The Word Detective writes that the phrase probably evolved from the American idiom “to talk turkey,” meaning “to speak directly and frankly, without beating around the bush.” An early form of the phrase was “to talk cold turkey,” and using “cold turkey” probably was “…a simple, uncomplicated meal, as a metaphor for simple, unadorned, direct speech.” Talking cold turkey came to mean “give it to me straight; tell me the unvarnished truth. “Cold turkey” came to mean “quit suddenly, with no tapering off…”
Author Archives: RF_Alum
Avoiding Genetically Modified Organisms
I intend this to be the final commentary about Generically Modified Organisms (GMOs). Of course I reserve the right to do more if I feel new information warrants.
Activists who want GMOs to be excluded from human foods are quite upset that the US Department of Agriculture has approved them for human consumption and are protesting and campaigning in several states to require foods derived from GMOs to be clearly labeled. In the interim, people can take the simple step of buying foods labeled as organic. The US and Canadian governments do not allow manufacturers to label something 100% organic if it has been genetically modified or is from an animal that has been fed genetically modified feeds. There is a web site that provides a discussion about the foods most likely to be GMOs. It also says that foods labeled with a four digit PLU number are conventionally produced, those with five digits beginning with 8 are GMOs, and those with a five digit number beginning with 9 are organic. Continue reading
Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
The expression refers to using your senses to make determinations rather than depending on mechanical aides. You might hear someone say something to the effect, “I’m not certain what I’m doing, but it feels right.”
According to Tony Kleu, pilots in early airplanes had no instruments to help them turn the plane and stay in control. They relied on their sense of balance and feelings transferred to their bodies by contact with the seat to determine the aggressiveness of the turn. A hard turn would cause them to slip in the seat. Thus “flying by the seat of your pants” is literal.
Atatürk, The Biography of the Founder of Modern Turkey
This book by Andrew Mango intimidated me when I found it in the library. It has over 500 pages of text and is sprinkled with italicized Turkish words and the names of Turk personalities. It looked difficult to read, but I checked it out anyway. I ended the review of the book “Shadow of the Sultan’s Realm” posted last week with the quote, “How Kemal guided the transformation of the Turkish nation is one of the most fascinating stories of the twentieth century—but that is…a story for another time.” I wrote that I couldn’t wait to read that story. I therefore worked my way through a long and difficult book, and I’m glad I did. Continue reading
Genetically Modified Food Advantages
Last week the commentary was about the risks of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) from the wonderful web site titled “Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful?” by Deborah B. Whitman. This commentary will challenge those who want GMOs banned with the positives of the products. Continue reading
Genetically Modified Food Risks
I published a previous commentary to introduce the conflict between those who view Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) as a danger to the environment and people and supporters who see them as the solution in how to feed an expanding human population. There are several wonderful web sites that discuss the issues in detail, and one of my favorites is one titled “Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful?” by Deborah B. Whitman. I intend to summarize what she and others say about why they may be harmful in this commentary and save the positive side as future material. Continue reading