IdiomFood & Drink

English

To go cold turkey

Meaning: To quit a habit abruptly and completely.

Example: “He quit sugar cold turkey and was grumpy for a week.”

Origin: 1920s North American slang; the clammy, goose-pimpled skin of withdrawal was likened to a cold, plucked turkey.

More English idioms

By the skin of your teeth By the narrowest possible margin.
To rain on someone's parade To spoil someone's plans or happy moment.
To have a chip on your shoulder To harbor a grudge or a defensive sense of grievance.
To cost an arm and a leg To be extremely expensive.
To burn the midnight oil To work late into the night.
Once in a blue moon Very rarely.

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