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Small talk is hard in peculiar dialect (4,4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

idle chat

'small talk' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)

'hard in peculiar dialect' is the wordplay.
'hard' becomes 'h' (abbreviation used in pencil classifications).
'in' indicates putting letters inside.
'peculiar' is an anagram indicator (a peculiar or strange ordering of the letters).
'dialect' with letters rearranged gives 'idlecat'.
'h' put inside 'idlecat' is 'IDLE CHAT'.

'is' is the link.

I've seen this clue in The Sunday Times and The Times.
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