San Diego
Public Speaking
LEARN STRATEGIES. GET YOUR REPS IN. REPEAT.


THE BLOG
Filler Words
Ummm....you know…..people don’t like filler words.
But I, like, love them on on my NYTimes game app.
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Rewind.
It’s a Saturday morning.
I wake up. Have a few thoughts.
And grab my phone.
The NY TIMES games are my coffee.
(My heart doesn’t like caffeine. My brain loves games.)
The NYT’s CONNECTIONS game is one of my favs.
Real quick, here’s how it works:
There’s a grid of 16 squares.
Each square has a word in it.
Your job is to split the words into 4 categories that make sense, within a certain amount of turns.
When you put the correct 4 words together, the game lets you know how those 4 words connect.
It tells you the theme it was going after.
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I had a huge crush on that Saturday’s puzzle.
Here’s why:
The first four words I put together?
“Like,” “literally,” “um,” and “well”
Category…FILLER WORDS
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Then I put together my second group:
“Fancy,” “love,” “relish,” “savor”
Category...ENJOY
Then, the third group:
“Cylinder,” “pin,” “spring,” “tumbler"
Category...COMPONENTS OF A LOCK
And that left me with my fourth group:
“Carrot,” “hurts,” “jewel,” “om”
Category?
You tell me. What do you think?
…..Ok, I’ll tell you.
These are homophones of UNITS OF MEASURE.
(homophones official definition on Dictionary.com:
“each of two or more words having the same pronunciation but different meanings, origins, or spelling, for example new and knew.”)
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Why did I have a crush on this puzzle?
It describes what I do!
As a public speaking coach, I help people let go of filler words.
And I show them unexpected ways to actually start enjoying public speaking.
I give them a combination of strategies to unlock the mystery of how to prepare and present so that it feels good for their audience AND for them.
And finally, I love the fun that can be had with language and wordplay!
I love helping my clients get creative with how they express their ideas.
If you are ready to experience public speaking differently…
If you are ready to:
😊 manage those distracting nerves
😊 let go of “ummmms”
😊 bring creativity and curiosity to your preparation
😊 enjoy the ride
😊 make a bigger difference with your ideas
Click HERE!
We'll set up a brief call or Zoom and I can fill you in all about coaching.
Ready?
Let's go!




