Refers to unverified talk circulating among the public, often with a slightly literary or formal tone. Similar to うわさ but more associated with what is heard on the street.
According to street talk, that shop is going to close soon.
His scandal quickly became the talk of the town.
Compound of 巷 (chimata, 'street, public') and 談 (dan, 'talk, conversation'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word has been used in literary Japanese to refer to rumors or gossip circulating among the common people.