Linguist, lexicographer, radio host, public speaker

Two elderly women clutched their purses a bit tighter and changed seats

“Liz taught me a clever way to amuse oneself on the subway, and we played together all the way from Wrigley Field to the Loop. It’s very simple: during the clattering cacophony raised by the train while it is running, talk quietly to one another and, as the train slows to enter a station, one person raises his voice and says the most improbable thing they can think of. You should follow your outburst with a chagrined look, as if you did not expect your conversation to be heard over the noise. The object, inasmuch as it can be called so, is to see who can draw the most entertaining looks from the other passengers.”

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Grant Barrett