Are You a 'Chatterbox'?

Vocabulary

1. interrupt(verb)
/ˌɪntəˈrʌpt, ˌɪnəˈrʌpt/ to stop something from happening for a short period of time
Ex: I don't like to be interrupted in the middle of a conversation.

2. String (n)
/strɪŋ/ a long piece of material that is often used for tying things together
Ex: My cat loves playing with string.

3. give away (phrasal verb)
/ɡɪv əˈweɪ/ to tell someone something that should be kept secret
Ex: Try not to give away too much information about the project.

4. Spill (verb)
/spɪl/ to make something come out of a container by accident
Ex: She spilled milk on the floor.

5. ancient (adj)
/ˈeɪnʃənt/ from a long time ago; very old
Ex: She's a well-known researcher in ancient languages.

Reading

For some of us, a good thing about working from home is being away from people who talk too much. If you have a "chatterbox" in your office — someone who likes to chat a lot — here are a few ways to describe them.

If you have a colleague who interrupts your work to talk about things that are not important, you can call them a "chatty Cathy" or a "chatty Charlie."

This expression comes from Chatty Cathy, an American doll from the late 1950s and early 1960s that would talk if you pulled a string on its back.

If you're really angry at someone, you might call them a "big mouth." This means they gave away too much information, or said something at a bad time.

For example, if you were planning a surprise birthday party for your boss but a colleague told her about it, you might say your colleague is a "big mouth".

And if you have a friend who always "spills the beans," it means they can't keep a secret. Some say this expression comes from ancient Greece, where people would vote in secret by putting black or white beans in a jar. If someone spilled the beans, everyone could see the result too early.

And let's hope your friend doesn't also "ramble," or talk in a confusing way about different topics for a long time. They just might "talk your ear off," or make you feel bored after listening to them for a while!

Discussion

1. Have you heard any of the expressions in the article before?

2. Who's the biggest chatterbox you know? Please describe them.

3. Do you often chat with your colleagues at work? What do you usually talk about?

4. Would you describe any of your colleagues as a chatty Cathy or a chatty Charlie?

5. Which of your friends or family do you enjoy talking to the most? Why?

Further Discussion

1. How often do you get the chance to speak English in your day-to-day life?

2. What topics do you find easiest to talk about in English? Why?

3. If you could have a conversation with anyone in the world, who would you choose and why?

4. Are you good at keeping secrets? Please explain your answer.

5. Don't speak unless you can improve on the silence. — Spanish proverb. What are your thoughts on this proverb?