My Two Cents ... XII

Today's phrase:

"to go cold turkey" (to quit cold turkey)

What does it mean?

To go cold turkey means that you stop a drug or medication all at once instead of getting off gradually. Usually, when you go cold turkey, the side effects are far worse and in many cases, supervision is required to ensure your health (when you stop drinking alcohol as alcoholic, for example.)

What are its origins?

The term was first used with the meaning of "speaking the plain truth" in the USA in the early 20th century. Some years later, the first sources in Canada and the USA mention it in connection with drug addicts in the above describes meaning.

My two cents:

It makes sense that any idiom with "turkey" in it originated in Northern America. The states have Thanksgiving with the traditional turkey and therefore have a special "bond" to that animal. The explanation for this idion which makes the most sense is that a meal of cold turkey takes no preparation, as does speaking the plain truth (without thinking of how to phrase it best or talk around it) and stopping taking drugs all of a sudden. I really like this phrase as it is just one more colourful idiom of the English language.