Anyone watch the movie? No guns, no car chases, but some damn good acting by Gary Oldman and Tim Roth – and a great script.

The thing that strikes me most is the wordplay and our inability to use a language (English) that has more non-medical/scientific words than French and Spanish combined! The old concept that French (about 400k words) can match English (760k) words is ludicrous!

Remember that A&E program about the Civil War? The eloquence of the letters home, from those "common soldiers" in the frontline, would put most of us to shame.

It seems to me we have lost so much of a language that has the ability to convey our thoughts so accurately. A college graduate has a vocabulary of about 30k words – about 4% of what is available. No wonder we have such problems.

Good flick.  (How's that for a demonstration of a small vocabulary? [:D])

Would you consider that perhaps only the most eloquent letters get published, republished, and often quoted?

There are probably a thousands of "der mah, ah mis yoo two muck"  [:D]

Sure!

But the vast majority were from privates – not colonels and staff officers. The sad fact is, I believe, that the most common means we have to communicate between ourselves is deteriorating.

Perhaps if we had to search for a decent light, sharpen the nib, find some good paper and mix the ink we might be more careful; more deliberate and more aware of what and how we write.

There's no virtue in being a man of few words when that is all you can be.

**** Two thumbs up!


Yeah, it's amazing how eloquent the script is.

Much like any of the Bard's works - so rich you have to read it over and over again to really appreciate the depth with which his works were written.

Wouldn't want to disagree with you about the Bard, however, in this particular instance the dialogue is courtesy of Tom Stoppard.

Or did I misunderstand your meaning!

Yes, based on characters from Hamlet with a twist on "Waiting for Godot".

Again, I loved it.

Thanks for the reminder, I just might go rent it again [;)]

[:D]

Hey, you like that "There's no virtue...." stuff?

Made it up about 30 mins ago!

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"Some people have a way with words - others... not have way." ~ Steve Martin

I think part of it has to do with conveying information faster.  Old (or "olde" hehe ) Elizabethan English was quite eloquent but as the years go by pronunciations get trimmed, non essential words gets dropped, etc.  I think if somebody today was trying to explain something and were using their vast eloquent vocabulary to sound pretty, you might tell them ala Monty Python "GET ON WITH IT!!!!"

Ya mean like this---
We have here such a collection of rogues that the world has never seen
before-not the general public has any desire, yay even the slightest
glimmer of lust to see these grubby,low-browed,
misbegotten sons and daughters of infected loins and base sexual practices.
Perhaps we should open a traveling carnival to perchance make a
small sum for the righteous punishment delivered by heaven on their parents and neighbors.
The exhibits would most likely be too awful for pregnant women and small
children,but perhaps witgh a disclaimer form and a warning,
we could exhibit the doglady(really I like wolves), the world's smallest male organelle(with a name like MAX),
the bearded lady(oops that's Hun to you),
the world's smartest man(sort of a comedy routine starring wiggles)And our favorite medium
(Ar,when he is not channelling Stercutus-the greek god of the sewers). All of these acts will
announced proudly with the assistance of a fruit box for a podium(where are we going to find
a boater in a child size?) by our very own DON!!!
Sometimes I get elquent....heads.....heads

hound,

Try, as I was once instructed to do, to get all the ideas, nuances, across in fewer words that "Bill" could – if you can, you'll make a fortune as scriptwriter.

Rather, I think, SNorman has the answer: we are simply too busy and our lives run at a far more rapid pace – our loss! We seem to have forfeited understanding (and our language) for the sake of speed.

I thinks y'all is fergittin that thar Tim Roth feller ain't real friendlylike to us gun ownin types.  Don't y'all member all o dat terribull nasty thungs he done said bout Mr. Charlton Heston?


How's that for eloquence you goat-herding queers? [;D]