turkey (redirected from talked turkey)

cold turkey

the unpleasant physical and mental effects someone suffers when they suddenly stop taking drugs. The addict himself must make the decision that he wants to go cold turkey. The nurses are there to encourage patients through cold turkey.

See also: cold

cold-turkey

cold turkey - the unpleasant physical and mental effects someone suffers when they suddenly stop taking drugs. Cold-turkey treatment of addicts will always produce withdrawal symptoms. (always before noun)

like turkeys voting for (an early) Christmas (British & Australian, humorous)

if people are like turkeys voting for Christmas, they choose to accept a situation which will have very bad results for them. Teachers agreeing to even larger class sizes would be like turkeys voting for Christmas.

See also: like, vote

talk turkey (mainly American)

to discuss a problem in a serious way with a real intention to solve it. If the two sides in the dispute are to meet, they must be prepared to talk turkey.

See also: talk

a turkey shoot (mainly American)

if a fight or a war is a turkey shoot, one side is certain to be completely defeated because the other side is much stronger. Their aircraft destroyed every military camp in a three-day turkey shoot.

See also: shoot

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go cold turkey

to suddenly and completely stop doing something, esp. a bad habit. Finally she went cold turkey on a 23-year smoking habit and hasn't smoked since.

Usage notes: also used in the form quit cold turkey with the same meaning: The big organizations suddenly quit cold turkey, leaving the work to volunteers.

See also: cold

talk turkey

to discuss a problem seriously with the intention of solving it. The session was businesslike, and according to one official, “They talked turkey.”

See also: talk