Quotes About Conciseness

perfectly clear. To me, and to

boils down to

Better say nothing at all. Language is worth a thousand pounds a word!

With each passing year, one has less to say, and knows better how to say it.

True eloquence consists in saying all that should be said, and that only.

Everything must be made as simple as possible. But not simpler.

Things should be as simple as possible and no simpler.

Keep everything as simple as possible but no simpler.

Il faut tout simplifier autant que possible, mais pas plus

A scientific theory should be as simple as possible, but no simpler

Make things as simple as possible but no simpler

Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler

Everything should be kept as simple as possible, but not simpler.

How could he encapsulate in a pithy admissions-interview line all of his unique ideas and interests?

Messages are more often "heard" when the communicator is honest, sincere, and succinct. In other words, say what you mean, and mean what you say.

Brevity is the soul of lingerie.

sometimes a less common word needs to be used to convey a nuance, or achieve a necessary level of precision. But if something can be said simply, it should be. Using big words isn't impressive. Getting points across simply, succinctly, but with great clarity is.

If I would have had more time, I'd have written you a shorter letter.

played across her face. "It's like that famous quote, 'If I would have had more time, I'd have written you a shorter letter.

Using big words isn't impressive. Getting points across simply, succinctly, but with great clarity is.

And sometimes a less common word needs to be used to convey a nuance, or achieve a necessary level of precision. But if something can be said simply, it should be. Using big words isn't impressive. Getting points across simply, succinctly, but with great clarity is.

So the writer who breeds more words than he needs, is making a chore for the reader who reads.

It has often been said there's so much to be read, you never can cram all those words in your head. So the writer who breeds more words than he needs is making a chore for the reader who reads. That's why my belief is the briefer the brief is, the greater the sigh of the reader's relief is. And that's why your books have such power and strength. You publish with shorth! (Shorth is better than length.)

The lesson here is, don't try to cram too much into one sentence; and the issue lies less in length than it does in content. Any time you feel the need to explain some aspect of your basic sentence, take pause. Odds are that what's bothering you really calls for an additional sentence or two or three, so that you can keep your developing line of thought straight and clear and simple.