Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Brevity II


I do not subscribe to Twitter as I find I cannot confine my message to keep within 140 characters. It takes that many just to clear my throat. But there is nothing wrong with brevity. Some years ago Western Union was the only venue available for sending messages. They had a flat rate for ten words or less and the cost escalated in excess of ten words. It was circa 1920 and my mother worked in an office in the Kensington section of Philadelphia. She and most of her co-workers walked to work. On the day of a great snowstorm she couldn't navigate the sidewalks and many stayed home. But one eager fellow made it in and seeing an empty office decided to make points with his boss and sent a telegram to the boss reading as follows - "In though sick, few others here." signed//. So you see, even ninety years ago we had the office politics, self promoting, kissing up and some of the same maneuvering we see today. But there is nothing wrong with brevity. Tweet - tweet.
tjs
Next - Candid Camera

1 comment:

  1. We have our own forms of shorthand these days that would have substituted a word in the message. We write "tho" instead of "though."

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