--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Don't, Sir, accustom yourself to use big…" description: "\"Don't, Sir, accustom yourself to use big words for little matters.\" — Samuel Johnson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebb/samuel-johnson-50_big-words_don-t-sir-accustom-yourself-to-use-big-w_2428137.png" --- # Don't, Sir, accustom yourself to use big words for little… ![“Don't, Sir, accustom yourself to use big words for little matters.” quote by Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebb/samuel-johnson-50_big-words_don-t-sir-accustom-yourself-to-use-big-w_2428137.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebb/samuel-johnson-50_big-words_don-t-sir-accustom-yourself-to-use-big-w_2428137.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebb/samuel-johnson-50_big-words_don-t-sir-accustom-yourself-to-use-big-w_2428137.png) > “Don't, Sir, accustom yourself to use big words for little matters.” [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Avoid using overly complex language for trivial matters; keep communication clear. **In simple terms:** Use simple words for simple topics. Key Takeaway Prioritize clarity over pretentiousness. Themes communication clarity simplicity Mood educational practical Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - teaching - public speaking - writing workshops Key Concepts linguistics social etiquette education Questions to Reflect On - When is sophisticated language appropriate? - How does audience affect word choice? A Different Perspective Sometimes nuance requires precise terminology. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words/) ## Related quotes > [“There are cases that I just can't forget…What it is. I don't know. I think it's the ones where something small changes everything. Where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-mcbride/there-are-cases-that-i-just-can-t-forget-what-it-is-i-don-t-know-i/) [Laura McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-mcbride/) > [Life is a matter of dealing with other people, in little matters and cataclysmic ones, and that means a series of conversations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-tannen/life-is-a-matter-of-dealing-with-other-people-in-little-matters-and/) [Deborah Tannen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-tannen/) > [Life can be harsh. But it matters little. What matters is how well you hold your tongue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-can-be-harsh-but-it-matters-little-what-matters-is-how-well-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“At the end of the day, if you’re not proud of who you are and the way you choose to live your life, little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sonnenberg/at-the-end-of-the-day-if-you-re-not-proud-of-who-you-are-and-the-way/) [Frank Sonnenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sonnenberg/) > [Words are not (except in their own little corner) facts or things: we need therefore to prise them off the world, to hold them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-l-austin/words-are-not-except-in-their-own-little-corner-facts-or-things-we/) [J. L. Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-l-austin/) > [I know more than I can express in words, and the little I can express would not have been expressed, had I not known…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/i-know-more-than-i-can-express-in-words-and-the-little-i-can-express/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [As it is the mark of great minds to say many things in a few words, so it is that of little minds to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/as-it-is-the-mark-of-great-minds-to-say-many-things-in-a-few-words-so/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Rap - so many words, so little said.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-richards/rap-so-many-words-so-little-said/) [Keith Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-richards/) > [See yourself as you really are. Listen to what none of your leaders and representatives dares tell you: You are a "little, common man."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-reich/see-yourself-as-you-really-are-listen-to-what-none-of-your-leaders/) [Wilhelm Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-reich/) > [“That's the power of words; twenty six little letter can paint a whole universe”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-kristoff/that-s-the-power-of-words-twenty-six-little-letter-can-paint-a-whole/) [Jay Kristoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-kristoff/) > [“Anything essential is invisible to the eye.” My eyes shot up. I’d recognize those words anywhere. “The Little Prince.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-j-shen/anything-essential-is-invisible-to-the-eye-my-eyes-shot-up-i-d/) [L.J. Shen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-j-shen/) > [“This is the whole problem with words. There is so little surface area to reveal whom you might be underneath, how expansive and warm,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-lee/this-is-the-whole-problem-with-words-there-is-so-little-surface-area/) [Rebecca Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-lee/) > [ Enough words, little wisdom. \[Lat., Satis eloquentiae sapientiae parum.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sallust/enough-words-little-wisdom-lat-satis-eloquentiae-sapientiae-parum/) [Sallust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sallust/) > [Words, how little they mean when they are too late.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/words-how-little-they-mean-when-they-are-too-late/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [“So many words, so little time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-kelley-harrell/so-many-words-so-little-time/) [S. Kelley Harrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-kelley-harrell/) ## More by Samuel Johnson > [The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-size-of-a-man-s-understanding-might-always-be-justly-measured-by/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Pound St. Paul's Church into atoms, and consider any single atom; it is to be sure, good for nothing; but put all these atoms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/pound-st-paul-s-church-into-atoms-and-consider-any-single-atom-it-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [You can never be wise unless you love reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/you-can-never-be-wise-unless-you-love-reading/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [If our aim is to praise, we should forget to criticize; if our aim is to criticize, we should remember to praise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/if-our-aim-is-to-praise-we-should-forget-to-criticize-if-our-aim-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [All theory is against free will; all experience is for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/all-theory-is-against-free-will-all-experience-is-for-it/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Had I learned to fiddle, I should have done nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/had-i-learned-to-fiddle-i-should-have-done-nothing-else/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [It is as foolish to make experiments upon the constancy of a friend, as upon the chastity of a wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/it-is-as-foolish-to-make-experiments-upon-the-constancy-of-a-friend/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Resolve not to be poor: whatever you have, spend less. Poverty is a great enemy to human happiness; it certainly destroys liberty, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/resolve-not-to-be-poor-whatever-you-have-spend-less-poverty-is-a/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The basis of all excellence is truth: he that professes love ought to feel its power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-basis-of-all-excellence-is-truth-he-that-professes-love-ought-to/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Words are daughters of earth but ideas are sons of heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/words-are-daughters-of-earth-but-ideas-are-sons-of-heaven/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“The composition of Shakespeare is a forest, in which oaks extend in the air, interspersed sometimes with weeds and brambles, and sometimes giving shelting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-composition-of-shakespeare-is-a-forest-in-which-oaks-extend-in/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“The cherubim were never intended as an object of worship, because they were only the appendices to another thing. But a thing is then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-cherubim-were-never-intended-as-an-object-of-worship-because-they/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Nobody has the right to put another under such a difficulty that he must either hurt the person by telling the truth or hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/nobody-has-the-right-to-put-another-under-such-a-difficulty-that-he/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [That kind of life is most happy which affords us most opportunities of gaining our own self-esteem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/that-kind-of-life-is-most-happy-which-affords-us-most-opportunities/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The time will come to every human being when it must be known how well he can bear to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-time-will-come-to-every-human-being-when-it-must-be-known-how/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Explore all 1,998 Samuel Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## More Big words quotes > [I'm not the guy who will sit in a room with somebody who's using a bunch of big words and just act like I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-wahlberg/i-m-not-the-guy-who-will-sit-in-a-room-with-somebody-who-s-using-a/) [Mark Wahlberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-wahlberg/) > [Well, 'aight, check this out, dawg. First of all, you throwin' too many big words at me, and because I don't understand them, I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hart/well-aight-check-this-out-dawg-first-of-all-you-throwin-too-many-big/) [Kevin Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hart/) > [He read a lot. He used a lot of big words. I think maybe part of what got him into trouble was that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-krakauer/he-read-a-lot-he-used-a-lot-of-big-words-i-think-maybe-part-of-what/) [Jon Krakauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-krakauer/) > [People laugh at me because I use big words. But if you have big ideas, you have to use big words to express them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-laugh-at-me-because-i-use-big-words-but-if-you-have-big-ideas/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Small fruit is better than big words.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/small-fruit-is-better-than-big-words/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“...because if there was one thing he didn't like it was big words, they just lied and covered things up, those big words, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-fosse/because-if-there-was-one-thing-he-didn-t-like-it-was-big-words-they/) Jon Fosse > [“It must be lovely to be grown up, Marilla, when just being treated as if you were is so nice...Well, anyway, when I grow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-m-montgomery/it-must-be-lovely-to-be-grown-up-marilla-when-just-being-treated-as/) [L.M. Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-m-montgomery/) > [There is a note that comes into the human voice by which you may know real weariness. It comes when one has been trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherwood-anderson/there-is-a-note-that-comes-into-the-human-voice-by-which-you-may-know/) [Sherwood Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherwood-anderson/) > [“Big words from a guy who's trussed up like a turkey. What are you going to do, wobble over here like an upside- down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-ee/big-words-from-a-guy-who-s-trussed-up-like-a-turkey-what-are-you/) [Susan Ee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-ee/) > [Infinitesimal braggadocio I'm but since you most likely don't understand me with using big words I use small words to say I have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mrawesome/infinitesimal-braggadocio-i-m-but-since-you-most-likely-don-t/) MrAwesome > [“I don't use big words to show off because it's ostentatious.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-roff/i-don-t-use-big-words-to-show-off-because-it-s-ostentatious/) [Don Roff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-roff/) > [“I'm working class. But it's the working class that keeps the world running, and it's the working class that gets exploited. What the hell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-m-working-class-but-it-s-the-working-class-that-keeps-the-world/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“But if you have big ideas you have to use big words to express them, haven't you?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-m-montgomery/but-if-you-have-big-ideas-you-have-to-use-big-words-to-express-them/) [L.M. Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-m-montgomery/) > [I hate anything that occupies more space than it is worth... I hate to see a parcel of big words without anything in them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/i-hate-anything-that-occupies-more-space-than-it-is-worth-i-hate-to/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [If you use big words, no one will know you aren't doing jack squat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/if-you-use-big-words-no-one-will-know-you-aren-t-doing-jack-squat/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) Browse all 122 Big words quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Don't, Sir, accustom yourself to use big words for little matters.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Samuel Johnson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/don-t-sir-accustom-yourself-to-use-big-words-for-little-matters/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Big words" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/don-t-sir-accustom-yourself-to-use-big-words-for-little-matters/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebb/samuel-johnson-50_big-words_don-t-sir-accustom-yourself-to-use-big-w_2428137.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebb/samuel-johnson-50_big-words_don-t-sir-accustom-yourself-to-use-big-w_2428137.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebb/samuel-johnson-50_big-words_don-t-sir-accustom-yourself-to-use-big-w_2428137.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Don't, Sir, accustom yourself to use big words for little matters.” — Samuel Johnson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Samuel Johnson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Don't, Sir, accustom yourself to use...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/don-t-sir-accustom-yourself-to-use-big-words-for-little-matters/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/don-t-sir-accustom-yourself-to-use-big-words-for-little-matters/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```