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Brevity is the soul of wit

Cultural  
  1. Intelligent speech and writing should aim at using few words. This proverb comes from the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare.


Example Sentences

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Brevity is the soul of wit, as Shakespeare told us.

From The Guardian • Sep. 27, 2017

"Brevity is the soul of wit," he says.

From The Guardian • Apr. 2, 2011

Brevity is the soul of wit, and of many other virtues in writing.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

We may instance such expressions as these: "Brevity is the soul of wit."

From Halleck's New English Literature by Halleck, Reuben Post

The motto I always follow is, "Brevity is the soul of wit."

From Punchinello, Volume 1, No. 17, July 23, 1870 by Various

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