On a recent Southwest flight I came across a great little article in Spirit, the airline’s in-flight magazine. (Sept 2011) It introduced a ‘new’ word: nonversation.
Spirit Lexicon
Entry No. 883
nonversation
ˈnɑn-vər-sā-shən|noun [From Middle English non,not; and Latin conversation, to associate with] 1. A verbal exchange between two or more people that is pointless, one-sided, or without logic. 2. The opposite of productive discourse. USAGE: While many nonversations transpire at locales like elevators and bus stops and are of the awkward, looks-like-it’s going-to-rain variety, they also occur during business meetings, in which participants do not listen to one another and thus no conclusions are drawn.
And as a presentation skills coach, this word has lots of possibilities!
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