Tag Archives: Calvin Coolidge

Back when insults had class, words could be sharper than a two-edged sword; in fact, idioms that use the imagery of swords vs. words have been around for thousands of years.  I wonder if our modern society, with its political correctness and instant comments, has somewhat lost the art of refined speech and reflective commentary; perhaps we can rescue witty repartee from extinction by writing, thinking, and speaking with more thought and thoughtfulness.  In the meantime, for all you logophiles out there, here are a few witty comebacks from days gone by:

Abraham Lincoln vs. Stephan Douglas, after Douglas called Lincoln “two-faced” during a debate

Author Ilke Chase vs. unknown actress