chatting of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "chatting of" is not standard in written English and may sound awkward or incorrect.
It is not commonly used, and you might want to consider rephrasing for clarity. Example: "We were chatting of our plans for the weekend."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

AS the campers and their parents moved inside the schoolhouse, chatting of this and that and eating from a tinfoil tray of popcorn, more and more Occupiers started to arrive.

The New York Times

The noise of the waves and salty aroma of the sea make everything taste better – and just as long as they don't get too close, I even enjoy the chatting of the seagulls.

Independent

However, be sure to explain to your kids (and remind them frequently) that when online, to be extremely cautious of online predators, cyberbullying and "sexting" - text messaging or online chatting of a sexual nature.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

She loves the chat of families, their intimate gossip.

The New York Times - Books

This story started chat of its own about the real-life conversations sparked by books.

The Guardian - Books

Thomas Frank writes English and not the chat of the pundits and mainstream columnists.

The Guardian - Books

But others were in favour of any deviation from the usual post-match chat of games of two halves.

The Guardian - Sport

In addition, many ornithologists place chats of the genus Granatellus, which were previously assigned to Parulidae, in the family Cardinalidae.

Encyclopedia Britannica

And it is this conflict of identity we would like to debate in this, our last live chat of 2011.

The Guardian

Join us online at 1pm GMT this Thursday, 12 December, for our last live chat of the year.

The Guardian

On his car radio, by chance, he picks up the chat of what seem to be crew members.

The Guardian - Film

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using "chatting of" in formal writing. Opt for more standard alternatives like "talking about" or "discussing" to ensure clarity and grammatical correctness.

Common error

Be cautious when pairing "chatting" with prepositions other than "about", "with", or "to". Using "chatting of" can sound unnatural and detract from your writing's clarity. Always consider if a more conventional preposition would improve the sentence.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "chatting of" functions as a gerund phrase followed by a preposition. It attempts to describe the act of informal conversation in relation to a specific topic or subject. However, Ludwig indicates that this phrasing is not standard and may sound awkward.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

66%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "chatting of" is an uncommon construction that attempts to describe an informal conversation. While not strictly incorrect, Ludwig highlights that it is not considered standard English and may sound awkward to native speakers. The limited examples and the feedback from Ludwig suggest that it's better to use more conventional alternatives like "talking about", "discussing", or "chatting about". These alternatives are grammatically sound and more widely accepted in both formal and informal contexts. Therefore, it's advisable to avoid using "chatting of" in your writing to ensure clarity and naturalness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

chatting about

This is a more casual alternative to "chatting of", focusing on the topic of conversation.

talking about

This alternative is a more common and direct way to express discussing something informally.

discussing

This is a more formal alternative, implying a slightly more structured conversation.

conversing about

This alternative adds a touch of formality and implies a more engaged conversation.

having a conversation about

This is a more descriptive and neutral alternative.

speaking of

This option is used to introduce a topic that is relevant to the current discussion.

making small talk about

This option suggests light, informal conversation about unimportant things.

gossiping about

This option implies informal talk, often about other people's affairs.

passing comments on

This implies briefly mentioning something in a casual manner.

exchanging pleasantries about

This alternative is more formal and focuses on polite conversation.

FAQs

What is a more common alternative to "chatting of"?

More common alternatives include "talking about", "discussing", or "chatting about", which are all grammatically sound and widely accepted.

Is "chatting of" grammatically correct?

While not strictly incorrect, "chatting of" is not standard English. It's generally better to use "talking about" or "discussing" for clarity.

How can I use "chatting" correctly in a sentence?

Use "chatting" with prepositions like "with" (e.g., "chatting with friends"), "to" (e.g., "chatting to colleagues"), or "about" (e.g., "chatting about the weather").

What's the difference between "chatting of" and "chatting about"?

"Chatting about" is a common and acceptable way to express discussing a topic informally. "Chatting of" is less common and can sound awkward; it's best to avoid it in favor of "chatting about".