How to Use a Catch Phrase
Properly using a catch phrase can show that you understand what is currently hip in the social scene. However, to use a catch phrase you must first understand its nuances and appropriate context. Not taking these factors into account can lead to personal embarrassment and a socially awkward situation.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Listen carefully to see how the catch phrase is most often employed. Be careful not to assume you can figure out the meaning contextually as this can often prove misleading.
-
2
Open a conversation with someone who appears to be savvy in the use of a catch phrase and question them about the appropriate time to use a catch phrase yourself. This can save you a great deal of unnecessary guess work.
-
-
3
Use a catch phrase in a small group at first to limit the number of people who hear what you say. Judging their nonverbal cues can be an excellent way to determine whether what you have said is considered appropriate.
-
4
Listen to another individual's use of the catch phrase to determine whether inflection is important in its usage. Often, the way something is said is equally important to what the content implies.
-
5
Work the catch phrase in casually and be careful not to draw attention to its use. As with any social device, a catch phrase is far more effective when it exists organically within a larger conversational dynamic.
-
6
Refrain from using the catch phrase if the mood of the room appears to be solemn or not overly receptive. A cold room is hard enough to heat up for a conversational expert, much less someone uncertain of a social trick.
-
1
