turkey
Related to turkey: Turkey bird
(as) poor as a Job's turkey
Very poor; having little or no money. An allusion to the biblical character Job, whose possessions and wellbeing were taken away by God as a test of faith. My father was as poor as a Job's turkey growing up, so his sole focus was to give his kids every opportunity in life that he missed out on. We've become poor as Job's turkeys ever since the bank raised the interest rates on our mortgage.
See also: poor, turkey
be stuffed like a turkey
To be or feel extremely full from eating a lot of food. My grandmother is the best cook around. I'm always stuffed like a turkey whenever I leave her house! We were all stuffed like a turkey after Diana's amazing meal.
See also: like, stuff, turkey
cold turkey
The abrupt cessation of something (most often the use of a drug). After smoking for so long, I should have never tried to quit cold turkey—the withdrawal symptoms are unbearable. I'm so impressed that you stopped gambling cold turkey!
See also: cold, turkey
dust bunny
A cluster of dust and dirt. It is typically associated with things that have not been recently cleaned or used. When was the last time you swept in here? There are massive dust bunnies behind the couch! Ever since the accident, Jamie's poor, neglected guitar has been just sitting in the corner, collecting dust bunnies.
See also: bunny, dust
go cold turkey
To stop doing or using something abruptly and completely. Most commonly said of drug, alcohol, or tobacco use, it can also refer to any bad habit. I tried quitting smoking for several years, using nicotine patches, gums, and even hypnotherapy. Eventually, I just had to go cold turkey and rely on my own willpower. I was eating way too much junk food and was gaining a lot of weight as a result. Finally, I just went cold turkey and stopped buying anything but healthy food.
See also: cold, go, turkey
jive turkey
dated slang A ridiculous, idiotic, and contemptible person. "Jive" originated as African-American vernacular. Tell that jive turkey to get his butt in here. With a jive turkey like that in charge, it's no wonder the company is going bankrupt!
See also: jive, turkey
kick cold (turkey)
To stop using something that one is addicted to, especially heroin, completely and very suddenly. A noun or pronoun can be used between "kick" and "cold" to specify what is being given up. It was only through the help of my parents that I was able to kick cold turkey. I'd probably still be hooked on H if it weren't for them. Nicotine patches and gum work for some people, but I had to kick cigarettes cold.
See also: cold, kick
like turkeys voting for an early Christmas
Said of people who choose or accept a situation that is not in their interest or will be directly harmful to them. Turkeys are often prepared for a Christmas meal. Primarily heard in UK. So now you have people supporting policies that would see their work security and health benefits eliminated. It's like turkeys voting for an early Christmas.
See also: Christmas, early, like, turkey, vote
like turkeys voting for Christmas
Said of people who choose or accept a situation that is not in their interest or will be directly harmful to them. Turkeys are often prepared for a Christmas meal. So now you have people supporting policies that would see their work security and health benefits eliminated. It's like turkeys voting for Christmas.
See also: Christmas, like, turkey, vote
quit (something) cold turkey
To stop doing something abruptly. The phrase is most often used to describe the sudden cessation of a drug. After smoking for so long, I should have never tried to quit cold turkey—the withdrawal symptoms are unbearable. I'm so impressed that you quit gambling cold turkey!
See also: cold, quit, turkey
stuffed like a turkey
Feeling extremely full from eating a lot of food. My grandmother is the best cook around. I always leave her house stuffed like a turkey! We were all stuffed like a turkey after Diana's amazing meal.
See also: like, stuff, turkey
talk turkey
To discuss something in a frank, straightforward, and serious manner. We don't have much time, so let's dispense with the formalities and start talking turkey. Your proposals so far have been completely laughable, so why don't you get back to me when you're ready to talk turkey?
See also: talk, turkey
turkey bacon
A guard employed by a private security company; an imitation of a police officer. (Just as turkey bacon is an imitation of the real thing, a reference to the use of pork terms as slang for police officers.) I got a job for a while working as turkey bacon for some tech company. We've just got to distract the turkey bacon for long enough to slip into the warehouse.
See also: bacon, turkey
turkey shoot
A fight or competition that is one-sided because one combatant or competitor is far superior to the other. What some predicted to be a long, arduous war ended up being a turkey shoot because the smaller country lacked adequate troops and firepower.
See also: shoot, turkey
turkey slap
slang The use of one's penis to slap another's face.
See also: slap, turkey
turkey trot
A running race held close to or on Thanksgiving. Primarily heard in US. My sister and I are doing a turkey trot in the morning and then we're going to help our mom finish making Thanksgiving dinner.
See also: trot, turkey
wild turkey
1. A turkey that has not been domesticated. Why are all these wild turkeys suddenly showing up on our farm?
2. A brand of bourbon. Usually capitalized. Hey, barkeep, can I get a shot of Wild Turkey?
See also: turkey, wild
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
cold turkey
Sl. immediately; without tapering off or cutting down gradually. (Originally drug slang. Now used of breaking any habit.) Tom stopped smoking cold turkey. She gave up her drinking habit cold turkey and had no ill effects.
See also: cold, turkey
dust bunny
and a dust kitten; a turkey's nestKg. a clump of dust and lint. She swept the dust bunnies out from under the bed. There's a huge dust kitten behind the chiffarobe. He hasn't cleaned in weeks. There are turkey's nests in every corner.
See also: bunny, dust
go cold turkey
Inf. to stop (doing something) without tapering off. (Originally drug slang. Now concerned with breaking any habit.) I had to stop smoking, so I went cold turkey. It's awful! When heroin addicts go cold turkey, they get terribly sick.
See also: cold, go, turkey
talk turkey
Fig. to talk business; to talk frankly. Okay, Bob, we have business to discuss. Let's talk turkey. John wanted to talk turkey, but Jane just wanted to joke around.
See also: talk, turkey
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
cold turkey
Immediate, complete withdrawal from something, especially an addictive substance; also, without planning or preparation. For example, My bad shoulder forced me to quit playing tennis cold turkey, or I'd never done any rock climbing, but decided to try it cold turkey. This term may have come from the earlier expression talk turkey (for blunt speaking). At first used strictly for abrupt withdrawal from drugs or alcohol, it soon was transferred to quitting any habit or activity. [Early 1900s]
See also: cold, turkey
talk turkey
Speak plainly, get to the point, as in Don't call me until you're ready to talk turkey. This expression allegedly comes from a tale about an Indian and a white man who hunted together and divided the game. When the white man said, "I'll take the turkey and you the buzzard, or you take the buzzard and I the turkey," the Indian replied, "Talk turkey to me." Whether or not this tale had a true basis, the term was recorded in its present meaning by about 1840.
See also: talk, turkey
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
go cold turkey
INFORMAL1. If someone goes cold turkey, they suddenly stop taking drugs that they depend on. You can't just go cold turkey, because that's not how you successfully deal with addiction. Note: People use cold turkey to describe the experience of doing this. His book describes the 30-day cold turkey of a heroin addict.
2. If someone goes cold turkey, they suddenly stop having or doing something that they are used to. Unless you go cold turkey and leave your mobile phone at home, you will have no peace during your vacation. Note: People use cold turkey to describe the experience of doing this. Compulsive shopping is just like any other addiction and the recession means cold turkey for Judith Summers.
See also: cold, go, turkey
talk turkey
mainly AMERICANIf people talk turkey, they discuss something in an open and serious way, in order to solve a problem. Suddenly government and industry are talking turkey. Last month the Prime Minister promised a partnership to improve the climate for business. The next day we got a call to say that he wanted to talk turkey. Note: This expression is said to have its origin in an American story about a white man who went hunting with a Native American. They caught several wild turkeys and some other birds. After the trip the white man divided the birds unfairly, keeping the turkeys for himself and giving the Native American the less tasty birds. The Native American protested, saying he wanted to `talk turkey'.
See also: talk, turkey
a turkey shoot
A turkey shoot is a fight or contest where one side is so much stronger than the other that the weaker side has no chance of winning. The fighting stopped earlier than expected partly because of public anxiety at the turkey-shoot. The game was turning into a turkey shoot with Roberts blasting the ball past the goalkeeper. Note: This expression is usually used to suggest that the situation is unfair. Note: A turkey shoot is an occasion when people hunt turkeys, which are very easy to shoot.
See also: shoot, turkey
like turkeys voting for Christmas
BRITISHIf someone's action or choice is like turkeys voting for Christmas, it will have a very bad result for them. Lawyers supporting non-legal methods of solving disputes are like turkeys voting for Christmas. The idea that drivers would choose to have speed limiters in their cars would be like turkeys voting for Christmas. Note: In Britain and some other countries, people traditionally eat turkey at Christmas.
See also: Christmas, like, turkey, vote
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
go cold turkey
suddenly and completely stop taking drugs.The image is of one of the possible unpleasant side effects of this, involving bouts of shivering and sweating that cause goose flesh or goose pimples, a bumpy condition of the skin which resembles the flesh of a dead plucked turkey.
See also: cold, go, turkey
like turkeys voting for Christmas
used to suggest that a particular action or decision is hopelessly self-defeating. informalSee also: Christmas, like, turkey, vote
talk turkey
talk frankly and straight-forwardly; get down to business. North American informalThis phrase was first recorded in the mid 19th century, when it generally had the rather different sense of ‘say pleasant things or talk politely’. Although several theories have been put forward, its origins are not clear.
See also: talk, turkey
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
cold ˈturkey
the unpleasant state that drug addicts experience when they suddenly stop taking a drug, or a way of treating addicts that makes them experience this state: The worst time was when he was going cold turkey. I quit smoking cold turkey (= I stopped suddenly and completely).See also: cold, turkey
talk ˈturkey
(informal, especially American English) discuss the practical details of something seriously and honestly: Look, Mark, it’s time we talked turkey. How much money can you invest in the company?See also: talk, turkey
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
cold turkey
mod. [stopping something] suddenly, without tapering off. (Said especially of stopping an addictive drug intake. Originally drugs.) Martha stopped cold turkey and survived.
See also: cold, turkey
couch-doctor
and couch-turkey n. a psychiatrist; a psychoanalyst. I finally walked out on my couch-doctor. Now I’m getting it all together. I bought three new cars for that couch-turkey! Now I’m paying for his kid’s college!
couch-turkey
verbSee couch-doctor
jive turkey
n. a stupid person. What jive turkey made this mess?
See also: jive, turkey
kick cold (turkey)
in. to stop taking drugs without tapering off. (Drugs.) Britney tried to kick cold turkey, but it was just too much.
See also: cold, kick, turkey
talk turkey
tv. to talk serious business; to talk frankly. We’ve got to sit down and talk turkey—get this thing wrapped up. It’s time to talk turkey and quit messing around.
See also: talk, turkey
turkey
1. n. a failure; a sham. (Especially a stage production.) The turkey at the town theater closed on its first night.
2. n. a stupid person. Who’s the turkey who put the scallops in the scalloped potatoes?
turkey bacon
n. a (untrained) night watchman; a uniformed but unoffical “police officer;” fake bacon = cop. The place is guarded by creeky-kneed turkey bacon. I’ll distract them while you sneak in.
See also: bacon, turkey
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
talk turkey
Informal To speak frankly about the basic facts of a matter.
See also: talk, turkey
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.
cold turkey
Abrupt withdrawal from any habitual activity. This term, which came into use in the early twentieth century primarily for withdrawal from some addictive substance (drug or alcohol), soon was transferred to quitting other habits and activities. Its ultimate origin is unclear. It may have come from to talk turkey, which was sometimes put as “to talk cold turkey,” both meaning to speak in an unvarnished way about an unpleasant matter.
See also: cold, turkey
talk turkey, to
To get to the point, speak plainly. This expression has been ascribed to an apocryphal tale about a white man and an Indian hunting and then dividing the spoils. When the white man suggested, “Either I’ll take the turkey and you the buzzard, or you take the buzzard and I the turkey,” the Indian replied, “Now talk turkey to me.” Whatever the true origin, the term was around by the time Thomas C. Haliburton edited Traits of American Humor (ca. 1840), which stated, “I was plagy apt to talk turkey.”
See also: talk
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
poor as Job's turkey
Poverty-stricken. The biblical Job's hardships did not bode well for any barnyard creatures that depended on him for sustenance. This wonderfully descriptive old Southern phrase says all that needs to be said about someone in dire financial straits.
See also: poor, turkey
Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price
- (as) poor as a Job's turkey
- poor as Job's turkey
- someone or something owes you a living
- the world owes you a living
- think something/someone owes you a living
- think the world owes (one) a living
- OK
- like rats leaving a sinking ship
- rats deserting a sinking ship
- been keeping myself busy