Talkative is straightforward adjective that means exactly what it sounds like: inclined to talk a great deal. Talkative is for the most part neutral, though it skews a bit negative in use. The loftier adjective loquacious suggests more facility and ease: someone who is loquacious talks or tends to talk much or freely. Loquacious is sometimes found alongside positive descriptors such as witty or charismatic. But occasionally loquacious is used to describe someone whose words flow like wine—but of a variety that leaves you wishing for a cork!

A problem is a question or matter involving doubt, uncertainty, or difficulty. A conundrum is a particularly puzzling or complex question or problem. In some cases, conundrum refers to a riddle that involves a pun or play on words (what is black and white and red all over? A newspaper!). However, nowadays conundrum more commonly refers to a riddle of the less literal variety. If you find yourself stumped in a perplexing situation—look out, you may be in a conundrum!

Pretend and feign both deal with attempting to create a false appearance. However, feign suggests a degree more sophistication in the art of deception. To feign interest in something is to represent your level of interest fictitiously. Unlike pretend, feign is not used to talk about playful make believe where all parties are privy to the pretense. On the contrary, feign is used in situations where one party aims to convince another of something untrue, as an emotional state or physical condition.