The artful practice of diverting a conversation onto related or seemingly unrelated tangents, often to entertain, illuminate, or reframe a subject while maintaining an underlying thread of connection. Utilised in assessment of professional oratory, e.g. after dinner speeches, typically in professional or society circles
tangentier (n.) - A conversationalist skilled in the art of tangentry, deftly weaving digressions into discourse with purpose or flair.
tangentier (n.) - A conversationalist skilled in the art of tangentry, deftly weaving digressions into discourse with purpose or flair.
“There’s a lot of tangentry tonight”
“Sir Joseph is a well known tangentier”
“The audience was captivated by his tangentry”
“Sir Joseph is a well known tangentier”
“The audience was captivated by his tangentry”
by Sulphre August 8, 2025
Get the Tangentry mug.Research Tangent: digressing suddenly from one topic of discussion to run to the nearest internet source in order to thoroughly research information either to: (A) reinforce a particular point or (B) attempt to relieve oneself from ignorance. Can be either directly or indirectly relevant.
... a trend that is sweeping the nation! Because knowledge is power!
... a trend that is sweeping the nation! Because knowledge is power!
Example: She totally went off on a research tangent in the middle of a movie last night when she wasn’t sure if sodium thiopental was the same as sodium pentothal.
by Miss Evelyn Grey November 2, 2011
Get the Research Tangent mug.Related Words
Tangentry
• tangent
• tangency
• tangentation
• Tangentialist
• Tangent Man
• Tagetry
• Tangentacide
• Tangentalized
• Tangentathon
When using an online search engine, you see something more interesting that causes you to follow trails unrelated to what you came to search for. Sometimes you forget what you meant to look up in the first place.
Pete: Did you find those instructions on how to make functional battle spears from old rake handles?
Me: Uh, no. Sorry. I went on a search tangent and forgot. But check out these pix of Britney.
Me: Uh, no. Sorry. I went on a search tangent and forgot. But check out these pix of Britney.
by GT88 December 9, 2008
Get the search tangent mug.To "go off on one".... To rant aimlessly, or even aimfully but never stick to one topic.
When shiney new words, information and concepts distract you in conversations or in writing.
When you're interested in everything all at once.
Common to, but not specific to ADD or ADHD; but also personality.
When shiney new words, information and concepts distract you in conversations or in writing.
When you're interested in everything all at once.
Common to, but not specific to ADD or ADHD; but also personality.
Murph: "heeeey girl.... Do you remember that perfume we used to wear in high school? Gosh what was it called?!"
TangentGirl: "ooooh yeah! It was also called wild lagoon by Coty, the base note was vetiver essential oil, but did you know these other 20 perfumes we like have that same base note! Oh here's a recipe for making your own perfume, oh did you know that there's a word for having a fetish about smells, ooooh or that the guy who made that used to work for Chanel, oooh remember when we used to buy that other one too, oh or fake version of CK1, and then remember at prom the first dance song was Words by Boyzone... And I had curly hair.... Gosh.... don't you miss walks along the coast at night coming home from that nightclub without our shoes on?"
Murph: "...............”
TangentGirl: "Murph.....?”
Murph: "Um.... So it's called Wild Lagoon then?"
TangentGirl: "oh god no... That was just in Europe, it's called Monsoon by Coty"
Murph: "Mmmm-K.... Imma gunna go eat dinner now... Breakfast has gone cold"
🤣
TangentGirl: "ooooh yeah! It was also called wild lagoon by Coty, the base note was vetiver essential oil, but did you know these other 20 perfumes we like have that same base note! Oh here's a recipe for making your own perfume, oh did you know that there's a word for having a fetish about smells, ooooh or that the guy who made that used to work for Chanel, oooh remember when we used to buy that other one too, oh or fake version of CK1, and then remember at prom the first dance song was Words by Boyzone... And I had curly hair.... Gosh.... don't you miss walks along the coast at night coming home from that nightclub without our shoes on?"
Murph: "...............”
TangentGirl: "Murph.....?”
Murph: "Um.... So it's called Wild Lagoon then?"
TangentGirl: "oh god no... That was just in Europe, it's called Monsoon by Coty"
Murph: "Mmmm-K.... Imma gunna go eat dinner now... Breakfast has gone cold"
🤣
by CombustibleTangents June 13, 2020
Get the Tangent mug.Someone who suffers from uncontrollable tangents when regaling others with a fantastical or mundane tale. Someone who only plans on telling story "W", but in the process has also told you story "T" and "F". The additions can be engaging or enraging but should never be discouraged.
1: Theodore Evelyn "Ted" Mosby was a tangent sufferer for for about nine seasons.
2. A:Did you listen to the Joe Thomas episode on the Off Menu podcast? He is such a tangent sufferer.
B: Is that the one with James Acaster?
A: Yes, him too.
2. A:Did you listen to the Joe Thomas episode on the Off Menu podcast? He is such a tangent sufferer.
B: Is that the one with James Acaster?
A: Yes, him too.
by Tangent Sufferer July 13, 2020
Get the Tangent Sufferer mug.While in the process of explaining something or in the middle of a conversation you drift off into a crazy tangent explaining it in excruciating detail to the point that you forget what you were talking ab...out in the first place.
Synonyms: ADHD, Taylor's way of confusing girls to sleep with him, Rambling, Beyond the point of Boredom, Taylor's #1 hobbie
Synonyms: ADHD, Taylor's way of confusing girls to sleep with him, Rambling, Beyond the point of Boredom, Taylor's #1 hobbie
Happy Birthday buddy, just wanted to make you feel special by making you famous by giving you your own phrase cause buying a star and naming it after you is too cliche, stars did you know that there is an infinite amount of stars in the sky, the light that we do see from the stars can be blocking stars that are even farther away or are being blocked to our vision by a star that is closer to us, sorry what was I talking about again? I just went on a Taylor Hollowell tangent.
by Dirk Montes August 23, 2011
Get the Taylor Hollowell Tangent mug.by Motanul13 December 29, 2015
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