1 usually capitalized, archaic : of or relating to Laconia or the Laconians : Spartan
2 a : speaking or writing with Spartan brevity : curt, terse, undemonstrative
• "laconic, these Indians -- Weston La Barre"
• "an antiseptic romance between Jones and a laconic young widow -- Martin Levin"
2 b : spoken, written, or expressed briefly or sententiously : pithy
• "the tone of the commentary laconic and masculine -- Times Literary Supplement"
• "a laconic derby-hatted interlude that stops the show -- Henry Hewes"
Etymology: Latin Laconicus, from Greek Lakomacrnikos, from Lakomacrn Laconian + -ikos -ic]
LACONIC indicates shortness to the point of seeming brusque, unconcerned, or mysterious
• "again he paused longer, and raised his eyebrows still more. "It is sold, sir," was again his laconic reply -- Bram Stoker"
"the laconic announcement was made ... that the sentences of death had been carried out -- Manchester Guardian Weekly"
--"laconic." Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged. Merriam-Webster, 2002. http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com (16 Feb. 2007).
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Willard R. Espy, Amiable Logophile, Comments:
Laconic. Sparta was also known as Laconia, and Spartans as Laconians. Because the Laconians were sparing in speech and emotion, laconic means "terse; pithy; sententious."
A foreign conqueror sent a message: "If I come to Laconia, not one brick will stand on another." The laconic reply was "IF."
--O Thou Improper, Thou Uncommon Noun: An Etymology of Words That Once Were Names. New York: Clarkson N. Potter, 1978.
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Bloggin' John Comments:Laconic 's O.K.
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