[Lexicog] Phrasal Synonyms For, References to -- "Overly Talkative" Part II

Thu Nov 6 20:52:15 UTC 2008

Scott Nelson wrote:

"My list of synonymous phrases and allusions for "verbosity" included.
"overly talkative" . . . ."

Amen!

  _____  

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Subject: [Lexicog] Phrasal Synonyms For, References to -- "Overly Talkative"
Part II

       Folks, Fritz, and fellow lexico-buffs. I thought I'd finish my
thought
about over-talkativeness, brevity, and the music of language. My point was
to show the paradox of the axiom. I've found that when a blanket truism is
declared, there is another, opposite truism that contradicts it, sort of
like
the yin-yang principle.
       My list of synonymous phrases and allusions for "verbosity" included
slightly altered meanings, to include: wasteful, idle chat (not just banter
or 
simple chit-chat), foolish talk, or inappropriate talk. I simply lumped them

together. 
      But under a morerefined listing for a more efficient phrasal thesaurus
I 
would separate them and make each one sub-entries under the main entry 
"talk." An index at the end would eliminate a lot of repetition. Other ! 
sub-categories under "talk" beside idle chat and foolish/empty talk would
be.... 3) 
deceptive talk   4) insulting talk  5) scolding, chiding, and reprimanding
talk  
6) humorous, joking, teasing talk. All of these would have tens of tokens as
well. 
       I consider allusions (i.e. "set" phrasal implications and proverbs)
to be 
important elements of the semantics of a word, since set phrases function as

synonyms to single words as closely as any single word. They are simply long
words 
with gaps. Traditional single-word entries in dictionaries or thesauruses
seldom 
include these allusional sources (though they may include some idiomatic
phrases) 
but because the point in those books is to produce explicit "equalizations!
," not 
allusional, inferential, or proverbial equivalents. Th e phrase gets the
short shrift. 
      For instance, the phrase "Shut up!" though technically means "stop 
talking," the implication is that the person is talking too much, or
wrongly, or
inappropriately. And it (usually in the imperative mood) can be used
teasingly as a 
snynonym phrase to "pooh-phooh" someone (in the indicative mood) when the 
dialoguing counterpart says something in opposition to (or something
unsettling 
to) the speaker -- as Jay Leno does when he says, "Oh, shut up!" to his
audience.  
     A comprehensive thesaurus might include the proverb "All it takes for 
an argument is four deaf ears and two mouths." in the sub-category "overly 
talkative." "Empty vessels make the most sound." might go under the
sub-category 
"empty talk," as would a quotable quote of Shakespeare's like...."It is a 
tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, sign! ifying nothing."
     The following group of phrases is sort of an addendum to my earlier
list
and is largely mishmash in order, except for the proverb section and the
humor 
section.  

Scott Nelson 

Perfect Matches (Humor):

They're a perfect match. He's a fire-breather at a circus, and she's full of
hot air.

They're a perfect match. He's a podiatrist -- and she's always putting her
foot in her mouth.
{put one's foot in one's mouth}

They're a perfect match. She's sells balloons at the fair, and he's full of
hot air.

A man who married a woman because she was a good conversationalist left her
-- because she talked too much.

Proverbs, Wit, and Advice:  

A child learns to talk in about two years, but it takes about sixty years to
learn to keep his mouth shut.

A closed mouth catches no flies.

A gossip talks about others; a bore talks about himself; and a brilliant
conversationalist talks about you.

I thought talk was cheap, until I saw our telephone bill.

If a man keeps his trap shut, the world will beat a path to his door. 
(keep one's big trap shut)
(Shut your big trap.)

It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and
remove all doubt.

One minute of keeping your mouth shut is worth an hour's explanation.

Open mouth invites foot. 

Q: How do you know when you're talking to a mad scientist and his clone?
A: They say they say everything everything twice twice.

Q: What happened when the captain blew hot air at the general?
A: There was hell toupee.  {hell to pay}

Take a tip from nature: ears aren't made to shut, but a mouth is.

When your work speaks for itself, don't interrupt.
     {speak for oneself}

General Denigrations:

have a fat-mouth;

have a big mouth;

keep one's big mouth closed;
keep one's big mouth shut;
open one's big mouth;

ratchet-mouth;

all jaw;

all mouth and no ears;

all talk;
all talk and no action;

a motor-mouth;     

(can) talk a mile a minute

an armchair general;
an armchair strategist;

an armchair quarterback;
armchair quarterbacking;

quarterback from the sidelines;
quarterbacking from the sidelines;

an ear-bender;

never at a loss for words;
never lost for words;

bananas on bananas;

blather on about (something);

excess verbiage;

give someone an earful;

blow hot air;
blow a lot of hot air;

just (a lot of) hot air;
just blowing (a lot of) hot air;
just blowing hot air;

full of hot air;

have a big mouth;

Me and my big mouth!
Me and my big fat mouth!

You and your big mouth!
You and your big fat mouth!

keep one's big mouth shut;
keep one's big mouth closed; 
close one's mouth;
shut one's mouth; 
keep one's mouth shut;

I'd better keep my mouth shut.
keep one's mouth closed;

someone's mouth is(really) in gear..

I didn't ask for your life story.;

like to hear oneself talk;
love to hear oneself talk;

love the sound of one's own voice;
like the sound of one's own voice;

talk, just to hear one's own voice;

make chin music

Put a sock in it!
put a sock in someone's mouth;
Stick a sock in it!

Put a cork in it!

put one's foot in one's mouth;
stick one's foot in one's mouth;

someone's foot is in their mouth;
put one's foot in it;

have foot-in-mouth disease;
a case of foot-in-mouth disease;
suffer from foot-in-mouth disease;
hoof-in-mouth disease;

run one's mouth;
to be running one's mouth;

run at the mouth;
running at the mouth;

run off at the mouth;
running off at the mouth;

Shut up!
Shut the f... up!
shut someone up;
You can't shut someone up (now)!

shut up like a clam;

sound like a broken record;

Don't give it away!
give something away

spout off;
spout off about (something);
let someone spout off;

Can/could) talk off a donkey's hind legs;
talk the hind legs off a donkey;
talk a donkey's hind legs off;
talk the hind leg off a donkey;

(can) talk someone's ear off;
chew someone's ear off;

talk someone's head off;
will talk someone's head off;
can talk your head off;

talk someone's arm off;

talk someone's leg off;

talk too much;
You talk too much.
I talk too much.

You can talk until you are blue in the face, but...

the telephone is growing out of the side of someone's head;

have a well-oiled tongue;

Yackety-yak!

Previous List (from previous post): 

A politician is a man who approaches every question with an open mouth.

All it takes for an arugument is two loud mouths and four deaf ears.

all mouth and no ears;

Babbling brooks are noisy.;

chatter like a magpie;

idle chatter;

chatter in the pipe;

chatter like a monkey;

diarrhea of the mouth;

diarrhea of the jawbone;

clucking hens;

two clucking hens;

like two clucking hens;

excess verbiage;

flip-lipped;

long-winded;

a long-winded (something);

could talk the bark off a tree

(couild) talk the pants off someone

There are worse things in life than death. Have you ever spent an evening

with an insurance salesman? (Woody Allen) 

They're a perfect match. The weatherman is long-winded, and the English

proffesor is long on rhetoric.

They're a perfect match. He's long-winded, and she's a flaming windbag. 

talk a blue streak;

can talk a blue streak;

swear a blue streak;

can swear a blue streak;

curse a blue streak;

A whale is harpooned only when it spouts.

verbal diarrhea;

oral diarrhea;

Empty vessels make the most sound.

Empty vessels make the most noise.

have an itching tongue;

run one's mouth;

running one's mouth;

run at the mouth;

running at the mouth;

run/running off at the mouth;

talk on and on;

talk on and on about (something);

go on and on (about something);

ramble on about(something);

rattle on and on;

rattle on and on about (something);

rattle on about (something);

babble on about (something)

babble on and on;

talked up a storm;

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