Take the rag off the bush

[Mullins, Bill AMRDEC]

> "Patter" means a stream of words with the connotation
> that there is little or no content, e.g. "a carnival barker's
> patter", "a Gilbert and Sullivan patter song". A synonym
> would be "blarney".


In the context of conjuring, at least, the "no content" connotation is
wrong.  The best-constructed magic tricks have patter which is scripted,
with as much attention to the spoken words as the overt and hidden
actions.  The patter may direct attention (often called "misdirection"),
build and release tension, provide a dramatic context, provide laugh
beats (which are great forms of misdirection), and can elevate a trick
into theater.

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org