As a Brit, we LIKE and value our privacy. Small talk is for exactly that - "social lubricant" - we really don't want to know about your life, and we really don't want to talk about ours. It the essence of saying nothing important or personal, but being pleasant and non-confrontational. Spot on.
A common aspect of British small talk are little jokes about the situation. The writer Bill Bryson tells of when he moved back to the USA after living for years in Britain - his neighbour was piling branches on top of his car and was clearly going to the tip and so Bill says 'camouflaging your car'? and the bloke then embarked on a long explanation about how he'd been trimming his trees and was heading to the town dump.
Funny 😅 There is a current video going around in Australia where a guy is leading an alpaca down the road and another guy says drily "that's a big dog you got there" or words to that effect. That's typical Aussie humour, but the alpaca guy took offence for some reason.
They can be very literal yes, must be cultural. Recently I was speaking to an American colleague, who had moved here (UK) for work, and he was telling me about a Bearded Dragon he had bought for a pet. I told him that I knew a little something about Bearded Dragons as I had divorced one 6 years ago. He asked me in all sincerity if that was something that was actually allowed here.
My grandmother, who brought me up, if someone came to the door she would put on her coat. When she opened the door if it was someone she didn’t want to talk to she would say she was just going out. If it was someone she did want to talk with she would say she was just in.
The last time I was in the States, I met several people who immediately asked me what I did for a living. Being unused to that, I would give a brief, sketchy answer. Then they'd launch into a detailed, lengthy resumé of their entire career, as if I was about to offer them work, or as if I gave a shit. I was often given business cards. Come on, guys.
I had a job that would get, oh I couldn't do that or go into depth when they have seen the work someone like me could or should do. Given that I used to tell strangers I worked i n a supermarket, easy to move on!
Only been to the US once - in 2003 for a skiing hol. Got asked on a chair lift what I did for a living. Never had it happen to me in the UK. Was 49 at the time.
I used to work for a local authority doing a required job for the community. When i explained this Americans looked visibly disappointed because i had no money or influence
you often wouldnt need to ask someone where theyre from in the uk, a lot of the time you can tell by accent. Thats some of the context in our society i guess.
Yeah, it sounds like he was talking about socialising and hanging out (he mentioned party or a social gathering) rather than a chance meeting out and about.
I'm one of those people who are comfortable with and in silence. Always have been. One of the greatest times I've had was between my wife and I. Sitting at opposite sides of the couch, her feet resting on my legs, doing our own thing (reading a book each). Neither of us saying a word, not even feeling the need to say a word. Comfortable in the silence, as neither of us were afraid to be stuck in our thoughts. Just there, together, enjoying being in one another's presence. We're both pretty good at it, but we don't need it.
Its called small talk for a reason. Its not about becoming best friends. Its passing a bit of time in quite a neutral way if both parties want to. Less is often more. In a queue in a NY restaurant a local said to me that's a nice coat then pressed me for 10 minutes where I got it from, how much it was, are different colours, sizes available, do they ship to USA and on and on. Mate, thanks, that's the website that's all I know but nope FBI style interrogation continued. Exhausting interaction. On the plane home sat next to a Brit we said hello then never said another word to each other for 7 hours. No sign of being rude we both just understood like it was born into us. Bliss
As a Brit living in France, I soon learnt that the French do not engage in small talk at all. They would rather wait in silence as they are even more guarded than us Brits.
Talking about the weather is the ideal way to kick off a conversation with someone. Just say " alright?" and move on. No need for an answer. Brits NEVER ask " what do you do for work, where do you live, how much money do you earn " !!
Kalyn got it dead right. Small talk in Britain is just a way to check out if the person by your side is civilised and not a psychopath, no more. Americans want to be best buddies and go on vacation together. 'Avoiding your enemies is the easiest thing in the world. It's avoiding your friends, that's the real challenge'. (Maggie Smith in Downton Abbey.)
As an autistic Brit small talk is extremely confusing to me. I was in my mid 30s before I realised that people asking me "how are you" didn't actually want details about how I was. I'm still trying to figure out the other rules.
Weather talk in Britain is a good way to start a conversation, & show friendship. It makes a good mutual ice breaker, which both can appreciate. It tends to be none intrusive, showing a reluctance to get too involved, & to not seem nosey. We are wary of false friendships.
@@Pugjamin I have said lovely weather for ducks (and had it said to me) but never in two parts like this. Usually when soaking wet walking through puddles on dog walks :D
@@PugjaminIt's often that a Brit will use sarcasm/contra-talk like this. And get it knowingly corrected. "Well, at least the train was on time." "Yup; 15 minutes late, as usual." "I'm glad to be back in the office." "Yes, they do have a good coffee machine." "I love reading TH-cam comments." "Indeed. So informative." 😉
Other blokes would try to small talk with me about football and my response is always the same “I wouldn’t know I don’t watch that rubbish” which is a conversation killer; mission complete, no more small talk 😅
Whenever we're finishing up a phone call, the line is"'Right well I'll let you go". Followed by "ta ra" about 12 times in rapid succession and the phone slowly retracts from our ears. Ta ra is our way of saying bye. It's shortened so, a majority of the time, you'll leave an interaction muttering "Traa"
Another great, calm, unbiased reaction. I've been subscribed to GGL for a while now, partly through seeing you reactions here. And she deserves support. But I enjoy your reactions as much. Your voice is so level and calming, and unlike most 'reactors' you do genuinely _react_ and offer commentary on your own perspective to the original video. Keep up the great work, both of you!
Yes, I was just thinking the same; this was so interesting....I really enjoy both these youtubers' perspectives so much and I was introduced to GGL's channel from JJLA 👍👍
a big part of the reason why small talk in the uk is aimed at neutrality and getting through an interaction without having to get personal: this is a very small island, with a very high population, most of whom are concentrated in crowded cities. when you spend your whole life living in stranger's pockets, in such close proximity with so many people, then privacy, personal space, and quiet time become extremely important to you. americans for the most part live in much larger spaces, with more privacy and distance between them and their neighbours. so it's natural that in the usa you would reach for each other across that distance. (look at how different this gets in more crowded usa places, like new york, and how much less willing people are to have deep talks with strangers there.) here in the uk, we try not to bother people when they're out and about if we don't have to, because we all know that life in a sardine tin is stressful, and most people just want to be left alone to get on with what they're doing. we're around strangers so much of the time that if we took every opportunity americans do to talk to each other, none of us would ever get any of our tasks done. this is also part of the reason we have specific public social spaces (like pubs), that help to denote when a person in public might be open to being social with strangers. it gives people a chance to go find connections and potential friendships, without having to make daily life a never-ending gauntlet of strangers hassling you at every turn. and when we do talk to strangers here, like Kalyn said, we generally keep things low-pressure, easy, and safe, by (as you so keenly noticed) observing the world around us rather than interrogating each other. because when you have to live in very close proximity with hundreds or thousands of strangers... then keeping the peace, and reducing social stressors, become very important. anything under high density is liable to explode, and the same is true of people. the more crowded a place is, the more problems a small conflict can cause, and the more quickly these things can get out of hand. so it's important to keep things as low-pressure and smooth as possible, for everyone's comfort.
When we ask how you're doing just know we don't actually care. The correct response is "yeah, not bad. you?" to which the response should be "same". Don't ever deviate from this path or else you'll get a reputation for being THE weirdo.
Americans seem to say, "so, what do you do?" right up front in a chat, and a British person will generally be left floundering as to why this should be so important to a stranger. It appears rude and prying. EDIT: I think I might start answering with, "Blimey, you've f****d yourself with Trump, yeah?" 🤭
Americans are often totally obsessed with money so ask about your job and how much you earn. I am not my job so I don't necessarily want to talk about it.
Nobody is going to ask how much you earn. It is possible that someone would want to know what you do for a living. It is usually because US conversation is often targeted at finding commonality.
I don't think that at all, I'm an English person living in Scotland and people ask me that all the time based on my life accent. I would never get the impression that anyone feels like I should go back to where I come from.
Once had an American I worked with in the UK say to to me its a mind field because your trying to understand someone's psyche. Makes no sense at all. Explained the saying is from trying to dodge land mines so your trying to pick your way through something carefully. Still makes me chuckle the puzzlement on his face. He had a degree from UCLA.
@@herenow6953 one way you can limit the "damage" is by accepting the first answer they give. Please don't ever ask "no, where are you really from". I used to tell them the name of the town I lived in, and let them stew on why I had a weird forrinjur accent
part of the reason we don’t usually ask where someone is from is because once they open their mouth we can take a pretty good guess. It’s not that we don’t care, just that if they tell us the exact town, that only narrows down our guess from their accent ever so slightly.
Never mention religion or money, in small talk, or in fact at any time, I have no idea what my best friend of 40 years is on. and if someone asks how you are, the answer is fine thank you even if you have an hour to live, I have said fine thank you to a doctor, he then had to ask so what brings you here.😅
You should watch Mickey Flanagan's stand-up comedy avoiding his neighbours. Can't remember what the sketch is called but it explains alot about social interactions 😅
I would say train journeys are an exception… I travel a lot but on trains and enjoyed the most interesting, diverse conversations with complete strangers sat next to me. On one journey that was severely delayed (5hrs!) and heavily overcrowded on a very hot day, those of us (about 15) crammed into the carriage end bonded blitz-spirit style. Soon a couple bottles of alcohol were opened and we had a party the rest of the way… Bill Bryson comments on the easy laugh of the Brits and, in situations like above, to might light of circumstances that are physically uncomfortable or particularly inconvenient or both. My Hong Kong friend wanted to be more friendly like the British when she visited UK but misunderstood the contexts for being ‘friendly’ and kept greeting everyone. Thankfully she got away with it as she was obviously foreign so people found it cute and amusing 😊
In the UK the ability to use small talk, is usually seen as a necessary evil, rather than a pleasant pastime. Under no circumstances should you discuss, salary, educational achievements, sexuality, religion, dietary restrictions, health, or politics, especially with strangers. Topics that are considered to be relatively safe, are, travel, weather, pets, food prices, parking charges and TV listings. Unlike Americans, Brits prefer to avoid disclosing personal information, especially during first meetings. Subjects Americans should avoid include, criticisms of the NHS, the size of the roads, shops not stocking the items they use „back home”, not having sockets in bathrooms, driving on the left, having 2 taps in bathrooms, describing everything as quaint, cute, tiny or lacking AC. For our American friends, please remember that the UK consists of FOUR countries, each with their own culture, politics, religious persuasions, food style and languages.
@@steveroberts728 The only country in the UK that is recognized internationally is the UK. England, N Ireland, Scotland and Wales are basically provinces now.
@ No they are not. Each of the FOUR countries have their own legislature, their own civil service, their own flag and three of them have their own official language, as well as English. As for sports, England, Wales, Scotland & Northern Ireland all compete as individual countries in The World Cup and the European Cup. In rugby England, Wales and Scotland compete as individual countries. Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland play as a single team, Ireland. I would love to be there when you try to tell a Scotsman that he is English or indeed if you try to tell a Welshman that his country is merely a province. I have no idea where you are from, though I imagine it would be the USA, may I politely suggest as a British citizen, who is a proud Welshman, that you avoid commenting on my country’s National status. FYI The Isle of Man is a Crown Dependency with its own Government, language and flag. The Chanel Islands of Guernsey and Jersey are also Crown Dependency’s. Alderney is a self-governing Crown dependency as is the Island of Sark.
@@steveroberts728 - Technically the OP and yourself are both correct and wrong at the same time. The UK's make-up is complex, even internally but is somewhat simplified when considered externally. The OP was correct but used the wrong descriptive term, internationally the constinuent countries within the UK are termed as divisions of the UK rather than provinces (although this is a bit confused when considering Northern Ireland). But internally and on official lists of a country's divisions are listed as 'countries' (province in the case of Northern Ireland). The reason the constinuent countries are not recognised internationally as independant countries is that there are 8 separate classifications required to be met to be recognised as such, including cultural identity, political decision making, distinct law making powers, budget setting, external trade and defence. On some of these there is clear separation (such as with identity), others mixed responsibility (law, budget and decision making) and some only singularly at the UK level (defence). However, under the ISO naming these divisions of the UK are termed as 'countries' at the divisional level except for Northern Ireland which is termed a 'province', a mutual agreement of the term to be used by Ireland and the UK. With these collective name(s) for the divisions being defined by the recognised country themselves. The UK is not unique in this respect the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Kingdom of Denmark share similar considerations of being made up of constituent countries. Plus the UK and it's constituent countries have a complex mix of de facto and de jure/official languages; England has multiple languages now since Cornish was recognised as a language back in 2002. Plus some of the dialects spoken are halfway to being mutually unintelligable with others of the same language, with different linguistic constructs, phonic shifts and unique words thrown into the mix.
US small talk is often regarded as too nosey. Questions like, “Where are you from?” “Where do you work?” “Are you married?” These are all asking for personal information. Talking about the weather is much less intrusive and less threatening.
JJ, have you seen the movie, “Message in a Bottle”? There’s a scene between the two leads where the woman is trying to start a conversation with the man (Robin Wright ad Kevin Costner) and he’s socially awkward so the conversation is almost a two way interview! It’s very much American small talk!
When I'm working (I'm a costumer, so fittings, measuring, etc), I'm a master of small talk and I can yammer on about nothing for hours. When it's just me being me, I'll avoid it for all I'm worth.
She's so good. I would add that we use small talk to work each other out and whether it's worth trying to have a more interesting/ in-depth conversation. Also we have different cultures within the UK and people in some regions are much friendlier than in others.
The only time we brits talk about balls is not about going to a ball, it is when we say to someone "that's a load of balls." Thats the polite way of saying it.
Hi. I'm from Australia and when you gave us examples of small talk with your hands, I nearly fast forwarded because I found it uncomfortable; I hate small talk. I once read an explanation for this within Australia as we (obviously not everyone though) have so much physical space around us we don't enjoy small talk, and our personal space is twice that of people from other countries.
It’s often depends on who your talking to plus where you are , n it can be about anything if the persons open enough to it,,, otherwise sit quietly n keep to yourself….
I use small talk at work every day - it’s something to fill the silence whilst a student works out how to tell you their whole world Is falling apart and how and why they need help with it. I have had many students come in in floods of tears and leave with a lighter spirit, all aided by small talk and a bit of silliness when required
I see small talk in the U.K as a staging process especially if that person is unknown to you. Small talk allows you to assess the person you are talking without revealing personal information. If there is a next time the small talk will be a little deeper with a bit more information. If you decide you think this person is OK, you might get to develop social connections if the opportunity arises. This compares with random Americans I have met who tell you all their personal details and what all their friends and family are up to.
The British aren’t obsessed about what we do. Occupations don’t define us. Obviously if you stay connected that kind of information might come out. I’ve often noted with Americans they might initially ask about me, but nine times out of them, the conversation ends up almost totally about them. We do like a moan though. Basically we have a dark side, and that includes in our humour. We are in the main down to earth, not so bright and breezy.
The purpose of any question in small talk, for an American it seems to be to find out something about your co small talker, for a Brit it is to pass the baton of the conversation. For a Brit, any question should be sufficiently vague to allow the response to also be vague, such as are you local? could mean : Were you born here? Do you Live near here? Are you staying or working near here? each of these options can imply this small area, village, town, county or country, your co small talker can decide to answer any of these potential questions, or just side step with a vague hint at their journey here Today, this week, you get the idea. So the question does not need an answer, but I'm interested in what you might want to say.
I've never been very interested in small talk, I'm one of those who will happily sit in silence. Even when waiting for a meeting to start, others join and "we're" waiting for others, I say nothing, and if asked I will stick to a shrug or as short an answer as I can get away with. I now live in Thailand, Thai's do not expect foreigners to speak Thai so they don't usually start speaking to me, which is great. Westerners however seem to "need" to speak to other westerners! I was in a shopping mall on the 23rd (I had to go to the immigration dept. that is set up in the mall), I was early for my appointment, so was sitting on a seat drinking a coffee. A westerner walked towards the shop, stopped took a photo, then sat down next to me to tell me how funny everyone would find the picture, the coffee shop was called Fuku (it's a known brand here). My best reply was a somewhat perfunctory "I suppose so", but he then started asking questions... Q. Was I all ready for christmas? A. I don't keep christmas. Q. That's a strange phrase! A. Blame Dickens. Q. So why don't you keep christmas? A. I'm atheist. Q. Was I was on holiday? A. No. Q. Where was I from? A. UK. Q. Do you like Chiang Mai? A. Yes. Q. Have you visited any other cities in Thailand? A. Yes. Q. Do you have family here? A. No. Q. Do you work here? A. No. Q. You're not very talkative! A. No. I think after the last answer he must have realized I wasn't interested so resorted to "I'm meeting some old friends in the food court, do you know what floor it's on?" My answer "the food court most Thai's use is on the first floor, foreigners mostly use the one on the fourth floor, the escalator is over there" (and I pointed to it). He got up and his parting comment: Thanks, have a good christmas. I sipped my coffee. I think that might have been the longest "not really a conversation" I've had with a foreigner in 2024, hopefully 2025 will be quieter.
When we complain, it’s different from making a complaint. We don’t want a solution, we just want an understanding, a confirmation that what we are moaning about is valid and understood, agreed upon by the listener. A good complain goes like this… this train is always late, ridiculous service… answer, yeah it was late twice this week for me too. End of conversation
My mother in law is disgusted that I still don’t know the names of people after three years of working in the same building and speak regularly . Within five minutes she knows their name, the kids and pets names, where they liv and where they work. After a long weekend away with her in a hotel she made me get the phone number of a fellow guest so we could keep in touch. I have not only never used that number I set a block on it before we left the hotel. She is an extrovert and I am not.
Not quite small talk per se ,but one time I met my GP in the street and he said " Hello, how are you? " There could be no reply as we were crossing a busy road ,going in opposite directions .
Also, "nice to chat to you" or "I don't want to keep you" is generally too polite of an ending, maybe among women if you did actually bond a bit it's okay. But they sound a bit American. Mostly as a Brit you'd just say: "see ya", "right, that's me off then" or make a joke about what you're moving on to, or even just an upward nod and a smile to show the conversation is ending. "Take care" if you're feeling really nice.
17:03 We experience time at a rate proportional to our age. One year is one tenth of a ten-year old's life but one twentieth of a twenty-year old's life. A year passes twice as fast for the twenty-year old.
I think when we want to make friends its because we have met you more than once and will likely be meeting you on a regular bases or will be with you on some tour for a week or more, then we'll start asking more personal questions and this would indicate us thinking "hey I want to be your friend, lets keep in contact" but we may take a while ti ask for the contact details or give subtle hints instead of asking it ourselves, but if we're going to be meeting you like once in our lives, then yeah, we'll see it as a polite small talk with no thought about making friends and no need to ask personal questions..
You definitely need to find another content creator to react to, just for a but of variety. I know you did reach out to Kaylyn to ask if it was ok to use her stuff but the is getting ridiculous now, I used to live watching your videos but I just cannot watch them anymore, I would rather support the original creator that puts all the effort in.
Small talk as a Brit, my experience (and I am female possibly why this happens I don't know???) the weather is the starting point usually but..... some how...... I tend to get the persons whole life story!! I think I just have one of those faces!!🤗
In my opinion the American Smalltalk... Isn't Smalltalk. Making a friend, getting to know someone, asking key questions about who they are... That's not smalltalk. Small talk is meant to be mundane. Unimportant. Snacks in between meals. Brits arent the best at Smalltalk... We just actually do Smalltalk.
We've reached a point in the UK by asking someone where they're from can be seen as racist. don't look at women keep yourself to yourself, society's breaking down and we're running fast towards1984 the scary part it's what many people desire.
@@CyanideSunshinesUK citizens are being locked up for expressing their personal views. I’d say the above comment is not dramatic enough! Most people look at MSM and have no idea what is really going on. x x
I was in Disney world once having dinner with my family and an American lady said hi politely so I said hi and then next question was "what do you think of our president?" it was trump at the time. It ended pleasantly but could of gone in any direction after that 😂
Such a great video! 😀 The one that really got me was wanting to ask for someone's phone number after talking to them for ten minutes. There are people I've known for ten years where that thought would never enter my head. I even quite like some of them.
In Aus, we understate a lot. It can be far too hot to do anything, you could say it knows how to do hot today. They may say something about being in the air-con being a good idea. We can go shopping or to the library, to avoid being too hot with no air-con at home. If can be bucketing down outside, so you are looking like a drowned rat. you can say it's a tad wet out there, the other person may agree and give a commiserating look. You both have to deal with how it is, so we acknowledge how rough it can be, without a huge long rant. If the weather is extreme, you may compliment a person for being at work, to avoid being outside. Or let them know what outside is like just now, they're better off where they are? Acknowlege that being at work for hours can be hard to take, by saying have fun when you get out of here, you may just lift their mood. Be careful talking about work to strangers, what if they have no work, you could set off a verbal time bomb. On your own head be it. I was on holiday with limited time available, an english tourist started talking to me, I said I don't have long. He followed me, wouldn't get the hiint. Not everyone is the best at small talk.
As a northerner who has lived in London i don't think the northern commenter would have cleared the bus stop completely, just southerners and those born overseas who have become indoctrinated into their word ways. Once everyone else has moved away you're left talking to fellow northerners (in fact i don't think it has to be northerners, anyone not from London or maybe parts of the South East).
As someone born and raised in Lancashire, my first trip to London was an eye opener because we talk to everyone - on the bus, in queues, waiting to cross the road, in waiting rooms and the reaction to a random northerner making eye contact and gabbing away was like a prey animal being startled by something that might or might not be a predator - albeit a 5 foot 1 inch female predator.
Hello we always like to talk about the weather even if it is at the bank and you are waiting for the person to count your birthday money. also here to stop the kids saying first
Kalyn seems to have us sussed. Anything more than "All right" or if the person looks posh " Morning / Afternoon" is worrying, weather is the next step, after that who knows where it could lead?
It sounds like you are definitely a secret Brit here JJ! Your understanding of and reaction to the types of small talk mentioned were definitely very British!
Its really, really irritating, Ive lived in the UK my whole life and I really dislike it. The worst case is if you have to (UGH) Queue somewhere. And someone starts chuntering about it, "they need to employ more staff" etc... Personally, I'm capable of being patient in a queue without hearing my own voice, and you moaning about it (stranger) is not helping... THIS is what massive obvious noise cancelling headphones are great for... Telling people "Dont talk to me, as I wont be able to hear you" and also actually STOPPING from hearing it.
GGL is such a good social observer. I think we have the pub for more intimate "small talk" we need a pint to get through that barrier. I have only been to the States a couple of times and the "let me befriend you on FB" "join us for thanksgiving" after a five minute chat is a little too much. "Anyway" is a good small talk conclusion
I have a good example of this. I met new friend last week. She joined me on FB and everything. We chatted for about 2 hours. When I mentioned this to my American sister, she asked me loads of questions. Where was my new friend from? Was she married? Did she have any children? What job did she do? I had to admit that I hadn't asked her any of these questions 😂
lol UK small talk isn't about making friends, it is about keeping people sufficiently distant that they have no idea what you are actually like :-)
This 100%
LMAO, hilarious and 100% true.
As a Brit, we LIKE and value our privacy. Small talk is for exactly that - "social lubricant" - we really don't want to know about your life, and we really don't want to talk about ours. It the essence of saying nothing important or personal, but being pleasant and non-confrontational. Spot on.
A common aspect of British small talk are little jokes about the situation. The writer Bill Bryson tells of when he moved back to the USA after living for years in Britain - his neighbour was piling branches on top of his car and was clearly going to the tip and so Bill says 'camouflaging your car'? and the bloke then embarked on a long explanation about how he'd been trimming his trees and was heading to the town dump.
Funny 😅 There is a current video going around in Australia where a guy is leading an alpaca down the road and another guy says drily "that's a big dog you got there" or words to that effect. That's typical Aussie humour, but the alpaca guy took offence for some reason.
@@nolaj114I've seen that it's hilarious - so Australian! The guy with the Alpaca (NOT llama!) was clearly having a bad day!
Soooo… that’s a no then!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣
They can be very literal yes, must be cultural. Recently I was speaking to an American colleague, who had moved here (UK) for work, and he was telling me about a Bearded Dragon he had bought for a pet. I told him that I knew a little something about Bearded Dragons as I had divorced one 6 years ago. He asked me in all sincerity if that was something that was actually allowed here.
@@threestepssideways1202 😆high and low context countries made clear!
My grandmother, who brought me up, if someone came to the door she would put on her coat. When she opened the door if it was someone she didn’t want to talk to she would say she was just going out. If it was someone she did want to talk with she would say she was just in.
😂😂😂😂😂😂
good strategy
Do you use it as well, or do you think it's unneccesary?
Clever woman your granmother..
America sounds hell for us introverts.
The last time I was in the States, I met several people who immediately asked me what I did for a living. Being unused to that, I would give a brief, sketchy answer.
Then they'd launch into a detailed, lengthy resumé of their entire career, as if I was about to offer them work, or as if I gave a shit. I was often given business cards.
Come on, guys.
😂 yes! hahaha! We don't want to know - and if people start into me asking personal questions, I'm like 'eff off!' - MYOB!
I had a job that would get, oh I couldn't do that or go into depth when they have seen the work someone like me could or should do. Given that I used to tell strangers I worked i n a supermarket, easy to move on!
Only been to the US once - in 2003 for a skiing hol. Got asked on a chair lift what I did for a living. Never had it happen to me in the UK. Was 49 at the time.
I used to work for a local authority doing a required job for the community. When i explained this Americans looked visibly disappointed because i had no money or influence
IKR, I hate that crap lol
you often wouldnt need to ask someone where theyre from in the uk, a lot of the time you can tell by accent. Thats some of the context in our society i guess.
I think that applies to a lot of places, personally
Also can be politically incorrect in UK. Didn't that old lady who asked someone that last year, lose her job?
If you’re asking somebody all those personal questions, I don’t call that small talk, I call that big question talk 😮
Yeah, it sounds like he was talking about socialising and hanging out (he mentioned party or a social gathering) rather than a chance meeting out and about.
I'm one of those people who are comfortable with and in silence. Always have been.
One of the greatest times I've had was between my wife and I. Sitting at opposite sides of the couch, her feet resting on my legs, doing our own thing (reading a book each).
Neither of us saying a word, not even feeling the need to say a word. Comfortable in the silence, as neither of us were afraid to be stuck in our thoughts. Just there, together, enjoying being in one another's presence.
We're both pretty good at it, but we don't need it.
Small talk is a great way to avoid politics, religion, and how much you hate the other person
Its called small talk for a reason. Its not about becoming best friends. Its passing a bit of time in quite a neutral way if both parties want to. Less is often more. In a queue in a NY restaurant a local said to me that's a nice coat then pressed me for 10 minutes where I got it from, how much it was, are different colours, sizes available, do they ship to USA and on and on. Mate, thanks, that's the website that's all I know but nope FBI style interrogation continued. Exhausting interaction. On the plane home sat next to a Brit we said hello then never said another word to each other for 7 hours. No sign of being rude we both just understood like it was born into us. Bliss
As a Brit living in France, I soon learnt that the French do not engage in small talk at all. They would rather wait in silence as they are even more guarded than us Brits.
Talking about the weather is the ideal way to kick off a conversation with someone.
Just say " alright?" and move on. No need for an answer.
Brits NEVER ask " what do you do for work, where do you live, how much money do you earn " !!
Kalyn got it dead right. Small talk in Britain is just a way to check out if the person by your side is civilised and not a psychopath, no more. Americans want to be best buddies and go on vacation together.
'Avoiding your enemies is the easiest thing in the world. It's avoiding your friends, that's the real challenge'.
(Maggie Smith in Downton Abbey.)
As an autistic Brit small talk is extremely confusing to me. I was in my mid 30s before I realised that people asking me "how are you" didn't actually want details about how I was. I'm still trying to figure out the other rules.
Weather talk in Britain is a good way to start a conversation, & show friendship. It makes a good mutual ice breaker, which both can appreciate. It tends to be none intrusive, showing a reluctance to get too involved, & to not seem nosey. We are wary of false friendships.
In the UK we only engage in small talk because running away from a social interaction would be seen as too rude or energetic.
The best way to handle small talk is quite simple really, if you follow this one basic rule……
AVOID OTHER PEOPLE AT ALL COSTS!
Absolutely agree. I will do everything I can to avoid people even people I know. I just hate having to interact with people
Like minded people, I look forward to ignoring you both, if our paths should unfortunately cross. 😅
Lovely!
This small talk will regularly be made between two Brits when it's raining... First Brit > "Lovely weather"... Second Brit > "For ducks" 🦆🦆
So the trope goes……in reality; nobody really says that.
@@Pugjamin I have said lovely weather for ducks (and had it said to me) but never in two parts like this. Usually when soaking wet walking through puddles on dog walks :D
@@Picklelil I've seen it and I've said it, try it!
@@PugjaminIt's often that a Brit will use sarcasm/contra-talk like this. And get it knowingly corrected.
"Well, at least the train was on time."
"Yup; 15 minutes late, as usual."
"I'm glad to be back in the office."
"Yes, they do have a good coffee machine."
"I love reading TH-cam comments."
"Indeed. So informative."
😉
Aussies say that.. also, when pouring rain. nod and say "good for the farmers!"
Other blokes would try to small talk with me about football and my response is always the same “I wouldn’t know I don’t watch that rubbish” which is a conversation killer; mission complete, no more small talk 😅
Small talk is usually between strangers to past time and you never see again and
It’s too be polite
It rained this morning, should be brighter later Weather forecaster on TV engaging in small talk.
Also a good social lubricant, beer! Which is why we love the pub.
Whenever we're finishing up a phone call, the line is"'Right well I'll let you go".
Followed by "ta ra" about 12 times in rapid succession and the phone slowly retracts from our ears.
Ta ra is our way of saying bye. It's shortened so, a majority of the time, you'll leave an interaction muttering "Traa"
I used to get offended when my hairdresser asked me if I was going on holiday and where too 😂.
Weird
@ non of her business.
Another great, calm, unbiased reaction.
I've been subscribed to GGL for a while now, partly through seeing you reactions here.
And she deserves support.
But I enjoy your reactions as much. Your voice is so level and calming, and unlike most 'reactors' you do genuinely _react_ and offer commentary on your own perspective to the original video.
Keep up the great work, both of you!
Yes, I was just thinking the same; this was so interesting....I really enjoy both these youtubers' perspectives so much and I was introduced to GGL's channel from JJLA 👍👍
a big part of the reason why small talk in the uk is aimed at neutrality and getting through an interaction without having to get personal:
this is a very small island, with a very high population, most of whom are concentrated in crowded cities.
when you spend your whole life living in stranger's pockets, in such close proximity with so many people, then privacy, personal space, and quiet time become extremely important to you.
americans for the most part live in much larger spaces, with more privacy and distance between them and their neighbours. so it's natural that in the usa you would reach for each other across that distance. (look at how different this gets in more crowded usa places, like new york, and how much less willing people are to have deep talks with strangers there.)
here in the uk, we try not to bother people when they're out and about if we don't have to, because we all know that life in a sardine tin is stressful, and most people just want to be left alone to get on with what they're doing. we're around strangers so much of the time that if we took every opportunity americans do to talk to each other, none of us would ever get any of our tasks done.
this is also part of the reason we have specific public social spaces (like pubs), that help to denote when a person in public might be open to being social with strangers. it gives people a chance to go find connections and potential friendships, without having to make daily life a never-ending gauntlet of strangers hassling you at every turn.
and when we do talk to strangers here, like Kalyn said, we generally keep things low-pressure, easy, and safe, by (as you so keenly noticed) observing the world around us rather than interrogating each other. because when you have to live in very close proximity with hundreds or thousands of strangers... then keeping the peace, and reducing social stressors, become very important.
anything under high density is liable to explode, and the same is true of people. the more crowded a place is, the more problems a small conflict can cause, and the more quickly these things can get out of hand. so it's important to keep things as low-pressure and smooth as possible, for everyone's comfort.
When we ask how you're doing just know we don't actually care. The correct response is "yeah, not bad. you?" to which the response should be "same". Don't ever deviate from this path or else you'll get a reputation for being THE weirdo.
Americans seem to say, "so, what do you do?" right up front in a chat, and a British person will generally be left floundering as to why this should be so important to a stranger. It appears rude and prying.
EDIT: I think I might start answering with, "Blimey, you've f****d yourself with Trump, yeah?" 🤭
Americans are often totally obsessed with money so ask about your job and how much you earn. I am not my job so I don't necessarily want to talk about it.
Nobody is going to ask how much you earn. It is possible that someone would want to know what you do for a living. It is usually because US conversation is often targeted at finding commonality.
11 years as a Police officer made me the Queen of small talk! Making small talk whilst waiting for board-up/CIS/a funeral director is an art form!
Asking where someone is from is a mine field: there is a fine line between curiosity and implied "why don't go you back to where you came from"
🤣 Yes! Or being accused of being racist...
@@herenow6953I think that's what they were trying to say!
I don't think that at all, I'm an English person living in Scotland and people ask me that all the time based on my life accent. I would never get the impression that anyone feels like I should go back to where I come from.
Once had an American I worked with in the UK say to to me its a mind field because your trying to understand someone's psyche. Makes no sense at all. Explained the saying is from trying to dodge land mines so your trying to pick your way through something carefully. Still makes me chuckle the puzzlement on his face. He had a degree from UCLA.
@@herenow6953 one way you can limit the "damage" is by accepting the first answer they give. Please don't ever ask "no, where are you really from". I used to tell them the name of the town I lived in, and let them stew on why I had a weird forrinjur accent
part of the reason we don’t usually ask where someone is from is because once they open their mouth we can take a pretty good guess. It’s not that we don’t care, just that if they tell us the exact town, that only narrows down our guess from their accent ever so slightly.
I'm bad at social interactions and small talk, but small talk in england is easy enough 😅😂
Never mention religion or money, in small talk, or in fact at any time, I have no idea what my best friend of 40 years is on. and if someone asks how you are, the answer is fine thank you even if you have an hour to live, I have said fine thank you to a doctor, he then had to ask so what brings you here.😅
You should watch Mickey Flanagan's stand-up comedy avoiding his neighbours. Can't remember what the sketch is called but it explains alot about social interactions 😅
I would say train journeys are an exception… I travel a lot but on trains and enjoyed the most interesting, diverse conversations with complete strangers sat next to me. On one journey that was severely delayed (5hrs!) and heavily overcrowded on a very hot day, those of us (about 15) crammed into the carriage end bonded blitz-spirit style. Soon a couple bottles of alcohol were opened and we had a party the rest of the way…
Bill Bryson comments on the easy laugh of the Brits and, in situations like above, to might light of circumstances that are physically uncomfortable or particularly inconvenient or both. My Hong Kong friend wanted to be more friendly like the British when she visited UK but misunderstood the contexts for being ‘friendly’ and kept greeting everyone. Thankfully she got away with it as she was obviously foreign so people found it cute and amusing 😊
In the UK the ability to use small talk, is usually seen as a necessary evil, rather than a pleasant pastime.
Under no circumstances should you discuss, salary, educational achievements, sexuality, religion, dietary restrictions, health, or politics, especially with strangers.
Topics that are considered to be relatively safe, are, travel, weather, pets, food prices, parking charges and TV listings.
Unlike Americans, Brits prefer to avoid disclosing personal information, especially during first meetings.
Subjects Americans should avoid include, criticisms of the NHS, the size of the roads, shops not stocking the items they use „back home”, not having sockets in bathrooms, driving on the left, having 2 taps in bathrooms, describing everything as quaint, cute, tiny or lacking AC.
For our American friends, please remember that the UK consists of FOUR countries, each with their own culture, politics, religious persuasions, food style and languages.
Four?
@ Yes, four.
@@steveroberts728 The only country in the UK that is recognized internationally is the UK. England, N Ireland, Scotland and Wales are basically provinces now.
@ No they are not. Each of the FOUR countries have their own legislature, their own civil service, their own flag and three of them have their own official language, as well as English.
As for sports, England, Wales, Scotland & Northern Ireland all compete as individual countries in The World Cup and the European Cup. In rugby England, Wales and Scotland compete as individual countries. Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland play as a single team, Ireland.
I would love to be there when you try to tell a Scotsman that he is English or indeed if you try to tell a Welshman that his country is merely a province.
I have no idea where you are from, though I imagine it would be the USA, may I politely suggest as a British citizen, who is a proud Welshman, that you avoid commenting on my country’s National status.
FYI The Isle of Man is a Crown Dependency with its own Government, language and flag.
The Chanel Islands of Guernsey and Jersey are also Crown Dependency’s. Alderney is a self-governing Crown dependency as is the Island of Sark.
@@steveroberts728 - Technically the OP and yourself are both correct and wrong at the same time. The UK's make-up is complex, even internally but is somewhat simplified when considered externally. The OP was correct but used the wrong descriptive term, internationally the constinuent countries within the UK are termed as divisions of the UK rather than provinces (although this is a bit confused when considering Northern Ireland). But internally and on official lists of a country's divisions are listed as 'countries' (province in the case of Northern Ireland).
The reason the constinuent countries are not recognised internationally as independant countries is that there are 8 separate classifications required to be met to be recognised as such, including cultural identity, political decision making, distinct law making powers, budget setting, external trade and defence. On some of these there is clear separation (such as with identity), others mixed responsibility (law, budget and decision making) and some only singularly at the UK level (defence).
However, under the ISO naming these divisions of the UK are termed as 'countries' at the divisional level except for Northern Ireland which is termed a 'province', a mutual agreement of the term to be used by Ireland and the UK. With these collective name(s) for the divisions being defined by the recognised country themselves.
The UK is not unique in this respect the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Kingdom of Denmark share similar considerations of being made up of constituent countries.
Plus the UK and it's constituent countries have a complex mix of de facto and de jure/official languages; England has multiple languages now since Cornish was recognised as a language back in 2002. Plus some of the dialects spoken are halfway to being mutually unintelligable with others of the same language, with different linguistic constructs, phonic shifts and unique words thrown into the mix.
US small talk is often regarded as too nosey. Questions like, “Where are you from?” “Where do you work?” “Are you married?” These are all asking for personal information. Talking about the weather is much less intrusive and less threatening.
Or the classic, "which church do you go to?"! 😂
If i were to ever come across a Brit named Chad, now that would certainly become a conversation starter.
🤣🤣🤣🇬🇧
JJ, have you seen the movie, “Message in a Bottle”? There’s a scene between the two leads where the woman is trying to start a conversation with the man (Robin Wright ad Kevin Costner) and he’s socially awkward so the conversation is almost a two way interview! It’s very much American small talk!
When I'm working (I'm a costumer, so fittings, measuring, etc), I'm a master of small talk and I can yammer on about nothing for hours.
When it's just me being me, I'll avoid it for all I'm worth.
She's so good. I would add that we use small talk to work each other out and whether it's worth trying to have a more interesting/ in-depth conversation. Also we have different cultures within the UK and people in some regions are much friendlier than in others.
Atheists will always be more fun though
The only time we brits talk about balls is not about going to a ball, it is when we say to someone "that's a load of balls." Thats the polite way of saying it.
Hi. I'm from Australia and when you gave us examples of small talk with your hands, I nearly fast forwarded because I found it uncomfortable; I hate small talk. I once read an explanation for this within Australia as we (obviously not everyone though) have so much physical space around us we don't enjoy small talk, and our personal space is twice that of people from other countries.
Even better than small talk just give a quick nod.
It’s often depends on who your talking to plus where you are , n it can be about anything if the persons open enough to it,,, otherwise sit quietly n keep to yourself….
I use small talk at work every day - it’s something to fill the silence whilst a student works out how to tell you their whole world
Is falling apart and how and why they need help with it. I have had many students come in in floods of tears and leave with a lighter spirit, all aided by small talk and a bit of silliness when required
I always watch her videos on her channel first, but watching reactions just adds that little bit extra dynamic.
I see small talk in the U.K as a staging process especially if that person is unknown to you. Small talk allows you to assess the person you are talking without revealing personal information. If there is a next time the small talk will be a little deeper with a bit more information. If you decide you think this person is OK, you might get to develop social connections if the opportunity arises.
This compares with random Americans I have met who tell you all their personal details and what all their friends and family are up to.
The British aren’t obsessed about what we do. Occupations don’t define us. Obviously if you stay connected that kind of information might come out. I’ve often noted with Americans they might initially ask about me, but nine times out of them, the conversation ends up almost totally about them. We do like a moan though. Basically we have a dark side, and that includes in our humour. We are in the main down to earth, not so bright and breezy.
Keep doing these mate, I'm an Englidh guy and really enjoy your take on things
same vibe: winter sun being so low in the UK (another small talk point and it actually is really annoying)
The purpose of any question in small talk, for an American it seems to be to find out something about your co small talker, for a Brit it is to pass the baton of the conversation.
For a Brit, any question should be sufficiently vague to allow the response to also be vague, such as are you local?
could mean : Were you born here? Do you Live near here? Are you staying or working near here? each of these options can imply this small area, village, town, county or country, your co small talker can decide to answer any of these potential questions, or just side step with a vague hint at their journey here Today, this week, you get the idea.
So the question does not need an answer, but I'm interested in what you might want to say.
Small talk is a friendly way of saying hey im no threat ......how are you
I've never been very interested in small talk, I'm one of those who will happily sit in silence. Even when waiting for a meeting to start, others join and "we're" waiting for others, I say nothing, and if asked I will stick to a shrug or as short an answer as I can get away with.
I now live in Thailand, Thai's do not expect foreigners to speak Thai so they don't usually start speaking to me, which is great. Westerners however seem to "need" to speak to other westerners! I was in a shopping mall on the 23rd (I had to go to the immigration dept. that is set up in the mall), I was early for my appointment, so was sitting on a seat drinking a coffee. A westerner walked towards the shop, stopped took a photo, then sat down next to me to tell me how funny everyone would find the picture, the coffee shop was called Fuku (it's a known brand here). My best reply was a somewhat perfunctory "I suppose so", but he then started asking questions...
Q. Was I all ready for christmas? A. I don't keep christmas.
Q. That's a strange phrase! A. Blame Dickens.
Q. So why don't you keep christmas? A. I'm atheist.
Q. Was I was on holiday? A. No.
Q. Where was I from? A. UK.
Q. Do you like Chiang Mai? A. Yes.
Q. Have you visited any other cities in Thailand? A. Yes.
Q. Do you have family here? A. No.
Q. Do you work here? A. No.
Q. You're not very talkative! A. No.
I think after the last answer he must have realized I wasn't interested so resorted to "I'm meeting some old friends in the food court, do you know what floor it's on?" My answer "the food court most Thai's use is on the first floor, foreigners mostly use the one on the fourth floor, the escalator is over there" (and I pointed to it). He got up and his parting comment: Thanks, have a good christmas. I sipped my coffee.
I think that might have been the longest "not really a conversation" I've had with a foreigner in 2024, hopefully 2025 will be quieter.
I'm English and I hate small talk, I can tolerate it with strangers better but I still don't like small talk.😅
I think you would enjoy Harry Enfield, 'American Tourist' These are exaggerated older Americans and they are hilarious.
When we complain, it’s different from making a complaint. We don’t want a solution, we just want an understanding, a confirmation that what we are moaning about is valid and understood, agreed upon by the listener. A good complain goes like this… this train is always late, ridiculous service… answer, yeah it was late twice this week for me too. End of conversation
Hi Americans, I live between France and none of your business lol.
My mother in law is disgusted that I still don’t know the names of people after three years of working in the same building and speak regularly . Within five minutes she knows their name, the kids and pets names, where they liv and where they work. After a long weekend away with her in a hotel she made me get the phone number of a fellow guest so we could keep in touch. I have not only never used that number I set a block on it before we left the hotel. She is an extrovert and I am not.
small talk is an ice breaker, or breaker of awkward silences
Naked hand puppets are the way forward 😊😊
Is that the same as speaking Italian? 🤔
I got a little uncomfortable as to where it was heading for a moment 😅
JJ clearly makes his dolls scissor.
Not quite small talk per se ,but one time I met my GP in the street and he said " Hello, how are you? " There could be no reply as we were crossing a busy road ,going in opposite directions .
Well done, good ploy.
Did it take much effort to get back on to your original route? 🤔
@@stephenlee5929 🤣
This woman is perfectly describing the south of England... but the further north you go, the more likely you are to get someones life story.
Or west to Wales.
Lov living on the south coast… 😌
Not too sure about that. I can see a scot telling you to f... off 😂. I know, you meet those types everywhere
More open and friendly in the north and much more likely to engage in small talk but you definitely aren’t getting someone’s life story
Great vlog you two would be great together on a vlog, both very observant and a joy to watch ...Happy new year
there is also the face thing we do lol if we do this face 😐 and nod or smile thats basically saying we dont even want the small talk lol
Also, "nice to chat to you" or "I don't want to keep you" is generally too polite of an ending, maybe among women if you did actually bond a bit it's okay. But they sound a bit American. Mostly as a Brit you'd just say: "see ya", "right, that's me off then" or make a joke about what you're moving on to, or even just an upward nod and a smile to show the conversation is ending. "Take care" if you're feeling really nice.
17:03 We experience time at a rate proportional to our age. One year is one tenth of a ten-year old's life but one twentieth of a twenty-year old's life. A year passes twice as fast for the twenty-year old.
Americans talk about the weather more than Brits,I have lived in america.
I think when we want to make friends its because we have met you more than once and will likely be meeting you on a regular bases or will be with you on some tour for a week or more, then we'll start asking more personal questions and this would indicate us thinking "hey I want to be your friend, lets keep in contact" but we may take a while ti ask for the contact details or give subtle hints instead of asking it ourselves, but if we're going to be meeting you like once in our lives, then yeah, we'll see it as a polite small talk with no thought about making friends and no need to ask personal questions..
You definitely need to find another content creator to react to, just for a but of variety. I know you did reach out to Kaylyn to ask if it was ok to use her stuff but the is getting ridiculous now, I used to live watching your videos but I just cannot watch them anymore, I would rather support the original creator that puts all the effort in.
With a cuppa of tea is better x
We talk about the weather, yanks talk about guns and
how great the USA is.😊
Small talk as a Brit, my experience (and I am female possibly why this happens I don't know???) the weather is the starting point usually but..... some how...... I tend to get the persons whole life story!! I think I just have one of those faces!!🤗
In my opinion the American Smalltalk... Isn't Smalltalk. Making a friend, getting to know someone, asking key questions about who they are... That's not smalltalk. Small talk is meant to be mundane. Unimportant. Snacks in between meals. Brits arent the best at Smalltalk... We just actually do Smalltalk.
We've reached a point in the UK by asking someone where they're from can be seen as racist. don't look at women keep yourself to yourself, society's breaking down and we're running fast towards1984 the scary part it's what many people desire.
I agree re the racism thing - it's sad.
Tad dramatic 😂.
@@CyanideSunshines But true.
@@CyanideSunshinesUK citizens are being locked up for expressing their personal views. I’d say the above comment is not dramatic enough! Most people look at MSM and have no idea what is really going on. x x
I was in Disney world once having dinner with my family and an American lady said hi politely so I said hi and then next question was "what do you think of our president?" it was trump at the time. It ended pleasantly but could of gone in any direction after that 😂
Such a great video! 😀 The one that really got me was wanting to ask for someone's phone number after talking to them for ten minutes. There are people I've known for ten years where that thought would never enter my head. I even quite like some of them.
In Aus, we understate a lot. It can be far too hot to do anything, you could say it knows how to do hot today. They may say something about being in the air-con being a good idea. We can go shopping or to the library, to avoid being too hot with no air-con at home. If can be bucketing down outside, so you are looking like a drowned rat. you can say it's a tad wet out there, the other person may agree and give a commiserating look. You both have to deal with how it is, so we acknowledge how rough it can be, without a huge long rant. If the weather is extreme, you may compliment a person for being at work, to avoid being outside. Or let them know what outside is like just now, they're better off where they are? Acknowlege that being at work for hours can be hard to take, by saying have fun when you get out of here, you may just lift their mood. Be careful talking about work to strangers, what if they have no work, you could set off a verbal time bomb. On your own head be it. I was on holiday with limited time available, an english tourist started talking to me, I said I don't have long. He followed me, wouldn't get the hiint. Not everyone is the best at small talk.
The art is being lost to the phone children who dont know how to interact
Brit here I dislike small talk!!
As a British AuDHD person, small talk is the worst. I’m not going to go full American, but I’d much rather big talk.
Well observed by Harry Enfield in his American tourist sketches.
Wish I'd brought me brolly! . . . Oh, look. Sun's comin' out. Didn't need it after all.
As a northerner who has lived in London i don't think the northern commenter would have cleared the bus stop completely, just southerners and those born overseas who have become indoctrinated into their word ways. Once everyone else has moved away you're left talking to fellow northerners (in fact i don't think it has to be northerners, anyone not from London or maybe parts of the South East).
As someone born and raised in Lancashire, my first trip to London was an eye opener because we talk to everyone - on the bus, in queues, waiting to cross the road, in waiting rooms and the reaction to a random northerner making eye contact and gabbing away was like a prey animal being startled by something that might or might not be a predator - albeit a 5 foot 1 inch female predator.
Hello we always like to talk about the weather even if it is at the bank and you are waiting for the person to count your birthday money. also here to stop the kids saying first
damn you
😅
7:19 🤣 Has it hit that point in Christmas where you don't know what day it is and haven't been outside for several days?
Kalyn seems to have us sussed. Anything more than "All right" or if the person looks posh " Morning / Afternoon" is worrying, weather is the next step, after that who knows where it could lead?
Girl Gone London Stalker is back.....
That's funny 🤣🤣🤣
She has nailed it .
I'm from the nordics. We don't do small talk, lol.
I assume you mean Than Americans in your title rather than thank Americans? 😂
It sounds like you are definitely a secret Brit here JJ! Your understanding of and reaction to the types of small talk mentioned were definitely very British!
Its really, really irritating, Ive lived in the UK my whole life and I really dislike it. The worst case is if you have to (UGH) Queue somewhere. And someone starts chuntering about it, "they need to employ more staff" etc... Personally, I'm capable of being patient in a queue without hearing my own voice, and you moaning about it (stranger) is not helping... THIS is what massive obvious noise cancelling headphones are great for... Telling people "Dont talk to me, as I wont be able to hear you" and also actually STOPPING from hearing it.
GGL is such a good social observer. I think we have the pub for more intimate "small talk" we need a pint to get through that barrier. I have only been to the States a couple of times and the "let me befriend you on FB" "join us for thanksgiving" after a five minute chat is a little too much. "Anyway" is a good small talk conclusion
go forth and multiply americans
I have a good example of this. I met new friend last week. She joined me on FB and everything. We chatted for about 2 hours. When I mentioned this to my American sister, she asked me loads of questions. Where was my new friend from? Was she married? Did she have any children? What job did she do? I had to admit that I hadn't asked her any of these questions 😂
You pose some very interesting questions and analogies about communication. Good video!