Adult|Welcome|Small talk|Intermediate

Small talk is one of the most important rituals of American culture. In the US a stranger in an elevator or a barista at a coffee house can smile at you and ask «Hey, how are you?». For foreigners, it may seem unusual and strange.

Crutch words is a slang term used for fillers (parasite words) — the words which help fill the silence in conversations.

Examples: like, you know, so, etc.

Thank you very much for being here, I appreciate you coming today, and… You know, as you know, I am not just a talk show host, I am also a cover girl.

And part of a talk show host and a cover girl job is, ah, I have to go to a lot of events and I have to talk a lot. And usually, I love talking. I love talking to people and, uh. But, you know, last week I was at this event, and I saw this woman across the room, and we didn’t know each other, but we caught each other’s eye and we… we knew of each other, because we’re both in «the biz». And, ah… So, she starts heading towards me, and I’m thinking «well, here comes small talk», ’cause that’s what happens when you don’t know somebody, so… She walks over, and, you know, we’re like, you know, «Hi.» «Hi.» and I’m, like, «Nice to meet you.», and she’s like «Nice to meet you.» and «How are you?» «Good, good. You? How’re you?» «Good, good. Good. Work? How’s work?» «Great! Work is great.» «Are you busy?» «Busy? Yes.» «Well, it’s good to be busy.» «Yes, we’re happy to be busy. You know?»

«This is nice, isn’t it? This is a nice, uh…» «It is. It’s nice. This is pretty, the way they’ve decorated it.» «Sure is cold!» «Yeah, and, outside or in here? Outside, yes, out…? Yes, there’s cold everywhere, it’s cold, so cold everywhere, it’s winter.»

And, you know, and there were pauses in-between those sentences that were longer, I’m not going to draw them out for you, but, but they were… And, and she was completely comfortable with the pauses. Just complete… There’s silence, and it was up to me to keep the conversation going. ‘Cause I’m a talk show host? Is it my job to keep making the small talk? And so then, of course, we’ve run out of things, so then it turns to traffic, ’cause that’s what you do. You’re just, like, you know… «Did you get traffic getting here?» «Yeah, I did, crazy traffic.» «Oh, I didn’t have any traffic.» «Oh, you didn’t? Did you take Sunset?» «No, I cut through Cherokee.» «I didn’t know you could cut through Cherokee.» «Yeah, if you cut through Cherokee, you avoid the Sunset traffic.» «Well, I’ll do that next time.» «Well, ok, bye, nice meeting you.» And then, long story short — the Queen of England is boring. That’s the… im… Boring!

But you have to make small talk, you really do, and it’s very important at parties, ’cause you can’t just stand there and nod and smile your way through life, unless you’re sister-wife, but I think that everyone struggles with what to say at parties, so what I thought… Well, of course, I’m driving home going «Oh, I should’ve said this, I should’ve said that.». So, what I thought I’d do is help all of you out, I’d give you topics to, ah… If you’re at a party like this and have the same situation. So, here’s something that I thought «this, this could be a conversation starter»

Why are there commercials on TV for cotton? It’s 2011, is anyone out there still not sold on cotton? «Cotton? Uhhh, nooo… I don’t like it.» Or I don’t know why Olive Garden says «When you’re here, you’re family», ’cause if we were family, we wouldn;t have to pay. We’re not family! Ah-uh, don’t buy it! And then, why is the pageant called «Miss Universe» if there are never any aliens in it? I’m always… Where are the green ones?

Hopefully, these topics will help you, and if you’re ever just get stuck and you run out of ways to express yourself, you can always express yourself in dance.