go cold turkey —(sl.) rid oneself of drug addiction by sudden and complete withdrawal of the drug:
- I had to stop smoking, so I went cold turkey.
Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase talk cold turkey—(coll.) speak frankly and without reserve (also: talk turkey):
- It would be impossible for the President to ever talk cold turkey because nobody would accept the responsibility for fighting a war for economic reasons.
walk turkey —(of a ship) pitch and roll:
- The north wind commenced to make the Yaquina walk turkey, standing her up on either end alternately.