ചിരിച്ചു തള്ളുക

Usually no. It's seen as a way to avoid conflict. However, if you laugh off something very serious that someone else cares about, it can be seen as dismissive or insensitive.

Yes! It's a great way to show you aren't beating yourself up over a small error. 'Njan ente thettu chirichu thalli' (I laughed off my mistake).

'Chirikkuka' is just the act of laughing. 'Chirichu thalluka' is the *act of using* that laugh to ignore a problem.

It's common in journalism and informal essays, but in a legal or scientific document, you would use more formal words like 'upekshikkuka' (to discard).

Not necessarily. It can be a simple smile or a mental dismissal where you just don't let the issue bother you.

Only if you are describing how you handled a past stressful situation. Don't 'chirichu thallu' the interviewer's questions!

Yes, 'puchichu thalluka' (to dismiss with contempt) is the negative/arrogant version.

You would say 'എനിക്ക് അത് ചിരിച്ചു തള്ളാൻ കഴിയില്ല' (Enikku athu chirichu thallan kazhiyilla).

It is universally understood and used across all of Kerala and by the Malayali diaspora.

Yes, it's very common for parents to tell children 'Athu chirichu thallu' when they have a small fall or a minor disappointment.