is it true that conversations lull most often at 20 minutes after the hour and 20 minutes before the hour?

Question

if this is true, where can i learn more about this?

Answer 1

No, this is an old wives' tale that dates back to Lincoln's assassination (wrongly rumored to have occurred at 8:20). Snopes.com is a wonderful website that provides the history behind urban legends and checks the veracity of internet stories. Here is what they have to say:

"Sudden Silences

Legend: Even in the most crowded of rooms, an inexplicable silence will invariably strike conversationalists at twenty past the hour.

Origins: Ever notice how conversation spontaneously seems to die out at twenty after the hour? If so, you're not alone — others have noted it too.

Why does this happen? There's no right answer . . . which in itself is reason enough to attempt to explain it away with superstitious belief. A 1948 book about superstitions proffers this explanation for the phenomenon:
Sudden Clock silence — it must be twenty after

The most popular superstition on this subject, however, is the belief that when, for no apparent cause, everyone in a group suddenly seems at a loss for something to say, it must be twenty minutes after the hour. This idea is generally accepted by superstitious Americans, and is purely American in origin, going back to a legend which has grown around Abraham Lincoln's death.

For those who believe that the Great Emancipator died at 8:20 o'clock, a sudden silence is supposed to occur automatically ever since, through some supernatural agency. By the same token, there are those who believe that it is also a special reminder that the moment is of great significance and should never be forgotten. This superstitious belief has grown into a national tradition among all classes of society.
For what it's worth, President Abraham Lincoln did not die at 8:20, although — as best history records it — his death did occur at roughly 20 past the hour. Lincoln was shot by actor John Wilkes Booth while attending a play at Ford's Theatre at approximately 10:13 on the evening of 14 April 1865; he was then carried across the street to Petersen's Boarding House, where he drew his last breath at about 7:22 the next morning".

Answer 2

Lull In The Conversation

Answer 3

its as a mark of respect to the dead ones of Atlantis.....got it in Linda Goodman's Star Sign.

Answer 4

No. It's not. And if anyone says it is, they're messing with your mind.

Answer 5

its 20 after rite now,,,,uh,,,,,,what were you saying ?

Answer 6

Not where i am