How to Master The Art of Small Talk

Question 1

to gab on

Answer 1

totalkcontinuouslyandeagerly,especiallyabout things that are notimportant:

I got so bored listening to him gabbing on about nothing

Question 2

chitchat

Answer 2

informalconversationaboutunimportantmatters:

Lowe works at a technology public relations firm where chitchat with clients and journalists is just another part of the job

Question 3

banter

Answer 3

conversation that is funny and not serious, friendly remarks and jokes:

He considered himself a master of witty (остроумный) banter.

Question 4

to reign

Answer 4

to be the king or queen of a country:

Queen Victoria reigned over Britain from 1837 to 1901.

a period when a particular person, feeling, or quality is very important or has a strong influence:

his successful reign as manager of the team

Question 5

supreme

Answer 5

having the highest rank, level, or importance:

• the supreme commander of the armed forces
• the Supreme Court
• The country’s present constitution gives supreme authority to the presidency.
• Beethoven reigns supreme among classical composers.

Question 6

what makes someone tick/what drives someone

Answer 6

whatmotivatessomeone? the reason you behave as you do:

I’ve never been able to understand what makes him tick.

Question 7

rote learning or learning by rote

Answer 7

collocations that refer to the process of memorizing information by repetition rather than understanding its meaning

Question 8

surface-level

Answer 8

Lacking depth of character or understanding

Question 9

throwaway (of a casual, often insignificant remark or comment)

Answer 9

made to fill the conversation or break the ice, something that someone says without thinking carefully and is not intended to be serious:

It was just a throwaway remark - I didn’t mean for anyone to take it seriously.

Question 10

for the sake of

Answer 10

because of, or for thepurposeof something:

I’m just asking for the sake of asking

Question 11

to strike up a conversation, to strike up (something)

Answer 11

to initiate a conversation with someone, to start to play or sing something:

When the applause had died down, a band struck up the national anthem.

Question 12

openers

Answer 12

statements, questions, or remarks used to initiate dialogue and set the tone for the interaction

Question 13

to bemoan

Answer 13

to complain or say that you are not happy about something:

Researchers at universities are always bemoaning their lack of funds.

Question 14

to bloom into

Answer 14

to develop grow or into something:

There is potential for small talk to bloom into something bigger.

Question 15

solely

Answer 15

only and not involving anyone or anything else:

I bought it solely for that purpose.

However, you should avoid viewing chitchat as solely transactional

Question 16

topical

Answer 16

ofinterestat thepresenttime;relatingto things that arehappeningatpresent (актуальний, not to be confused with actual!):

The discussion focused on topical issues in medicine.

Poswolsky suggests having a list of five or so questions at the ready that are topical and feel authentic to you

Question 17

to find common ground

Answer 17

to discover shared interests, beliefs, or perspectives with someone else through a conversation:

Initiating a chat with someone wearing a shirt from your alma mater is easier than attempting to find common ground with nothing to go on

Question 18

commonality

Answer 18

thefactofsharinginterests,experiences, or othercharacteristicswith someone or something:

They found a commonality in discussing their experiences.

Question 19

to approach someone

Answer 19

to move towards someone or to initiate contact or communication with someone:

For example, try approaching someone in a Taylor Swift shirt if you too love Taylor Swift

Question 20

to luxuriate in something

Answer 20

to get great pleasure from something, especially because it provides physical comfort:

There’s nothing better after a hard day’s work than to luxuriate in a hot bath.

Luxuriating in small talk is thoughtful

Question 21

to brush up (on) something

Answer 21

to improve your knowledge of something already learned but partly forgotten:

I thought I’d brush up (on) my French before going to Paris.

Question 22

to rub someone the wrong way

Answer 22

toannoysomeone withoutintendingto:

As soon as they met they started to rub each other the wrong way

With any interaction, there is a risk of coming on too strong or rubbing your conversation partner the wrong way

Question 23

be taken as intended

Answer 23

to be understood in the way it was meant to:

For small talk with strangers, especially, a well-meaning question may not be taken as intended or they may suspect you of trying to flirt with them

Question 24

ulterior motive, reason, purpose, etc.

Answer 24

a secret purpose or reason for doing something:

He claims he just wants to help Lisa but I suspect he has an ulterior motive.

Question 25

to blossom into something

Answer 25

to become a more attractive, successful, or confident type of person or a better, stronger type of thing:

• When he hit 14 he blossomed into a bright and articulate teenager.
• Sean and Sarah’s friendship blossomed into love.

Question 26

stance

Answer 26

a way of thinking about something, especially expressed in a publicly stated opinion:

The doctor’s stance on the issue of abortion is well known.

a particular way of thinking about something, especially when those opinions are expressed publicly or officially:

• an ethical/fiscal/moral stance
• a stance against/on/towards sth The government took a tough stance against terrorism.
• adopt/take a stance
• change/alter/maintain a stance
• an aggressive/defensive/tough stance
• an official/political/public stance

Question 27

accusatory

Answer 27

suggesting that you think someone has done something bad:

When he spoke his tone was accusatory.

She gave me an accusatory look.

Try not to sound accusatory

Question 28

a go-to

Answer 28

used to describe the best person, thing, or place for a particular purpose or need:

• go-to guy He was the company’s go-to guy for new ideas.
• A side of salmon is the perfect go-to dish for a dinner party.
• For 20 years, Wild Mountain was the go-to store for outdoor enthusiasts.
• One of her go-to opening lines is “What are you doing?”

Question 29

to bristle at

Answer 29

toreactangrily:

Every once in a while, someone might bristle at your attempts at small talk or appear confused as to why you’re talking to them

Question 30

explicitly

Answer 30

in a way that is clear and exact:

I told you quite explicitly to be home by midnight.
It should be explicitly stated exactly what the grant covers.

Question 31

to ease some of the awkwardness = lighten the mood = defuse the tension

Answer 31

розрядити обстановку:

Sandstrom finds explicitly stating “I’m just being friendly” helps ease some of the awkwardness.

Question 32

a roadblock

Answer 32

a temporary structure put across a road to stop traffic, esp. to try to stop illegal activity:

a police roadblock

A roadblock can also be anything that stops progress:

There have been several roadblocks in the peace process.

Question 33

to veer toward

Answer 33

change direction or course, often gradually

Whether the discussion veers toward potentially contentious territory, there are ways of deftly navigating.

Question 34

contentious

Answer 34

causing , involving, or likely to cause disagreement and argument:

• a contentious decision/policy/issue/subject
• contentious views She has some very contentious views on education.
• The director had a contentious relationship with the eccentric actor.

Question 35

deftly

Answer 35

in askilful,clever, orquickway (спритно, вправно)

Whether the discussion veers toward potentially contentious territory, there are ways of deftly navigating.

Question 36

to drop it/the subject

Answer 36

tostoptalkingabout something,especiallybecause it isupsettingorannoying:

I don’t want to talk about it any more - let’s drop the subject.

Question 37

to mingle with someone

Answer 37

to move around and talk to other people at a social event:

You’ve been talking to Roger all evening - you really ought to be mingling with the other guests.

Question 38

prejudiced

Answer 38

showing an unreasonable dislike for something or someone:

The campaign is designed to make people less prejudiced about AIDS.

The media has been accused of presenting a prejudiced view of people with disabilities.

Question 39

uplifting

Answer 39

making someone feel better:

For me it was a marvellously uplifting performance.

Question 40

Smarty-pants

Answer 40

Someone who wants to appear to be clever

Question 41

Smarty-pants

Answer 41

Someone who wants to appear to be clever

Question 42

A hotshot

Answer 42

Someone who is skilful and successful at something - she is quite a hotshot at chess

Question 43

Corny

Answer 43

(Especially at jokes, movies, stories etc.) - showing no new ideas or too often repeated, and therefore not funny or interesting: I couldn’t watch the whole movie, it was just too corny

Question 44

Trivial

Answer 44

Having little value or importance:

• I don’t know why he gets so upset about something so trivial.
• Sexual harassment in the workplace is not a trivial matter