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Double-talk

Adding invented words into normal speech

Adding invented words into normal speech

Double-talk is a form of speech in which inappropriate, invented, or nonsense words are interpolated into normal speech to give the appearance of knowledge, and thus confuse or amuse the audience.

Examples

Comedians who have used this as part of their act include Al Kelly, Danny Kaye, Gary Owens, Irwin Corey, Jackie Gleason, Jerry Lewis, Sid Caesar, Stanley Unwin, Reggie Watts, and Vanessa Bayer. For example, in his talk on music, "Populode of the Musicolly", Stanley Unwin says:

It has also been used in films, for example Charlie Chaplin's character in The Great Dictator, many of Danny Kaye's patter songs, and Willie Solar's screeching singing in Diamond Horseshoe (1945).

Notes

References

  1. Pullman, George. "Rhetoric and Power: The Dark Side of Persuasion".
  2. (2007). "Vaudeville, Old & New: An Encyclopedia of Variety Performers in America". Routledge.
  3. (2000). "Encyclopedia of twentieth century American humor". Bloomsbury Academic.
  4. Corey Kilgannon. (April 14, 2008). "A Distinguished Professor With a Ph.D. in Nonsense". [[The New York Times]].
  5. Dobuzinskis, Alex. (12 February 2014). "Comic legend Sid Caesar dies at 91". [[Reuters]].
  6. Dick Vosburgh. (17 January 2002). "Stanley Unwin". [[The Independent]].
  7. Watts, Reggie. (5 December 2013). "Reggie Watts at TEDx Berlin". TEDx, Youtube.
  8. Bayer, Vanessa. (6 May 2017). "Weekend Update: Dawn Lazarus". Saturday Night Live,Youtube.
  9. (28 December 2017). "The Sound of Nonsense". Bloomsbury Publishing USA.
  10. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wls9YlFpuLs "The Populode of the Musicolly"] on youtube
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