talking shop

British

noun

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

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

From Salon • Sep. 19, 2024

Critics say it is little more than a talking shop.

From BBC • Jul. 17, 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 Crothers, Samuel McChord

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023