Small talk is an informal type of discourse that does not cover any functional topics of conversation or any transactions that need to be addressed.
Small talk is conversation for its own sake. The phenomenon of small talk was initially studied in 1923 by Bronisław Malinowski, who coined the term "phatic communication" to describe it. The ability to conduct small talk is a social skill; hence, small talk is some type of social communication. Early publications assume networked work positions as suitable for social communication.
Read more about Small Talk: Purpose, Topics, Conversational Patterns, Gender Differences, Cultural Differences, See Also
Famous quotes containing the words small and/or talk:
“Parents need to recognize that the negative behavior accompanying certain stages is just a small part of the total child. It should not become the main focus or be pushed into the limelight.”
—Saf Lerman (20th century)
“Romeo. Peace, peace, Mercutio, peace!
Thou talk’st of nothing.
Mercutio. True, I talk of dreams,
Which are the children of an idle brain,
Begot of nothing but vain fantasy,
Which is as thin of substance as the air,
And more inconstant than the wind.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)