Word That Stings

It doesn’t pay to say too much when you are mad enough to choke. For the word that stings the deepest is the word that is never spoke, Let the other fellow wrangle till the storm has blown away, then he’ll do a heap of thinking about the things you didn’t say.

Jules Renard

In today’s tidbit, from the Science Notes website, is a reminder about “Venom vs Poison – Difference Between Venomous and Poisonous .” Venom = toxin injected by stings and bites. Poison = toxin consumed, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin. It’s interesting that, in regard to words, we tend to refer to harsh ones as “stinging” which implies they’re venomous.

About the author

Pierre-Jules Renard (22 February 1864 – 22 May 1910) was a French author and member of the Académie Goncourt, most famous for the works Poil de carotte (Carrot Top, 1894) and Les Histoires Naturelles (Nature Stories, 1896). Among his other works are Le Plaisir de rompre (The Pleasure of Breaking, 1898) and the posthumously published Huit Jours à la campagne (Eight Days in the Country, 1912).