Anyone with a decent vocabulary

[Kev]

Please, nobody uses "brusque" or "terse" in their every day conversaition. If they do they should be punched in the face.

Obviously coder1 didn't know these words or else he wouldn't have asked. How likely is it that everyone in his audience will know what they mean?

If you want to look smart, go crazy with your vocabulary words. If you want to get your point across, speak like a normal person.

 

[AvesPKS]

Originally posted by: palad
There's always 'laconic'.

The etymology I have heard follows a Roman legend. Supposedly the Lacons were a tribe that the Romans had wanted to take over for some time. At one point, a Roman general issued them an ultimatum. 'If we come into your city, we will take it over. If we take it over, we will throw down your homes and kill your families. If we invade, your lives will be over."

The Lacons responded with a single word. 'If.'

Not to pick on your post, but it was the Spartans...

 

[notfred]

Nofx : Monosylabic Girl

I take her to the aquarium, she says shark
I take her to the planetarium, she says dark
I take her to the seaside
where she likes to spin and twirl
She says sure and cool and yeah
She's my Monosylabic girl
I take her to the university, she says huh
I take her to our anniversary, she says one
I take her to the jewelry store
I say diamonds, she says pearl
Oh everyone knows I'm in love
with a Monosylabic girl

 

[Viper GTS]

Originally posted by: maladroit
Please, nobody uses "brusque" or "terse" in their every day conversaition. If they do they should be punched in the face.

Obviously coder1 didn't know these words or else he wouldn't have asked. How likely is it that everyone in his audience will know what they mean?

If you want to look smart, go crazy with your vocabulary words. If you want to get your point across, speak like a normal person.

We've had this discussion before over the word "niggardly."

Lemme guess, you don't support it's use either?

Viper GTS

 

[AvesPKS]

Originally posted by: maladroit
Please, nobody uses "brusque" or "terse" in their every day conversaition. If they do they should be punched in the face.

Obviously coder1 didn't know these words or else he wouldn't have asked. How likely is it that everyone in his audience will know what they mean?

If you want to look smart, go crazy with your vocabulary words. If you want to get your point across, speak like a normal person.

He's not talking about everyday conversation; he's talking about a proposal. I didn't go to dictionary.com to think of terse; I knew it. I also wouldn't necessarily use this in everyday conversation very often, because it probably wouldn't come up.

 

[luv2chill]

Originally posted by: maladroit
Please, nobody uses "brusque" or "terse" in their every day conversaition. If they do they should be punched in the face.

Obviously coder1 didn't know these words or else he wouldn't have asked. How likely is it that everyone in his audience will know what they mean?

If you want to look smart, go crazy with your vocabulary words. If you want to get your point across, speak like a normal person.

Pray Tell, what does a "normal" person speak like? Do you propose some official standard of diction for "normal" Americans to use?

There's something to be said for writing for your intended audience, but generalizations like the one you just made are downright stupid.

l2c

 

[GasX]

Originally posted by: maladroit
There is no point of using fancy big words when most people won't know what you mean. Just describe the people the way you did in your original post, that should be fine.

Let me guess, you are offended by the word niggardly...

 

[Kev]

Originally posted by: Viper GTS

Originally posted by: maladroit
Please, nobody uses "brusque" or "terse" in their every day conversaition. If they do they should be punched in the face.

Obviously coder1 didn't know these words or else he wouldn't have asked. How likely is it that everyone in his audience will know what they mean?

If you want to look smart, go crazy with your vocabulary words. If you want to get your point across, speak like a normal person.

We've had this discussion before over the word "niggardly."

Lemme guess, you don't support it's use either?

Viper GTS

I'm not against its use, I think its stupid that people are offended by it.

But you've just helped prove my point. People were offended by the word because they didn't know what it meant. Wouldn't you say it would be more effective if the speaker used a word that most people are familiar with.

Unfortunately you can't always expect everyone to be as educated as you are.

 

[Kev]

OK, I'm not gonna argue with 10 people over fvcking vocabulary words. You win, I quit...

 

[dxkj]

Obviously coder1 didn't know these words or else he wouldn't have asked. How likely is it that everyone in his audience will know what they mean?

I know what terse, curt, and succinct mean, but I didnt come up with them when i read his description.... why? because people often know things that they cant put into words


There are a lot of words you KNOW that you still have trouble coming up with unless you see them written

 

[Moonbeam]

I third Perfunctory.

I would call such people drones they are there but without function or effectiveness.

They are also mechanical. They border on unctuous sycophants, or creatures, grovelers, minions, reptiles, spaniels, toads, toadies, trucklers, and yes-men.

 

[Moonbeam]

Tell those oleaginous buttholes to get a spine.

 

[palad]

Not to pick on your post, but it was the Spartans...

Yeah, well, I don't remember those days so well anymore... It's been a long time.

 

[eviltoon]

The key to great writing is to use short, sharp exacting words or phrases. Terse, may not be an everyday language sort of word, but it beautifully describes the people that coder1 is writing about. The word sounds like the meaning it conveys. I'd use it.

 

[SP33Demon]

apathetic, indifferent, terse are all good...