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Slightly off topic query

Posted by David FG on March 01, 2005

In Reply to: Slightly off topic query posted by Lewis on February 28, 2005

: : hey, ya'll, it's been awhile. i've been looking for a word which i'm not certain exists. is there a word to describe the nexus between verbal and non-verbal communication when it specifically relates to pun, or word play. a kin to the onomanapea (?), this word would describe the act of me touching my "nose" to indicate I "know" what a speaker is talking about. sometimes, if I know more than the speaker on a given topic, i'll blow my "nose". is there a word to describe the use of gesticulation to create wit in word play? slapstick entendre?

: I think what you are describing comes under a number of expressions - NVC (non-verbal communication) is a catch-all, but 'gesture augmentation' would be more precise for what you describe.

: I remember back in the 1980s we used the expression 'chinny' as an interjection / to prefix a statement to indicate that the contrary was meant. it came from the contemporaneous gesture of stroking an imaginary beard which implied irony (can't remember why - may have been some comedian).
: it was more sophisticated than the modern suffix " - Not!" and didn't rely on the person reaching the end of the statement, as the warning preceded the irony.
: we used to say something along the lines of "I was chinny-so looking forward to that!"

: Does that help at all?

: L

I remember that! But we called it (in the early 70s) a 'suss'. No idea why.

DFG

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