also chitchat, "familiar or trivial talk, gossip," 1710, diminishing reduplicated form of chat. The verb is attested from 1821. Related: Chit-chatting.
Entries linking to chit-chat
chat v.
mid-15c., "talk idly, babble," short for chatter (v.). The meaning "converse familiarly" is from 1550s. The sense of "flirt with, ingratiate oneself with" (later often with up (adv.)) is from 1898. Related: Chatted; chatting.