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Comment by minimaxir | original | Hy4 preview
[−]minimaxir · 2026-08-29 Sat 22:48 UTC · link
Optimization. Why use many word when few word do trick?
[−]stavros · 2026-08-29 Sat 23:19 UTC · link
What I find funny about "why use many word when few word do trick?" is that it's only slightly shorter than the regular "why use many words when few words do the trick?"
[−]rapind · 2026-08-29 Sat 23:48 UTC · link
I always figured that was part of the joke, because a writer came up with it, and a writer would know (I assume?).
[−]inopinatus · 2026-08-30 Sun 07:54 UTC · link
The latter is not a complete alternative, it is ambiguously conflating vocabulary scale with word count, and also, it is not as funny
[−]happycube · 2026-08-30 Sun 10:22 UTC · link
less word better(, many words bad)
[−]andsoitis · 2026-08-29 Sat 23:33 UTC · link
> Why use many word when few word do trick?

Be concise.

  OR
Brief is best.

  OR
Eschew verbosity

  etc.
[−]gjvc · 2026-08-30 Sun 01:00 UTC · link
"Omit needless words."

-- William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White., The Elements of Style

[−]gaigalas · 2026-08-30 Sun 00:43 UTC · link
Optimization on a idiosyncrasy. The same thing that makes Claude repeat "That was the most important thing you said in this whole conversation" is what makes grug speak optimize on token usage.

Real humans get non-primary information from word variation. It's reasonable to hypothesize that it has a role in thinking things, because it endures. Our languages need to breathe over time, and flourishing might be one of the aspects that allows that breathing space.

[−]TiredOfLife · 2026-08-30 Sun 08:03 UTC · link
See world