What does "Talk turkey" mean?

To speak seriously and directly about something; to get down to business. 'Talking turkey' means discussing something seriously and frankly—no more small talk, let's address the real issues.

How do you use "Talk turkey" in a sentence?

Let's talk turkey about the contract. It's time to talk turkey. We need to talk turkey about money.

Talk turkey

Slang Term AmericanBritish ★★★☆☆ Moderate Casual

Practice this with flashcards, quizzes & audio on WordLoci →

Meaning: To speak seriously and directly about something; to get down to business.

认真直接地谈论某事；切入正题。

Hablar en serio y directamente sobre algo; ir al grano.

本題について真剣に直接的に話すこと。本気で話すこと。

진지하고 직접적으로 이야기하다. 본론으로 들어가다.

'Talking turkey' means discussing something seriously and frankly—no more small talk, let's address the real issues.

'talking turkey（说火鸡话）'意味着认真坦率地讨论某事——不再闲聊，直接讨论真正的问题。

'Talking turkey' (hablar del pavo) significa discutir algo seria y francamente, sin más charla intrascendente: vamos a abordar los temas importantes.

「talking turkey（七面鳥の話をする）」は、何かについて真剣かつ率直に話し合うこと——もう世間話はやめて、本題に取り組もうという意味です。

'Talking turkey'는 진지하고 솔직하게 논의하는 것을 의미합니다. 더 이상 잡담은 그만하고 진짜 문제를 다루자는 뜻입니다.

Examples

Let's talk turkey about the contract.
我们来认真谈谈合同吧。
Vamos a hablar en serio sobre el contrato.
契約について本気で話し合おう。
계약에 대해 본격적으로 이야기하자.
It's time to talk turkey.
是时候切入正题了。
Es hora de ir al grano.
そろそろ本題に入る時だ。
이제 본론에 들어갈 때다.
We need to talk turkey about money.
我们需要认真谈谈钱的事。
Necesitamos hablar en serio sobre el dinero.
お金のことを真剣に話し合う必要がある。
돈 문제를 진지하게 이야기해야 한다.

Pronunciation

/tɔːk ˈtɜːki/

Usage Guide

Context: business, negotiation, seriousness

Tone: direct, businesslike

✓ Do Say

Talk turkey
认真谈
ir al grano
本題に入る
본론으로 들어가다
Let's talk turkey
认真谈谈吧
vamos al grano
本気で話し合おう
본론을 이야기하자

Common Mistakes

American expression, may need context

Origin & History

American expression from the early 19th century. Possibly from Native American/colonist trading, where 'talking turkey' meant getting to the serious business.

Etymology: American trading: getting to serious negotiation

First recorded: Early 19th century American

Cultural Context

Era: 19th century American

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: American expressions

Regional notes: American origin, less common elsewhere.

Variations

Talk turkeyLet's talk turkey