What would you call a person who thinks they know everything and decides to share every little fact they can think of? For example, if a teacher or professor says something and a student decides to say "oh, interusting fact about this" or "one time, something happened relevant to something you just mentioned", but then they go off topic and say non relevant stories and the whole classroom falls asleep. Or is there not a word for this?
-
2"Diarrhea of the mouth" is a common (if inelegant) expression that is often used.– Hot LicksCommented Oct 17, 2014 at 18:46
-
2@Hot Licks: That's the AmE version - in BrE it's invariably verbal diarrhea– FumbleFingersCommented Oct 17, 2014 at 19:13
-
2"Blogger" is another term that comes to mind.– Hot LicksCommented Oct 17, 2014 at 19:41
-
1@FumbleFingers One thing I would expect of anyone who had won first prize in life's lottery would be that they could spell diarrhoea.– WS2Commented Oct 17, 2014 at 20:42
-
1@WS2: I just cut & pasted from HotLicks and Bib's text for my NGram link above (but if I'm honest, I didn't notice, 'cos my spelling is "flakey" at best! :). On the other hand it's interesting to compare it with the NGram with the "correct" spelling. In my first NGram, diarrhea of the mouth is the preferred AmE version. In the second, diarrhoea of the mouth simply doesn't exist!– FumbleFingersCommented Oct 18, 2014 at 11:55
|
Show 10 more comments
12 Answers
The person can be said to suffer from verbal diarrhea
The fact or habit of talking too much: was it necessary to have the narrator exhibit verbal diarrhea throughout the entire picture? [Oxford Dictionaries Online]
Similarly logorrhea
excessive, uncontrollable, or incoherent talkativeness [Collins]
And, by extension, they might be called a logorrheic.
More simply, they might be called a blatherer. Oxford defines blather as
Talk long-windedly without making very much sense: she began blathering on about spirituality and life after death
Prattler is the word that comes to mind.
-
Prattle just refers to foolish, idle talk, not compulsive logorrhea.– RobustoCommented Oct 19, 2014 at 0:00
-
Not sure about that. I think 'prattler' is precisely the right word.– OrnelloCommented Oct 19, 2014 at 0:34
-
-
I believe, just from anecdotal observation, that this may be a US/UK-Commonwealth difference. It's almost exclusively used to describe children, or childish/child-like patterns of speech in the places I've lived Stateside... and in the US literature I've come across. British commedians and writers seem to use it in a much broader sense. And much more commonly. Like I say, this is purely anecdotal. But I skew very heavily towards American literature, and British television in my media consumption patterns... so I'm 80% sure there's something there.– sas08Commented Feb 9, 2015 at 17:32
I might call them a "chatterbox".
An extremely talkative person.
The definition on Urban Dictionary might not be as academic, but it certainly matches your description.
Someone who never shuts the hell up. They keep blabbering about random crap that makes no sense
answered Oct 18, 2014 at 8:34
If the person usually ends up off topic, and you want to express that point, I'd consider using digressive (although it seems to be more commonly used to describe conversations/text rather than people); as Collins has it:
digressing or given to digression
As Hellion notes below, serial digressor, or perhaps just digressor, would work if you're looking for a noun instead of an adjective.
Otherwise, garrulous might be a better fit.
talking much or too much, esp. about unimportant things; loquacious
Hard to think of a good noun option. Blabbermouth. Motormouth. Windbag. They all sound somewhat dated. Although I do like windbag.
Adjectives that might help: "prattling," "filterless," and "windy."
Or you could get metaphorical. In college, who we nicknamed a kid who did that "Filibuster" -- it stuck.
-
1On the lines of windbag is gaspot. Both are colourful expressions but they are used in reference to someone who talks tall and is usually unable to walk it. A boaster or a dissembler, basically.– moonstarCommented Oct 19, 2014 at 8:16
It's an informal neologism, but oversharer is an increasingly commonly used descriptor, as a quick google search will show.
answered Oct 17, 2014 at 18:25
-
2I wouldn't use oversharer myself for this scenario. To me, an oversharer over-shares personal information, either in excessive quantity or in contravention of social norms about matters that should be kept private and offline. Oversharers tweet every meal they consume, or post photos from their sexual encounters on Facebook. Someone who tirelessly interjects trivial facts I would call a Brainy Smurf, though that's probably just showing my age.– chosterCommented Oct 17, 2014 at 18:58
I like verbally incontinent, as Mark Darcy described Bridget Jones.
Answers you have so far address the constant talkativeness, but there is one aspect related to your question which has not been addressed, and that's the concept that the talkativeness is triggered by always having a story or embellishment to other people's situations/dialogue. This is known as 'one-upmanship' (Mirriam Websters definition).
One-upmanship is a competitive desire to always have something to add that is just that next step better than what other people have, say, or do. People who try to one-up others often interject with a 'better' story, or a 'more interesting' fact.
Sort of like this answer, actually.
extrovert processor is the technical term, Cognitive thoughts are processed externally with verbalization, as opposed to internally.
If the intention of one persons continuous, unending - and not unusually - monotone speech was to to hog the conversation, and not notice or recognise the drooping eyelids and possibly tunnel like yawns of others in the vicinity - maybe even a collections of zzzZZZs too, then the title 'smart arse' or 'creep' may be applied.
If his boss is present then another term should be applied...... But he'd probably be too pompous, uncaring and stupid to realise.
Does that remind you of someone you've ever had to work with?!
Such a person could be called, unimaginatively, a know-it-all. Some might consider it a bit childish these days, but its use is quite common among all ages (at least in American English).
-
Anyone care to explain why they think this is a bad answer?– talrnuCommented Oct 20, 2014 at 14:01
I would describe them as opinionated maybe?
-
1opinionated means: "conceitedly assertive and dogmatic in one's opinions.", does not necessarily indicate someone who shares every thought. Commented Oct 17, 2014 at 23:31
-
1Welcome to E&U. You may wish to review the help center; a good answer provides an explanation, including suitable references.– chosterCommented Oct 18, 2014 at 5:50