Aug 11, 2005 20:14
Incredibly enough it is posible to say nothing. It is one of the most perplexing phenomena in the english language. Yet far from being it a unique experience in the english language we find that it is a universal phenomena reaching across most of the european languages. No digas nada beg some in spanish with various undertones and overtones when uttering said vocal strings. Some might just find a quaint irony in this as the requested locution might be interpreted as a sorts of incrimination in itself and it has been understood as such, make no mistake about that. In Swedish, the phrase has wide spread acceptance and it is a very modern request even to this day. Säg ingenting say the desperate ones.
Yet the question remains, what does one say when one says nothing? It is not just any triflling query here at hand because the consequences prove to be very dangerous when one says nothing hence ones curiosity.
Allow to me to dispel any notion that might be forming in your head about the phrase in question. It is quite obvious that saying nothing for the most part is used in surreptitious manners. Yet our concern here is not that but much higher quests await us.
This phrase is part of a handful of phrases in english were speech that is instructed to say nothing manages eventhough to say something. When one is instructed to say nothing one is apt to notice that one has been saying something though no words are being said and yet it doesn't take long for it to be heard. Such is the case that it is well placed position in the lawbooks of most the lawcodes of the english language and certaintly it isn't no recent phenomena.
zilch