[Lexicog] Theater of the Absurd Paradox

[bolstar1]

     "Brevity is the soul of wit". How fun that a bard, no -- the 
bard -- would utter such a pithy, quotable axiom -- yet he violates 
it at every almost turn. And luckily for us that he taught us to 
violate the axiom. Brevity, it turns out, is not the soul of wit, it 
is simply the soul of efficiency.   
      For example, what if we didn't have synoms, proverbs, axioms, 
and expressions to convey the idea of "talking too much" or "overly 
talkative?" One could simply use the root "bloviate" to 
include "bloviater" or "bloviatious" or "bloviatingly." How uniform, 
expressive, and cogent. But aside from the fact that it would be 
extremely boring, it would lack connative substance and stress. Even 
being creative, using diverse adjectives like: wordy, loquacious, 
talkative, or windy -- it would get repetitive. So the human brain 
came up with phrases, largely synonomous, that are much more 
creative, and much more fun. The following are a few select phrases, 
some earthy, some humorous, some even sexist. But all are definitely 
more symphonic than single words. 
      Following those phrases is an example from Shakespeare (Henry 
V) that typify Shakespeare's aversion to pith (well, "brevity" at 
least). I chose this "sentence" (one extended sentence) because it 
typifies Shakespeare's tendency to elongate and because it includes 
two coinages of his -- "addiction" and "retirement." (remember that 
these coinages include the category of "functional shift" 
or "grammatical shift" -- within the parameters that satisfy Merriam 
Webster linguists. 

     can talk a blue streak;
     swear/swore a blue streak;
     can swear a blue streak;
     curse a blue streak; 

     clucking hens;
     two clucking hens;
     like two clucking hens;

     cackle like hens;
     cackling like hens at.... 

     A whale is harpooned only when it spouts.

     chatter like a magpie;

     idle chatter;

     chatter in the pipe;

     chatter like a monkey;

     diarrhea of the mouth;
     diarrhea of the jawbone;

     verbal diarrhea;
     oral diarrhea;

     Empty vessels make the most sound.
     Empty vessels make the most noise.

     have itching ears;
     have an itching tongue;

     run one's mouth;
     run at the mouth;
     run off at the mouth;
     running off at the mouth;

     babble on about (something) {incl.
     babble on and on;   
     
     Babbling brooks are noisy.

     ramble on about(something);

     talk up a storm;

     run one's mouth;
     running one's mouth;
     run at the mouth;
     running at the mouth;
     run off at the mouth;
     running off at the mouth;

     talk on and on;
     talk on and on about (something);

     go on and on;
     go on and on about (something);

     rattle on and on;
     rattle on and on about (something);
     rattle on about (something);

     babble on about (something) 

     A politician is a man who approaches every question with an open 
     mouth.

     All it takes for an arugument is two loud mouths and four deaf 
     ears.

     all mouth and no ears;

     excess verbiage;

     flip-lipped;

     long-winded;
     a long-winded (something);
     
     could talk the bark off a tree;

     talk the pants off someone

     There are worse things in life than death. Have you ever spent 
     an evening with an insurance salesman? (Woody Allen)
    
     They're a perfect match. The weatherman is long-winded, and the 
     English proffesor is long on rhetoric.
     
     babble on and on;
     ramble on about(something);

     talk up a storm;


     Henry V 1.1.38-59   
     Hear him but *reason in *divinity,  
     And, all-admiring, with an inward wish
     You would desire the king were made a *prelate; 
     Hear him debate of *commonwealth affairs*,
     You would say it hath been *all in all* his study;  
     *List his discourse of war, and you shall hear
     A fearful battle *rend'red you in music*;  
     Turn him to any *cause of *policy*,
     The *Gordian knot* of it he will unloose,  
     *Familiar as his garter; *that when he speaks,
     The air, a *chartered libertine*, is still,
     And the *mute wonder lurketh in men's ears
     To steal his sweet and honeyed *sentences*;  
     So that the **art and practic part* of life
     Must be the mistress to this theoric*;
     Which is a wonder how his *grace should *glean it,
     Since his *addiction was to *courses vain, 
     His companies unlettered, rude, and shallow,
     His hours filled with riots, banquests, sports; 
     And never noted in him any study,
     Any retirement, any sequestration
     From open haunts and popularity. 

addiction (noun)   Shakespeare coinage  1st (Merriam)
retirement (noun)  Shakespeare coinage   3rd (Nels)
      (Signet)


     reason* debate (Sig)
     divinity* theology  (Riv)
     prelate* civil or ecclesiastical dignitary 
     commonwealth affairs* i.e. politics  (Riv)
     all in all* all things in all respects (Sig) || in every 
respect  (Nels)
     list* listen to (Sig)
     rend'red...music* recounted with harmonious and stirring 
eloquence (Sig)
     cause of policy* political problem  (Sig)  || question of 
statecraft
     (Riv)
     Gordian knot* King of Phrygian's test of a difficult knot, who's 
solver would rule Asia, later to be cut by Alexander
     the Great
     Familiar* as routinely  (Riv)
     that* so that  (Riv)
     chartered libertine* one licensed to go his own way (Sig) || 
charter'd
     libertine* licensed freeman  (Riv)
     wonder* wonderer (Sig)
     mute...sentences* i.e. the effects linger in men's memory and 
keep
     them silent to hear more.  (Riv)
     sentences* sayings (Sig) || maxims; aphorisms; bromides  (Nels)
     art...part* experience and practice  (Riv)
     art...theoric* practice and experience must have taught him 
theory (Sig)
     theoric* theory  (Riv)
     grace* majesty (a formal title) (Sig)
     glean* collect in one place  (Oni)
     addiction* natural bent  (Oni) || predisposition; proclivity  
(Nels)
     courses* procedures; methods; order (Sig)
     companies* (Sig) || companions  (Riv)
     open...popularity* public places and familiarity (Sig) || places 
of
     popular resort and common associates  (Riv)


    


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