Language Economy Quotes

I love the right words. I think economy and precision of language are important.

Every adjective and adverb is worth five cents. Every verb is worth fifty cents.

What I take from writers I like is their economy - the ability to use language to very effective ends.

What I take from writers I like is their economy - the ability to use language to very effective ends. The ability to have somebody read something and see it, or for somebody to paint an entire landscape of visual imagery with just sheets of words - that's magical.

One merit of poetry few persons will deny: it says more and in fewer words than prose.

How much better might human communication be if words were as precious as diamonds? If each of us were allotted only 100 words per day?

An average English word is four letters and a half. By hard, honest labor I've dug all the large words out of my vocabulary and shaved it down till the average is three and a half... I never write metropolis for seven cents, because I can get the same money for city. I never write policeman, because I can get the same price for cop.... I never write valetudinarian at all, for not even hunger and wretchedness can humble me to the point where I will do a word like that for seven cents; I wouldn't do it for fifteen.

I read poetry to save time.

Poetry teaches the enormous force of a few words, and, in proportion to the inspiration, checks loquacity.

Poetry is very crafted. You can't have too many words. It needs compression. It has to be spare, just the right number of words.