talk
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not find fault because they are just as bad): 'Don't play your radio so loud.' 'You're a fine one to talk!' (=you play your own radio even louder) 13 talk a blue streak AmE to talk very quickly, without stopping: He can talk a blue streak if he's given the chance. 14 talk back AmE → for answer back (ANSWER) 15 talk of the devil (used when someone who has just been mentioned actually arrives): John said he'd be coming – and talk of the devil, here he is now. 16 talk the hind leg off a donkey infml to talk a lot, especially about unimportant things 17 talk through one's hat to say some-thing stupid; talk about something one knows nothing about: He says he understands economic theory, but he's talk-ing through his hat! 18 Can we talk? an expression used by the US COMEDIAN Joan Rivers during her STAND-UP comedy performances when she wanted to show the AUDIENCE that she thought something was silly or strange, and she thought the audience would agree
USAGE 1 Speak and talk are very close in meaning, but talk usually gives the idea of a conversation, rather than of a single person making statements: We talked for hours about politics. | The director spoke to us about the company's plans. 2 Speak and talk are sometimes transitive, but can never have a person as their object: Do you speak French? | You're talking nonsense! → see also SAY (USAGE), SPEAK (USAGE)
talk sbdy./sthg. ⇔ down phr v [T] 1 to guide (a plane or its PILOT) safely to the ground, especially when it is impossible to see well, by giving instructions by radio 2 AmE infml to per-suade to be more calm: At one point she threatened to fine us all but we talked her down. | The police are trying to talk down that guy about to jump off the bridge.
talk down to sbdy. phr v [T] to speak to as if one were more important, more clever etc; PATRONIZE
talk sbdy. into sthg. phr v [T] to persuade (someone) to do (something): He refused at first, but I managed to talk him into it. | [+v-ing] She talked me into buying a new car. → compare TALK OUT OF
talk sthg. ⇔ out phr v [T] 1 to settle by talking: Unions and employers usually try to talk out their differences before taking action against each other. 2 BrE to prevent (a law) from being accepted by talking in Parliament until there is no time left for voting
talk sbdy. out of sthg. phr v [T] 1 to persuade (someone) not to do (something): See if you can talk her out of it. | [+v-ing] The policeman talked the man out of jumping from the top of the building. → compare TALK INTO 2 talk one's way out of to escape from (trouble) by talking: She could talk her way out of anything!
talk sthg. ⇔ over phr v [T(with)] to speak about thoroughly and seriously, especially in order to settle a problem or reach a decision: If you're worried about this change of career, why don't you talk it over with your family?
talk round phr v [T] 1 [(talk sbdy. round)] to persuade (some-one) to change their mind: She resisted at first, but we were finally able to talk her round (to our point of view). 2 [(talk round sthg.)] to avoid speaking directly about (a matter)
talk² n 1 [S(with, about)] a conversation: I met Mr Jones in the street and had a long talk with him about his opera-tion. 2 [C(on, about)] an informal speech or LECTURE: She gave a talk on Mozart to the college Music Society. 3 [U] a particu-lar way of speech or conversation: baby talk | his slick sales talk | That's fighting talk! (=a brave or threatening way of talking) → see also SMALL TALK, SWEET TALK 4 [U] empty or meaningless speech: His threats are just talk. Don't worry! 5 [the S+of] a subject much talked about by everyone in a particular place: Her sudden marriage is the talk of the street. → see also TALKS
talk·a·tive /'tɔːkətv/ adj liking to talk a lot —ness n [U]
talk·er /'tɔːkər/ n 1 a person who talks, especially one who talks a lot or in a persuasive way: What a talker that man is – no one else can get a word in! | She's a good talker. 2 a bird that can copy human speech
talk·ie /'tɔːki/ n old use infml a cinema film with sounds and words → compare SILENT FILM
,talking 'book a book recorded onto TAPE or COMPACT DISC for blind people to listen to
'talking point n a subject of argument or conversation
'talking-to n infml an angry talk in order to blame or CRITICIZE; scolding (SCOLD): I'm going to give that boy a good talking-to!
,talk 'radio n [U] a type of radio programme in which people call the radio station to give their opinions or discuss a subject
talks /tɔːks/ n [P] a formal exchange of opinions and views: The two presidents met for talks. | peace talks
'talk show n AmE for CHAT SHOW
'talk time n [U] the amount of time a MOBILE PHONE can be used to make or receive calls or messages: The battery allows approximately 135 minutes of talk time.
tall /tɔːl/ adj 1 having a greater than average height: a tall man/building/tree 2 [after n] having the stated height: He is six feet tall. 3 tall, dark, and handsome (of a man) very attractive → see HIGH (USAGE) —ish adj —ness n [U]
tall·boy /'tɔːlˌbɔɪ/ BrE || highboy AmE — n a tall piece of wooden furniture containing several drawers
,tall 'order n [S] infml a request or piece of work that is unreasonably difficult to perform
tal·low /'tæləʊ/ n [U] hard animal fat used for making candles
,tall 'poppy n AustrE a rich or famous person who acts in a way that shows that they think they are important
,tall 'ship n a ship with sails set across rather than along the length of the ship; a SQUARE-RIGGED ship
,tall 'story BrE || usually ,tall 'tale AmE — n a story that EXAGGERATES (=makes events and things seem larger, better, or worse than they actually were)
tal·ly¹ /'tæli/ n 1 a record of things done, points made in a game etc: Don't forget to keep a careful tally of what you spend. 2 (in former times) a stick with NOTCHES cut in it to show an amount of money owed, a quantity of goods delivered etc
tally² v 1 [(with)] to be exactly equal or in agreement; match: Your figures don't tally with mine. | Our figures don't tally. 2 [T(UP)] to calculate (points won, a total, an account etc); count
tal·ly·ho /ˌtæliˈhə/ interj, BrE (an expression shouted by a fox hunter when he or she sees the fox)
Tal·mud, the /'tælmʊd/ a collection of ancient writings concerned with Jewish laws and traditions
tal·on /'tælən/ n a sharp powerful curved nail on the feet of some hunting birds, used for catching animals for food
Tam·a·got·chi /ˌtæməˈɡɒtʃi, ˌtæməˈɡoʊ-/ trademark a type of VIRTUAL PET (=a kind of electronic toy) made in Japan
tam·a·rind /'tæmərɪnd/ n (the fruit of) a tropical tree
Tam·bo, Oliver /'tæmbəʊ/ (1917–93) a South African nation-alist politician, president of the ANC from 1977–90
tam·bour /'tæmbʊər/ n a small circular frame made from two circles of wood, one of which fits inside the other to hold cloth firmly in place while patterns are being sewn on
tam·bou·rine /ˌtæmbəˈriːn/ n a small hand-held DRUM made from a circular frame with a skin stretched over and small metal plates fastened round the edge
tame¹ /teɪm/ adj 1 not fierce or wild; trained to live with people: a tame animal 2 infml dull; unexciting and uninter-esting: The football match was so tame that we left early. —ly adv —ness n [U]
tame² v [T] to train (a wild, uncontrollable, or fierce animal) to be gentle and often also to obey commands: (fig.) One day man will tame nature. → compare DOMESTICATE —tamable or —tameable adj —tamer n
Tam·il /'tæmɪl/ n 1 [C] a member of a people of southern India and Sri Lanka 2 [U] the language spoken by these people —Tamil adj
Tamil Na·du /ˌtæmɪl ˈnɑːˈduː/ a state in southeast India, formerly called Madras State, whose capital and largest city is Madras
,Tamil 'Tigers, the a group of GUERRILLAS who support a separate state for the Tamil Hindu people of Sri Lanka
,Taming of the 'Shrew, The a humorous play by William SHAKESPEARE about a woman called Kate. Kate is very honest and always tells people exactly what she thinks, and