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14 Aug 2008 06:36 pm
Whither The Harrumph?
A new book by Raymond Tallis analyzes the deeper meaning behind our most basic gestures, expressions and tics:
Oxford defines a harrumph as an ostentatious clearing of the throat,
expressing disapproval. Tallis says it's close to a suppressed bark,
typically triggered by a newspaper item about a fashion or trend the
harrumpher deplores. "Harrumphs are particularly associated with the
idea of a member of the Establishment, whose overweight body provides
the perfect instrument for manufacturing it," complete with jowls that
shake while the sound emerges...The harrumph probably deserves more space than Tallis gives it. Is it
dying out? Does it express social attitudes only of the old and cranky?
And hasn't the blogosphere given it a whole new lease on life?
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