Topic shifting / association

To smoothly transition the conversation from what was just said to a related memory or idea, maintaining natural flow

A word, phrase, or concept spoken earlier prompts recall of another relevant fact, task, or story

Spontaneous informal dialogue, casual meetings, storytelling, and everyday conversations where linking ideas fluidly is desired

That reminds me

That reminds me

The recalled item can be any relevant detail, such as an action, a person's name, or a concept

• by the way
• incidentally
• you know what?

• Speaking of which…
• While I remember…
• Before I forget…

Using 'That remembers me' instead of the idiomatic construction; omitting the clause that provides new information

By the way, Now that you mention it

Non-native speakers often replace ‘that’ with ‘which’ or drop the phrase entirely, leading to loss of associative nuance

• That reminds me I must
• Which reminds me

The expression conveys casual, conversational linking; it signals an informal bridge between ideas rather than a logical argumentative segue

Creates smoothness in discourse by indicating relevance without sounding forced, fostering perceived naturalness and rapport among participants

Associative topic shift

This chunk is commonly used in casual and spontaneous conversations to link ideas or topics, often introduced by a trigger word or phrase. It helps maintain the natural flow of dialogue by associating new information with something previously mentioned, without abrupt transitions. Typically, the new information can be a task, a memory, or a related idea, and the phrase often leads to a clause or question that introduces this new topic.

Now that you mention it / On a related note