Benzion – I use intimate in the sense or tete-a-tete. Where there are only four people at a table (unless its a really long table!) it will be intimate. A reualr Shabbos meal obvosuly depends on myriad circumsatnces. if I start to delineate some of those, any I leave out will be questioned.
Listen, cant we all agree that since we have such various backgrounds that its nearly impossible to agree? An MO who grew up on Bnei Akiva will not get whats wrong with talking to his freidns wife. A yeshivish gu from out of town will not get whats wrong with having friends over even if they don’t talk. A shpitz yeshivish guy from Lakewood will not understand etc.