[Lexicog] Expressions of "talkativeness" (was: Theater of the Absurd Paradox)

[Fritz Goerling]

Allow me to disagree with you, Scott,

Brevity is not simply the soul of efficiency, and it is certainly the soul
of wit

(we say in German: "In brevity lies the spice").

Let me add a few cowboy expressions to your list about "talkativeness:"

He could talk a cow out of her calf

He could talk a pump into believing it's a windmill

He's such a talker that he blowed in on his own wind

One of them flannel-mouth hombres

 

Best, Fritz

 

Scott Nelson wrote:

"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. 



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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;




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