Laconʹic.
Very concise and pithy. A Spartan was called a Lacon from Laco’nia, the land in which he dwelt. The Spartans were noted for their brusque and sententious speech. When Philip of Macedon wrote to the Spartan magistrates, “If I enter Laco’nia, I will level Lacedæmon to the ground,” the ephors wrote word back the single word, “If.” (See above LacedÆmonian Letter.)
⁂ In 1490 O’Neil wrote to O’Donnel: “Send me the tribute, or else——.” To which O’Donnel replied: “I owe none, or else——.”
