Coventry Patmore Quotes

Uncommon things must be said in common words.

He that will write well in any tongue, must follow this counsel of Aristotle, to speak as the common people do, to think as wise men do: and so should every man understand him, and the judgment of wise men allow him.

The chief virtue that language can have is clearness, and nothing detracts from it so much as the use of unfamiliar words.

To make yourself understood you have to think plain and write plain.

The simpler you say it, the more eloquent it is.

Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people.

I never want to confuse people or go over their heads.

I used language because I wanted to offer content that people - not necessarily art people - could understand.

There are writers who pour out words, concepts that sound really important but that basically say nothing. I always tried to be as concise as possible, all to try and reach everyone, but especially the simple people, those who needed to be reached more than anyone else.

Words easy to be understood do often hit the mark; when high and learned ones do only pierce the air.

Style is a simple way of saying complicated things.

Less is almost always better than more. Short words, short sentences, short speeches.

My favourite writers are always great storytellers, like Bruce Springsteen; I adore Bruce Springsteen. I feel like he doesn't beat around the bush, and he doesn't overcomplicate things. He puts things into layman's terms and tells stories that anyone can understand.

Why say 'utilize' when you can say 'use'?

It behooves us to avoid archaisms. Never use a long word when a diminutive one will do.

A limited vocabulary, but one with which you can make numerous combinations, is better than thirty thousand words that only hamper the action of the mind.

The single most important lesson of effective communication is this: Focus on clarity. Concentrate on precisions. Don’t worry about constructing beautiful sentences. Beauty comes from meaning, not language. Accuracy is the most effective style of all.

I don't feel like I have to use big words or theories to get my point across. People are like, "Whoa. That's crazy" and make it into this crazy thing.

Say all you have to say in the fewest possible words, or your reader will be sure to skip them; and in the plainest possible words or he will certainly misunderstand them.

I'd come to realize that all our troubles spring from our failure to use plain, clear-cut language.

The main thing I try to do is write as clearly as I can. I rewrite a good deal to make it clear.

One should use common words to say uncommon things

If you care about being thought credible and intelligent, do not use complex language where simpler language will do.

The shorter and the plainer the better.

Being incomprehensible offers unparalleled protection against having nothing to say...but writing with simplicity requires courage, for there is a danger that one will be overlooked, dismissed as simpleminded by those with a tenacious belief that the impassable prose is a hallmark of intelligence.