If you have recently attended a family gathering, staff room party or other social event, it is likely that a number of stories will have cropped up in the course of conversation. Eggins and Slade (1997) note that many of these stories take the form of simple anecdotes of a remarkable event about which the narrators wish to share their reaction. These anecdotes may include stories about life's misfortunes, dangerous or amusing situations in which someone has been involved, or amusing tales we have read about in the newspapers.