What's a word for when someone is drawing out a story for dramatic effect?
"Quit _________ , and get to the point!"
None of these seem quite right, although any of them would suffice:
- Dawdling
- Dilly-dallying
- Delaying
- Prolonging
- Protracting
I think I'm looking for a word that's specifically concerned with relating an event in conversation. Or maybe I've forgotten a word that never existed in the first place. I do that sometimes.
single-word-requests synonyms
edited 11 hours ago
Chappo
2,60141225
asked 12 hours ago
justnoah.
111
New contributor
justnoah. is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |
"Quit _________ , and get to the point!"
None of these seem quite right, although any of them would suffice:
- Dawdling
- Dilly-dallying
- Delaying
- Prolonging
- Protracting
I think I'm looking for a word that's specifically concerned with relating an event in conversation. Or maybe I've forgotten a word that never existed in the first place. I do that sometimes.
single-word-requests synonyms
edited 11 hours ago
Chappo
2,60141225
asked 12 hours ago
justnoah.
111
New contributor
justnoah. is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Hi justnoah, welcome to EL&U and good luck with your first question! Don't forget to take the EL&U Tour :-)
– Chappo
11 hours ago
The title of your question is at odds with the body of your question. Drawing out a story for dramatic effect is often a good thing—it makes it interesting and engages the listener. On the other hand, talking on at length in such as way as to make the listener annoyed is a bad thing. It's not clear which you mean. (Although I suspect you need to change the title of your question.) But what do you mean by at length? Repeating the same thing over and over again—or talking endlessly about different things? Is there really an active sense of delay on the part of the speaker?
– Jason Bassford
7 hours ago
(What's wrong with any or all of the words you mention in your question? Without knowing why you don't like them, we can't guess what you might be trying to think of.)
– Jason Bassford
7 hours ago
add a comment |
"Quit _________ , and get to the point!"
None of these seem quite right, although any of them would suffice:
- Dawdling
- Dilly-dallying
- Delaying
- Prolonging
- Protracting
I think I'm looking for a word that's specifically concerned with relating an event in conversation. Or maybe I've forgotten a word that never existed in the first place. I do that sometimes.
single-word-requests synonyms
edited 11 hours ago
Chappo
2,60141225
asked 12 hours ago
justnoah.
111
New contributor
justnoah. is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
"Quit _________ , and get to the point!"
None of these seem quite right, although any of them would suffice:
- Dawdling
- Dilly-dallying
- Delaying
- Prolonging
- Protracting
I think I'm looking for a word that's specifically concerned with relating an event in conversation. Or maybe I've forgotten a word that never existed in the first place. I do that sometimes.
single-word-requests synonyms
single-word-requests synonyms
edited 11 hours ago
Chappo
2,60141225
asked 12 hours ago
justnoah.
111
New contributor
justnoah. is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 11 hours ago
Chappo
2,60141225
asked 12 hours ago
justnoah.
111
New contributor
justnoah. is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 11 hours ago
Chappo
2,60141225
edited 11 hours ago
Chappo
2,60141225
edited 11 hours ago
Chappo
2,60141225
2,60141225
asked 12 hours ago
justnoah.
111
New contributor
justnoah. is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 12 hours ago
justnoah.
111
asked 12 hours ago
justnoah.
111
111
New contributor
justnoah. is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
justnoah. is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
justnoah. is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Hi justnoah, welcome to EL&U and good luck with your first question! Don't forget to take the EL&U Tour :-)
– Chappo
11 hours ago
The title of your question is at odds with the body of your question. Drawing out a story for dramatic effect is often a good thing—it makes it interesting and engages the listener. On the other hand, talking on at length in such as way as to make the listener annoyed is a bad thing. It's not clear which you mean. (Although I suspect you need to change the title of your question.) But what do you mean by at length? Repeating the same thing over and over again—or talking endlessly about different things? Is there really an active sense of delay on the part of the speaker?
– Jason Bassford
7 hours ago
(What's wrong with any or all of the words you mention in your question? Without knowing why you don't like them, we can't guess what you might be trying to think of.)
– Jason Bassford
7 hours ago
add a comment |
Hi justnoah, welcome to EL&U and good luck with your first question! Don't forget to take the EL&U Tour :-)
– Chappo
11 hours ago
The title of your question is at odds with the body of your question. Drawing out a story for dramatic effect is often a good thing—it makes it interesting and engages the listener. On the other hand, talking on at length in such as way as to make the listener annoyed is a bad thing. It's not clear which you mean. (Although I suspect you need to change the title of your question.) But what do you mean by at length? Repeating the same thing over and over again—or talking endlessly about different things? Is there really an active sense of delay on the part of the speaker?
– Jason Bassford
7 hours ago
(What's wrong with any or all of the words you mention in your question? Without knowing why you don't like them, we can't guess what you might be trying to think of.)
– Jason Bassford
7 hours ago
Hi justnoah, welcome to EL&U and good luck with your first question! Don't forget to take the EL&U Tour :-)
– Chappo
11 hours ago
Hi justnoah, welcome to EL&U and good luck with your first question! Don't forget to take the EL&U Tour :-)
– Chappo
11 hours ago
The title of your question is at odds with the body of your question. Drawing out a story for dramatic effect is often a good thing—it makes it interesting and engages the listener. On the other hand, talking on at length in such as way as to make the listener annoyed is a bad thing. It's not clear which you mean. (Although I suspect you need to change the title of your question.) But what do you mean by at length? Repeating the same thing over and over again—or talking endlessly about different things? Is there really an active sense of delay on the part of the speaker?
– Jason Bassford
7 hours ago
The title of your question is at odds with the body of your question. Drawing out a story for dramatic effect is often a good thing—it makes it interesting and engages the listener. On the other hand, talking on at length in such as way as to make the listener annoyed is a bad thing. It's not clear which you mean. (Although I suspect you need to change the title of your question.) But what do you mean by at length? Repeating the same thing over and over again—or talking endlessly about different things? Is there really an active sense of delay on the part of the speaker?
– Jason Bassford
7 hours ago
(What's wrong with any or all of the words you mention in your question? Without knowing why you don't like them, we can't guess what you might be trying to think of.)
– Jason Bassford
7 hours ago
(What's wrong with any or all of the words you mention in your question? Without knowing why you don't like them, we can't guess what you might be trying to think of.)
– Jason Bassford
7 hours ago
add a comment |
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
"Quit dallying , and get to the point!"
to dally TFD
To dawdle, delay, or linger; to waste time
And as in:
“Come now, no more dallying,” he said, though more gently. Ophelia
answered 10 hours ago
lbf
17.4k21763
add a comment |
You could use the verb digress, which Merriam Webster describes as:
to turn aside especially from the main subject of attention or course of argument
But the tone of your sample sentence doesn't really fit with the rather formal word, 'digress'. I can't imagine anyone saying 'Quit digressing, and get to the point!'.
You might prefer to ramble - defined as:
proceeding without a specific goal, purpose, or direction: such as ...
straying from subject to subject
That would definitely fit in with the casual tone your sentence uses: 'Quit rambling, and get to the point'.
answered 4 hours ago
Kiloran_speaking
2,126713
add a comment |
Two which leap readily to mind are "shilly-shallying" and the more writerly "burying the lede".
In the context of newspaper and magazine authorship of days gone by, we referred to the practise of adding too much fluff or exposition or description prior to the solid content of the lede (the enticing bit of the introductory paragraph designed to get readers to want to read further) as "burying the lede": people use this phrasing in conversation to refer pejoratively to those who (like me) tend to obfuscate, circumloquate and hide the main point of a narrative so deep in the verbal shrubbery that the listener becomes frustrated and feels a need to exclaim, in essence: "Get ON with the story!"
answered 4 hours ago
GerardFalla
6247
1
I always thought that was 'burying the lead'. Thanks for the clarification.
– Jeeped
3 hours ago
add a comment |
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3 Answers
3
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oldest
votes
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
"Quit dallying , and get to the point!"
to dally TFD
To dawdle, delay, or linger; to waste time
And as in:
“Come now, no more dallying,” he said, though more gently. Ophelia
answered 10 hours ago
lbf
17.4k21763
add a comment |
"Quit dallying , and get to the point!"
to dally TFD
To dawdle, delay, or linger; to waste time
And as in:
“Come now, no more dallying,” he said, though more gently. Ophelia
answered 10 hours ago
lbf
17.4k21763
add a comment |
"Quit dallying , and get to the point!"
to dally TFD
To dawdle, delay, or linger; to waste time
And as in:
“Come now, no more dallying,” he said, though more gently. Ophelia
answered 10 hours ago
lbf
17.4k21763
"Quit dallying , and get to the point!"
to dally TFD
To dawdle, delay, or linger; to waste time
And as in:
“Come now, no more dallying,” he said, though more gently. Ophelia
answered 10 hours ago
lbf
17.4k21763
answered 10 hours ago
lbf
17.4k21763
answered 10 hours ago
lbf
17.4k21763
answered 10 hours ago
lbf
17.4k21763
17.4k21763
add a comment |
add a comment |
You could use the verb digress, which Merriam Webster describes as:
to turn aside especially from the main subject of attention or course of argument
But the tone of your sample sentence doesn't really fit with the rather formal word, 'digress'. I can't imagine anyone saying 'Quit digressing, and get to the point!'.
You might prefer to ramble - defined as:
proceeding without a specific goal, purpose, or direction: such as ...
straying from subject to subject
That would definitely fit in with the casual tone your sentence uses: 'Quit rambling, and get to the point'.
answered 4 hours ago
Kiloran_speaking
2,126713
add a comment |
You could use the verb digress, which Merriam Webster describes as:
to turn aside especially from the main subject of attention or course of argument
But the tone of your sample sentence doesn't really fit with the rather formal word, 'digress'. I can't imagine anyone saying 'Quit digressing, and get to the point!'.
You might prefer to ramble - defined as:
proceeding without a specific goal, purpose, or direction: such as ...
straying from subject to subject
That would definitely fit in with the casual tone your sentence uses: 'Quit rambling, and get to the point'.
answered 4 hours ago
Kiloran_speaking
2,126713
add a comment |
You could use the verb digress, which Merriam Webster describes as:
to turn aside especially from the main subject of attention or course of argument
But the tone of your sample sentence doesn't really fit with the rather formal word, 'digress'. I can't imagine anyone saying 'Quit digressing, and get to the point!'.
You might prefer to ramble - defined as:
proceeding without a specific goal, purpose, or direction: such as ...
straying from subject to subject
That would definitely fit in with the casual tone your sentence uses: 'Quit rambling, and get to the point'.
answered 4 hours ago
Kiloran_speaking
2,126713
You could use the verb digress, which Merriam Webster describes as:
to turn aside especially from the main subject of attention or course of argument
But the tone of your sample sentence doesn't really fit with the rather formal word, 'digress'. I can't imagine anyone saying 'Quit digressing, and get to the point!'.
You might prefer to ramble - defined as:
proceeding without a specific goal, purpose, or direction: such as ...
straying from subject to subject
That would definitely fit in with the casual tone your sentence uses: 'Quit rambling, and get to the point'.
answered 4 hours ago
Kiloran_speaking
2,126713
answered 4 hours ago
Kiloran_speaking
2,126713
answered 4 hours ago
Kiloran_speaking
2,126713
answered 4 hours ago
Kiloran_speaking
2,126713
2,126713
add a comment |
add a comment |
Two which leap readily to mind are "shilly-shallying" and the more writerly "burying the lede".
In the context of newspaper and magazine authorship of days gone by, we referred to the practise of adding too much fluff or exposition or description prior to the solid content of the lede (the enticing bit of the introductory paragraph designed to get readers to want to read further) as "burying the lede": people use this phrasing in conversation to refer pejoratively to those who (like me) tend to obfuscate, circumloquate and hide the main point of a narrative so deep in the verbal shrubbery that the listener becomes frustrated and feels a need to exclaim, in essence: "Get ON with the story!"
answered 4 hours ago
GerardFalla
6247
1
I always thought that was 'burying the lead'. Thanks for the clarification.
– Jeeped
3 hours ago
add a comment |
Two which leap readily to mind are "shilly-shallying" and the more writerly "burying the lede".
In the context of newspaper and magazine authorship of days gone by, we referred to the practise of adding too much fluff or exposition or description prior to the solid content of the lede (the enticing bit of the introductory paragraph designed to get readers to want to read further) as "burying the lede": people use this phrasing in conversation to refer pejoratively to those who (like me) tend to obfuscate, circumloquate and hide the main point of a narrative so deep in the verbal shrubbery that the listener becomes frustrated and feels a need to exclaim, in essence: "Get ON with the story!"
answered 4 hours ago
GerardFalla
6247
1
I always thought that was 'burying the lead'. Thanks for the clarification.
– Jeeped
3 hours ago
add a comment |
Two which leap readily to mind are "shilly-shallying" and the more writerly "burying the lede".
In the context of newspaper and magazine authorship of days gone by, we referred to the practise of adding too much fluff or exposition or description prior to the solid content of the lede (the enticing bit of the introductory paragraph designed to get readers to want to read further) as "burying the lede": people use this phrasing in conversation to refer pejoratively to those who (like me) tend to obfuscate, circumloquate and hide the main point of a narrative so deep in the verbal shrubbery that the listener becomes frustrated and feels a need to exclaim, in essence: "Get ON with the story!"
answered 4 hours ago
GerardFalla
6247
Two which leap readily to mind are "shilly-shallying" and the more writerly "burying the lede".
In the context of newspaper and magazine authorship of days gone by, we referred to the practise of adding too much fluff or exposition or description prior to the solid content of the lede (the enticing bit of the introductory paragraph designed to get readers to want to read further) as "burying the lede": people use this phrasing in conversation to refer pejoratively to those who (like me) tend to obfuscate, circumloquate and hide the main point of a narrative so deep in the verbal shrubbery that the listener becomes frustrated and feels a need to exclaim, in essence: "Get ON with the story!"
answered 4 hours ago
GerardFalla
6247
edited 4 hours ago
answered 4 hours ago
GerardFalla
6247
answered 4 hours ago
GerardFalla
6247
answered 4 hours ago
GerardFalla
6247
6247
1
I always thought that was 'burying the lead'. Thanks for the clarification.
– Jeeped
3 hours ago
add a comment |
1
I always thought that was 'burying the lead'. Thanks for the clarification.
– Jeeped
3 hours ago
1
1
I always thought that was 'burying the lead'. Thanks for the clarification.
– Jeeped
3 hours ago
I always thought that was 'burying the lead'. Thanks for the clarification.
– Jeeped
3 hours ago
add a comment |
justnoah. is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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justnoah. is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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Hi justnoah, welcome to EL&U and good luck with your first question! Don't forget to take the EL&U Tour :-)
– Chappo
11 hours ago
The title of your question is at odds with the body of your question. Drawing out a story for dramatic effect is often a good thing—it makes it interesting and engages the listener. On the other hand, talking on at length in such as way as to make the listener annoyed is a bad thing. It's not clear which you mean. (Although I suspect you need to change the title of your question.) But what do you mean by at length? Repeating the same thing over and over again—or talking endlessly about different things? Is there really an active sense of delay on the part of the speaker?
– Jason Bassford
7 hours ago
(What's wrong with any or all of the words you mention in your question? Without knowing why you don't like them, we can't guess what you might be trying to think of.)
– Jason Bassford
7 hours ago