Using more words doesn't always make you smart

Here's something I've been wanting to talk about for a while, now...

All too often, people seem to think that the more words they use, when they speak, the greater will be their perceived intellect...  Sadly, this is not always the case!

A common example of this is as follows...  Somebody sees, for instance, a film (let's say, "Shrek 7") and they don't like it...  "I was not impressed, in any way, shape or form," they say to me...

That expression - "in any way, shape or form" - is becoming increasingly common in everyday speech...  Presumably the person saying it (in this case, our disgruntled cinema-goer) thinks "look at me, showing off my fulsome vocabulary, and extraordinarily impressive and varied grasp of the English language - I'm so clever!"

However, listening to him, I merely think "well done, you have used three incredibly simple words, when one would have done the job just fine - you pillock!"

Clearly, I only think that...  I wouldn't say that to his face - that would just be rude!  (Instead, I would just let him find this Blog post, and discover that I have been talking about him behind his back with you lovely internet people, and we've all been having a good ol' laugh at his expense...  Much more sensitive and polite, don't you think?!)

Another example is seen a lot on television - particularly in interviews, factual programmes, and so on...  Politicians do it a lot, actually!  I am referring, of course, to the crass over-use of the word "absolutely", which lately, seems to have become a synonym for the word "yes"...

I'm not entirely sure when "absolutely" underwent this transformation, nor indeed what was involved, but now, when someone being interview on TV wishes to answer a question in the affirmative, they say "absolutely", instead of "yes"...

"So, Minister, is it true that you now plan to tax ferret ownership, for anyone earning above twelve thousand pounds a year?"
"Absolutely!"
"And do you think this is a policy which your voters will like?"
"Absolutely!"
"Are you, then, suggesting that the Ferret Tax will be beneficial to the majority of low-to-middle income families living in Britain today?"
"Absolutely!"

You see how inane it is?

So, for goodness' sake, please stop it!

Please only say what you need, and no more, and no less, and nothing unnecessary, and certainly not any more than is required!