not matter. Shakespeare spelt his own name at least four different ways, and it may have puzzled his cashiers at the bank. Intellectually, stops matter a great deal. If you are getting your commas, semi-colons, and full-stops wrong, it means that you are not getting your thoughts right, and your mind is muddled. --William Temple (1881—1944) English theologian and Archbishop. Speech at the Royal Infant Orphanage in Wanstead [22 October 1938]. I don't see any use in spelling a word right, and never did. I mean I don't see any use in having a uniform and arbitrary way of spelling words. We might as well make all our clothes alike and cook all dishes alike. --Mark Twain [Samuel Langhorne Clemens] (1835—1910) American humorist, novelist, journalist, and river pilot. 1875 speech. - First you have the writer who can write but can't spell. Then you have the editor who can spell but can't write. Finally you have the publisher who can neither spell nor write, and he makes all the money. --anon., in Michael Larsen _Literary Agents_ [1996]. Aoccdrnig to a rseerach at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer is in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. --source unknown NOTE: This mail is a natural product. The sleight variations in spelling and grammar enhance its individual charicter and beauty and in no way are to be considered flaws or defects. --anon. ;void(0)) SPENDTHRIFTS . . see: "DEBT" see: "MONEY" for other related links ^ Chertkov, a disciple of Tolstoy, was a wealthy aristocrat. Tolstoy once reprimanded him for traveling first class, suggesting that, to demonstrate his humility, he should go second. On his next journey the obedient Chertkov hired an entire second-class coach for himself. --In Michael Scammel _Alexander Solzhenitsyn: A Biography_. ^ My main problem is reconciling my gross habits with my net income. --Errol Flynn (1909—1959) Tasmanian-born motion-picture actor. Quoted in "N.Y. Times" [6 March 1955]. ^ Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714—1787) German opera composer. Walking along the rue St. Honoré one day, Gluck accidentally broke a shopkeeper's glass pane. The value being put at thirty sous, Gluck offered him a coin worth about double that. The shopkeeper was about to run next door to get change when Gluck stopped him. 'Why bother, I'll make it even.' And he broke another pane. --_Bartlett's Book of Anecdotes_ edited by Clifton Fadiman and André Bernard [2000 ed.] ^ Expenditure rises to meet income. --C. Northcote Parkinson (1909—1993) English writer. _The Law and the Profits_, ch. I [1960] end page | SACRED PLACES - SANTA CLAUS | SARCASM - SCHOOL | SCIENCE - SCULPTURE | SEA (THE) - SEEING | SELF - SELF-ESTEEM | SELF-EXAMINATION - SEMANTICS | 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 - 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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