TRANSITIONAL REGULARITIES FOR CASUAL OKAY USAGES

An understanding of ''Okay'' usages in conversation requires analytic considerations extending beyond free-standing and non-continuative dep loyments. Relying on previous findings on how recipients and current s peakers organize such activities as phone openings and closings, the p resent analysis addresses a wider variety of interactional environment s in establishing certain predominant and thus fundamental features. T hose addressed herein include how recipients and current speakers rely on ''Okay'' pivotally, at or near transition/opportunity spaces: Deci dedly in response to prior talk, yet also in transitionally relevant ( 'state of readiness') ways via shifts/movements to next-positioned mat ters. Though recipients or current speakers may (in next turn) treat p rior ''Okay'' usages as non-continuative, and/or move to sequentially delete the actions ''Okay'' was taken to be projecting (i.e., 'Okay [fuller turn]'), just what participants appear to be prefacing or sett ing-up via ''Okay'' is recurrently (and eventually) apparent.