Biritilulo (Kiriwina, New Guinea): Comparing yams to settle disputes. [noun]
When a member of a group makes the mistake of saying the irrevocable “hard
words” . . . to a member of another group, the individuals and their associates have the choice of combat or the ritualistic comparison of yams. The offending individual’s clansmen quickly organize a buritilulo; as soon as the loud and frightening but ultimately harmless exchange of boasts about the size of the opposing clan’s yams is under way, fighting is averted.
In contemporary American business . . . . a ritual for averting conflict is badly
needed. . . . Gather at the local bar and select a ritual object for clamorous comparison: A personal computer? Briefcases? Watches?
