Dear Prudie,
I have stuttered moderately for 30 years, and many speech therapists tried to help me solve the problem. I talk reasonably well and work happily as a college professor. I am now seeing a new speech pathologist and following a new approach: I stutter, I always have, and I likely always will. Instead of worrying about it constantly, carefully mapping out whatever I say in advance, and concentrating so hard on my "techniques" that I can barely remember what I'm saying, I'm just going to let myself stutter. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this change in mindset has already improved my speech markedly. I would appreciate advice, though, for those moments when I am stuck in a bad stutter and just can't get out what I want to say. I would like some quick comment, preferably funny and disarming, that doesn't apologize and won't make my face redden. I've tried saying, "I stutter, just give me a sec and I'll get there." But do you have anything better to recommend?