shoot the breeze

breeze ¹  (brz)

n.

1. A light current of air; a gentle wind.

2. Any of five winds with speeds of from 4 to 27 knots (5 to 31 miles per hour; 7 to 50 kilometers per hour), according to the Beaufort scale.

3. Informal Something, such as a task, that is easy to do.

intr.v. breezed, breez·ing, breez·es

1. To blow lightly.

2. Informal To progress swiftly and effortlessly: We breezed through the test.

3. To sprint around a racetrack as a means of exercise. Used of a racehorse.

Idiom:

shoot the breeze Slang

To engage in idle conversation.

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[Perhaps from Old Spanish briza, northeast wind.]

Synonyms: breeze¹, cinch, pushover, snap
These nouns denote something easily accomplished: The exam was a breeze. Chopping onions is a cinch with a food processor. Winning the playoffs was no pushover. The new computer program was a snap to learn.

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breeze ²  (brz)

n.

The refuse left when coke or charcoal is made.

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[Probably from French braise, hot coals, from Old French brese, of Germanic origin; see bhreu- in Indo-European roots.]

Thesaurus

Verb

1.

shoot the breeze - talk socially without exchanging too much information; "the men were sitting in the cafe and shooting the breeze" chew the fat, chit-chat, chitchat, claver, confab, chat, jaw, natter, confabulate, gossip, chaffer, chatter, visit converse, discourse - carry on a conversation jawbone, schmoose, schmooze, shmoose, shmooze - talk idly or casually and in a friendly way