16 Common Expressions with TALK

16 Common Expressions with TALK

Hello English learners. Welcome to a new lesson. We will look at 16 common expressions with “talk”

1. Talk a blue streak
2. Talk behind someone’s back
3. Talk big
4. Talk down
5. Talk in circles
6. Talk is cheap
7. Talk nonsense
8. Talk out of both sides of one’s mouth
9. Talk sense
10. Talk shop
11. Talk someone’s ear off
12. Talk the same language
13. Talk the talk
14. Talk tough
15. Talk turkey
16. Talk up a storm

Talk a blue streak

Meaning:  to talk very quickly and continuously, often with great enthusiasm or excitement.

• He talked a blue streak about his new job, barely taking a breath.
• Gerry talked a blue streak during the meeting, sharing all his ideas and plans.
• Judy can talk a blue streak when she’s excited about something.

Common expressions with TALK

Talk behind someone’s back

Meaning: to speak about someone without their knowledge, often in a negative or critical way.

• It’s not fair to talk about Thelma behind her back; if you have an issue, you should discuss it with her directly.
• Brian found out that his colleagues were talking behind his back about his work performance.
• Look, Tom! If you have something to tell me, tell me to my face. Don’t talk behind my back.

Talk big

Meaning: to boast or brag about oneself, one’s abilities or achievements. It often suggests that the person is making grand claims or promises that may not be backed up by actions or reality.

• Derek always talks big about his business ventures, but they rarely succeed.
• Don’t be fooled by Richard’s big talk; he often exaggerates his accomplishments.
• They talked big about their plans for the project, but nothing has been done so far.

Talk down

Meaning: to talk to someone as if they are less intelligent or less important.

• He always talks down to his employees, which makes them feel undervalued.
• The manager’s habit of talking down to the staff created a negative work environment.
• Parents should avoid talking down to their children and instead encourage open communication.

Common expressions with TALK

Talk in circles

Meaning:  to talk in a confusing way, often without making a clear point or reaching a conclusion. It implies that the speaker is not being direct or straightforward, and their conversation is going in loops without addressing the main issue.

• The meeting was frustrating because everyone was talking in circles and nothing was resolved.
• Instead of giving a clear answer, he just talked in circles.
• Mary talked in circles, avoiding the main question.

Talk the talk

Meaning: to speak confidently or convincingly about a subject. It is often used in the context of someone who is skilled at presenting themselves or their ideas verbally.

• Sheila talks the talk when it comes to environmental issues, but her actions don’t always match her words.
• It’s easy to talk the talk about healthy living, but actually maintaining a healthy lifestyle is much harder.
• The student talked the talk during the oral exam, impressing everyone with his knowledge.

Talk tough

Meaning: to speak in a strong, confident, and often aggressive manner, usually to show determination or to intimidate others.

• The coach talked tough to motivate the team before the big game.
• Karen talked tough to her employees about meeting the project deadlines.
• Dan talks tough, but his actions don’t always match his words.

Common expressions with TALK

Talk nonsense

Meaning: to speak in a way that is illogical, foolish, or without making any sense.

• Don’t listen to Stuart; he’s just talking nonsense.
• Berry tends to talk nonsense when he’s nervous.
• Helen talks nonsense about things she doesn’t understand.

Talk out of both sides of one’s mouth

Meaning:  to say different things to different people, often in a way that is deceitful or hypocritical. It implies that the person is being dishonest or insincere by giving conflicting messages to different people.

• Politicians sometimes talk out of both sides of their mouths to gain support from different voter groups.
• Jill was caught talking out of both sides of her mouth, promising different things to different people.
• It’s frustrating when someone talks out of both sides of their mouth and you don’t know where they really stand.

Talk sense

Meaning: to speak logically and reasonably. It means that the speaker is making valid points, offering practical advice, or discussing something in a way that is easy to understand and makes sense.

• It’s important to talk sense when giving advice to someone in need.
• Can you talk some sense into him? He’s not thinking clearly.
• Julia always talks sense and provides valuable insights during meetings.

Common expressions with TALK

Talk shop

Meaning: to discuss work-related topics, often in a social setting where work is not the main focus. It is commonly used when people from the same profession or workplace start discussing their jobs, projects, or work-related matters.

• The conference was a great opportunity to network and talk shop with industry experts.
• Ted enjoys talking shop with his colleagues after work.
• Even at the party, they couldn’t help but talk shop about the latest project.

Talk someone’s ear off

Meaning: to talk to someone excessively, often to the point of annoying or overwhelming them. It implies that the speaker is very talkative and doesn’t give the listener a chance to respond or take a break from the conversation.

• Ken talked my ear off about his new hobby for hours.
• Sandra loves to talk, and she can talk your ear off if you let her.
• Whenever we meet, he talks my ear off about his work.

Talk the same language

Meaning: to understand each other well, often because of shared experiences, perspectives, or interests.

• Even though they come from different backgrounds, they talk the same language when it comes to business.
• The new team members quickly learned to talk the same language, which improved their collaboration.
• Despite their differences, they talk the same language when it comes to their goals and values.

Common expressions with TALK

Talk is cheap

Meaning: an idiom meaning that it is easy to say something but much harder to do it. It emphasizes that merely talking about something without taking action is not valuable.

• John keeps promising to help us with a donation, but talk is cheap. I’ll believe it when I see it.
• They said they would improve the service, but talk is cheap. We need to see real changes.
• George boasts about his skills, but talk is cheap. Let’s see him prove it.

Talk turkey

Meaning: to discuss something frankly and seriously, often focusing on practical details or important matters.

• Let’s talk turkey about the budget and figure out where we can cut costs.
• They sat down to talk turkey about the terms of the contract.
• We need to talk turkey if we want to resolve this issue.

Talk up a storm

Meaning: to talk a lot and very enthusiastically, often about a particular topic.

• Last night at the party Chris talked up a storm, sharing stories and jokes with everyone.
• The kids were talking up a storm about their excursion.
• Gabi can talk up a storm about her favourite TV shows.

Common expressions with TALK

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