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Ever wondered why speaking briefly is called laconic speech?
Here is the story behind it.
Some of the people in the southern part of Greece were called Spartans, and they were noted for their simple habits and their bravery. The name of their land was Laconia, and so they were sometimes called Lacons.
One of the strange rules which the Spartans had, was that they should speak briefly, and never use more words than were needed. And so a short answer is often spoken of as being laconic; that is, as being such an answer as a Lacon would be likely to give.
There was in the northern part of Greece a land called Macedon. King Philip of Macedon wanted to become the master of all Greece. He sent a letter to the Spartans in Laconia, and said, “If I go down into your country, I will level your great city to the ground.”
In a few days, an answer was brought back to him. When he opened the letter, he found only one word written there.
That word was “IF.”
