Lexicogrammar 2

Camila Panes Aguilera

August 16th, 2023

Conversation I: Annoying coworkers

L1: Uhh, I came across this really funny website the other day… It’s, umm,
designed to where people can anonymously send an e-mail to an annoying
coworker…
M1: Mmm hmm…
L2: Saying things like, “You really need to use deodorant [laughter]…but we’re
too shy to tell you”… and they, you know, you just put in their e-mail
address…
M2: Okay
L3: Umm, and it got me thinking about annoying coworkers…
M3: Okay
L4: Can…Do you have any memories of particularly irritating and annoying
people at work?
M4: Well, I don’t remember anyone who was…smelly, ummm
[laughter]
M5: But there was there was one guy who was sort of irritating, umm, he was,
actually, he was someone who I, who I answered to, he was…
L5: He was your manager?
M6: He was…yeah…he was, he was a manager at my department.
L6: Uh huh.
M7: And..umm…what he would do would be if myself ..or..or..and one of my
colleagues were having a conversation that was in any way, uhh, related to
something other than the immediate job that we were working on…
L7: Uh huh.
M8: …he would, uhh, jump in there and and and, uhh, tell us off! For doing it…
L8: Really?
M9: For doing it…yeah!
L9: For just chatting while you were working?
M10: Yeah, oh yeah! It it it could be…you could be sitting at your desk and your
friend is sitting across from you and you could say, “So…you have a good
weekend, Steve?” and before you’ve even got a chance to start the
conversation, you know, our boss would, would chip in and say [imitating
odious boss] “Ah, gentlemen I don’t think that’s work-related, could we have
a bit less chatter please?”
L10: [laughter] How annoying!
Conversation II: Itchy palms

S1: Oh, I’ve got this itchy palm. It’s totally itching. Doesn’t that mean something
when it itches?
R1: It means you have to wash your hands.
S2: No, really! Isn’t it some superstition, something to do with money?
R2: Like some sort of old wives’ tale or something about…?
S3: Yeah, that you’re gonna get, like, money or something like that?
R3: Well, off the top of my head I don’t know, but the only thing for it is to see
what Google has to say.
S4: Yeah, consult the Oracle.
R4: Consult Google.
S5: The Oracle of Google. What does it mean?
R5: Give me a second…Itchy palm…Ah, OK! It’s a desire for money, or greed, or
wanting a bribe, apparently. Like a hotel porter, uhh you know, “The porter
has an itchy palm,” he’s expecting you to give a big tip. Or, you know,
someone could be known for having an itchy palm; I guess that means
they’re known for being greedy.
S6: Oh, OK. But isn’t that the idiom? Like if someone says “So-and-so has itchy
palms”? What does it mean if your palm actually itches?
R6: Oh, OK, let me see. Let me move down the list and see what Google has to
say.
S7: I hope it’s getting money…
R7: Yeah, well actually, yeah, you’re right…it says…apparently having an itchy
palm is an indicator of fortune coming your way…
S8: Yes!
R8: Or something like that. Umm, OK, Oh, hang on a minute.
S9: Does it say anything about money? I could really use some…
R9: Well, yes…Oh, wait a minute! Which, which one of your hands is it, the left
or the right hand?
S10: What, does it matter?
R10: Ah, yes, it makes a big difference actually.
S11: It’s the left one.
[long pause]
R11: Ah.
S12: Oh, that didn’t sound good.
R12: No, you’re not gonna like this. If you have an itchy left palm, it means you
have to give money.
S13: Oh no.