Sucking on Words

June 26, 2012 3:49 AM

Does anyone know if 'sucking on words' is an idiom or common phrase? If so, what is the meaning?
posted by Le pest to Human Relations (10 answers total)

I've never heard that phrase before in my life. Where did you hear it?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:23 AM on June 26, 2012

So I Googled various permutations of the phrase and came up with only two useful citations: a review of a stage performance by Ian McKellen, and a discussion of a contestant on "The Amazing Race." The former seemed to be referring to drawn-out enunciation; the latter seemed to be referring to an odd way of speaking.

It's clearly not an idiom.
posted by Sidhedevil at 5:50 AM on June 26, 2012

I've never heard it before either (I'm in the UK if that matters).
posted by EndsOfInvention at 5:53 AM on June 26, 2012

I've never heard or seen it, and language is my business and my joy.
posted by languagehat at 6:56 AM on June 26, 2012

Google Books turns up references going back to 1991, but none of them appear to indicate a consistent lineage of phrase. It is most often attributed to poet Kenneth Goldsmith, but that's probably because he's the most popular person to have used it, and there's also a documentary film on him with that title.
posted by mykescipark at 6:59 AM on June 26, 2012

I've heard maybe one or two oldsters in my family say this, but it's been many years. The oldsters in question are no longer with us, but they seemed to be using the phrase to mean "not enunciating very well; mumbling". I don't think it was an idiom they picked up, though. They were very verbal and colorful people, and could very well have just cooked it up because it sounded good.
posted by Coatlicue at 7:33 AM on June 26, 2012

I seem to recall from my Japanese language class nearly 20 years ago that there is a saying along similar lines relating to Western speakers of the language. Something like "chewing on the words"? It had to do with the fact that most Japanese syllables are formed at the front of the mouth. Maybe it was just something my teacher said.
posted by sevenyearlurk at 7:34 AM on June 26, 2012

It's certainly a colorful metaphor for words lingering in the mouth like a lollipop or a peppermint, but it's an unusual turn of phrase.
posted by Sidhedevil at 8:37 AM on June 26, 2012 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thank you everyone. I'm writing about the film of that title about Kenneth Goldsmith and I wondered whether it was old phrase, and if the meaning would lead me to a better understanding of the poetry in the film. The ideas that have come up here (mumbling, prolonged enunciation, speaking in a foreign language) are very helpful!
posted by Le pest at 8:51 AM on June 26, 2012

I don't know if the film addresses it, but the phrase itself is from his piece Conceptual Poetics.
posted by mykescipark at 9:51 AM on June 26, 2012