These "reductive" questions can instantly make a conversation feel heavy, etiquette expert Alison Cheperdak says.

Charles Duhigg, author of "The Power of Habit," argues that small talk isn't an innate skill, but rather a learned behavior that can be studied and crafted to perfectly suit any situation — whether ...

Want to improve your small talk skills and feel confident in English conversations? In this video, I’ll share practical small talk phrases, conversation starters, and real-life tips for making ...

An evening out on the town with my closest friends — I love the promise of a night out. Maybe I’ll meet someone or learn something that could alter the trajectory of my life. And what a promise that ...

Conversations, whether at holiday parties or other times of the year, don’t have to be awkward. (Getty Images) Between holiday dinners with relatives you haven’t heard from all year, office parties ...

I spent much of last weekend engaging in small talk, a social task I sometimes find a laborious activity. Maybe that’s just me. Still, last weekend was the Labor Day holiday, so I suppose I should ...

We’ve all been there. Whether it’s checking out at a store or trying to lull the awkwardness when meeting someone new, small talk has been used by all of us. For some people, having these little ...

Last year, I wrote about how I once avoided small talk at all costs — those awkward, two-minute conversations at the grocery store, in the hallway, while waiting in line at the mall. But then I had a ...