Brevity Is Wit

"''My liege, and madam, to expostulate

What majesty should be, what duty is,

What day is day, night night, and time is time,

Were nothing but to waste night, day, and time;

Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit,

And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes,

I will be brief.''"

- Polonius, Hamlet

"Brevity is... wit."

- Banner at a Reading Digest convention, The Simpsons, "Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington"

Which quote's more readable?

Adding more words to something doesn't justify it: in fact, the more you write, the more they can't read. Avoid Word Cruft, Purple Prose and empty descriptions in writing your examples or engaging in conversation.

Conversely, however, Zero Context Examples or a noun followed by "That is all/Enough said" is boring. The use of few words isn't witty when they're the same few words with no meaning pertaining to the subject.

This is the motto of Laconic. For use of this guideline as a trope, see Beige Prose.

Polonius does not follow his own advice. Most don't realize.