Chinwag
Noun
- A chat.
Verb
- Have a chat.
Example Sentences
“I love having a chinwag with my grandmother and catching up on all the latest gossip in her neighborhood.”
“Ursula looked forward to her weekly chinwag with the baker at the farmers market.”
“Come over after work, and we’ll chinwag about everything going on with you.”
Word Origin
British English, late 19th century
Why this word?
Why is it so satisfying to have a good chinwag? Contrary to beliefs about gossiping, the practice might not be as negative as it seems. Evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar posits that gossiping developed as a way to disseminate important information throughout a social network. The word “chinwag” was formed from the combination of “chin” and “wag,” likely a humorous way of describing the movement your chin makes when you’re having a vigorous chat.