Table talk is a literary genre, a species of memoir. A collector (biographer, colleague, friend, etc.) records impromptu comments by some famous person (made generally at the dining table or in small get-togethers), in anticipation of their lasting value. The precedent in classical literature was the symposium, such as the Table Talk of Plutarch, though this was a supposed memoir of an occasion, rather than a person.
"Table talk" may also refer to a similar informal conversation, more deliberately engaged in by the famous person, with the direct intent of publication (somewhat analogous to granting an interview).
Collections of such table talks by royal persons, celebrities, and other important personalities dating back to the 3rd century exist. The phrase table talk has been in use in the English language since the 16th century.
As examples, published table talks exist for:
Table talk may refer to:
In certain card games, table talk is communication by a player with another player with the cards in their hand, contrary to the rules of the game. Such communication may be through explicitly naming cards, but it is far more common to try to give hints which the opposing players will think innocent, but which will be understood by the player's partner.
In some games a player may modify the way they play in order to convey information about their hand to their partner. This is considered acceptable and is not termed table talk, even though the distinguishing line may be very fine. For instance, a 500 player might place a bid of six no trumps to indicate that he holds the joker; this would be acceptable. However, he might modify the tone of voice when making a bid to indicate to his partner that something about the bid is significant (the suit, or perhaps that he does not wish to win it).
In the game of Hearts, it is generally unacceptable to talk about the location of the queen of spades or notifying other players of someone threatening to "shoot the moon". Whether this type of table talk is acceptable will depend on the game, the players and the stakes. It is likely to be at least considered unsporting in any but the most light-hearted, social or drunken games.
Table-Talk is a collection of essays by the English cultural critic and social commentator William Hazlitt. It was originally published as two volumes, the first of which appeared in April 1821. The essays deal with topics such as art, literature and philosophy. Duncan Wu has described the essays as the "pinnacle of [Hazlitt's] achievement", and argues that Table-Talk and The Plain Speaker (1826) represent Hazlitt's masterpiece.
Hazlitt published his first book, a work of philosophy, in 1805. In the years between his authorial debut and the publication of Table-Talk, Hazlitt was employed as a journalist, critic and lecturer, and published several collections of writing on topics such as Shakespearean criticism, politics and literature. In 1819, following the hostile reception of his Political Essays by the Tory press and the repressive legislation introduced after the Peterloo Massacre, Hazlitt foreswore writing further essays on political subjects. It should be noted that political insight is by no means absent from Hazlitt's subsequent works, and publications such as The Spirit of the Age (1825) condemn figures such as Robert Southey for their abandonment of political radicalism, while Hazlitt's biography of Napoleon (four volumes; 1828–1830) aimed to defend his reputation against a biography from the Tory Sir Walter Scott.
