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shoptalk

shoptalk

3 7.2
A conversation about work that uses special words people in the same job understand
  • noun
  • /ˈʃɑːpˌtɔːk/
  • Jargon
translation icon : jerga
  • "You mean she can't figure out computer lingo—prefers plain union shoptalk?"
  • enough shoptalk

Examples

  • That's enough shoptalk.

  • The Lars look-alike came back, laid out his things, all the while jabbering empty shoptalk, completely out of the blue, without waiting for an answer or being told to do so, just because.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • I told her I am not in the mood for shoptalk.

  • ShopTalk is a daily discussion about the Dallas shopping and beauty scene.

    Blog text (1)
  • But his appetite for "shoptalk" was insatiable.

    Academic text (2003)
  • Shoptalk, she thought.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Like a smaller, antediluvian Chronicle of Higher Education, the early SCHOLAR offered shoptalk for people employed at the nation's universities and colleges.

    Academic text (2007)
  • The shoptalk at some of the studios was inclusive and detailed, with the networking tending toward creative collaborations rather than investment partnerships.

    Blog text (10)
  • Roger Ardreprice ran a long dinner that was half reverential shoptalk about Julie Mills and half sage advice about life in London, primarily about things to avoid.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • During lunch, the engineers engaged in shoptalk about the latest software updates and technical challenges they faced.

Synonyms

jargon
vsshoptalk
43 7.2

Words used by a group or job that others cannot understand

focuses on whole workplace conversation rather than just the word set
lingo
vsshoptalk
  • Informal
36 7.8

Words and phrases a group uses that people outside it do not understand

applies specifically to conversations about job-related technical terms
shop talk
vsshoptalk
  • Jargon
2 6.5

A conversation about work that uses words only people in the same job understand

is written as a single word rather than two separate words
technobabble
vsshoptalk
  • Informal
1 9.6

Confusing words from computers and high-tech areas that most people do not understand

is actual workplace conversation using technical terms that colleagues understand
edu-babble
vsshoptalk
  • Slang
9.9

Confusing education words that sound important but mean little

is used in job conversations rather than in academic or teaching settings

Antonyms

Simple words that people without special training can easily understand

How Technical

jargon
43 7.2
shoptalk
  • Jargon
3 7.2
chat
  • Informal
312 1.0
small talk
  • Informal
65 2.1

Surface Forms

shoptalk singular
shoptalks plural

Morphology

shoptalk = shop + talk (transparent) = shop + talk

The compound 'shop' + 'talk' straightforwardly denotes talk related to the workplace; learners who know 'shop' and 'talk' can infer the sense.

Etymology

Shoptalk is simply shop + talk, where shop here means 'workplace', so it brings to mind workers in a workshop or store talking with each other and using their own special words. So shoptalk means conversation about work that uses technical terms only people in that job really understand.