Semaphorism
n.
a conversational hint that you have something personal to say on the subject but don’t go any further—an emphatic nod, a half-told anecdote, an enigmatic “I know the feeling”—which you place into conversations like those little flags that warn diggers of something buried underground: an unexploded bomb, a sacred burial ground, or a high-voltage cable that secretly powers your house.
From semaphore, a communication method used at sea, in which sailors stand on deck and move flags into certain positions to convey simple messages. Pronounced “sem-uh-fawr-iz-uhm.”
