Yet while some MPs on all sides have fulminated, others are silent or equivocal.

ECONOMIST: Bagehot

The research showed that all the most commonly used health textbooks are stubbornly silent on the subject of condoms or other contraceptives as methods of preventing pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases.

ECONOMIST: Textbooks round the world

Silent missives are great, but before our vocal chords get all rusty from disuse, let's make telephobia a thing of the past.

CNN: A call to pick up the phone

Some say all amavasyas - or new moon nights - are auspicious for bathing in the Ganges, but Mauni (silent) Amavasya is also special as many pilgrims do not speak until they have had their bath.

BBC: Spiritual cleansing at Mela Bathers at Mela

In the best of the older vintages, like 1961, 1959, 1947 and 1945, yields were very limited due to drought conditions or poor flowering, and the resulting wines are unforgettable, so complex and captivating that the room went silent for minutes as we all marveled at the kaleidoscopic aromas and flavors in the glass.

WSJ: Is a Bottle of P��trus Really Worth Thousands? | On Wine by Jay McInerney