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Talk turkey | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Questions About Your Target Languages |  | |
| chenshujian Diglot Senior Member ChinaRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5246 days ago 122 posts - 139 votes  Speaks: Mandarin*, English Studies: French | Message 1 of 10 13 October 2010 at 6:56am | IP Logged | ||
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Someone tells me "talk turkey" means "talk in a frank manner".
Why? How does this meaning come from? 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| jasoninchina Senior Member China Joined 5027 days ago 221 posts - 306 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Mandarin, Italian | Message 2 of 10 13 October 2010 at 7:36am | IP Logged | ||
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I have no clue where this comes from, but I can tell you how I've heard it used.
The only situation I have ever heard this phrase used in is in a business setting. After finishing with the pleasantries, one person may say "OK, let's talk turkey." I have always taken this to mean, "let's get down to business." However, I can see how this might also mean "let's speak frankly." 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Volte Tetraglot Senior Member Switzerland Joined 6235 days ago 4474 posts - 6726 votes Speaks: English*, Esperanto, German, Italian Studies: French, Finnish, Mandarin, Japanese | Message 3 of 10 13 October 2010 at 7:43am | IP Logged | ||
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I've never heard this phrase in my life. Where is it used?
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| Deshwi Triglot Newbie Canada Joined 5396 days ago 31 posts - 38 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish, French Studies: Arabic (Written), Turkish, Hindi, Persian | Message 4 of 10 13 October 2010 at 7:50am | IP Logged | ||
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I too have heard this phrase in the sense of 'getting down to business'. It's rarely used though. I have no idea why people say it, I've never said it myself.
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 newyorkeric Diglot Moderator Singapore Joined 6175 days ago 1598 posts - 2174 votes Speaks: English*, Italian Studies: Mandarin, Malay Personal Language Map | Message 5 of 10 13 October 2010 at 8:32am | IP Logged | ||
Americans would understand it for sure even if it's not used too often. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| garyb Triglot Senior Member ScotlandRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5003 days ago 1468 posts - 2413 votes Speaks: English*, Italian, French Studies: Spanish | Message 6 of 10 13 October 2010 at 5:40pm | IP Logged | ||
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I've never heard it, but I'd guess it means something similar to "get to the meat of the matter" - i.e., get to what's important or what the main focus of the meetings is, much like the turkey is the "main focus" of a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner?
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| jae Triglot Senior Member United States Joined 5460 days ago 206 posts - 239 votes Speaks: English*, German, Latin Studies: Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, French | Message 7 of 10 14 October 2010 at 12:16am | IP Logged | ||
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Wow, I had also never heard it (and I'm American). My first impression was pretty similar to garyb's...though I don't really formally know what it means (guess I do now though!). I would point out though, that this really is not a common phrase at all (seeing as how many people here haven't encountered it that often). Interesting though; thanks for asking the question - I've learned something new :)
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| BiaHuda Triglot Groupie Vietnam Joined 5159 days ago 97 posts - 127 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish, Vietnamese Studies: Cantonese | Message 8 of 10 14 October 2010 at 2:29am | IP Logged | ||
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I have heard it before but it is a phrase that has gone out of favour. I think garyb gives the best explination though. I would expect to hear this in an old film with James Cagney or something.
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