Wordsmith.org: the magic of words

Wordsmith Talk

About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us  

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 1 of 2 1 2
#112958 09/30/03 09:27 PM
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757
M
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
M
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757
I loved the quote attached with Anu's email today:

Thank you for sending me a copy of your book - I'll waste no time in reading it.
Moses Hadas, teacher and author (1900-1966)



Can anyone think of another short saying with three (or more) legitimately implied variant meanings?


#112959 10/01/03 01:36 AM
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Let's see...how 'bout, "You are so talented--nobody can catch you at embezzling". Though I think that's only two.


#112960 10/01/03 02:22 AM
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065
B
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
B
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065
I think Disraeli has prior dibs on this one.

When an aspiring writer would send Disraeli an uninteresting manuscript to review, he liked to reply, "Dear Sir: I thank you for sending me a copy of your book, which I shall waste no time in reading."


From the wikipedia entry on Disraeli: http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Disraeli

Bingley


Bingley
#112961 10/03/03 11:57 AM
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
A Max-worthy pun, mav!


#112962 10/03/03 12:46 PM
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,526
veteran
Offline
veteran
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,526

A friend of mine who was studying semantics gave the following sentence which his class had discussed:

My hobby is destroying my friends.

k



#112963 10/03/03 12:56 PM
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
My hobby is destroying my friends. Whew--it took me a minute, to come up with something besides the speaker liking to destroy his friends! Yow.


#112964 10/03/03 07:28 PM
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,819
A
Pooh-Bah
Offline
Pooh-Bah
A
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,819
Sorry to be the dense one here, but I don't get the third meaning in "Dear Sir: I thank you for sending me a copy of your book, which I shall waste no time in reading." I see two: he will read it immediately, and he will not read it because he doesn't want to waste the time required to do so.




#112965 10/03/03 07:39 PM
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
he will read it immediately

Or the time he spends reading it will be well spent.


#112966 10/04/03 02:16 PM
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 475
D
addict
Offline
addict
D
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 475
how about:
we saw her duck

is that what you mean?


#112967 10/04/03 10:20 PM
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757
M
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
M
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757
That'll do, duck! And I like the other example too :) Any more? I particularly liked the sly wit of the (disputed origin) saying.


Page 1 of 2 1 2

Moderated by  Jackie 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics13,912
Posts229,283
Members9,179
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members
TRIALNERRA, befuddledmind, KILL_YOUR_SUV, Heather_Turey, Standy
9,179 Registered Users
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 444 guests, and 3 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days)
Top Posters
wwh 13,858
Faldage 13,803
Jackie 11,613
tsuwm 10,542
wofahulicodoc 10,510
LukeJavan8 9,916
AnnaStrophic 6,511
Wordwind 6,296
of troy 5,400
Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.

Home | Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Subscribe | FAQ | Archives | Search | Feedback
Wordsmith Talk | Wordsmith Chat

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5