# The opposite of "cold turkey"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-cold-turkey/971106>\
**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:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\
**Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-cold-turkey/971106/21 "2022-09-08T00:40:36Z")

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> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#):
>
> 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.

Right, the “oppositeness” that the OP seems to be seeking is for the “cessation” part of this concept. He wants a phrase meaning “abrupt & complete commencement” of some habit.

List of possibilities so far, including previously (non-facetiously) suggested terms, some of which seem to be more focused on comprehensiveness of the endeavor rather than its abruptness:

Baptism of fire  
Both barrels  
Charging right in  
Crash course  
Deep diving  
Diving headlong  
Diving right in  
Full speed ahead  
Going whole hog  
Jumping in the deep end  
Jumping in with both feet  
Jump-starting  
No warmup  
Plunging into  
Sink or swim  
Taking the plunge

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**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\
**Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-cold-turkey/971106/22 "2022-09-08T00:56:15Z")

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> [@KMS94](#):
>
> “Leeroy Jenkins!!”

Damn, that’s what I came in here to say.

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**Author:** ![omenran](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omenran/32/3318_2.png) [@omenran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omenran)\
**Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-cold-turkey/971106/23 "2022-09-08T02:58:17Z")

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I’ll suggest YOLO

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**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\
**Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-cold-turkey/971106/24 "2022-09-08T03:16:19Z")

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People do say “addicted straight away”… “First try and I was hooked”. “it became a habit”. This is the cliche, so it seems that there is no cliche in lesser words… its normal to get into a habit, its also impossible to say when it became a habit, whereas going cold turkey very likely has a time that occurred … if you say “I became an drug user hot turkey”, it wouldn’t be understood… unless it was a comedy for the high IQ people.

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**Author:** ![Dr.Colossus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.colossus/32/9423_2.png) [@Dr.Colossus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Colossus)\
**Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-cold-turkey/971106/25 "2022-09-08T19:45:53Z")

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Going cold turkey is to stop, hard.

Going ham is to start, hard.

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