Embolalia and Stuff Like That: I

Embolalia are those utterances we produce that are little more than filler, if they are any more at all. Sometimes, when they do carry meaning, the function they serve is better accomplished in more straightforward and economical ways. At other times, they can damage the relationship between the addressor and the addressees, or worse, they can harm the very image of the addressor. What are embolalia, and why do we produce them?

In their simplest forms, embolalia are monosyllabic nonwords. They fill spaces. They mark time while we gather our thoughts or while we plan what we're about to say. In English, examples are "uh," "um," "er," and "eh." Some people use embolalia habitually, even though they don't need time to plan their next words. "Like" is one example often used this way.

When we hear others using embolalia, we make meaning of their use. For the simplest forms, we sometimes conclude that the addressor is "unprofessional," or lacks confidence or polish, or that the addressor is nervous or under stress. This is one reason why those who aspire to be taken seriously often try mightily — sometimes too mightily — to rid their speech of these forms.

With regard to these simplest embolalia, conclusions about professionalism or polish can be correct, but there are other possibilities. For example, some users of "uh," "um," and "er" use them consciously, by choice, to convey an impression of softness, tact, or accessibility. They want to avoid appearing too certain of themselves, or too commanding or domineering. They want to seem to be considering their words carefully, as if for the first time, when they actually know very well what they're planning to say. People who employ this deceptive strategy might also use more complex embolalia, but using "uh," "um," and "er" in this way — and doing it effectively — requires true theatrical skill.

Some more complex Some users of "uh," "um," and "er"
use them consciously, by choice,
to convey an impression of
softness, tact, or accessibilityembolalia also provide opportunities for softening impressions. Examples: "you know," "You know what?," "kind of," "kinda," "sort of," "sorta," "it seems to me that," "it seems like," "the thing is," "I mean," "stuff like that," and "things like that." These forms, like all embolalia, do provide extra time for the addressor to plan ahead, but they can also be disarming or softening, or contribute to a more familiar or humble tone if the addressor seeks such a tone.

Sadly for some users of embolalia, familiarity or humility aren't always desirable results. Addressors who seek credibility, who want to persuade the addressees, or who want the respect of addressees, would do well to avoid these forms in particular.

We'll continue our exploration of embolalia next time, when we look at some of the most complex forms.   Next issue in this series   Top    Next Issue

Is every other day a tense, anxious, angry misery as you watch people around you, who couldn't even think their way through a game of Jacks, win at workplace politics and steal the credit and glory for just about everyone's best work including yours? Read 303 Secrets of Workplace Politics, filled with tips and techniques for succeeding in workplace politics. More info

Your comments are welcome

About Point Lookout

Thank you for reading this article. I hope you enjoyed it and found it useful, and that you'll consider recommending it to a friend.

This article in its entirety was written by a human being. No machine intelligence was involved in any way.

Point Lookout is a free weekly email newsletter. Browse the archive of past issues. Subscribe for free.

Support Point Lookout by joining the Friends of Point Lookout, as an individual or as an organization.

Do you face a complex interpersonal situation? Send it in, anonymously if you like, and I'll give you my two cents.

Related articles

More articles on Personal, Team, and Organizational Effectiveness:

Email Antics: I

Nearly everyone I know complains that email is a time waster. Yet much of the problem results from our own actions. If you're looking around for some New Year's resolutions to make, here are some ideas, in this Part I of a little catalog of things we do that help waste our time.

How to Foresee the Foreseeable: Recognize Haste

When trouble arises after we commit to a course of action, we sometimes feel that the trouble was foreseeable. One technique for foreseeing the foreseeable depends on recognizing haste in the decision-making process.

The Myth of Difficult People

Many books and Web sites offer advice for dealing with difficult people. There are indeed some difficult people, but are they as numerous as these books and Web sites would have us believe? I think not.

Symbolic Self-Completion and Projects

The theory of symbolic self-completion holds that to define themselves, humans sometimes assert indicators of achievement that either they do not have, or that do not mean what they seem to mean. This behavior has consequences for managing project-oriented organizations.

Understanding Delegation

It's widely believed that managers delegate some of their own authority and responsibility to their subordinates, who then use that authority and responsibility to get their work done. That view is unfortunate. It breeds micromanagers.

See also Personal, Team, and Organizational Effectiveness and Personal, Team, and Organizational Effectiveness for more related articles.

Forthcoming issues of Point Lookout

Coming March 26: Seven Ways to Support Word-of-Mouth About Your Content

Whether you're making a presentation or writing an article or a book, making your material more memorable is a desirable objective. After the talk, or after the reader sets down your work, what you have to offer will be accessible only if the auditor or reader remembers something about it. Available here and by RSS on March 26.

And on April 2: Mitigating the Trauma of Being Laid Off

Trauma is an emotional response to horrible events — accidents, crimes, disasters, physical abuse, emotional abuse, gross injustices — and layoffs. Layoff trauma is real. Employers know how to execute layoffs with compassion, but some act out of cruelty. Know how to defend yourself. Available here and by RSS on April 2.

Coaching services

I offer email and telephone coaching at both corporate and individual rates. Contact Rick for details at rbrentSgXnAlNVWlhxNIJner@ChacAtZoEYrrmofzZnjPoCanyon.com or (650) 787-6475, or toll-free in the continental US at (866) 378-5470.

Get the ebook!

Past issues of Point Lookout are available in six ebooks:

• Get 2001-2 in Geese Don't Land on Twigs (PDF, )
• Get 2003-4 in Why Dogs Wag (PDF, )
• Get 2005-6 in Loopy Things We Do (PDF, )
• Get 2007-8 in Things We Believe That Maybe Aren't So True (PDF, )
• Get 2009-10 in The Questions Not Asked (PDF, )
• Get all of the first twelve years (2001-2012) in The Collected Issues of Point Lookout (PDF, )

Are you a writer, editor or publisher on deadline? Are you looking for an article that will get people talking and get compliments flying your way? You can have 500-1000 words in your inbox in one hour. License any article from this Web site. More info