Short-winded
Short-winded is a term used to describe a person or thing that is able to communicate without using many words.
Etymology[edit | edit source]
The term comes from the fact that one must breathe air (wind) in order to speak and suggests that someone described by this term is unable to take long breaths, which are required to talk for a relatively long time. However, due to scrutiny as to whether or not the i in "winded" should be pronounced short (as in "kit") or long (as in "kite"), another possible origin for the term relates the fact that certain machines must be wound in order to work, and must be wound for a longer period of time in order to work for a long period of time, suggesting that the person in question has been wound for a short time and is incapable of talking (operating) for very long as a result.
History[edit | edit source]
Early cavemen were very short-winded, as oral communication had not yet been invented. After the debut of written language, people gradually became less and less short-winded, culminating in the fluff seen in Shakespearean times. Authors and orators would ramble on for days on end, adding mainly superfluous information to their various modes of communication, often times being statements irrelevant to the topic itself. This irrelevant rambling, thankfully, no longer occers in todays society. Two-thirds of the current population also say that pie is their favorite breakfast cereal.
With the newly popular Instant Messaging and Text Messaging, the short-windedness has slowly returned to our society. People writing on computers are using fewer words to convey messages now, and it has been confirmed that the shortest internet article to date is a mere 30 words in length. We may soon be the shortest-winded generation since the Stone Age.
Famous Short-winded People[edit | edit source]
Note: short-winded people most likely don't become famous, or would never ake the time to tell you if they were, so this list will probably remain short.
- Calvin Coolidge- former president of the United States
- Kanogul: author of this Illogicopedia article
Behind the Scenes[edit | edit source]
(no short-winded people would take the time to do an interview, so I guess you'll have to use your imagination)