# The opposite of "cold turkey" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 7, 2022, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-cold-turkey/971106 "2022-09-07T02:53:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jay\_Z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Jay\_Z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jay_Z)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-cold-turkey/971106/1 "2022-09-07T02:53:44Z")
Is there a word or phrase that is the opposite of cold turkey? Meaning, immediately STARTING something you haven’t done before? Suppose I don’t work out, and I resolve to work out 30 minutes a day. And I do just that, start a habit of working out and it sticks. Is there a general term for doing this? ---
**Author:** ![Tabco](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tabco/32/7644_2.png) [@Tabco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabco)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-cold-turkey/971106/2 "2022-09-07T02:59:23Z")
“Jump in the deep end” maybe? ---
**Author:** ![Jay\_Z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Jay\_Z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jay_Z)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-cold-turkey/971106/3 "2022-09-07T03:01:21Z")
Jump in with both feet is another way to say it, yes that gets close to what I am thinking. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-cold-turkey/971106/4 "2022-09-07T10:13:22Z")
Baptism of Fire perhaps ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-cold-turkey/971106/5 "2022-09-07T10:44:48Z")
> [@Jay\_Z](#): > > Is there a word or phrase that is the opposite of cold turkey? Well, first we’re going to have to determine what the opposite of “turkey” is. ---
**Author:** ![Bayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bayaker/32/3454_2.png) [@Bayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-cold-turkey/971106/6 "2022-09-07T11:13:15Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Well, first we’re going to have to determine what the opposite of “turkey” is. In recent history it has usually been Greece. 🙂 Hmmm - cold turkey / hot grease (Greece?) ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-cold-turkey/971106/7 "2022-09-07T11:16:55Z")
“Gradually”? ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-cold-turkey/971106/8 "2022-09-07T11:32:31Z")
I would say, “Go whole Hog”. Maintains the food imagery, and it’s what you’re looking for. Someone develops an interest in something, and immediately gets all the way into it - buying all the top-notch equipment, getting memberships, planning trips around the activity, telling everyone about this great new thing. Like that. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-cold-turkey/971106/9 "2022-09-07T12:00:15Z")
Crash Course is another possibility. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-cold-turkey/971106/10 "2022-09-07T12:57:50Z")
sink or swim ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-cold-turkey/971106/11 "2022-09-07T13:13:24Z")
“Full speed ahead”? ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-cold-turkey/971106/12 "2022-09-07T13:23:31Z")
Intravenously? ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-cold-turkey/971106/13 "2022-09-07T13:26:01Z")
+1 Whole hog is what I first thought of as well. Jumped in with both feet is a very close second. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-cold-turkey/971106/14 "2022-09-07T13:57:08Z")
Both barrels. Dive headlong. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-cold-turkey/971106/15 "2022-09-07T14:09:48Z")
“Watch this!” “I wanna try that, hold my beer.” “How hard could it be?” ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-cold-turkey/971106/16 "2022-09-07T14:14:35Z")
Just to be pedantic: If we consider that the original meaning of the phrase is: _abrupt & complete cessation of the use of an addictive drug_, then its opposite would be a tapered withdrawal. The 2nd most popular meaning of the phrase is _in an abrupt manner_ so the opposite there would be doing something in a slow, gradual manner. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-cold-turkey/971106/17 "2022-09-07T14:18:31Z")
Take the plunge. Deep dive. > [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > If we consider that the original meaning of the phrase is: _abrupt & complete cessation of the use of an addictive drug_, then its opposite would be a tapered withdrawal. Well, it worked for Hermann Goering. ---
**Author:** ![ArtBeforeScience](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@ArtBeforeScience](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArtBeforeScience)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-cold-turkey/971106/18 "2022-09-08T00:15:41Z")
“Hot Mess” Brought to you by my unconscious mind, which canot spell ---
**Author:** ![ArtBeforeScience](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@ArtBeforeScience](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArtBeforeScience)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-cold-turkey/971106/19 "2022-09-08T00:31:45Z")
Second try: - Hot Potato - Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Fire Both of which are supposedly bad, as is my previous suggestion Hot Mess. However even bad things can be good if they force you out of a rut. Other answers to this OP would make terrific drink names, too. ---
**Author:** ![KMS94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ad7895/32.png) [@KMS94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KMS94)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-cold-turkey/971106/20 "2022-09-08T00:39:37Z")
“Leeroy Jenkins!!” > **[Leeroy Jenkins](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leeroy_Jenkins)** > > Leeroy Jenkins is a player character created by Ben Schulz in Blizzard Entertainment's MMORPG World of Warcraft. The character became popular in 2005 from his role in a viral video of game footage where, having been absent during his group's discussion of a meticulous plan, Leeroy returns and ruins it by charging straight into combat while shouting his own name as a battle cry. The video capturing the character's behavior became an Internet meme. As a result of positive reception to the meme, B... [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-cold-turkey/971106.md?page=2)