41 Comments

Ha ha I love it - all conversations should be held in this manner forthwith. I realise I should now make clever use off the litote but so to speak I am keeping my powder dry.

Expand full comment
author

Thanks, Marple!

Expand full comment

I'm reminded of the late, great George Carlin, who confounded many with this: "When someone comes up and asks me, 'So, how are you, George?', I like to answer, 'I'm not unwell, thank you!'" He'd go on to say that people would respond with either anger or confusion!

Expand full comment
author

🤣 Brilliant! A great piece of one-upmanship. Thanks, Brad!

Expand full comment

Thank you, Terry! I tried to find a clip, but if there is one, it's likely hidden in a much longer clip of his entire set, or a portion thereof!

Expand full comment

My actual favourite is the back handed compliment. Generally renders the universe speechless. Very useful.

Expand full comment
author

🤣

Expand full comment

People like you have often said something similar, and I liked it. How's that?😊

Expand full comment
author

🤔

Expand full comment

My attempt at a back-handed compliment......no, huh?

Expand full comment

You taught me something new, Terry! I’ll have to try litotes myself some time 😊

Expand full comment
author

Thanks, Camille!

Expand full comment

Love the litotes!

Expand full comment
author

Great! Thanks, June 😁

Expand full comment

Not at all unimpressive! 🤣 I love these posts, and this one was particularly clever.

Every two weeks works for me, Terry. I’m looking forward already to your next Experiment in style!

Expand full comment
author

thanks, Rebecca. It's already planned, but it's a hard one. Oo-er 🤔

Expand full comment
Aug 20, 2023Liked by Terry Freedman

Haha. I actually didn’t mind this one. Grin. Thanks Terry. Enjoy your week.

Expand full comment
author

Chortle! I am not ungrateful, Beth 🤣 Thanks. You too!

Expand full comment
Aug 20, 2023·edited Aug 20, 2023Liked by Terry Freedman

I like this one. It sounds so good. When you started this process, I wasn't sure how everything would turn out. I'm pleased with how it's gone. A few of them have been far-out but the majority of them have been fun.

I'm all for two weeks. I have a hard time keeping up.

Expand full comment
author

Thanks, Matthew. I wasn't too sure either! I want to get to at least 100 before I stop 😁

Expand full comment
Aug 20, 2023Liked by Terry Freedman

A new term for me. I feel not insubstantially educated!

It's interesting how litotes completely change the feeling of a sentence and it's quite a mental challenge to be faced with an entire paragraph of them.

Every two weeks perfectly fine by me, Terry. Whatever works best for you.

Expand full comment
author

Cheers, Nathan. Yes, it's definitely interesting, isn't it. I think having an entire paragraph of any of these styles is enough to do one's head in, but I think it's a good way of demonstrating the effect.

Expand full comment

Not bad

Expand full comment
author

😂 I am pleased you were not disappointed!

Expand full comment

not entirely dissatisfied i decided that not restacking this may likely than not be considered irrational.

sooooo

Expand full comment
author

😂🤣 Thanks! I am not ungrateful 😁

Expand full comment

Having only recently discovered your posts, I am still working my way through your experiments, with great glee! Very happy to wait if fortnightly works best.

Expand full comment
author

Thanks, Mya. I'm glad you're enjoying them! Are there any that particularly stand out for you?

Expand full comment

I particularly enjoyed the cockney rhyming slang, Blues and the newspaper article, but they all point towards a most valuable exercise and I know that when time permits, I will practice adding constraints to my own writing and see where that leads... Very happy for the learning experience, thank you, having never heard of Oulipo nor several of the terms re the index of your experiments. Looking forward to catching up with the rest of them.

Expand full comment
author

Brilliant. Thanks, Mya . Do share your constraints experience 😉

Expand full comment

Will do!

Expand full comment
author

👍

Expand full comment

Litotes we’re a great idea for this experiment! They make the reader think and question their comprehension, as well as play on our expectations of the sentence’s meaning.

As for switching to 2 weeks, I think if it makes your life better, we can wait for it :)

Expand full comment
author

Thanks, Kathleen. I think the litotes conveys a subtly different meaning or sense, even though the event itself has been unchanged.

Thanks re two weeks. I'm thinking of changing everything. More on that tomorrow!

Expand full comment

Exciting!

Expand full comment
author

Blimey, Kathleen, you must live a boring life if you think a new publishing schedule sounds exciting! Only joshing, sorry. 🤣

Expand full comment

I mean...I thought you could be rolling out a new font 😅

Expand full comment
author

😂😂 I didn't think of that!!

Expand full comment
deletedAug 22, 2023Liked by Terry Freedman
Comment deleted
Expand full comment
author

I used to love doing those! They came with a grid to enable you to keep track. Thanks, Mitchell 👀

Expand full comment