talking turkey
Getting down seriously
Talking turkey means speaking frankly and getting down to business, especially in negotiations or serious discussions.
The phrase suggests cutting through pleasantries to address practical matters directly: Let's stop dancing around and start talking turkey.
After weeks of delays, they're finally talking turkey about the contract terms.
- plain-speakingDirect, unadorned honesty
- straight shooterForthright, blunt person
- candidHonest and direct
- tell it like it isSpeak with complete candor
- truthfulAccurate and sincere
Americanism · bargaining · hard bargain · cut to the chase · compromise · forthright · get down to brass tacks · cards on the table · resolution · genuine · agreement · historical context · colloquialism · etymology · open-hearted · folklore · authentic · real deal
talking turkeybeating around the bush
Avoiding direct communication
hedging · equivocating · pussyfooting · mincing words · speaking in riddles
talking turkeysmall talk
Polite trivial conversation
shooting the breeze · pleasantries · idle chatter · bantering · chewing the fat
talk, talks, talked, talker, talkers, talkative, turkey, turkeys