SUBTEXTthe subtext of that lowered voice: "I'm in power here. Hear what
I say the first time, or you might not be around the second time!"THE PHONINESS OF FAST TALK
"He almost had me sold," Kurt told me as we left the secondhand
auto dealership. "I liked the car and the test drive was okay. I
guessed he sensed that my initial doubts were wearing off, because
suddenly he began to 'fast talk' me. I got suspicious right away
and figured he was trying to con me!"
What we call "fast talk" is talk we sense as false. The subtext
is obvious: I'll say anything to get you to do what I want, whether
it's true or not. What is less obvious is just how much actual
speed or slowness of speech conveys in terms of subtext. Fast
talk may actually signal a "con" job. Or sometimes, a speeding
up of words can signal embarrassment or awkwardness. Nancy,
complaining to her office manager about an incident she perceived
as sexual harassment, begins to rush her words together, so much
so that the office manager can barely understand her. However,
her subtext of awkwardness and shame comes through clearly.
Conversely, the moderately slow talker often conveys a subtext
of conviction, thoughtfulness, interest, and sincerity.
A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME
Some time ago, Los Angeles economist Arthur H. Hawkins wrote
an article on labor-management relations. The gist of the article
was that certain terms or labels we use call up inaccurate subtexts.
Why not change the labels and thus change the subtext? For