Auction chant

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Auction chant is a rhythmic repetition of numbers and "filler words" spoken by an auctioneer in the process of conducting an auction. The auction chant is a repetition of two numbers at a time which indicate the monetary amount involved with the sale of an item. The first number is the amount of money which is currently being offered by a bidder for a given item. The second number, which is the most repeated and frequently heard number in the "chant", is the bid that the auctioneer wishes to receive. This is the amount the next bidder will have to pay in order to buy the item for sale.

In between the numbers are "filler words" which are simple sayings, or rather a statement or an open-ended question, which connect the two numbers involved and help to bridge them together. It serves as a thinking point for both the auctioneer and the bidders. Typical filler words, which are taught at schools of auctioneering, are "dollar bid", "now", and "will ya' give me?". Slurring filler words to make multi-part filler word phrases is a key element, giving the illusion that the auctioneer is talking fast, and thus creating more excitement among the bidding crowd.^[1]

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