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Neither of us is quite sure exactly when we each started making a note of other people’s conversations, foibles and quips, but it began a long time before we met.
The decision to turn our little hobby into a book itself probably started with a conversation with friends. Someone probably laughed out loud or put their hands over their mouth in delighted shock, then said something along the lines of, ‘You should write that down.’
So we did. We employed many techniques: eavesdropping, ear-wigging, a little lurking, nebbing, overhearing and snooping, to name but a few. Occasionally little nuggets have been passed down to us by conspiratorial friends who really should know better.
The result, we discovered, was a kind of kitchen sink snapshot of society caught resolutely off its guard, being real, being funny, occasionally sad—even terrifying. It spans every age, class and racial divide—a nation united in inanity.
It seems that the richest vault of human comedy and drama is around us all the time if we just stop, turn off our phones, MP3 players and laptops, and listen.
So why not just turn off, tune out and listen in? Who knows what you might be about to hear, and what you might do with it.
Mark Love & Jacqui Saunders
2008
Overheard something that you’d like to share? You can submit your own ear-wiggings at:
www.overheardconversations.com
PS Oh, just one more thing before we go…Just to make it very clear that the opinions and views expressed by the people in these conversations are absolutely NOT those of the authors or their publishers.
A town centre toy store, mid-December, and the manager and a Sales Assistant are staring intently at the stock on the shelves.
SALES ASSISTANT: Dunno what it is but Barbie’s just not going this year.
MANAGER: Hmmmm…What if we put Superman on top of Barbie? Do you think that’ll get her going?
SALES ASSISTANT: Nnnh, I don’t know…
MANAGER: No! I know! Put Barbie on top of Superman. Yeah, that should get her going!
A shop owner has been questioning her male assistant over a prolonged absence from work.
SHOP OWNER: So you’re saying you were off for three weeks because you had an accident with your zip?
ASSISTANT: It’s not funny! Little accidents can turn into something very nasty. I could have died. I was very ill, you ask Frank.
SHOP OWNER: You could have died? What actually happened?
ASSISTANT: I told you, I had an accident with my zip.
SHOP OWNER: Can you be a bit more precise? This is three weeks, not three days.
ASSISTANT: Look, I got it stuck in my zipper.
SHOP OWNER: You got your thing stuck in your zip and it took you three weeks to get over it? Marge had triplets and she was back at work six days later.
ASSISTANT: I got blood poisoning. I’ve only just got over it.
SHOP OWNER: How do you get blood poisoning from getting your thing caught in your zip?
ASSISTANT: I don’t know! But I did! It was really serious at one point. I almost died.
SHOP OWNER: Well that would have meant for an interesting obituary, wouldn’t it?
A teacher has been leading a general studies lesson on genetic engineering. Kirsten, at the front of the class, folds her arms, purses her lips and shakes her head slowly.
KIRSTEN: I just don’t think it’s right messing ’bout with nature, miss. They should leave it alone.
TEACHER: Okay, but what about some of the positive effects of genetic engineering, like being able to grow disease-resistant crops?
KIRSTEN: I just don’t want a carrot that’s been messed ’bout with on my plate. It don’t have to be perfect and all that…
HALEY: Yeah, it doesn’t need to be straight.
TEACHER: Okay, has anyone here heard of the suicidal potato?
CLASS: The what?
TEACHER: Scientists have created a suicidal potato. Basically it recognises when it’s become diseased and kills itself off to stop the disease spreading through the rest of the crop.
A wave of oohs and ahs.
KIRSTEN: Oh no, that’s all right, miss! That’s more heroic, innit? I’d be proud to have that on me plate.
On a commuter train travelling between West Croydon and Balham, a husband tries to read as he is talked at by his excited wife.
WIFE: Darling, you never listen to me about things like this but you have to listen this time! If property prices in Battersea are going through the roof then it’s obvious that Balham will be next. Where I used to live, Blandfield Road; beautiful terraces, close to the tube, good school on your doorstep, Wandsworth Common just up the road…I’m telling you, if we bought a couple now we could make a killing! We’ve got to do this, Roger, it’s one of those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities…And the real beauty of it is, nobody else knows about it!
HUSBAND: I think they do now, dear.
A young girl reacts to the news that mummy and daddy are splitting up.
ELLA: After Christmas, Mummy, can we get a new daddy? Joe was nice…
A couple fondly reminisce outside Ely Cathedral.
WOMAN: I mean, he was just a wizard on that flute.
MAN: Was he the bloke we saw at the Guild Hall?
WOMAN: No.
MAN: Oh, d’you mean the bloke at…You know, the one we saw at that theatre.
WOMAN: Noooo.
MAN: I know who you mean! That fella we saw at the outdoor concert.
WOMAN: That’s him!
MAN: Oh yeah, he was fablus, wasn’t he? Really fablus!
A man visits his doctor with an ear complaint.
DOCTOR: