Cold turkey

When a person who has a habit or addiction, which he abruptly gives up rather than easing out gradually with the help of replacement medication, it is called cold turkey (this action of abruptly giving up is cold turkey).


I remember my uncle telling me how he quit smoking.  He was a chain smoker and one fine day he just quit (now i know that was cold turkey :-)).  On the first day his craving was very strong, but he had taken a vow that every time he had the urge to smoke, he would eat a vada.  He ended up eating 60 vadas on the first day, eventually his cravings went away and he has never smoked to this day.