Ben Schott's 'Schott's Significa': Exploring the Secret Languages Around Us

The Concept of 'Schott's Significa'

• 💡 Ben Schott's new book, "Schott's Significa," explores the hidden jargon and lingo that exist in nearly every place of work and social setting.
• 🔑 The title itself, "Schott's Significa," is a play on words, as "significa" is not a recognized word in the Oxford English Dictionary, highlighting the book's theme of exploring unconventional language.
• 🚀 Schott hopes that his unique term might one day be recognized and included in dictionaries, similar to how influential figures have had words attributed to them.

Beyond Spoken Words: Diverse Forms of Communication

• 🗣️ The book argues that language extends far beyond just spoken words, encompassing gestures, eye contact, physicality, graffiti, and emojis.
• 💬 Schott reveals that his book is a collection of 53 such "secret languages," with the potential to include thousands more.
• 🌍 We are constantly surrounded by and interacting with systems and languages we may not fully understand.

Unlocking Understanding Through Secret Languages

• 🎯 Researching these languages is presented as an exercise in empathy, allowing for a deeper understanding of different groups and professions.
• ☕ For example, understanding the specific language and etiquette of a Starbucks can transform one into a better customer, avoiding common faux pas and appreciating the barista's perspective.
• 🎨 Similarly, learning the language of graffiti writers changes how one perceives street art, revealing hierarchies, techniques, and a private conversation happening in public spaces.

Political Language and Symbolism

• 🏛️ The book examines both sanitized political language and more radicalized or revolutionary political symbolism and language, from QAnon to anarchist symbols.
• 🤝 It also delves into the nuances of political hand signals and gestures, such as Angela Merkel's famous "rhombus" or the evolution of gestures like the "Clinton thumb" to a fist, indicating shifts in political communication styles.
• 🔍 By unpicking these hidden codes, we realize the pervasive structures and hidden meanings present in almost everything around us.