Crossword Genius

Tom admits difficulty with small talk (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

chitchat

'small talk' is the definition.
(I know that small talk can be written as chitchat)

'tom admits difficulty' is the wordplay.
'tom' becomes 'cat' (a tom is a male cat).
'admits' indicates putting letters inside.
'difficulty' becomes 'hitch' (hitch is a kind of difficulty).
'cat' enclosing 'hitch' is 'CHITCHAT'.

'with' is the link.

(Other definitions for chitchat that I've seen before include "Idle nattering" , "Trivial conversation" , "Idle talk" , "Inconsequential talk" , "Gossipy talk" .)

I've seen this clue in The Irish Times.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.