I've been catching up on my Cleo mags, and the Dec 06 issue certainly comes with really handy tips. Like the art of gossiping:
The mark of a great gossip is knowing how to do it right.
Firstly, never keep the good stuff to yourself. It's not polite, particularly after "You know what?"
Survey your surroundings. You never know who's seated at the table behind yours in that cosy cafe.
Establish the names involved and once your mates get who you're talking about, stick to "him" and "her" as much as possible. Names will only inspire interest and lead people to eavesdrop. (Or use pseudo-names like CJ and I did during our SAC days - Karen, Joseph, Diana, Betty...)
Always check that the person you're gossiping with is a willing participant (this isn't hard to do). It's no fun yakking away if she's busy rushing out a proposal.
Cities are amazingly small - everyone knows someone. Always end your conversation with "I'm telling you this only because I trust you'll not be so dumb as to share it with someone who'll leak this out to Lucy." Expecting your friend to keep the secret to herself is unrealistic. The least you could do is ensure she doesn't share it with someone who will pursue the perpetrators of the rumour.
Gossip away, folks!
The mark of a great gossip is knowing how to do it right.
Firstly, never keep the good stuff to yourself. It's not polite, particularly after "You know what?"
Survey your surroundings. You never know who's seated at the table behind yours in that cosy cafe.
Establish the names involved and once your mates get who you're talking about, stick to "him" and "her" as much as possible. Names will only inspire interest and lead people to eavesdrop. (Or use pseudo-names like CJ and I did during our SAC days - Karen, Joseph, Diana, Betty...)
Always check that the person you're gossiping with is a willing participant (this isn't hard to do). It's no fun yakking away if she's busy rushing out a proposal.
Cities are amazingly small - everyone knows someone. Always end your conversation with "I'm telling you this only because I trust you'll not be so dumb as to share it with someone who'll leak this out to Lucy." Expecting your friend to keep the secret to herself is unrealistic. The least you could do is ensure she doesn't share it with someone who will pursue the perpetrators of the rumour.
Gossip away, folks!
Or you could try..."jellyfish, ostrich, penguin, sparrow" etc...