A laconic phrase or laconism is a concise statement, It is named after Laconia, the region of Greece including the city of Sparta, whose ancient inhabitants had a reputation for verbal austerity and were famous for their often pithy remarks. Spartans were expected to be men of few words and to stick to the point.
An example involves Philip II of Macedon. After invading southern Greece, he turned his attention to Sparta and asked menacingly whether he should come as friend or foe. The reply was “Neither.” Losing patience, he sent the message: If I invade Laconia, I shall turn you out. The Spartans replied with a single word: If. During the Battle of Thermopylae, the Persians said “Our arrows will block out the sun!” The Spartans nonchalantly responded: “Then we will fight in the shade.” When the Persian commander demanded that the Spartans surrender and lay down their weapons, The Spartans responded: “Come and take them!”. After a disastrous battle, Spartans issued a distress message intercepted by Athenians: “Ships gone; Mindarus dead; the men starving; at our wits’ end what to do”.