talk shop
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To intrude oneself or one’s private business too freely into conversation. Any one who does this is said to be shoppy.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “talk shop” mean?
To intrude oneself or one’s private business too freely into conversation. Any one who does this is said to be shoppy.
Is “talk shop” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.