Learn English – Words describing types of conversation

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I have three related questions, all concerning words descriptive of conversational habits.

(1) How would you choose a word to describe someone who likes to talk about things around them and things happening in their whereabouts?

[The opposite of absent minded]

Actually, absent minded though would not do a very good job at describing someone who likes to talk/think, perhaps not on their own, about abstract things or things they imagine).

(2) And how would you choose a word for someone who likes to talk about things happening elsewhere?

(3) And how would you choose a word for describing someone who likes to talk about the past?

Best Answer

There seems to be an adage sort of thing, though not that popular, that goes:

Local-minded people will never understand global-minded goals.

It's easy to look it up on Google.

As to your third question, you've not made it clear what you're after exactly. Does the person talk about the past wistfully? Or boastfully? Or in what manner?
Anyway, you can consider these words/expressions:

  • reminiscent:
    1.1 Absorbed in or suggesting absorption in memories:
    "Her expression was wistful and reminiscent."
  • nostalgic:
    Feeling, evoking, or characterized by nostalgia:
    "He remained nostalgic about the good old days."
  • dwelling on/upon + the past:
    "I’ve got better things to do than dwell on the past."
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