How do you find out what topics your partner likes?

It can be frustrating to meet a charming stranger only to have your conversation limited to platitudes. Your heart screams, "Oh my God, I like you, and I want you to like me." At the moment we are talking nonsense together, and I wish our conversation could be more interesting and meaningful. What would you most like me to talk about?"
There is a clever plan for this. A technique that quickly turns meaningless chatter into something closer to the heart of the person you're interested in. I call it Cherry Picking. When you're making small talk with your loved one, pay close attention to any unusual words -- odd, unusual, off-topic words, or occasional references to places, times, and people. Pick out that word, because it is the key to the heart of the person you want to talk about, and through this word you can find out what the person really likes to talk about.