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Interesting history, but I prefer the laconic reply: "If." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laconic_phrase https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laconic_phrase
by recursivedoubts 5y ago
Interesting history, but I prefer the laconic reply: "If."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laconic_phrase https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laconic_phrase
- smogcutter 5y agoWith the ironic epilogue that Philip proceeded to kick their asses: https://twitter.com/bretdevereaux/status/1346686713838653440?s=21 https://twitter.com/bretdevereaux/status/1346686713838653440... And a followup about the evidence (contra Wikipedia): https://twitter.com/garglfluz/status/1350835754335924225?s=21 https://twitter.com/garglfluz/status/1350835754335924225?s=2...
- kasey_junk 5y ago“Having come, take them.” “Sounds good”.
- bewaretheirs 5y agoAnd, more recently: "NUTS!". https://www.army.mil/article/92856/the_story_of_the_nuts_reply https://www.army.mil/article/92856/the_story_of_the_nuts_rep...
- stavros 5y agoI wonder if this is the same as modern Greek, where "if" can also mean "when". I.e. "When I invade, I will turn you out". "If". A more literal translation would be "upon", which can have both meanings. "Upon arrival" can both mean "if he comes" or "when he comes". Looks like the original said "ἂν ἐμβάλω εἰς τὴν Λακωνικήν, ἀναστάτους ὑμᾶς ποιήσω", which is the word for "if", but I don't know if the meaning of "when" was there in ancient Greek too.