Corporate policy and bumper stickers. I've been asked to remove a sticker in order to qualify for a job. [more inside]
posted by odinsdream on Nov 6, 2009 - 78 answers

How can I talk to children? [more inside]
posted by meadowlark lime on Nov 6, 2009 - 12 answers

How did you learn to express your thoughts in a way that is clear and thorough - but concise? [more inside]
posted by peachfuzz on Nov 5, 2009 - 25 answers

Do I have a stammer? How do I fix it? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Oct 24, 2009 - 4 answers

Looking for a discreet audio recording device (not one of the typical voice memo recording sticks you get at radio shack, this must be discreet). I am a public speaker at my company and I typically speak at multiple meetings per day, with no time to take notes for follow-up questions. I need a stand-alone audio recorder that is discreet (wrist watch, pen, etc.) and that can handle at least 8 hours of recording on 1 charge / 1 set of batteries. [more inside]
posted by thankyoumuchly on Oct 19, 2009 - 19 answers

How do I talk to doctors in a professional manner? [more inside]
posted by bananaskin on Oct 7, 2009 - 11 answers

What is the term for how police officers talk to the press in official situations? [more inside]
posted by war wrath of wraith on Oct 6, 2009 - 35 answers

How to break into speech-writing, specifically political speech-writing? [more inside]
posted by roxie5 on Sep 30, 2009 - 4 answers

Giving a speech filter: IS there any online service or program that you can put in a block of text and it will tell approximately you how long it'll take to read it out loud? [more inside]
posted by rileyray3000 on Sep 10, 2009 - 13 answers

I have a horrible stutter which just came to my attention about a week ago. Not only is "uh" my favorite word but I repeat myself a lot. Help me, oh hivemind, to learn how to fix this problem. Written and audio examples inside. [more inside]
posted by Pseudology on Sep 7, 2009 - 17 answers

Public Speaking Filter: I've been asked to speak in front of a very large group at a public rally tomorrow. I'm excited, but I've never done this before. Help! [more inside]
posted by inatizzy on Aug 29, 2009 - 29 answers

Is it a widespread behavior for multilingual speakers of english to get a more anglicized accent when talking to a native speaker? [more inside]
posted by Non Prosequitur on Aug 22, 2009 - 19 answers

What are some good poems to read aloud, that take the form of direct address? [more inside]
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur on Aug 12, 2009 - 37 answers

I'm looking for cliches and stereotypes from movies and television about weddings, marriage, home ownership, raising children... [more inside]
posted by backseatpilot on Jun 30, 2009 - 17 answers

In need of a poem or other suggestions for a rehearsal dinner speech-- [more inside]
posted by greta simone on Jun 25, 2009 - 7 answers

Looking for interesting podcast recommendations from outwith iTunes - comedy, books, current affairs and anything else to satisfy an autodidact who's curious about everything. [more inside]
posted by mippy on Jun 22, 2009 - 21 answers

Help me stop interrupting everyone when they're speaking! [more inside]
posted by Muffpub on Jun 10, 2009 - 21 answers

"Hi-- ahem, I mean, uh... Hi." Oh no! Do you have bouts with Spontaneous Laryngitis Syndrome, or SLS? Someone passes by you and shoots you a friendly "Hey there!" and you're caught off guard and are left whimpering a little "hey." What to do? [more inside]
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing on May 2, 2009 - 16 answers

Is there a term for words pronounced with wrongly silent/missing letters? [more inside]
posted by sunshineunderground on Apr 27, 2009 - 18 answers

Do you have the video for David Foster Wallace's 2005 Kenyon commencement speech? [more inside]
posted by suedehead on Apr 24, 2009 - 2 answers

Can anyone suggest an appropriate reading for a mixed marriage ceremony? [more inside]
posted by booksprite on Apr 20, 2009 - 6 answers

A family member is graduating first in his class but is having trouble with the graduation speech-writing part of things. Any thoughts on where an 18 year old could look for inspiration for writing a speech to commemorate graduating high school? [more inside]
posted by melodykramer on Mar 16, 2009 - 16 answers

Does there exist a piece of scriptable speech synthesis software? [more inside]
posted by miniape on Mar 12, 2009 - 14 answers

I want to learn what everyday conversation (vocabulary, speech patterns, etc.) among American social and political elites was like around the time of the US Civil War. Where should I look for this sort of information? Online sources would be great. [more inside]
posted by thirteenkiller on Mar 9, 2009 - 5 answers

Music vs. speech detection software? [more inside]
posted by Mwongozi on Feb 14, 2009 - 4 answers

I can't pronounce 'th' sounds in normal speech. That is, I pronounce 'the' as 'vuh' and 'three' as 'free' (rather than putting my tongue against my teeth as apparently other people do). I'm very self-conscious now I'm aware of it and worry it will give people a poor impression of me - "vey might fink I'm fick". Has anyone else had this problem? How can I fix it? [more inside]
posted by asb on Jan 8, 2009 - 16 answers

Is there some linguistic or cultural explanation for mistakenly calling Firefox FoxFire? [more inside]
posted by odinsdream on Jan 7, 2009 - 31 answers

How can I avoid using common, cliché words and phrases in my speech and writing, and come up with better ones? [more inside]
posted by relucent on Dec 28, 2008 - 10 answers

There is a characteristic to my speech in which my lips are often pursed tightly together when I speak. It's not a lisp, nor is it a tongue thrust. My wife says it's because I have a long tongue, so the opposite of a lisp. Anyone know if this even has a name? [more inside]
posted by zardoz on Oct 28, 2008 - 2 answers

Weddingspeechfilter: OK...So im gonna have to give a short speech/toast to my brother this upcoming Saturday for his wedding. Im not the best man, just a groomsmen.Heres the problem, i fall short on coming up with a good short toast/speech.I really dont want to be to personal about it cause im really not that good of a speaker so i want it real general and fairly short, Could you guys please help?? Im the older brother so i just want to say "Congrats" but in a little bit more elegant way.
posted by flipmiester99 on Sep 15, 2008 - 11 answers

How can I get over my fear and anxiety of making class presentations? [more inside]
posted by osloheart on Sep 1, 2008 - 27 answers

Can anyone point me towards particularly noteworthy "at the time" criticism of some of the United States' historically important speeches? [more inside]
posted by csimpkins on Aug 30, 2008 - 6 answers

Which broadcast network should I watch tonight to see Obama give his acceptance speech with minimal distraction-annoyance by commentators & talking heads? [more inside]
posted by headnsouth on Aug 28, 2008 - 25 answers

My pronunciation of r's and l's is the same - for example, I pronounce lot and rot the same. English is my first (and only) language. When listening, i have no problems distinguishing between the two. No problems with writing either. Only with pronunciation. How do I become better at pronouncing those sounds? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Aug 16, 2008 - 12 answers

I need transcripts of all speeches, remarks or otherwise public statements made by Obama and McCain for this year's campaign. There's one in particular that I just can't find right now. [more inside]
posted by klarck on Aug 14, 2008 - 2 answers

How do I fix my "accent"? [more inside]
posted by champthom on Jul 17, 2008 - 23 answers

How can I operate on individual articles from an RSS feed in Automator? [more inside]
posted by jasmarc on Jul 6, 2008 - 3 answers

When did professional speech-ghostwriting start, and how confident can I be that those who delivered "classic" speeches and letters actually wrote them themselves? [more inside]
posted by Shepherd on Jul 4, 2008 - 10 answers

Who is the woman sampled speaking on NWA's "Gangsta Gangsta"? She says "hopin' you sophisticated motherfuckers here what I have to say", "he'll fuck up you and yours - and anything that gets in his way", and "he'll just call you a lowlife motherfucker and talk about your funky ways." [more inside]
posted by redteam on Jun 22, 2008 - 16 answers

Please recommend a solution for transcribing voice to text on my Mac. [more inside]
posted by segatakai on May 17, 2008 - 5 answers

Is there a word or a phrase, other than the too-broad "understand," for when a listener understands what someone else is trying to convey even when the speaker doesn't express it clearly and/or correctly? [more inside]
posted by amyms on Apr 28, 2008 - 31 answers

I say and write the word 'Anyway' too often as a bridge between a previous thought and the next one. I knew I did this on the page a lot but didn't realize I was saying it too. It's clear that I've got some reason why I can't just start into the new thought. How can I stop?
posted by TheManChild2000 on Mar 29, 2008 - 11 answers

What's the best quality method for doing text to speech to mp3? [more inside]
posted by D-ten on Mar 27, 2008 - 5 answers

Why did my girlfriend sound like a robot last night? [more inside]
posted by chill on Mar 26, 2008 - 14 answers

What's the proper etiquette when you're speaking to someone with a stutter? Do you stutter? What are you thinking as it's happening? [more inside]
posted by HotPatatta on Mar 18, 2008 - 36 answers

Where can I watch the Barack Obama speech from this morning online in its entirety? [more inside]
posted by bluejayk on Mar 18, 2008 - 14 answers

I need to make an oral presentation with slides (preferably PowerPoint) to a small audience (about 15) in a room in a neighboring country. What is the best way to achieve this requiring minimum effort on their end? [more inside]
posted by zaebiz on Mar 13, 2008 - 11 answers

I hear that trainee actors sometimes use head-mounted contraptions to build up their tongue strength, for better enunciation. One was a small ball on a string. Is this true? What are these devices?
posted by long haired lover from liverpool on Mar 9, 2008 - 6 answers

I've been trying to find online a video of Stanley Donen accepting his honorary academy award in 1997 without much success. I have a very vague memory of it and I'm longing to see it again. It's been taken down from YouTube and I was wondering if anyone knows where else it may be hiding. My search skills are crap. [more inside]
posted by h00py on Mar 5, 2008 - 2 answers

Why is my iMac running the latest operating system talking to me? It's repeating everything I type so I'm going to make the question short. I think it thinks I'm blind... It also reads titles of windows as I switch between them out loud... Please make it stop.
posted by Pants! on Feb 24, 2008 - 7 answers