I hear people saying that they're "having a natter" with their friends, or 'If you want to have a natter about starting a project, give me a call!'.
On different websites there are different definition:
The Free Dictionary – to talk idly and at length; chatter or gossip
Wiktionary – To talk without purpose.
Merriam Webster – to talk about unimportant things for a long time
Dictionary.com – to talk incessantly; chatter.
Oxford Dictionaries – talk casually, especially on unimportant matters; chat
Cambridge Dictionaries – to talk continuously for a long time without any particular purpose
These sounds quite negative to my ears, even rude, but whenever I hear it get used, it's rarely for negative reasons. Also, is it informal? Some clarification would be nice, examples would be awesome!
Best Answer
The verb forms are normally used negatively...
...is more akin to wittering, prattling than chatting, talking.
The adjectival form is almost always negative...
...as is the gerund noun form...
Only the "uninflected" noun form is usually positive...
So since OP's two examples are both of that type, he needn't worry about negative connotations.