COLD TURKEY, COME FULL CIRCLE, COME HOME TO ROOST: American English Idioms #45

COLD TURKEY

An idiom typically is a phrase that has a figurative meaning different from the literal meaning of the phrase. The term “cold turkey” is an idiomatic expression of someone abruptly quitting or cutting off something, such as drugs.

The term “cold turkey” is often used to refer to a person going through cold turkey withdrawal. This refers to the abrupt cessation of an addictive substance, which can result in severe symptoms of withdrawal.

The cold turkey idiom is typically used in reference to quitting addictive substances such as drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes. It can also be used in a figurative sense when a person is trying to limit their intake of unhealthy food.

This idiom typically is used in reference to quitting a substance or habit abruptly. It is not advised to quit anything cold turkey, unless medically prescribed.

COME FULL CIRCLE

The phrase “come full circle” is often used to describe situations where everything has returned to how it was before. This can be applied in many different ways, for example the way a person may go through tough times at first and then end up on top of their game, or something that starts out as a new idea but then becomes popular.

This idiom comes from the phrase “come full circle”, meaning to return to a place in the same state as when it had been left. It can also refer to someone’s life, coming back to something they used to do or were known for. This term is thought of as an artistic representation of time and space that begins and ends on itself.

The idiom to come full circle means that the situation has progressed to the point where it is now starting over again. For example, if you first graduated high school and then went back for your first year of college, you might say that you came full circle because it’s like you are back at the beginning.

COME HOME TO ROOST

There is a saying that describes the rise and fall of a person’s life that “what goes around comes around.” This time period in life is when a person usually pays back all the good and bad deeds they did to others such as stealing, lying, cheating on their partner, etc. People will finally get what they deserve after having gone on for so long doing whatever they want without consequences.

There are many expressions in English that have old, seemingly archaic meanings. The idiom “come home to roost” is one of these. Originally it meant to be fully aware of the consequences of one’s actions. Today the phrase has come to mean “to return as a result of one’s own action”.

The idiom “come home to roost” comes from the idea that when one goes against nature, any negative consequences will eventually come back, or in this case turn up, in the form of a bird. For example, a general who takes a bribe in exchange for a military favor might be met with an enemy’s attack in the form of a bird making its way back to his home.

The idiom “come home to roost” means that a consequence of one’s actions eventually comes back to the person who started it, and is often used when talking about disasters coming from wars or corruption. For example, if a country goes bankrupt because they gave their citizens an unsustainable salary for years, then the country will come home to roost when those citizens revolt and overthrow their government.

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