The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word CHITCHAT
I've seen this crossword clue in The Sunday Telegraph
C
H
I
T
C
H
A
T
More clues leading to the result CHITCHAT
- Gossip when buffet and tea are served in court
- Hiccup interrupting, say, Persian talk
- Rabbit’s little problem: caught by predator
- Lion perhaps devours couple, causing gossip
- Tom Thumb interrupts gossip
- Perhaps queen conceals problem in discussion
- Jerk feeding pet idle conversation
- Note bird talking
- Problem jazz fan picks up in gossip
- Chic, getting tangled up with that small talk
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "small talk" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case small talk = chitchat.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does CHITCHAT mean?
CHITCHAT noun- Light conversation; casual talk, usually about trivial matters.
- Gossip.
- To engage in small talk, to discuss unimportant matters.