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<P> Folks, Fritz, and fellow lexico-buffs. I thought I'd finish my thought<BR>about over-talkativeness, brevity, and the music of language. My point was<BR>to show the paradox of the axiom. I've found that when a blanket truism is<BR>declared, there is another, opposite truism that contradicts it, sort of like<BR>the yin-yang principle.<BR> My list of synonymous phrases and allusions for "verbosity" included<BR>slightly altered meanings, to include: <U><EM>wasteful</EM></U>, <U><EM>idle chat</EM></U> (not just banter or <BR>simple chit-chat), <EM><U>foolish talk,</U> or <U>inappropriate talk</U>.</EM> I simply lumped them <BR>together. <BR> But under a morerefined listing for a more efficient phrasal thesaurus I <BR>would separate them and make each one sub-entries under the main entry <BR>"talk." An index at the end would eliminate a lot of repetition. Other <BR>sub-categories under "talk" beside<EM> idle chat</EM> and <EM>foolish/empty talk</EM> would be.... <FONT size="3">3)</FONT> <BR><U><EM>deceptive talk</EM></U> <FONT size="3"> 4)</FONT> <U><EM>insulting talk</EM></U> <FONT size="3">5)</FONT> <U><EM>scolding, chiding, and reprimanding talk</EM></U> <BR><FONT size="3">6)</FONT> <U><EM>humorous, joking, teasing talk</EM></U>. All of these would have tens of tokens as well. <BR> I consider allusions (i.e. "set" phrasal implications and proverbs) to be <BR>important elements of the semantics of a word, since set phrases function as <BR> synonyms to single words as closely as any single word. They are simply long words <BR>with gaps. Traditional single-word entries in dictionaries or thesauruses seldom <BR>include these allusional sources (though they may include some idiomatic phrases) <BR>but because the point in those books is to produce explicit "equalizations," not <BR>allusional, inferential, or proverbial equivalents. The phrase gets t
he short shrift. <BR> For instance, the phrase "Shut up!" though technically means "stop <BR>talking," the implication is that the person is talking too much, or wrongly, or<BR>inappropriately. And it (usually in the imperative mood) can be used teasingly as a <BR>snynonym phrase to "pooh-phooh" someone (in the indicative mood) when the <BR>dialoguing counterpart says something in opposition to (or something unsettling <BR>to) the speaker -- as Jay Leno does when he says, "Oh, shut up!" to his audience. <BR> A comprehensive thesaurus might include the proverb "All it takes for <BR>an argument is four deaf ears and two mouths." in the sub-category "<EM>overly</EM> <BR>talkative." "Empty vessels make the most sound." might go under the sub-category <BR>"<EM>empty </EM>talk," as would a quotable quote of Shakespeare's like...."It is a <BR>tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."<BR> The following group of phrases is sort of an addendum to my earlier list<BR>and is largely mishmash in order, except for the proverb section and the humor <BR>section. </P>
<P>Scott Nelson <BR><BR><BR><BR> <STRONG><FONT size="4"><U>Perfect Matches (Humor):</U></FONT></STRONG></P>
<P>They're a perfect match. He's a fire-breather at a circus, and she's full of hot air.<BR> <BR>They're a perfect match. He's a podiatrist -- and she's always putting her foot in her mouth.<BR>{put one's foot in one's mouth}</P>
<P>They're a perfect match. She's sells balloons at the fair, and he's full of hot air.</P>
<P>A man who married a woman because she was a good conversationalist left her -- because she talked too much.</P>
<P> </P>
<P><STRONG><FONT size="4"><U>Proverbs, Wit, and Advice:</U></FONT></STRONG> </P>
<P>A child learns to talk in about two years, but it takes about sixty years to learn to keep his mouth shut.</P>
<P>A closed mouth catches no flies.</P>
<P>A gossip talks about others; a bore talks about himself; and a brilliant conversationalist talks about you.</P>
<P>I thought talk was cheap, until I saw our telephone bill.</P>
<P>If a man keeps his trap shut, the world will beat a path to his door. <BR>(keep one's big trap shut)<BR>(Shut your big trap.)</P>
<P>It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt.</P>
<P>One minute of keeping your mouth shut is worth an hour's explanation.</P>
<P>Open mouth invites foot. </P>
<P>Q: How do you know when you're talking to a mad scientist and his clone?<BR>A: They say they say everything everything twice twice.</P>
<P>Q: What happened when the captain blew hot air at the general?<BR>A: There was hell toupee. {hell to pay}</P>
<P>Take a tip from nature: ears aren't made to shut, but a mouth is.</P>
<P>When your work speaks for itself, don't interrupt.<BR> {speak for oneself}</P>
<P><BR><STRONG><FONT size="4"><U>General Denigrations:<BR></U></FONT></STRONG><BR>have a fat-mouth;</P>
<P>have a big mouth;</P>
<P>keep one's big mouth closed;<BR>keep one's big mouth shut;<BR>open one's big mouth;</P>
<P>ratchet-mouth;</P>
<P>all jaw;</P>
<P>all mouth and no ears;</P>
<P>all talk;<BR>all talk and no action;<BR> <BR>a motor-mouth; </P>
<P>(can) talk a mile a minute</P>
<P>an armchair general;<BR>an armchair strategist;</P>
<P>an armchair quarterback;<BR>armchair quarterbacking;</P>
<P>quarterback from the sidelines;<BR>quarterbacking from the sidelines;</P>
<P>an ear-bender;</P>
<P>never at a loss for words;<BR>never lost for words;<BR> <BR>bananas on bananas;</P>
<P>blather on about (something);</P>
<P>excess verbiage;</P>
<P>give someone an earful;<BR> <BR>blow hot air;<BR>blow a lot of hot air;<BR> <BR>just (a lot of) hot air;<BR>just blowing (a lot of) hot air;<BR>just blowing hot air;<BR> <BR>full of hot air;</P>
<P>have a big mouth;</P>
<P>Me and my big mouth!<BR>Me and my big fat mouth!</P>
<P>You and your big mouth!<BR>You and your big fat mouth!</P>
<P>keep one's big mouth shut;<BR>keep one's big mouth closed; <BR>close one's mouth;<BR>shut one's mouth; <BR>keep one's mouth shut;</P>
<P>I'd better keep my mouth shut.<BR>keep one's mouth closed;</P>
<P>someone's mouth is(really) in gear..</P>
<P>I didn't ask for your life story.;</P>
<P>like to hear oneself talk;<BR>love to hear oneself talk;</P>
<P>love the sound of one's own voice;<BR>like the sound of one's own voice;</P>
<P>talk, just to hear one's own voice;</P>
<P>make chin music<BR> <BR>Put a sock in it!<BR>put a sock in someone's mouth;<BR>Stick a sock in it!</P>
<P>Put a cork in it!</P>
<P>put one's foot in one's mouth;<BR>stick one's foot in one's mouth;</P>
<P>someone's foot is in their mouth;<BR>put one's foot in it;<BR> <BR>have foot-in-mouth disease;<BR>a case of foot-in-mouth disease;<BR>suffer from foot-in-mouth disease;<BR>hoof-in-mouth disease;</P>
<P>run one's mouth;<BR>to be running one's mouth;</P>
<P>run at the mouth;<BR>running at the mouth;</P>
<P>run off at the mouth;<BR>running off at the mouth;</P>
<P>Shut up!<BR>Shut the f... up!<BR>shut someone up;<BR>You can't shut someone up (now)!</P>
<P>shut up like a clam;<BR> <BR>sound like a broken record;</P>
<P>Don't give it away!<BR>give something away<BR> <BR>spout off;<BR>spout off about (something);<BR>let someone spout off;</P>
<P>Can/could) talk off a donkey's hind legs;<BR>talk the hind legs off a donkey;<BR>talk a donkey's hind legs off;<BR>talk the hind leg off a donkey;</P>
<P>(can) talk someone's ear off;<BR>chew someone's ear off;</P>
<P>talk someone's head off;<BR>will talk someone's head off;<BR>can talk your head off;</P>
<P>talk someone's arm off;<BR> <BR>talk someone's leg off;</P>
<P>talk too much;<BR>You talk too much.<BR>I talk too much.</P>
<P>You can talk until you are blue in the face, but...</P>
<P>the telephone is growing out of the side of someone's head;</P>
<P> <BR>have a well-oiled tongue;<BR> </P>
<P>Yackety-yak!<BR></P>
<P> </P>
<P><STRONG><FONT size="4"><U>Previous List (from previous post):</U></FONT></STRONG> <SPAN lang="EN"></P>
<P>A politician is a man who approaches every question with an open mouth.</P>
<P>All it takes for an arugument is two loud mouths and four deaf ears.</P>
<P><BR>all mouth and no ears;</P>
<P>Babbling brooks are noisy.;</P>
<P><FONT size="2"><FONT size="2"><FONT face="georgia">chatter like a magpie;</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">idle chatter;</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">chatter in the pipe;</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">chatter like a monkey;</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">diarrhea of the mouth;</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">diarrhea of the jawbone;</FONT></P></FONT></FONT><FONT size="2">
<P><FONT face="georgia"></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">clucking hens;</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">two clucking hens;</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">like two clucking hens;</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">excess verbiage;</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">flip-lipped;</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">long-winded;</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia"></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">a long-winded (something);</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia"></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">could talk the bark off a tree</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia"></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">(couild) talk the pants off someone</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">There are worse things in life than death. Have you ever spent an evening</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">with an insurance salesman? (Woody Allen) <BR><BR>They're a perfect match. The weatherman is long-winded, and the English</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">proffesor is long on rhetoric.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">They're a perfect match. He's long-winded, and she's a flaming windbag. <BR></FONT></P></FONT><FONT size="2"><FONT size="2">
<P><FONT face="georgia">talk a blue streak;</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">can talk a blue streak;</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">swear a blue streak;</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">can swear a blue streak;</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">curse a blue streak;</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">A whale is harpooned only when it spouts.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia"></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">verbal diarrhea;</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">oral diarrhea;</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">Empty vessels make the most sound.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">Empty vessels make the most noise.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">have an itching tongue;</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">run one's mouth;</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">running one's mouth;</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">run at the mouth;</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">running at the mouth;</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">run/running off at the mouth;</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">talk on and on;</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">talk on and on about (something);</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">go on and on (about something);</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">ramble on about(something);</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">rattle on and on;</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">rattle on and on about (something);</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">rattle on about (something);</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">babble on about (something)</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">babble on and on;</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="georgia">talked up a storm;</FONT></P>
<P></FONT></FONT><FONT size="2"></FONT></SPAN><BR><BR> </P>
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