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:
“Vulgarity cannot exist in the absence of loftier values. Once it has affected the latter, however, it wants to absorb them. Unless you want to be as weak and small as human beings, you had better stay away from them.”
—Franz Grillparzer (1791–1872)
““The time has come,” the Walrus said,
“To talk of many things:
Of shoes—and ships—and sealing wax—
Of cabbages—and kings—
And why the sea is boiling hot—
And whether pigs have wings.””
—Lewis Carroll [Charles Lutwidge Dodgson] (1832–1898)