A: I saw you having coffee with Nancy in the hospital lounge.

B: We were talking shop. We have a difficult patient.

Note: One definition of “shop” is one’s trade or things pertaining to one’s profession. It comes from the idea that many types of business occur in a shop or store. In many social settings, it is preferable to avoid talking shop. This is because many workers enjoy a respite from work matters while enjoying their free time. Also, if anyone in the group does not work in the same field, that person will be excluded from the conversation. For that reason, “talk shop” often appears preceded by “don’t” or “let’s not.” On the other hand, if two people were having a social discussion, and one or the other wanted to change the topic to be work-related, he could say, “Let’s talk shop.”