Kalkal is a culturally recognizable verbal activity in Iranian culture, etymologically referring to either 'the clink and clang of swords in battle' or 'male horned animals, particularly mountain goats.' Defined in dictionaries as "useless talk and argumentation," kalkal is a culturally embedded and widely understood form of verbal exchange. This study investigates the sequence organization of kalkal as it occurs in conversations from a reality TV show broadcast on national Iranian television. The research explores the formalized features and structural properties that distinguish kalkal from other types of discourse. Utilizing conversation analytic methodologies, this study argues that the defining characteristic of kalkal lies in its sequence organization. While not rigidly structured, kalkal interactions exhibit distinctive patterns. Analysis reveals that the activity is initiated when the second speaker explicitly resists the agenda or presuppositions set forth by the first speaker in an unmitigated manner, often employing counter-arguments. Following the initial counter, interactions unfold through insert expansions (Schegloff, 2007), which typically take the form of either argumentation or evasions. Notably, no instances of pre-sequence or post-second expansions were identified in the analyzed interactions. The findings contribute to the understanding of interactional coordination mechanisms and offer an empirical, emic perspective on how individuals engage in culturally significant verbal challenges. This study provides insights into the ways Iranian speakers navigate and construct their social interactions through kalkal, highlighting its role as a relational ritual within Iranian discourse practices.
