Idiom meaning, usage examples, facts

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U W Y

COLD TURKEY

abruptly; not gradually
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1. Harry decided to stop smoking cigarettes all at once. He decided to quit cold turkey.
2. Many doctors believe that if you want to give up using a drug, you can’t do it gradually. You have to stop cold turkey.

This slang expression was originally used to describe a way of stopping the intake of addictive drugs, and is still used most often in reference to drugs, including cigarettes.


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