Anywhere you go, I'll follow you...

[venta]

Hmmm.

This morning, on the way to work with ao_lai, I observed that there was a left-hand, leather, but sadly not laceless, boot sitting by itself on the pavement. He remarked that the Bedstead Men were probably to blame.

When I'm talking (or occasionally when I'm writing), I tend to sling in random lines of songs, poems, bits of film dialgoue. Not for any real reason, I just like playing with words. And if you do that, it's nice to know that the people you're talking to have picked them up.

Not, as some people would have you believe, because I derive a feeling of smug intellectual superiority in knowing that my friends have read the same book as me, or what have you. More because it's like the mental equivalent of snap.

But, if you hear someone quoting something, there remains the problem of how to make it known that you noticed. Now, ideally you do this by making some witty remark, which adds something to the conversation, and isn't exclusive of people who didn't pick it up. So, what if there isn't such a remark, or (more probably, in my case :) you can't think of it ?

Do you just let the thing go ? If someone's worked a reference in particularly cleverly, it seems churlish not to acknowledge it... maybe I just lack the wit for the game :)

Comments

[bateleur.livejournal.com]

The interesting thing about signalling that you caught references is that I know quite a few people who'll do this sort of thing even if they missed the reference.

Good grief... is this a genuine example of a meme ?! On LJ ?! Inconceivable !

Demonstrating idiocy

[kneeshooter]

I find just giving a "knowing nod" and "wry smile" about every 45 seconds can make me appear a lot smarter and wittier than I am.

Maybe that should be I hope rather than than I find but it's my illusion and I'm going to stick to it.

The line that has ruined my life though is "I don't like sand..." as now whenever I say "I don't like baked beans (or whatever)" I have to suppress the urge to go on about soft people who aren't coarse.

Damn you George Lucas!

Difficult

[leathellin.livejournal.com]

References are quite fun and are a nice way to tie bits of conversation into more specific descriptions and situations for the people who pick up on the references.

I just wish fewer references were from strange things on this TV like device. I stand no chance. A whole new conversation based on the witty remarks recongnising a buffy reference for example drives me round the bend on a regular basis..

[smiorgan.livejournal.com]

Blame it on the original referee. The art of dropping in a reference is (a) to make sure that your recipient will get it and (b) to allow a suitably referential comeback, if possible. No other response is suitable, other than a knowing grin.

I'll always remember:

Mark C: 6th level - that makes me a Llama, doesn't it?
me: I can tell that by the way you walk.
Mo: No, that's a lawn mower.

Class

While i'm thinking about it..

[leathellin.livejournal.com]

a reference which ought to turn up in conversation from now on..

"Mantraps. Would you like a cup of tea?"

[addedentry.livejournal.com]

This sort of stroking is one of the most important bonding behaviours I have with my friends (since we'd never talk about messy stuff like feelings). So if a giggle wasn't sufficient, or could have been faked, I'd simply say 'Ah, Flanders and Swann' or whatever was appropriate.

(Inevitably, particular references accrue entertainment value beyond the amusement of what's being cited. So it's worth making an allusion that you're certain will be recognised, even if it's hackneyed. Consider this a deterrent to 'faking' old friendship just by collecting cultural reference points.)

I love 'the mental equivalent of snap' to describe this. I must try using it in conversation to see who else reads you.