Small talk is light polite chat about nothing much. The weather, the traffic, the journey here.
It is easy to dismiss and genuinely important, since small talk is how people establish that they are friendly before anything else can be discussed. Cultures differ enormously in how much is expected, and Britain runs on it. Being bad at it is a real social difficulty. The phrase making small talk is standard, and chitchat is the informal equivalent. The weather is its most reliable subject in Britain for good reason.
1nounsmall talkPolite conversation about unimportant matters.
“He is hopeless at small talk and knows it.”
Also accepted in games: chitchat
Practised in News & Communication, A Man Called Ove, Manners & Etiquette
First appears in chapter 5 of A Man Called Ove.
Practise this word