Brevitas, a rhetorical style defined in Rhetorica ad Herennium, is "the expressing of an idea by the very minimum of essential words." "Shit happens" and "c'est la vie" are examples. By implying more than is said, it is distinguished from tautology and understatement. Brevitas is related to concision, parataxis, sprezzatura, and elliptic style. It contrasts with periphrasis, aureation and pleonasm.