models of style

In the 1860s, Charles Napier was sent to the province of Sindh to deal with Muslim rulers who hadn't bent the knee to the British Empire in India. He went overboard. Instead of just quelling the rebels, he went ahead and took over the entire province of Sindh.

In the days of the telegram, each word sent cost money. Brevity was - in addition to being the soul of wit - cheaper. Napier in a fit of fiscal prudency sent a one word update to his superiors. Peccavi.

In Latin, Peccavi translates to "I have sinned". Or if you read it with slight lisp: "I have Sindh".

In his book "All Gall is Divided", E.M. Cioran has one aphorism that says

Models of style: the swearword, the telegram, the epitaph.

The nails that held Jesus in place were called God's Hooks. Slowly that morphed into the exclamation "gadzooks!". See also: egad!.

Inscribed on Emily Dickinson's tombstone are the words "Called Back".

My style is left as an exercise for the reader.