To quit something "cold turkey" means to stop abruptly and completely, without a gradual reduction or tapering off. It is most commonly used for quitting drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes, but can be applied to any habit: "I quit sugar cold turkey."
The earliest known use in print appears in the Daily Colonist (Victoria, British Columbia) in 1921: "Perhaps the best way to treat a 'dope fiend' is to pit him in a 'cold turkey' treatment." The phrase was being used in a medical/addiction context from its very first recorded appearance.
The most convincing explanation connects to withdrawal symptoms. When a person stops taking an addictive substance suddenly, the body reacts — one symptom is the skin becoming pale, cold, and covered in goosebumps as circulation changes. This appearance — cold, pale, pimpled skin — was said to resemble the skin of a plucked, cold turkey sitting in a butcher's display. The phrase "cold turkey" captured that image of an unpleasant, raw, unadorned state.
A secondary theory suggests the comparison is to simplicity and directness. A "cold turkey" — an uncooked bird served plain — requires no preparation, no gradual cooking, no finesse. Quitting cold turkey similarly requires no method, no programme, no gradual winding down. You just stop.
Some researchers trace the phrase to an earlier idiom, "to talk cold turkey," meaning to speak plainly and directly without embellishment. This phrase appears in North American sources from 1910–1920 and may have influenced the development of "quit cold turkey" as a plain, blunt form of stopping.
For some substances, yes. Quitting alcohol cold turkey can be medically dangerous and even life-threatening for heavy drinkers. Quitting certain medications abruptly can also cause serious withdrawal. Always consult a doctor before stopping any substance abruptly. This page covers the phrase's history only — not medical advice.
The earliest known printed use is from the Daily Colonist (Victoria, BC, Canada) in 1921, in the context of addiction treatment.