man of few words


a man of few words

A man who does not speak often or at length. Despite being a man of few words, Joseph was well-respected in his field because of his actions.See also: few, man, of, word

man of few words

Fig. someone, not necessarily a man, who speaks concisely or not at all. He is a man of few words, but he usually makes a lot of sense.See also: few, man, of, word

man of few words

see under few words. See also: few, man, of, word

man of few words, a

A person who speaks little but to the point; also, by implication, a person of action rather than words. Although most writers trace this expression to the Old Testament (“Let thy words be few,” Ecclesiastes 5:2), it is actually much older, appearing in Homer’s Iliad (“Few were his words, but wonderfully clear”). It appeared in John Ray’s 1678 proverb collection, and a version of “Few words are best” occurs in numerous other languages as well. See also strong silent type.See also: few, man, of