🗓️ Idiom: Have Banter (verb)
💬 Meaning
- To exchange friendly jokes or teasing comments with others.
- To have light, humorous conversation in a relaxed setting.
🧠 Example Sentences
- The team loves to have banter before meetings to keep things light.
- She has great banter with her colleagues, it makes the office more fun.
- A bit of banter during breaks helps everyone relieve stress.
🏛️ Origin
The word “banter” appeared in English in the late 1600s, meaning playful teasing or joking talk. It became common in British English to describe friendly humour or witty conversation between people who know each other well.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
We always ________ in the office before starting work, it keeps the mood positive.
Answer
have banter
2. Choose the correct answer:
If colleagues “have banter,” they:
a) Argue seriously
b) Joke and chat in a friendly way
c) Avoid talking at work
Answer
b) Joke and chat in a friendly way
3. Change the sentence using “have banter”:
“They joked with each other while preparing the report.”
Answer
They had banter while preparing the report.
ℹ️ Other Useful Pages
📚 Learning Resources
👉 Idioms for Humour in the Workplace
👉 Business English Idioms List
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