I remember when I first heard the first part of this adage. It wasn’t from my mom, it was from my first grade teacher who had 34 kids just learning what words would get a laugh. Her goal was simply to head off a few mean insults.

When you’re talking to 5-year-olds, you need to keep it simple.

But when we grow up, we are smart enough to not be mean and also to think of conversation that is . . . you know . . . not stupid.

Here’s my drama student daughter in a conversation that makes this point, and maybe another one.