A small brass padlock closed around a tiny glass bell on a forest green felt cushion.

Original artwork, not a still

Sam Rayburn

No one has a finer command of language than the person who keeps his mouth shut.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The speaker claims that the best mastery of language belongs to whoever knows when to say nothing. Restraint is framed as a kind of eloquence, since silence avoids careless words and keeps the speaker's meaning and dignity intact.

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