Boris Johnson explains how to speak like Winston Churchill

remember his features do you know them by heart I don't to my shame I mean I know I probably know I mean I know snatches of his of his speeches in the way that all of us do but I think you know the ones that that stick in the mind the and I think that it's it's the gift he had for compression and for linguistic originality so and for using very very not just long aura tunned bombastic Churchillian circumlocutions but then suddenly condensing it and focusing on a honor and using short anglo-saxon zingers forget is to get his point home so he would he would go you know never in the field of human conflict which is kind of pompous annex that means never in war really the field of human conflict is a flowery way of saying war right never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few and at that point he absolutely has you because he's using these very very clear english anglo-saxon words we all know and within those concepts of so much so many and so few is concealed a huge wealth of emotion so much democracy free speak the whole european civilization so many everybody who depends on the outcome of the battle not just in Britain but in Europe America around the world so few he's talking about the fighter pilot so he's he's absolutely brilliant at a knee and it's once you once you've said it once some you you you've heard that never in the field of human value so many to so few it is almost impossible to forget because it is wholly original and yet completely simple and the same can be said of and what that is by the way in in in proper rhetorical terms that is a descending cry : with an afro in in soso ears so much so many so few so so if you own all say you've got instinctive use of ancient rhetorical devices and is you see the same thing for instance in this is not the end it is not the beginning of the end it is perhaps the end of the beginning now but it is perhaps the end of the vid he does have buddy dues perhaps the end of the beating now that is an ascendant record on isn't it hang on yes we well know this is very important like if you're interested in it daddy did ascending through : but it is varied by what device by Kai asthma's because he's he's taken end and beginning and then flipped them around and that was also a favorite device of grain gauge and auratus and actually one of Churchill's favorite linguistic tricks he likes to say he says we we make our we make our buildings we shape our buildings and then they shape us or he says I am ready to meet my Maker whether my maker is ready to meet me it was the earthly ordeal of meeting me is another question or he says I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol and out of me which is which you know and so he has that he has this he has this trick in his mind and you know it's it's a it's a trope it's a trick but he he uses it absolutely absolutely brilliantly and like all the the best orators he when he when he when he wants ready to punch through into imagination in the best English speakers he uses short anglo-saxon words short anglo-saxon words and politicians who really make their mark register with the public on the Today programme of those you know frankly who keep it very very simple that time in the morning and what what you know remember we will fight them on the beaches right we will fight them in the hills and in the landing grounds we will fight them in the streets you will never surrender right now which is there's only there's only one word in that lot that is of romance or Latin or derivation which is II surrender directly standing are not allowed to answer all the questions right I knew I needed name which is and and and and he to get his message across he's using the the primal language where the the language it is buried beneath the Norman Conquest and that people still is still I think more more residents used to to norman word with people than then although all the Latin at words that we've acquired so so he was he was instinctively brilliant

Channel: The Telegraph

Views: 1,117,996

Keywords: telegraph, Winston Churchill (Military Commander), book launch, boris johnson, biography, WW2

Id: FLak2IzIv7U

Length: 5min 54sec (354 seconds)

Published: Mon Nov 03 2014