talk like an apothecary
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
to speak using overly technical or obscure language
Literally: speak like a person who prepares medicines
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Examples
The professor talked like an apothecary, confusing his students with complex terms
AI-drafted example auto-approved by rule (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-31; pending editor spot-check.
Common questions
What does “talk like an apothecary” mean?
to speak using overly technical or obscure language Literally: speak like a person who prepares medicines
Is “talk like an apothecary” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.