Literary authors employ the term stutter both to depict a character’s interrupted, hesitant speech and to convey a broader sense of interruption in action or sound. At times it illustrates a nervous vulnerability or emotional overload, as in the case of a character whose halting delivery renders his words almost indecipherable ([1]) or one whose speech falters to the point of suffocation under pressure ([2]). In other contexts the term transcends its literal meaning to describe irregular, mechanical rhythms—for instance, the stutter of a gun as it fires ([3]). Lexicographical treatments further link stutter with hesitation and faltering speech ([4]), and some writers argue that employing a stutter in dialogue can add authenticity and depth to a character’s portrayal ([5]).