[Idiom] Silence speaks volumes

[bloodymeli]

Hi,

Does anybody know what is the origin of the expression "silence speaks volumes"?

Thanks!
Eli

 

[Toni Yim]

Hello Eli, I'm Toni, from HK, nice to meet you here

I'm afraid I don't know what dose it (silence speaks volumes) mean.
But what I found another nice saying was 'silence is golden'.
Which means it is often best not to say anything :lol:

well, anyway, I hope I could have helped!

Do you want to be a friend with me? we can share our experiences anytime.

 

[BobK]

...
I'm afraid I don't know what [STRIKE]dose [/STRIKE]it (silence speaks volumes) means.
...

Also, this is the second time I've seen 'dose' (not sure if it was you last time though) where the writer meant 'does' (/dʌz/)). I thought it was a typo then, but maybe I was wrong. ;-)

'Speaks volumes' (where 'volumes' = big books) means 'is very expressive'. As Toni said, 'silence is golden' is an idiom (meaning 'keeping quiet about something is often for the best' - another saying that you could use with this meaning is 'Least said, soonest mended'); so it doesn't mean the same as 'silence speaks volumes' - which I've never met.

What I have met is something very close to it, but with a possessive - example 'Your silence speaks volumes' (which means 'The fact that you're not saying anything tells me a lot'). What the possessive does is make the 'silence' specific, so it would be possible to say something like 'He didn't answer, and in this case silence spoke volumes'. But as I said, it's not an idiom I've met.

b

 

[pinkmast3ritza]

Hello Eli, I'm Toni, from HK, nice to meet you here

I'm afraid I don't know what dose it (silence speaks volumes) mean.
But what I found another nice saying was 'silence is golden'.
Which means it is often best not to say anything :lol:

well, anyway, I hope I could have helped!

Do you want to be a friend with me? we can share our experiences anytime.

)) Can i be your friend??PLEASEEE.I m dying to have someone to chat with in english.