Jas,

        I could just as well say "It's B*&^%y freezing out there!"

There is often a definite advantage in providing accurate information, and if you don't people like me wonder what you are hiding and why. I take pleasure in looking for the angle that is not obvious, that other people don't see - ususally because they can't be bothered to look beyond the information that they need or is relevant. It's just a little mental exercise, like crossword puzzles. You can have great fun looking at adverts and finding the angle they don't want you to see. How many times have you seen a TV commercial that obviously cost 100 grand to produce but provides no information about the product/service? There is a reason for that, you know. Recently a major international company started an ad campaign promoting it's soft drink product with the claim that it doesn't contain preservatives. So of course I checked all the soft drinks on the supermaket shelves to see which ones did have preservatives. Guess what I found? Yes, I know thats called being cynical, I often stand accused of that crime. And yes, I get cynical about things which other people care about, like religion, but that is what satire is built on.

Of course the analytical method is not the only one, thats why the bookshops are filled with fiction and novels (I don't read them, the wife does), but one way of thinking comes more naturaly to me than the other, and it's often good for a laugh. I would never say "tis cold and windy at the harbour". You can if you like.  

Jas,

       Information theory is an interesting subject.

I know that You know enough about the English language to understand how a single expletive modifies the meaning of a sentence. You know enough about local climate to infer what kind of temperature "Bl*&^y freezing" means (11 degrees C in Haifa, -23C in Nova Scotia). You also know enough about me to understand that I am not trying to convey a literal meaning. Because I know how much foreknowledge you have, I can convey (to you) a very accurate description of the weather at the harbour in just 5 words. A different audience would require a longer, or different message.