the.com/digression
The scenic route a point takes on its way to never arriving.
means A digression is a temporary departure from the main subject to talk about something else, often loosely related or not at all.
from From Latin digressio, built from the verb digredi — 'to step away,' combining di- (apart) with gradi (to walk or step, the same root that gives us 'grade' and 'gradual'). So at its core, the word simply means a walking-off: your argument takes a stroll, and whether it finds its way back is another matter.
- etymology
- Latin digredi, to step away from
- storytelling trick
- best novels digress constantly, see Moby Dick
- conversation tax
- every tangent costs the original topic interest
- secret value
- often contains the actual point