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Words to end a conversation

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Hexaglot
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 Message 1 of 24
12 August 2010 at 12:14pm | IP Logged 
Have you ever noticed how some people develop a certain expression or gesture to indicate that they consider a conversation to be at its end?

For instance I know a Swedish gentleman, when he meets somebody for business after a while, when he considers that all he wanted to say and hear has been said, he makes a very musical "Okaaaaaay" with two tones. That's his way of telling "For me the purpose of this meeting/conversation has been fulfilled, and unless you quickly bring up something I may have overlooked, I will shake hands and leave".

Another person I know would knock on the table with a knuckle and say "Voilà!".

And another would say "Okahye" with a strong local accent.

This is at the confines of language and sociology, for only people who consider themselves as dominant in the conversation can use such word with a result. I have seen several times kids or junior people try this trick, copying another person such as their father or boss, only to discover that the word itself is not sufficient. People just won't stop the meeting unless it is a rather senior/important/dominant person who pronounces the meeting to be at its end.

And you, have you ever noticed people using such words, expressions or gestures to signify the end of a conversation? What words did they use?


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Sennin
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 Message 2 of 24
12 August 2010 at 3:14pm | IP Logged 
...cheers / cheerio in English

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luhmann
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 Message 3 of 24
12 August 2010 at 4:16pm | IP Logged 
I think one usually ends a conversation by leaning away from the interlocutor.
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clang
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 Message 4 of 24
13 August 2010 at 10:24am | IP Logged 
Russian speakers in Moldova (I don't have much experience with Russian anywhere else) say "всё!" which means
"done", "all", or "everything" or "давай!" which sometimes seems to mean practically anything the speaker wants it
to mean, but could be defined as "let's/let's go", "give" , or "come on".

It's startling to me still when someone declares "done!" and walks out of the room. I think I'm used to the long
winding down of American English conversations and lingering farewells: "All right then, so, everything is good? I'll
see you. Tell your wife, hello, okay? Talk to you, soon. Good bye. Ok. All right. Later."
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brian91
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 Message 5 of 24
13 August 2010 at 1:14pm | IP Logged 
In Ireland, a lot of people say ''right...'' to end a conversation.

Edited by brian91 on 14 August 2010 at 10:28am

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Levi
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 Message 6 of 24
13 August 2010 at 3:09pm | IP Logged 
Here in upstate New York people say "all right" (with a particular intonation pattern to distinguish it from the interjection meaning "that's good"), followed by another farewell or two as clang mentioned.

Edited by Levi on 13 August 2010 at 3:11pm

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Liface
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 Message 7 of 24
14 August 2010 at 2:47am | IP Logged 
Levi wrote:
Here in upstate New York people say "all right" (with a particular intonation pattern to distinguish it from the interjection meaning "that's good"), followed by another farewell or two as clang mentioned.


Yep, I do the same thing. "All right", followed by "I'm out. Peace.".
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michaelmichael
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 Message 8 of 24
14 August 2010 at 10:44am | IP Logged 
Liface wrote:
Levi wrote:
Here in upstate New York people say "all right" (with a particular intonation pattern to distinguish it from the interjection meaning "that's good"), followed by another farewell or two as clang mentioned.


Yep, I do the same thing. "All right", followed by "I'm out. Peace.".


Haha, I say the same thing. I also like to use ciao sometimes, just to mix things up.

I never understood why i say peace, but for some reason i have an image in my head of a hippy smoking..."cigarettes"


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