Reading the famous first lines has been fun. I began to wonder about famous one-word lines.
For instance, I love it in Romeo and Juliet when Tybalt, getting ready to use his sword, shouts this one-word, but meaningful line:
Fragment!
Probably these sort of one-word, one-liners don't come easily to mind, but our minds here are often easier than most. Not sure what I mean there.
Anyway, if you can think of famous one-word one-liners, it would be fun to read them--and please supply the context.
Nuts!
Battle of the Bulge. Response of surrounded American General Anthony McAuliffe to the German suggestion that he surrender.
It may be a euphemism.
"Nevermore!" (quoth the Raven)
"Rien." (The King's comment in his diary, 14 July 1789)
And characteristic exclamations: "Inconceivable!" (the Sicilian, The Princess Bride), "Sapristi!" (Moriarty, The Goon Show), "D'oh!" (Homer Simpson), "Caramba!" (Gomez Addams), probably could be extended endlessly.
This comes to me through a good friend:
"Having subdued (or formed alliances with) all of the other major Greek city-states, Philip II (the father of Alexander the Great) finally turned his attention to Lacedaemon, home of the recalcitrant Spartans (from whom the word 'laconic' derives). "You are advised," he warned, "to submit without further delay, for if I bring my army into your land, I will destroy your farms, slay your people, and raze your city." Philip soon received the enemy's reply: 'If.' "
IF"IF" is indeed laconic.
And "IF" is also the title of a poem by Rudyard Kipling ... who also gave us "Nevermore!" [with a tip of the hat to Jenet].
http://www.swarthmore.edu/~apreset1/docs/if.html
Stella !!!
(A Streetcar Named Desire)
Adrian !!!
(Rocky)
THINK
some president of IBM--had little plackards put on all the executives desks
Golly! - Gomer Pyle (often said "well, golly!" and often with "shazam"... but remembered seperately by yours truly)
Charge!
-- Theodore Roosevelt
nerts.
- I don't remember...
Aaargh!
-- Charlie Brown, on having the football snatched away (again) by Lucy.
"Nuts." Battle of the Bulge. Response of surrounded American General Anthony McAuliffe to the German suggestion that he surrender. It may be a euphemism.
"Nuts" is correct Faldage. In July 1976 I interviewed a WWII vet - Robert Simard - who was there with McAuliffe when he uttered the memorable quote and Simard confirmed the quote.
No euphemism - wait - let me say that Simard said "Nuts" was indeed the word McAuliff used. What the good General had in his mind only he knows!
Ole ! - any bullfight
Bravo!
Howzat! inspired by the baseball theme in the 2-word thread
Charge!
--General Pickett ('twas done with a slightly different nuance, and result, than Teddy's)
Rudyard Kipling ... who also gave us "Nevermore!" [with a tip of the hat to Jenet]
...erm, are you sure about that? Or have I missed something with Jenet?
>Rudyard Kipling ... who also gave us "Nevermore!" [with a tip of the hat to Jenet]
In a story about a raven named Kim, perhaps? 'Nevermore, quoth the raven.' Just so, said I.
"Charge!" ~ Tennyson ~ or Raglan, Airey, Nolan, Cardigan ~ But which was to blame for the advance of ‘the six-hundred’? All of them.
Interesting that two of them gave their names to types of sweater.
no,no,no, musick...that was more like:
gollllllllllllleeee!
