had a quick talk

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had a quick talk" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to a brief conversation or discussion that took place in the past. Example: "Yesterday, I had a quick talk with my manager about the upcoming project deadlines."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

"We just had a quick talk about it.

BBC

Managing director Yann de Vries and founding partner Anderson Thees were in the Bay Area this week, so I had a quick talk with them about their plans.

TechCrunch

Within a few days we had a quick talk with him about how some people don't like it when people are gay, explaining that those people are wrong.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

Mr. Mastroianni said that Mr. Licitra, who had arrived in New York on Friday after flying from Milan to London and from there to Kennedy International Airport on the Concorde, had a quick "talk-through" with the Met's artistic director, James Levine.

The New York Times

Something tells us Kobe will be having a quick talk with Clarkson sometime soon about what stays between players and what gets to the media.

Huffington Post

You might say something like, "Mom, can we have a quick talk about something that I'd like to ask you about?

WikiHow

Whether you're pregnant, breastfeeding, working long hours, doing hard physical labor, or typing away at a desk, your nutritional needs will be specific to your situation and if you're not sure what's best, have a quick talk about it with your doctor.

WikiHow

"Catherine, I have had a quick chance to talk to the SSG [Specialist Services Group] team that were forward tonight and it has become apparent that we should be preparing a fresh bid for any new equipment that is necessary," the text, read aloud by Burn to the inquest, said.

The Guardian

We had a quick chat with Michael to talk about his very photogenic family.

Vice

Bravo head honcho Andy Cohen writes in his new memoir, The Andy Cohen Diaries: A Deep Look at a Shallow Year, "[Neil Patrick Harris] and I had a quick meal after the show and talked about a lot of gay stuff, including debating Kevin Spacey; I still get enraged when I think about him talking about being in love with that woman on '60 Minutes.' Come out, sir".

Huffington Post

Before his talk, I ambled over to Dr. Varmus, extended my hand and had a quick momentary exchange.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had a quick talk" to describe informal conversations where brevity is a key characteristic. It's suitable when the exchange is brief and not intended to be a deep or lengthy discussion.

Common error

Avoid using "had a quick talk" in formal or professional writing where a more precise term like "held a brief discussion" or "conducted a short meeting" would be more appropriate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had a quick talk" functions as a verbal phrase indicating a past action. It describes the act of engaging in a brief and informal conversation. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Wiki

20%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Science

5%

Reference

3%

Academia

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "had a quick talk" is a grammatically sound phrase used to describe a brief and informal conversation. While Ludwig AI confirms its correctness, it's important to consider the context. The phrase is most suitable for informal or neutral settings, with News & Media being a frequent context, as seen in the Ludwig examples. For more formal situations, alternatives such as "held a brief discussion" might be more appropriate. Keep in mind that while "had a quick talk" is understood, it should be used judiciously to align with the desired level of formality.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had a brief chat

Replaces "talk" with "chat" and "quick" with "brief", keeping the meaning of a short, informal conversation.

had a short discussion

Substitutes "quick talk" with "short discussion", emphasizing a focused exchange of ideas.

had a brief conversation

Uses "conversation" instead of "talk" and "brief" instead of "quick", maintaining a formal tone for a short dialogue.

had a word

Offers a more concise alternative, implying a brief and possibly private conversation.

exchanged a few words

Focuses on the action of exchanging words, highlighting the brevity of the interaction.

touched base briefly

Employs business jargon, indicating a short check-in or update.

spoke briefly

Simplifies the phrase to emphasize the act of speaking in a concise manner.

conversed briefly

Offers a more formal alternative to "had a quick talk", suggesting a polite and short conversation.

had a moment to chat

Implies finding a small window of time for an informal conversation.

had a fleeting discussion

Highlights the very short and transient nature of the discussion.

FAQs

What does "had a quick talk" mean?

It means to have had a brief and informal conversation with someone about something.

What can I say instead of "had a quick talk"?

You can use alternatives like "had a brief chat", "had a short discussion", or "exchanged a few words" depending on the context.

Is it appropriate to use "had a quick talk" in formal writing?

While grammatically correct, "had a quick talk" is generally more suitable for informal contexts. In formal writing, consider using phrases like "held a brief discussion" or "conducted a short meeting".

How can I use "had a quick talk" in a sentence?

Example: "We "had a quick talk" about the project's progress before the meeting."