Wordsmith likes this word so well it has been Today's Word
three times.
Date: Wed Jun 6 00:53:11 EDT 2001
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--laconic
laconic (luh-KON-ik) adjective

Sparing with words, concise, terse.

[From Latin Laconicus, from Greek Lakonikos, from Lakon, Laconian, a resident
of Laconia, an ancient country in southern Greece (Capital: Sparta). From the
the reputation of the Laconians for terseness.]

The first Latin book I had told about a Persian envoy trying
to intimidate the Spartans by saying: "When our archers shoot their arrows, the sun will be blotted out."
The Spartan replied: "Good. We will fight in the shade."

On another occasion, the Persian envoy delivered a theat
about what would happen if Persia invaded Sparta.
The Spartan king replied: "If."