From patent miscommunication through potent ambiguity to pregnant silence, this incisive collection examines from a rare anthropological perspective the many aspects of indirect communication. From a Mormon theme park to carnival time on Montserrat, the contributors analyze indirection by illustrating how food, silence, sunglasses, martial arts, and rudeness constitute powerful ways of conveying meaning.AcknowledgementsList of Figures and IllustrationsIntroduction, Joy Hendry and C.W. Watson1. Communicational Distortion and the Constitution of Society: Indirection as a Form of Life, Nigel Rapport2. On the Ontological Status of Honour, Roger Just3. Not Talking about Sex in India and the Issue of Indirection, Helen Lambert4. Talk, Silence, and the Material World: Patterns of Indirect Communication among Agricultural Families in Northern England, Indirection beyond Language, Pia Chistensen, Jenny Hockey, and Allison James5. Eating Your Words: Communicating with Food in the Ecuadorian Andes, Nicole Bourque6. Sunglasses, Suitcases, and other 'Symbols': Intentionality, Creativity and 'Indirect' Communication in Festive and Everyday Performances, Sarah Pink7. Privacy, Deceit and the uality of Interpersonal Relationships: Peasant Society Revisited, Ursula Sharma8. Sacred Reversals: Of Temples and Theme Parks, Terry Webb9. Swansea Dance, Dissimulation, and Identity in Indonesia, Felicia Hughes-Freeland10. Don't Talk - Blend: Ideas about Body and Communication in Aikido Practice, Tamara Kohn11. Dundee License Revoked: When Calypso Goes to Far, Jonathan Skinner12. Indirect Speech: Heteroglossia, Politeness, and Rudeness in Irula Forest Festivals, Neil Thin13. Disengagement and Desire: The Tactics of Everyday Life in Highland New Guinea, Lisette Josephides14. Unwrapping Rudeness: Inverted Etiquette in an Egalitarian Enclave English - With Diplomacy, Peter Parkes15. Foreign & Commonwealth Office Ambiguity and Hierarchy within Diplomatic Culture, Annabel Black16. Delay and Deception in Tai-British Diplomatic Encounters of the Early 19th Century, Andrew Turton17. Diplomacy and Indirection, Constraint and Authority, James CarrierNotes on Contributors