efsavage, I always used to use variations on your examples. They almost invariably lead to the other person going "Oh" and the conversation dying a grisly death

efsavage, I always used to use variations on your examples. They almost invariably lead to the other person going "Oh" and the conversation dying a grisly death, right there. They don't give anyone any "grit" they can use to get a good footing on a conversation. patio11-type answers -- Cathedral Thinking answers -- otoh, open the doorway to conversation. They are the statement equivalent of open-ended questions. I tend to tell people that I "help small businesses kick ass," which is def an accurate Cathedral Thinking answer, but lacks verve. Still looking for my perfect response.