There are certain "safe" topics that people usually make small talk about. Speaking about current events is probably the number one thing that people who do not know each other will discuss. As long as you are not discussing a controversial issue, such as a recent law concerning equal rights, it is usually safe to discuss the news. Sports news is a very common topic, especially if a local team or player is in a tournament or play-off or doing extremely well or badly. Entertainment news, such as a celebrity who is in town, is another good topic. If there is something that you and the other speaker has in common, that may also be acceptable to talk about. For example, if the bus is extremely full and there are no seats available you might talk about reasons why. Similarly, people in an office might casually discuss the new paint or furniture.

some examples of safe topics

- Introductions, eg "Hello. May I introduce myself? My name is Mark"
- Travel, eg "Did you manage to find here OK?" or "Did you have a good journey?"
- Family, eg "How is your family?" (but only if you already know about the person's family)
- Hospitality, eg "Can I get you something to eat or drink?"
- Holidays, eg "Are you going anywhere this weekend?" or "Are you going anywhere on holiday this year?"
- Nature, eg "Those roses look really beautiful, don't they?" (people usually love gardens)
- Pets, eg "What a lovely dog. What is his name?" (people usually love dogs or cats)
- General news, eg "What do you think about the recent floods?" (but safer to avoid gossip and politics)
- Films, eg "Have you seen the film Bridget Jones's Diary?"
- Television, eg "Did you see that documentary about foxes last night?"
- Music, eg "Do you like pop music?"
- Books, eg "Have you read any good books recently?" (but only if you know the person likes reading)
- Sport, eg "Have you been watching football?" (actually, men often talk about football)
- Hobbies, eg "What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?" (if you think the person has some spare time)
- Business, eg "How's your business going?" (but only ask if you know the person has a business)
- Studies, eg "What are you studying?" (but only ask if you know the person is a student)
- Work, eg "What sort of work do you do?" (but only ask if you know the person has a job)
- Food, eg "I had a lovely Chinese meal last night - do you like Chinese food?"
- General matters about the person you are talking to, eg "Have you lived in this area long?"
- General matters on subjects that you know that interests the person you are talking to, eg cars, film stars etc