to talk your arm off - Glite Dictionary

Examples

If you let him, he will talk your arm off about his travels around the world.
At the family gathering, Uncle Joe will talk your arm off about his fishing stories.
She has a tendency to talk your arm off when she's excited about a new book.

Synonyms

to run on

vsto talk your arm off

Informal

13 5.0

To talk for a long time without stopping, often giving too many details

is about long talk that may also irritate because of its length

to talk someone's ear off

vsto talk your arm off

Informal

9 7.5

Speak to someone for a very long time in a way that annoys them

is the same idea of long, excessive speaking that annoys listeners

to bend someone's ear

vsto talk your arm off

Informal

5 7.9

Talk to someone for a long time about personal things and often annoy them

is similar but focuses more generally on long, annoying speech

to rattle on

vsto talk your arm off

Informal

5 6.6

To talk for a long time about small boring things

is similar but highlights longness rather than the trivial content alone

to run off at the mouth

vsto talk your arm off

Informal

4 8.4

Talk too much and say things you should not

is about long talking but not necessarily indiscreet or inappropriate

to bend your ear

vsto talk your arm off

Informal

3 7.9

To talk to someone for a long time in a way that annoys them

is the general case of long, excessive talking that causes annoyance

to palaver

vsto talk your arm off

1 9.4

To talk for a long time about unimportant things

is similar yet more focused on sheer length and annoyance than elaboration

to gassing

vsto talk your arm off

UK

1 8.1

To talk a lot about unimportant things

is more about long, excessive talking that annoys rather than casual chat

to yap away

vsto talk your arm off

Informal

1 8.4

To talk without stopping in an annoying way

is the same long talking but may not stress lack of usefulness

to yack away

vsto talk your arm off

Informal

1 9.1

Talk for a long time in a way that annoys other people

is the broader idea of very long talking that causes annoyance

to talk someone's leg off

vsto talk your arm off

UK

1 8.1

Speak with someone for a very long time until they get tired

is the same notion of extended, annoying speech aimed at one person

to jaw away

vsto talk your arm off

Informal

1 8.5

To talk for a long time in a casual or boring way

is longer and more excessive rather than merely casual or tedious

to overtalk

vsto talk your arm off

6.4

To talk so much that you stop others from speaking

is about long, annoying speech but not specifically about dominating others

Antonyms

to be quiet

445 1.0

To stop making noise or talking

to belt up

Offensive

1 9.2

To tell someone to stop talking and be quiet

How Long

to talk your arm off

Informal

1 8.4

to ramble on

Informal

17 6.2

to chat

Informal

375 1.0

Surface Forms

talk your arm off infinitive

talked your arm off past

talked your arm off past participle

talking your arm off present participle

talks your arm off third person singular

Morphology

talk + your + arm + off

While 'talk' clearly signals speaking, the phrase 'your arm off' is a hyperbolic, non-literal metaphor — the notion of causing an arm to come off through talking is not compositionally predictable. The overall meaning 'to talk excessively/annoyingly' is related to the constituents only via figurative exaggeration, so a B1 learner who knows the words would not reliably infer the idiomatic sense without prior exposure.

Etymology

Talk your arm off may come from a funny image: someone talks so much that the listener's arm is left 'worn out', showing the listener's 'patience' has gone. That's why it means 'to talk for a very long time', often annoying the other person.