You’ve probably heard "Brevity is the soul of wit." This page celebrates some examples.
The judge
In a British court, the accused apparently told the court, "As God is my judge, I didn’t do it." The judge replied, "He isn’t. I am. You did. Six months."
Calvin Coolidge
"Silent Cal" was famous for his lack of conversation. At a dinner party, he was seated next to a society matron who gushed, "My friends told me I wouldn’t get three words out of you all night. Of course I told them that was silly." Coolidge replied, "You lose," and didn’t speak to her for the rest of the meal.
The telegram
In the 1800s, a British Army officer was assigned to capture the city of Sind in what is now Pakistan. Upon succeeding, he sent a telegram to London. It read, "Peccavi." That’s Latin for "I have sinned."
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