Expressões e Collocations com a palavra Talk – Parte IV

I have been talking about the different kinds of talk in English like pep talks and small talk. Other expressions involving the word talk are:

• idle talk: gossip, nonsensical banter, irrelevant and foolish chatter;
• crazy talk: uttering illogical irrational statements or trying to justify unreasonable ideas that will fail have a negative or injurious outcome);
• silly talk: funny, whimsical patter that makes children giggle;
• victory talk: politicians talking about winning elections or wars;
• trash talk: Someone is trash talking when he tries to intimidate his opponent during a game using insults and boasts–definition courtesy of Gustavo;
• back talk: talking back to your parents or other authorities, disagreeing with an authority figure in a disrespectful tone. Usage: “Don’t give me any back talk” or “don’t give me any lip”.

Parents want to talk sense into their children, when they want to set them straight or dissuade them from making a wrong choice.

When parents and teachers give their children a talking to, they are scolding them (reprimanding, lecturing them).

When you talk down to someone, you are patronizing them (being condescending) or using a lower level of language so that they will more easily understand you.

When you talk someone up you are praising them or trying to sell someone on them.

Although “small talk” ( cocktail conversation) exists in the lexicon, I thought there is no such corresponding concept of “big talk.”

But I stand corrected. Tio Google turned up such collocations as “He talks a big talk, but doesn’t deliver” and “big talk among small systems,” which I admit sound perfectly logical to me. Live and learn. (It’s a large lexicon out there, but hey, someone’s got to catalogue it).

Beijinhos,

Mary