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The Allusionist

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A PODCAST ABOUT LANGUAGE
BY HELEN ZALTZMAN

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The Allusionist

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Allusionist 38: Small Talk

June 25, 2016 The Allusionist

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"How are you?" "Oh, fine - and you?" "Yeah, not bad. Nice day today, isn't it?" "Yes, it was a bit chilly this morning, but now the sun's come out..." [Continue until the lift arrives, or until the end of time.

"How are you?"
"Oh, fine - and you?"
"Yeah, not bad. Nice day today, isn't it?"
"Yes, it was a bit chilly this morning, but now the sun's come out..." [Continue until the lift arrives, or until the end of time.]

Small talk is usually not conveying much vital information, nor is it especially interesting. But beneath that comfort blanket of tedium lies a valuable social function. I became the bore at a party and made a load of people talk to me about it.

EXTRA STUFF TO CHAT ABOUT:

  • Let's chat in real life! Come along to the first Allusionist live show, 4.30pm on 24 September at the London Podcast Festival at Kings Place. Tickets are here.

  • On This American Life, Mystery Show's Starlee Kine campaigns to end small talk altogether.

  • Animals do small talk too?

  • Documentary maker Marc Isaacs spent a long time in a lift in a London tower block, having conversations with the residents for the duration of their journeys. The result is beautiful and melancholy.

  • Apropos of 'criminal conversation': a brief history of women's divorce rights, and one famous criminal conversation case.

  • There's a transcript of this episode at theallusionist.org/transcripts/smalltalk. Excuse the background noise in parts of the show; I was recording people in places where sociable talk tends to happen - pubs, parties, restaurants - which also tend to be loud.

RANDOMLY SELECTED WORD FROM THE DICTIONARY:
pronk

CREDITS:

This episode features, in order of appearance (and if you're in the market for good podcasts, try theirs): 

  • Benjamen Walker, of Benjamen Walker's Theory of Everything

  • Isy Suttie, of new podcast Isy Suttie's The Things We Do For Love

  • Eleanor McDowall, progenitor of Radio Atlas and the producer of BBC Radio 4's Short Cuts

  • Converser extraordinaire Dave Pickering, of, amongst other podcasts, Getting Better Acquainted and the forthcoming Family Tree

  • Allusionist team-member Devon Taylor, and Michael the barman (I don't know which New York City fleshpot they were chatting in)

  • Matthew Crosby, of the comedy sketch team Pappy's and, accordingly, their podcasts Bangers and Mash and Flatshare Slamdown

  • Matt Hill, producer of many shows including Spark London and The Media Podcast (and the election episodes of this show

  • Amy Smith, plus Martin Austwick and Sam Pay of Song By Song podcast

  • Avery Trufelman, producer of 99% Invisible

  • Mae Mars, wife of 99% Invisible

Thanks also to: Louise Adams; Jen Adamthwaite; Penny Bell; Colin and Debs Eyers of the Turtle Bean cafe in Liss, Hampshire; Hannah Madsen; Roman Mars; and Tom Wilkinson.

This episode was produced by Devon Taylor, Cheeka Eyers and me, Helen Zaltzman. The music is by Martin Austwick.

Fancy a chat? You'll find me at facebook.com/allusionistshow, twitter.com/allusionistshow, and twitter.com/helenzaltzman. And at the aforementioned live show.

Anyway, good to talk, must dash.

- HZ

In episodes Tags language, words, communication, small talk, talking, conversation, chat, chatting, chitchat, Latin, potpourri, sex, euphemisms, linguistics, Poo Pourri, The Great Courses Plus
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