ProverbWisdomEnglish originc. 1600

Brevity is the soul of wit.

Meaning: Sharp minds compress meaning into few words; excess dulls the blade of cleverness.

Who said it? William Shakespeare, Hamlet, c. 1600

Origin: From Shakespeare's Hamlet (c. 1600), and the joke is who says it: Polonius, the most long-winded character in the play, announces "brevity is the soul of wit" in the middle of a rambling speech. "Wit" then meant intelligence and understanding, not just humor.

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