Talk

Definition: Talk

Talk

Noun

1. An exchange of ideas via conversation; "let's have more work and less talk around here".

2. (`talk about' is a less formal alternative for `discussion of') discussion; "his poetry contains much talk about love and anger".

3. A act of giving a talk to an audience; "I attended an interesting talk on local history".

4. A speech that is open to the public; "he attended a lecture on telecommunications".

5. Idle gossip or rumor; "there has been talk about you lately".

Verb

1. Exchange thoughts; talk with; "We often talk business"; also used metaphorically: "Actions talk louder than words".

2. Express in speech; "She talks a lot of nonsense".

3. Use language: "the baby talks already"; "the prisoner won't speak"; "they speak a strange dialect".

4. Reveal information; let the cat out of the bag; "If you don't oblige me, I'll talk!".

5. Divulge information or secrets; spill the beans; "Be careful--his secretary talks".

6. Deliver a lecture or talk; "She will talk at Rutgers next week"; "Did you ever lecture at Harvard?".

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "talk" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1010. (references)

Note: Talk \Talk\, intransitive verb [imperfect & past participle. Talked; Talking.]. (references)

Satire

Computing

19th Century Satire

Multilingual Slang

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Synonyms: Talk

Conversation

Noun: conversation, interlocution; collocution, colloquy, converse, confabulation, talk, discourse, verbal intercourse; oral communication, commerce; dialogue, duologue, trialogue.

News

Report, rumor, hearsay, on dit, flying rumor, news stirring, cry, buzz, bruit, fame; talk, oui dire, scandal, eavesdropping; town tattle, table talk; canard, topic of the day, idea afloat.

Speech

Noun: speech, faculty of speech; locution, talk, parlance, verbal intercourse, prolation, oral communication, word of mouth, parole, palaver, prattle; effusion.

Break silence; open one's lips, open one's mouth; lift one's voice, raise one's voice; give the tongue, wag the tongue; talk, outspeak; put in a word or two.

Crosswords: Talk

Albanian (talc), Dutch (suet, tallow), German (talc, talcum), Pidgin English (to talk), Serbo-Croatian (steatite, talc, talcum), Swedish (talc, talcum, talcum powder), Turkish (talc).

I hate it when they talk during the movie (Batman & Robin; writing credit: Akiva Goldsman)

You're one to talk, you bloodless, money-grabbing freak (American Beauty; writing credit: Alan Ball)

Gosh, let's not talk. (Threesome; writing credit: Andrew Fleming.)

Hard to talk to. (The Sweet Hereafter; writing credit: Atom Egoyan)

I like anything that don't talk. (Sleepers; writing credit: Barry Levinson)

Let's give them something to talk about (Something To Talk About; performing artist: Bonnie Raitt)

It's so funny how we don't talk anymore (We Don't Talk Anymore; performing artist: Cliff Richard)

Talk to me, talk to me, talk to me, baby (Come & Talk To Me; performing artist: Jodeci)

Nobody, talk, nobody ever told you, don't talk (Don't Talk To Strangers; performing artist: Rick Springfield)

You can talk to me (Talk To Me; performing artist: Stevie Nicks; writing credit: C. Sandford)

War talk by men who have been in a war is always interesting; whereas moon talk by a poet who has not been in the moon is likely to be dull. (references; author: Mark Twain)

Don't talk unless you can improve the silence. (references; author: Vermont Proverb)

If money could talk, it would say goodbye. (references; author: unknown)

Walk the words you talk, and talk the words you walk. (references; author: unknown)

While men talk of killing time, slowly time kills men. (references; author: unknown)

If These Walls Could Talk 2 (2000)

The Man Who Could Talk to Kids (1973)

Changes... 'Let's Talk About Them!' (1972)

You've Got to Walk It Like You Talk It or You'll Lose That Beat (1971)

Talk of the Devil (1968)

Please Don't Talk About Me (performing artist: Louis Armstrong)

Talk About It (performing artist: Javelin Boot)

Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone (performing artist: Sammy Jr. Davis)

Come And Talk To Me (performing artist: Jodeci)

You Talk Too Much (performing artist: Joe Jones)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

References

• Talk America Holdings, Incorprated: International Competitive Benchmarks and Financial Gap Analysis (reference)

• Talk Visual Corp: International Competitive Benchmarks and Financial Gap Analysis (reference)

• Let's Talk Cellular & Wireless, Inc.: International Competitive Benchmarks and Financial Gap Analysis (reference)

  (more reference examples)

Books

• Southern Stuff: Down-Home Talk and Bodacious Lore from Deep in the Heart of Dixie (reference)

• Shyness: A Bold New Approach: Managing Your Shyness at Work, Making Small Talk, Navigating Social Situations, Parenting a Shy Child (reference)

• Brown's Town: 20 Famous Browns Talk Amongst Themselves (reference)

• Guts & Borrowed Money: Straight Talk for Starting & Growing Your Small Business (reference)

• Please Don't Shoot the Messenger!: How to Talk to Demanding Bosses, Cluesless Colleagues, Tough Customers Without Losing Your Cool (Or Your Job!) (reference)

  (more book examples)

Periodicals

• Alateen Talk (reference)

• Art Talk (reference)

• Astro Talk Bulletin (reference)

• Child Health Talk (reference)

• Computer Talk For The Pharmacist (reference)

  (more periodical examples)

Theater & Movies

• People Will Talk (reference)

  (more DVD examples; more video examples)

Music

• Crazy Talk (reference)

• Talk to Her (Score) [SOUNDTRACK] (reference)

  (more classical music examples; more popular music examples)

High Tech

• Sports Talk Baseball (reference)

• Talk Now! Arabic (reference)

• Talk Now! Tagalog (reference)

• World Talk Arabic (reference)

  (more camera examples; more video game examples; more computer examples; more electronic examples; more software examples)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

2 men (1 white, 1 black) talk across a cafeteria table. 2 women are seen at another table in the background. See artwork: OCC-04. Credit: Bill Branson (photographer).

White and McDivitt Talk to President. Credit: NASA.

In the air-filled bell dome, divers can talk to each other and the surface. Credit: National Undersea Research Program (NURP).

A dome for talking to the surface and other divers. It is called a personal talk station or PTS. Credit: National Undersea Research Program (NURP).

STAN, short for "standard man," is able to talk, breathe, blink its eyes, and mimic a large number of other human actions. By displaying any number of "casualty symptoms," STAN will provide valuable training for Air Force nurses as par.

A woman health educator giving a health talk to a group on board a fishing junk. / WHO/China Photo Service photo. Credit: National Library of Medicine.

Talk to each other. Listen to each other. : Life. Don't waste it. Credit: National Library of Medicine.

Flora, let's talk as man to man. Credit: Library of Congress.

Table talk below stairs. Credit: Library of Congress.

Uncle Sam and two other men talk outside window of President Woodrow Wilson. Credit: Library of Congress.

Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

But whatever flatterers may talk to amuse people's understandings, it hinders not men from feeling; and when they perceive, that any man, in what station soever, is out of the bounds of the civil society which they are of, and that they have no appeal on earth against any harm, they may receive from him, they are apt to think themselves in the state of nature, in respect of him whom they find to be so; and to take care, as soon as they can, to have that safety and security in civil society, for which it was first instituted, and for which only they entered into it. (Second Treatise of Government)

This talk about free selling and buying, and all the other "brave words" of our bourgeoisie about freedom in general, have a meaning, if any, only in contrast with restricted selling and buying, with the fettered traders of the Middle Ages, but have no meaning when opposed to the Communistic abolition of buying and selling, of the bourgeois conditions of production, and of the bourgeoisie itself. (reference)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

My dear Emma, I am longing to talk to you.

Observing that the hand was pointed to them, Scrooge advanced to listen to their talk.

"Ford!" he said, "there's an infinite number of monkeys outside who want to talk to us about this script for Hamlet they've worked out!"

By times he would talk to himself, and in an undertone mutter dismal monologues

Who think too little, and who talk too much

He saw her approach him in a lull of the talk and beg him to sing one of his curious songs

Good faith, and when I met this holy man, The men you talk of came into my mind

And at last the owner men drove into the dooryards and sat in their cars to talk out of the windows

The animosities between these two parties run so high, that they will neither eat nor drink, nor talk with each other

I should not talk so much about myself if there were anybody else whom I knew as well

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Health

You can also talk to a nurse or a pharmacist. (references)

If that happens to you, talk to your doctor or nurse. (references)

Uses 2-3 word sentences to talk about and ask for things. (references)

Business

Finally, talk to your banker. (references)

Etiquette includes small talk before getting into business. (references)

It is considered impolite to begin addressing business topics without taking several minutes for small talk. (references)

Civil Liberties

Laos

Television talk shows and opinion articles refer only to differences in administrative approach. (references)

Korea

Members of the press group reportedly were allowed to visit a school and to talk to some ordinary persons. (references)

Venezuela

Radio and television stations rarely broadcast overt institutional political opinions, although opinion and talk shows are common. (references)

Economic History

Egypt

Radio enjoys more freedom than TV in its news programs, talk shows and analysis. (references)

Syria

There has been talk of constructing a third port for hazardous cargo south of Tartus. (references)

United Arab Emirates

There is talk of steps toward democratic government, but nothing concrete has emerged. (references)

Human Rights

Uzbekistan

Law enforcement officials warned families not to talk about their relatives' deaths. (references)

Tanzania

In some cases, accused persons are denied the right to contact a lawyer or talk with family members. (references)

China

Dissidents in Shanghai have been warned not to meet with certain persons, talk to reporters, or write or fax articles. (references)

Political Economy

HONDURAS

In 2001, talk of opening the telecom market by bidding out the Band B cellular service has been met with resistance in the Congress. (references)

ITALY

The Italian law exceeds the EU Directive by making 51 percent European content mandatory during prime time, and by excluding talk shows from the programming that may be counted towards fulfilling the quota. (references)

Travel

Ecuador

Normal office hours are 9:00 to to 6:00 p.m. Small talk usually precedes discussion of business. (references)

Women

Czech Republic

Representatives of the White Circle of Safety also promoted public discussion of the issue by appearing on national events talk shows. (references)

Lebanon

In general battered or abused women do not talk about their suffering due to fear of bringing shame upon their own families or accusations of misbehavior upon themselves. (references)

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Talk

My talk

Filled or drunk with talk

My talk

Expressions using "talk": all talk and no cider ♦ all this talk ♦ Apple talk ♦ baby talk ♦ back talk ♦ backstairs talk ♦ bawdy talk ♦ be the talk of the town ♦ big talk ♦ blunt talk ♦ break in a talk ♦ chalk talk ♦ cross talk ♦ don't talk daft! ♦ don't talk rot ♦ don't talk rubbish! ♦ don't talk such stuff ♦ double talk ♦ draw smb. into talk ♦ empty talk ♦ foul talk ♦ give a talk ♦ have a good long talk ♦ have a talk ♦ have a talk with ♦ idle talk ♦ informal talk ♦ irrational talk ♦ it's all talk ♦ kiddy talk ♦ make small talk ♦ new talk ♦ no end of talk ♦ old talk ♦ pep talk ♦ pillow talk ♦ plain talk ♦ private talk ♦ ribald talk ♦ run on his talk ♦ sale talk ♦ sales talk ♦ scandalous talk ♦ shop talk ♦ silly talk ♦ small talk ♦ strange talk ♦ sweet talk ♦ table talk ♦ talk a great deal ♦ talk a lot of trash ♦ talk about ♦ talk about rude! ♦ talk about this and that ♦ talk above smb.'s head ♦ talk against time ♦ talk around ♦ talk at ♦ talk at length ♦ talk at random ♦ talk at random about ♦ talk away ♦ talk away! ♦ talk back ♦ talk behind back ♦ talk big ♦ talk bilge ♦ talk billingsgate ♦ talk bomb ♦ talk business ♦ talk dirty ♦ talk down ♦ talk down to ♦ talk down to one's audience ♦ talk endlessly ♦ talk film ♦ talk for the sake of talking ♦ talk gibberish ♦ talk horse ♦ talk in a whisper ♦ talk in an undertone ♦ talk in circles ♦ talk in czech ♦ talk in detail ♦ talk in simple ♦ talk in superlatives ♦ talk incessantly ♦ talk indiscreetly ♦ talk into ♦ talk into believing ♦ talk into taking ♦ talk jargon ♦ talk large ♦ talk like the book ♦ talk merrily ♦ talk mode ♦ talk nineteen to the dozen ♦ talk nonsense ♦ talk of ♦ talk of smth. ♦ talk of the devil. Additional references.

Beginning with "talk": talk-about-the-weather, talk-and-chalk, talk-back, talk-exchanges, talk-in, talk-off, talk-show, talk-to-plus, talk-up, talk-whistles.

Ending with "talk": pep-talk, pillow-talk, self-talk, small-talk.

Containing "talk": dip-the-finger-in-the-water-and-let's-talk-about-the-test-match, let's-talk-about-this, PC-TALK III, push-to-talk button.

Afrikaans

praat (speak), gesels (speak). (various references)

Albanian

flas (discourse, hold forth, palaver, say, speak). (various references)

Arabic 

‏لغة (idiom, language, parlance, speech, tongue), ‏إجتماع مصغر, ‏تحدث (broadcast, converse, discourse, jaw, sing out, speak, tell, yarn), ‏تحدثوا, ‏تناقش بخصوص, ‏حديث (chat, colloquy, conversation, discourse, late, modernistic, new, newfangled, palaver, speech, yarn), ‏ثرثر (babble, blab, blabber, bluster, chatter, clack, clatter, crack, gabble, gas, gibber, give oneself airs, gossip, jabber, jangle, jaw, natter, palaver, patter, prate, prattle, quack, rap, rumble, shoot one's mouth off, smatter, tattle, twaddle, twitter, yap), ‏قيل وقال (chitchat, scandal, tittle tattle), ‏كلام (conversation, remark, speech, statement, talking, utterance, words), ‏نشر الإشاعات, ‏ناقش (agitate, argue, bat, canvass, converse, debate, discuss, dispute, join issue with, moot, oppugn, powwow, question, set about, speak, talk over, ventilate), ‏نميمة (dirt, gossip, scandal, talebearing, tattle), ‏محادثة (conversation, dialogue, discourse, discussion, parley), ‏مناقشة (argumentation, debate, discussion, dispute), ‏مكالمة (call), ‏قال (go, said, say, speak, state, tell, told, utter). (various references)

Asturian

falar (to talk). (various references)

Bemba

ukulanda (to talk). (various references)

Blackfoot

i'poyi (to talk). (various references)

Bulgarian 

слухове, разговор (colloquy, conversation, dialogue, interlocution, passages, rap, word, words), разговарям (have a talk, speak), клюки (chitchat, comment, gup, scandal, tattle, tittle tattle), говоря (converse, harangue, parley, reflect, shoot, slur, speak, vocalize), одумвам (gossip about, talk about), бъбря (burble, chatter, prate, prattle, rap, tittle tattle, yarn), беседа (conversation, discourse, disquisition, interlocution), празни приказки (babble, eyewash, flim-flam, froth, fudge, gas, jazz, natter, palaver, patter, piffle, tittle tattle, twaddle, wind, yack), празни думи, приказки (jaws, prattle), приказвам си с, приказвам (jaw, natter, prattle, shoot, speak), изнасям лекция, изнасям беседа. (various references)

Catalan

parlar (speak, to speak). (various references)

Cebuano

mosulti (to talk). (various references)

Chamorro

para man kuentos (to talk). (various references)

Chinese 

谈话 (Talked, talking, talks), 話 (conversation, dialect, language, speech, spoken words, what someone said, words), 談話 (conversation), 言語 (speech), 言 (to say, to speak, word), 報告 (lecture, make known, report, speech, to inform). (various references)

Cornish

cows (to talk). (various references)

Czech

tlachat (blab, cackle, chatter, gas, jaw, palaver, tittle tattle, waffle, yap), tlachání (cackle, gab, gas, palaver, twaddle, waffle), debatovat (canvass, debate, dispute), klábosit (chat, chatter, gossip, jaw, jazz, natter), jednání (act, action, dealing, manner, negotiation, proceeding), hovor (call, colloquy, conversation), hovořit (call, converse, discuss, spiel), dohady (guesswork, speculation), klevetit (backbite, gossip, tattle), diskuse (debate, discussion, moot, parley), mluvit (speak, to speak), debata (argument, debate, discussion, disputation, moot), bavit se (chat, disport), řeè (harangue, language, oration, speech, tongue), žvanit (babble, blab, burble, cackle, gabble, gas, natter, palaver, pettifog, piffle, prate, prattle, rattle, spout, tattle, tittle tattle, twaddle, waffle, yap), diskutovat (argue, debate), žvást (bunkum, claptrap, prate), konverzovat (converse), vypovídat (predicate, testify), přednáška (lection, lecture, reading), přemluvit (bring round, cajole, coax, persuade, prevail, talk round), povídání (chat, chitchat, narration, talking), povídat, rozhovor (chat, conversation, dialogue, interview), rozhovory, rozmluva (discourse, interlocution), rozprávìt, výmìna názorù (ding-dong), vykládat (construe, discharge, inlay, narrate, panel), vymluvit, konverzace (conversation, conversation class, small talk). (various references)

Danish

tale (speak, speech). (various references)

Dutch

spreken (speak, speaking, speech), praten (chat, chatter, speak). (various references)

Ecuadorian Quechua

rimana (to talk). (various references)

Esperanto

paroli (speak). (various references)

Faeroese

tosa (chat, chatter, speak), tala (speak, speech). (various references)

Farsi 

مذاکره (Conference, Discussion, Interview), گفتگو (Colloquy, Conference, Conversation, Converse, Dialogue, Discussion, Parlance), حرف زدن (Say, Speak), حرف (Blabbermouth, Grapheme, Jib, Letter, Particle, Say, Speech, Word, Yap), صحبت (Colloquy, Converse, Dialogue, Speech). (various references)

Finnish

puhua (say, speak, to speak), puhe (address, chat, oration, speech), keskustelu (conversation, discussion), juttelu (chat). (various references)

French

parler. (various references)

Frisian

sprekke (speak), prate (speak, to talk). (various references)

German

reden (discourse, monologues, orations, sayings, speak, speaking, speeches, talk about, talking, to discourse, to speak), sprechen (converse, discourse, pronounce, recite, see, speak, speaking, talking, to speak, to speak (spoke, utterance), plauderei (chat, chat show, chin-wag, confabulation, conversation), Gespräch (call, conversation, dialogue, discourse, discussion, interlocution, interview). (various references)

Greek