Wine and words

I've lately come to the conclusion that I slightly disagree on the saying "a picture says more than a thousand words". I would rather turn the saying around - a word could say so much more than a picture.

A picture is very defined in its form. Showing for instance a certain face, with a certain feeling, and with these exact colours. Words, on the other hand, are not always as defined.

If I say for instance, muslim, your head will fill with pictures, that again are supposed to contain more than a thousand words. In addition you will think of other words, as for instance: mosque, Egypt and Mohammed. They again contain other pictures.

In a way, words are also a bit more dangerous than pictures, because of the enormous amount of pictures they make people recall. The word-smith can't control which images the receiver conjures. A word that is relatively harmless in my head, "wine" for instance (I think of endless, beautiful vineyards, great tastes and good company), may come through as very appalling in other peoples minds (reminding them of, for instance, addiction, forbidden pleasures or awfully tasting beverages).

Not all words are as filled of pictures as the one I've mentioned. "As", for instance, a relatively uninteresting word, or what about "on"? Not the most interesting that either, but still - it might make you recall some pictures?
This is maybe why I love words so much - they are much like wine - complicated in their tastes. You can limit or expand them, by adding other words. Just as you can limit or expand a wine, by adding other tastes.

So today I toast with wine - to words! They are delicious and dangerous enough to celebrate. Try, for instance, the taste of "muslim wine".