What it means
Quitting cold turkey means stopping something instantly, no tapering, no patches, no one last one. It’s most common for addictions like cigarettes, booze, or socials, and it hints you’re about to cop the rough bit: cravings, grumps, and that twitchy hands feeling. The turkey part’s old and weird, and nobody’s fully agreed why, but the drama fits.
Usage examples
"Went cold turkey on energy drinks, and by lunchtime I was staring at the kettle like it owed me money. Colleague offered decaf, I nearly lost it."
"He quit smoking cold turkey, no patches, no gum, just tossed the pack in the bin and never looked back."
"I went cold turkey on late-night scrolling, phone out of the bedroom, and the first three nights were brutal."
"She went cold turkey on vaping and spent two days stomping round the flat like every minor inconvenience had personally insulted her bloodline."
"Tried going cold turkey off TikTok, deleted the app at midnight, reinstalled it by breakfast, then deleted it again out of pure wounded pride."
Where it comes from
Recorded in early 20th century American addiction talk, especially around opiate withdrawal. The name is usually tied to the pale, clammy, goosebumped skin people get in withdrawal, which was compared to cold plucked turkey skin. From there it spread into everyday English for quitting any habit all at once.
This expression also appears in
