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AMBA PRASAD's avatar

ತಲೆ ತಿನ್ನೋದು ಅಂದ್ರೆ ಇದೇ ...

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M R Prasanna's avatar

Classic! Nothing can be better than this.

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N. Raghupathy's avatar

Excellent analysis of the two idioms in English with examples and anecdotes. I would brand two categories of people who indulge in these annoying attitudes. The first category, as you have rightly mentioned would be apt to most of the journalists who try to buttonhole the person interviewed unmindful of the other's discomfiture. A classic example was the interview I had watched between the well known Karan Thapar, who hosted the "Devil's Advocate" and the Iron Lady Jayalalitha. However, he had to eat a humble pie at the end when she refused the customary 'hand shake' with a parting remark that it was "not a pleasure" being interviewed by him! The second category of the attribute "talking some one's ear off" is indulged in by most of the marketing executives who engage in a monologue of the quality and value of the product without bothering to know whether the customer needs the product or not. Instead of winning over the customer such executives end up loosing the business by over indulgence of unwanted information forcing the customer to quit without making any purchase.

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M R Prasanna's avatar

Thank you very for your excellent observations.

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Tarun Kunzru's avatar

It takes two to Tango! Some nice, polite person with warm vibes is always ideal for button holing. One has to develop the skill of - Zip up and sign off! It's always hard for nice people, as they believe it's rude. Pras, but then as your experience on the train journey had literally become - a suffer!!

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M R Prasanna's avatar

Haha..suffer haha

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Amar's avatar

Hilarious Prasanna!

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Lakshmi Raman's avatar

How DO you come up with the most unexpected and interesting topics, Prasanna? I enjoyed reading this with my first morning tea. Buttonholer, now that too is a new term for me and I plan to use it pretty soon. Perhaps buttonhole my daughter into listening to my ideas on development? I just remember that a late colleague of mine often had the experience of being buttonholed by a fellow passenger as he travelled by bus or train in rural Tamilnadu. 'Are you travelling alone? Why alone?

Why are you bald? Is it a vow to Tirupati that you shaved your head? (he had got bald early in life). Are you married? Why not? Married, then children? Why no children?' And so it often went on and on through the journey. He said he learnt to cope with it with fantasy narratives - that he was a sadhu but in plain clothes (answers the 'why not married/no children' question. Or that he came from the Himalayas and was an ascetic in disguise or a Catholic priest or ....and then the question of being bald/married or not/children/etc. got stopped right there. He said he quite enjoyed these imaginary personas he built for himself.

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M R Prasanna's avatar

Hilarious!! Thank you

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