# Is there a name for this kind of speaking? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 25, 2006, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-kind-of-speaking/377838 "2006-10-25T13:42:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-kind-of-speaking/377838/21 "2006-10-27T16:40:23Z")
[QUOTE=SpoilerVirgin] Many years ago I decided that if I ever write my autobiography, I will title it “But I Digress…” [/QUOTE] Ellen Degeneris had a similar thought for her book: _My Point, and I Do Have One…_ ---
**Author:** ![Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alive_At_Both_Ends)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-kind-of-speaking/377838/22 "2006-10-27T17:13:46Z")
[QUOTE=pravnik] “Tristram Shandy” is a famous example of the writing style you’re speaking of (although you’re actually writing of a speaking style, but I digress); digressions from the story line, then digressions from the digressions, and then a digression about digressions (or metadigression, I guess), etc. [/QUOTE] “Les Miserables” is like this as well. The book is at least twice as long as it needs to be to tell the story. ---
**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-kind-of-speaking/377838/23 "2006-10-27T22:32:10Z")
My friend calls it “birdtracking,” because the talker’s words resemble the mixed-up pattern of bird tracks on sandy surfaces. A woman at work, the most digressive talker I’ve ever met, calls it “branching.” I tried to get the whole story, but then she tangented off onto her niece’s husband’s neighbor-from-1976’s recipe for lemon cake . . . ---
**Author:** ![PBear42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PBear42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PBear42)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2006, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-kind-of-speaking/377838/24 "2006-10-28T06:51:23Z")
Ding, ding, ding. We have a winner. IMHO, “branching” is perfect. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-kind-of-speaking/377838.md?page=1)