Cold Turkey
Apr 10
Definition:
1) Immediate, complete withdrawal from something on which one has become dependent, as with an addictive drug.
2) blunt / plain language; getting down to business (American)
Description:
This refers to an addict’s skin reaction to heroin withdrawal. As an addict stops using the drug, blood is drawn toward the internal organs, thereby leaving the skin to resemble a cold, plucked turkey.
The origin dates back to 1910 and originally meant “without preparation,” referring to the ease of making a dish of cold turkey. In 1922, the expression acquired its darker connotation related to drug withdrawal.