Gallimaufry (Articles & Links), noun: A medley; a jumble; a hodgepodge.
[French galimafrée, from Old French galimafree, sauce, ragout: probably galer, to make merry; see gallant +mafrer, to gorge oneself (from Middle Dutch moffelen, to open one’s mouth wide, of imitative origin).]
gallimaufry
Here you will find links, resource recommendations, and other articles of interest. Archived articles from this page can be found in Former Features. On today’s menu:
in print
Mari Lyn Henry’s interview with me appears in the fifth edition of the essential industry guide How to Be a Working Actor, by Mari Lyn Henry and Lynne Rogers.
Justin Davidson of Newsday quotes me liberally regarding the Lawn Guyland accent.
on screen
I guide Lancashire-born Slate editor June Thomas in How to Sound Like an American.
just ask amy: eight glasses a day?
Nobody knows where the “magic number” eight came from; it’s hardly an absolute rule! Personally, I believe you should make sure you’re adequately hydrated for your needs. If you have a large frame, maybe eight glasses daily really is the right number for you. If you have a small frame, you are likely to need less. You certainly don’t need to drink it in eight-ounce glasses at a time.
Speech pathologist Joanna Cazden, in her book How to Take Care of Your Voice: The Lifestyle Guide for Singers and Talkers, points out that the latest recommendation for voice health is to drink a half-ounce of water per pound of body weight. For “water” you can include all beverages except those containing caffeine or alcohol. Sipping slowly over time is recommended over gulping down your “ration” all at once.
Pay attention to your body and what it is telling you. If you are very physically active, if you live and work in a hot dry climate, you will probably need more water than if you are sedentary or in a cool moist climate. Lots of factors can make a difference. Of course you shouldn’t overdo it! Anything taken in excess, even something as generally benign as water, can be dangerous — even fatal! Even non-dangerous amounts can be more liquid than you need. If you feel bloated or find you have to take too many “bathroom breaks” during the day, maybe cutting down your water intake by a glass or two daily won’t hurt you. But since bloating and frequent urination can both be symptoms of medical problems, if you’re concerned about it, see your doctor. I’m not a doctor, and I can’t advise you on your personal medical issues.
Many nutritionists think that if you feel hungry, you are probably thirsty — and if you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated. If that makes sense to you, and if you don’t feel like taking a water bottle with you wherever you go, a sensible way to make sure you don’t get dehydrated is to have one full glass of water with every meal, and try to fit in a few more during the day, perhaps whenever you take a break or have a snack.
If you read the New York Times, you may have come across an article in late April, 2008, with the headline, “Perceptions: Go Ahead, Put the Water Bottle Down.” Here’s an excerpt: “Drinking a lot of water is supposed to be healthy, but there is apparently little scientific support for the belief. A review of clinical studies has found no evidence that drinking eight glasses of water a day, the usual recommendation, is beneficial to a healthy person.… ”
Reader beware! If you didn’t have time to read and ponder the article carefully, here’s what you might have missed.
The Times article is “dumbed down” for the lay reader, and leaves out as much information as it leaves in — maybe more. Nothing is said about physically active people or professional voice users, and what specific benefits greater water intake might have for them.
The Times also doesn’t say how large or small the samples in the studies were!
What prompted the piece in the Times? A somewhat more detailed article in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
According to the ASN website, nephrology is “the branch of medicine that deals the kidneys, especially their functions or diseases.”
I don’t know anything about kidney function or disease, so I have no way of knowing how reliable the conclusions of the ASN are in that regard. The article does allow that various factors such as level of physical activity, or climate, might increase a person’s need for water. But careful reading makes it clear that the studies discussed in the ASN article were not studying, or even considering, the vocal folds (which you may know as the vocal cords).
Joanna Cazden says it so well that I can’t improve on it, so I’m just going to quote her:
There is good research that demonstrates that when the human body is dehydrated, the vocal folds are more vulnerable to fatigue, wear and tear, and/or bruising. Yes, it is good for the general public to stay on top of new developments in medicine and health care, but vocal athletes — which is what actors, singers, and public speakers, as professional voice users, are — are not the general public.
Voltaire once wrote, “Common sense is not so common.” (Le sens commun est fort rare.) So here’s some common sense for you:
To take care of your voice, take care of your health. Consult a doctor when you need to, see a voice specialist if you need one, get enough exercise, eat a balanced diet, and drink enough water to stay adequately hydrated!
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