chitchat n.1
banter, light talk.
![[UK]](/static/img/flags/uk.png "United Kingdom") | Squire of Alsatia Epilogue: Here no Chit chat, here no Tea Tables are. | |
| Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Chitchat idle Prate, or empty Talk. | |
| Humours of a Coffee-House 25 June 3: Oh the Felicities of Coffee-House Chit Chat! | |
| Maid the Mistress V i: I’m not at Leisure to harken to your Chit-Chat. | |
| [title of play] Chit-Chat. | |
| Pamela II 19: You are very sawcy, Pamela [...] with your bewitching Chit-chat, and pretty Impertinence. | |
| Tristram Shandy (1949) 478: The muleteer [...] thought not of to-morrow, nor of what had gone before, or what was to follow it, provided he got but his scantling of Burgandy, and a little chit-chat along with it. | |
| Deuce Is In Him II i: Mr. Prattle, you are extremely amusing. You know the chit-chat of the whole town. | |
![[US]](/static/img/flags/us.png "United States") | Disappointment II iv: This sort of chit-chat keeps us at long shot. | |
| Harris’s List of Covent-Garden Ladies 62: Her little chit chat is not unentertaining. | |
| Diary (1891) I 279: Captain Bouchier [...] began a very lively sort of chit-chat. | |
| Salmagundi (1860) 387: In harmless chit-chat an acquaintance they roast, And serve up a friend, as they serve up a toast. | |
| (trans.) Adventures of Gil Blas (1822) II 94: If an angel from heaven were to whisper wisdom in one ear, and your cousin her mortal chit-chat in the other, I am afraid the angel might whistle for an audience. | |
| Doctor Syntax, Picturesque (1868) 38/1: The time in chit-chat pass’d away. | |
| Doctor Syntax, Consolation (1868) 194/2: Soon the Doctor did retire, / From noisy table to the fire, / To hear the chit-chat of the ’Squire. | |
| Spring And Autumn I iii: Do you remember poor Fairlove [...] who used to bring me all the chit-chat of the garrison. | |
| Bk of Sports 75: One of the most strking characters who frequently visits the Castle Tavern is the renowned frosty-face jack fogo, to have a bit of a chit-chat. | |
![[Ire]](/static/img/flags/ire.png "Ireland") | Harry Lorrequer 16: The hours that all Christian mankind were devoting to pleasant intercourse and agreeable chit-chat. | |
| Mysteries of London II (2nd series) 138: The boy [...] regarded this dialogue as mere chit-chat. | |
 | Exteer Flying Post 5 Apr. 7/4: [headline] Chitchat. | |
| Wild Boys of London I 111/1: There one or two little tit-bits of feminine chit-chat in the note. | |
| Exeter Flying Post 24 Aug. 8/2: There is quite a dearth of ‘chitchat’ andd ‘scan-mag’ is at a premium. | |
| Confessions of Frivolous Girl 195: A chit-chat on art. | |
| ‘A Word to the Unwise’ Black Beetles in Amber 126: Charles Main [...] attend / With friendly ear the chit-chat of a friend. | |
![[Aus]](/static/img/flags/aus.png "Australia") | Aus. Sl. Dict. 17: Chit-chat, a mixed conversation. | |
| Psmith in the City (1993) 36: I have gleaned, from casual chit-chat with my father, that Comrade Bickersdyke also infests the Senior Conservative. | |
| Clicking of Cuthbert 13: The general chit-chat was pretty well down and out. | |
| Right Ho, Jeeves 136: I considered it best [...] to ease things along with a little informal chitchat. | |
| letter in Groucho Letters (1967) 150: Among the little kids that enter into the evening’s small chitchat here are William A. Brady (71) and his wife. | |
| ‘Murder Salvage’ in Spicy Detective Apr. 🌐 He wanted to give them time for chit-chat. | |
| Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit 143: He, too, seemed disinclined for chit-chat. | |
| Hide My Eyes (1960) 100: She will certainly expect six minutes chit-chat from me. | |
| letter 5 Oct. in Leader (2000) 652: Being prevented (by continuous chit-chat) from doing any work. | |
| Much Obliged, Jeeves 143: Further chit-chat was suspended. | |
| Train to Hell 43: My chit-chat is well up to international standards and my small talk has recently won a Design Council award for contributors to microscopic conversation. | |
| Never a Normal Man 138: Madame Langalan tried to monopolize Dali with her girlish chit-chat. | |
| Guardian Guide 17–23 July 23: Rather ponderous shows top heavy with chitchat and grumbles about how hard life is. | |
| Guardian Mag. 20 May 5: We begin our chit-chat about the past. | |
| Call of the Weird (2006) 214: We make awkward chit-chat. |