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talking shop

British  

noun

  1. informal a group or committee that has discussions that never result in action

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

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With most of the decisions already made, the Two Sessions are mainly a talking shop with little room for spontaneity or off-the-cuff comments.

From Barron's ● Mar. 2, 2026

Suddenly, an event once dismissed as a talking shop for executives who think they can solve the world’s problems has become a must-attend gathering that people are eager to attend.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 19, 2026

That might be what's on the official agenda of the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit, but there is something else that's breathing fire into this particular talking shop: DeepSeek.

From BBC ● Feb. 5, 2025

So it was that combination of talking shop and then just understanding who he was as a human being.

From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2024

The social law against "talking shop" is an indication of the very widespread opinion that the exhibition of unmitigated knowledge is unseemly, outside of business hours.

From The Gentle Reader by Samuel McChord Crothers

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