Beware: There are small talk criminals lurking everywhere. The coffee shop, your kids’ school, the gym, the office, the dinner party. These brazen bullies strike quickly and without warning – and they don’t care who gets hurt. My ongoing series, Talk Tyrants, serves two purposes: it allows you the chance to escape […]
Small Talk for Dummies
Call Me. Maybe? R U Wrong to Return a VM w a TXT?
Dear Debra: Whenever I call and leave a message for a friend of mine, she either texts or emails her response. Why? Is it appropriate to respond to a voice message with text or email? I am bothered by this, but wondering if I am being a bit too picky. Any insight? Sincerely, Not […]
Small Talk is Never Dead | Hilarious Obituaries
Talk about getting the last word. Longtime Browns fan Scott Entsminger, 55, of Ohio, died on July 4. According to his obituary in the Columbus Dispatch, Entsminger “respectfully requests six Cleveland Browns pall bearers so the Browns can let him down one last time.” The Cleveland Browns declined the invitation, but graciously provided the jersey of […]
Meetings Going Nowhere? Debra Fine To the Rescue
I am, as you know, such a huge fan of small talk; but sometimes small talk can be the culprit of derailed meetings. In my BST life (Before Small Talk) I sat through a highly anticipated meeting where a group of smart, savvy, stylish people were gathered to discuss something critical. I knew it was […]
First Comes Love, Then Comes Small Talk: Debra Fine’s Wedding Series | Part 4
Do weddings make you cry? No, I don’t mean welling up when the bride walks down the aisle; I mean REAL tears, the kind that happen when you are nervous about attending a wedding for any number of reasons? Perhaps you are guest without a plus one, or maybe you recently called off your own engagement. Perhaps […]
Please, Say Thank You. Is Common Courtesy Becoming Uncommon?
I cringe when I hear, “No problem!” in response to me saying “Thank you.” Actually, there is a problem and the problem is responding with “No problem.” When you say, “Thank you,” the only response from me should be, “You are welcome” or “My pleasure.” Sadly, even the days of “No problem” are fading, giving […]
