Brewer's: Laconic

Very concise and pithy. A Spartan was called a Lacon from Laconia, the land inwhich he dwelt. The Spartans were noted for their brusque and sententious speech. When Philip of Macedon wrote to the Spartan magistrates, “If I enter Laconia, 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.”

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