Araceli made me give her tips on the art of name-dropping (as if she'd ever use it) and then posted the tips I gave, on her blog, to help those unlearned in such matters. So I'll post the tips here as well.


THE FINE ART OF NAME DROPPING
- by laspapi

• 1)It's all about the timing. Too soon and you're thought to be a wuzz, too late and the impact is lost. By the way, timing is also the difference between bravery and stupidity. It's also what saves you from 'Staircase Wit' which is when halfway down the stairs, the retort you should have given in the crowded room you just left, suddenly comes to your mind.

• 2) Drop the 'right name'. No one really cares if you know the LASTMA Area Controller. This kind of name is detrimental to your public relations. Your dropped name must be a celebrity of sorts- rich, radical, powerful...that kind of thing. "I know the deputy librarian of the Lagos State University" might not cut it.

• 3) Say just enough to whet the appetite."Hmm, I remember what Araceli told me as we drove down this very road last week". This implies that a) I know Araceli well enough to board a vehicle with her b) She knows me well enough to carry on a conversation with me. -Leave it hanging...too many details and all is lost.4) Stick to the truth- Don't 'engineer' names or situations that never happened. "Ha! Obj! I told him, 'Uncle Sege, this PDP primaries must never hold.' "If found out, you are made to look ridiculous and untrustworthy. Better to wait until you know the right people. In that case, your silence might hopefully be taken as that you have so much inside dirt on people, you're unwilling to talk about them.

• As Araceli concluded on her blog, "What can I say? Here's to all name-droppers. Make dem arrest us... "