Marking an impasse: The use of anyway as a sequence-closing device

Based on a conversation analytic study of ordinary telephone conversations, the paper examines the use of anyway as a sequence-closing device in context in which the participants face an interactional impasse. The study suggests that the closure-relevant anyway, both as a stand-alone turn constructional unit (TCU) and a TCU initial component, has distinctive features. In contrast to ordinary methods of maintaining conversational coherence, the use of anyway is designed to indicate an impending break in contiguity. Further, the closure-relevant anyway is often produced in a dispreferred environment in which the participants are not in alignment. The ways the participants deploy anyway as a sequence-closing device to put an end to such interactional trouble, including a break in contiguity and misalignment, are discussed in detail.