Separating real threats from idle talk is a workaday task for law enforcement.

WSJ: Fact and fantasy collide in NYC cannibalism trial

There is quite a lot of idle talk about the world not ending on 1 March and that everything will be sorted out in a couple of weeks.

BBC: US naval workers all at sea as sequester looms

But this time, it's more than idle watercooler talk, according to weather scientists.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

He spent his idle time working in talk radio and with a ministry group.

WSJ: College Football: The Revenge of the High-School Coach

So talk of a deal between InBev and Anheuser-Busch is more than just idle conversation at the bar.

ECONOMIST: Beer mergers