When you're not sure what to say, what's the topic you instinctively fall back on?

A natural way to answer

I usually default to whatever we have in common at that moment — the event, the venue, the queue we're stuck in. Shared context gives you something to latch onto without overthinking it.

Key phrases to use

• got an opinion — have a view they're keen to share“Ask about pineapple on pizza — everyone's got an opinion.”
• falls flat — fails to have the effect you wanted; gets no reaction“The joke fell flat and nobody laughed.”
• latch onto — grab hold of something, like a topic, to keep a conversation going“I latched onto the only thing we had in common.”
• steer towards — gently guide a conversation in a particular direction“I steer towards food when things go quiet.”