TELEGRAPHESE

views updated May 18 2018

TELEGRAPHESE. An informal term for the concise expression achieved in telegraphic messages: Arriving Monday 1800 Heathrow Sheila, which condenses I will be arriving on Monday at 1800 hours at Heathrow Airport, London: (this note is from) Sheila. Such concision risks ambiguity and even wilful misinterpretation: a cable is said to have been sent by a movie agent who wanted to know Cary Grant's date of birth: it read HOW OLD CARY GRANT, and received the reply from Grant himself OLD CARY GRANT FINE HOW YOU.

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