Speakers of Turkish and Greek make far more extensive use of formulaic expressions than do speakers of English. Many of these formulas are situation-oriented, and accompany anxiety-provoking events, happy events, and the act of establishing rapport. Illness, death, leave-taking, and good fortune are among events typically accompanied by formulas. Other expressions are psycho-ostensive, showing the speaker's attitude toward an event. Typically, these formulas are designed to petition for good circumstances or ward off evil ones. Many of these sayings invoke a deity, but others are simply succinct admonitions toward a desirable end (e.g., Turkish "hayrola,""may it be good"). Finally, many expressions perform a social function at events such as weddings and childbirth. This category of sayings reveals a great deal about social structure and cultural values--a Greek will often use a formulaic apology in discourse about his daughters. A list of Greek and Turkish formulas, ranked according to obligatoriness, is appended. (JB)