Now? I "gasp" like a pro. In a conversation and don't know the word or how to respond, just suck in your breathe and nod agreeably. That'd probably get you by, as the person decides that you are such an understanding person or whether to call you out on your bluff. :)
In "gasping" - why the inverted commas, is because, I really don't know how to describe that sound. It sounds like one purposefully opens the mouth and suddenly sucks in air for no reason - that to me, seems like the definition of gasp. The "gasp" is normally used by females, this sound normally signifies the listener is in full empathy, whether in agreement or in shock. Just observe and you'll pick up the nuances of the "gasp".
I noticed this when I started working. When I was growing up, it was well-drilled/ingrained-deep in my skull, must handover objects properly to people - just look at the Asian/Chinese movies, wanna insult someone? Start by throwing or dropping the things (normally it would be wads of cash) at the person or near the person, on purpose. Now, that's the keypoint - this action wasn't done on purpose, it was.. well.. just done. I don't understand why, especially sometimes I am just standing right in front of them, that whatever object can't be just handed to me. Well, over time, I've come to understand it is just one of the quirks :P