Cold Turkey
Meaning: Stopping a habit or addiction suddenly and completely, instead of little by little.
To quit something “cold turkey” means to stop suddenly and completely, instead of little by little. It was first used in the early 1920s to talk about quitting drugs. One popular explanation is that withdrawal can cause goosebumps and clammy skin, like a cold, plucked turkey. Today, people use it for all kinds of habits. For example, “I quit smoking cold turkey,” or “She gave up sugar cold turkey.”
How to use it
It’s most often used with “quit” or “go”: “quit cold turkey,” “go cold turkey.” People use it for smoking, caffeine, sugar, social media and other habits. It’s informal but not rude, and fine in most conversations. It can also refer to the hard physical effects of suddenly stopping a drug.
Examples
- He quit smoking cold turkey after 20 years.
- I went cold turkey on social media for a month.
- Don’t stop that medicine cold turkey. Talk to your doctor first.
A common mistake
Don’t add an article: say quit cold turkey or go cold turkey, not “quit a cold turkey” or “go to cold turkey.”
Where it comes from
No one knows for sure. It may come from the earlier American phrase “talk cold turkey,” meaning to speak plainly. Another popular idea is that the goosebumps and cold skin of withdrawal look like a cold, plucked turkey. The addiction meaning shows up in print in the early 1920s.
Say it out loud
Tabbi Daily gives you one short lesson like this every day. Listen, record yourself and hear how you sound. Free, no account needed.
Source: Treehugger