Cold turkey
Meaning
To abruptly stop an addictive habit or activity completely and without any gradual reduction.
Origin
Imagine a patient in the early 20th century, struggling through the harrowing process of drug withdrawal. Their skin, clammy and pale, would often be covered in goosebumps, making them resemble the plucked, uncooked bird presented at a butcher's shop: a cold turkey. This stark, visual metaphor captured the raw, unadorned, and often brutal experience of suddenly ceasing an addiction without any gradual tapering. The phrase vividly described the abruptness and intense physical discomfort of such a drastic action, embedding itself into the vernacular as the ultimate term for an immediate, no-compromise cessation of a habit.
Examples
- After years of smoking, she decided to quit cold turkey and hasn't touched a cigarette since.
- The doctor advised him against going cold turkey on his medication due to the potential side effects.