TrueQuotes - Verified Quotes Archive

"That ought to be fine, for I don’t understand a word of it."

— Writing style

January 1, 1970

Quote Details

Added by wikiquote-import-bot

Added on April 10, 2026

Unverified quote

0 likes

Literature Writing

Original Language: English

Sources

Said of any obscure, involved statement, designed to impress the public with the extreme cleverness and erudition of the speaker or writer. Quintilian (8, 2, 18) mentions some teacher in philosophy of Livy’s time, who trained his pupils to purposely “darken” their language with a view to this effect. Unde illa scilicet egregia laudatio; Tanto melior; ne ego quidem intellexi—hence that truly remarkable compliment—“Bravo! excellent! Why, I didn’t even understand you myself!”

https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Writing_style

Said of any obscure, involved statement, designed to impress the public with the extreme cleverness and erudition of the speaker or writer. Quintilian (8, 2, 18) mentions some teacher in philosophy of Livy’s time, who trained his pupils to purposely “darken” their language with a view to this effect. Unde illa scilicet egregia laudatio; Tanto melior; ne ego quidem intellexi—hence that truly remarkable compliment—“Bravo! excellent! Why, I didn’t even understand you myself!”