The word "nonplus" has been historically employed in literature to evoke a sense of bewilderment or utter perplexity, as exemplified in the writings of François Rabelais. In the passages cited [1] and [2] from Gargantua and Pantagruel, Panurge renders an Englishman speechless by engaging with him through signs—a situation where verbal argument gives way to visual communication—thus leaving him nonplussed. This usage not only highlights the comic element of being confounded by unexpected methods of communication but also serves as a subtle critique of rigid, literal logic in human interactions.