talk, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

talk n.

1. a seducer’s ‘line’ of conversation; nonsense, thus phr. all talk empty speechifying.

1886		S.W. Mitchell Roland Blake 360: You have always fifty reasons for not helping a beggar, but when I have given him five cents you sneak away and empty your pockets for him. It is all talk.
1896		Ade Artie (1963) 64: And the talk he gives you! Mamma!
1911		G. Bronson-Howard Enemy to Society 302: Don’t let him hand you no talk like that.
1924		‘Digit’ Confessions of a Twentieth Century Hobo 57: The boss had shot a whole line of talk about signals and easy money.
1932		W.R. Burnett Giant Swing 123: [H]e wouldn’t take no talk from nobody, not that ole man.
1945		W.R. Burnett Tomorrow’s Another Day 62: ‘Has she gone to New York yet?’ ‘Of course not. That was all talk’.
1952		W.R. Burnett Vanity Row 173: ‘[Y]ou didn’t give a damn because you never thought he would make any reprisals. You thought he was all talk’.
1976		P. Theroux Family Arsenal 165: Ron come over and chatted me up. He’s wearing this expensive suit [...] full of talk.
1997		N. Barlay Curvy Lovebox 143: I catch a glimpse of Baba givin’ Char the talk.

2. as — talk, loose talk delivered under the influence of alcohol .

1931		A. Bontemps God Sends Sun. 180: That whiskey talk don’t mean nuthin’.
1940		S.J. Simonsen Among the Sourdoughs 89: They would never sit around the near-beet joints talking ‘whiskey talk.’.
1955		‘Ed Lacy’ Best that Ever Did It (1957) 77: This was months ago and only beer talk then.
2002		A. Duff Jake’s Long Shadow 63: Some of the guys were running off at the mouth. Piss talk it was called.

In derivatives

talkfest (n.)

(US) a gathering where those involved devote themselves to talking, esp. unashamed gossip.

1899–1900		C.L. Cullen Tales of the Ex-Tanks 130: You can’t spreadeagle this outfit by going at a talkfest both ends from the middle.
1904		Phila. Inquirer 22 May Pt II 3/5–6: A ‘rave’ is any form of conversational endeavor [...] When the ‘rave’ is extended it becomes a ‘talk fest.’.
1910		Chicago Daily Maroon 10 June 1/2: After the roll call a ‘talk fest’ was indulged in by some of the old timers [DA].
1928		W.A. White Masks in Pageant 247: He stepped naturally into supremacy at that talkfest [a political convention] because he had been training for his famous speech.
1942		Berrey & Van den Bark Amer. Thes. Sl.
1949		Chicago Daily News 26 Mar. 6/1: He objects to the ‘talkfests’ in Congress which delay legislation favored by the people [DA].
1962		J. Quirk No Red Ribbons (1968) 322: I thought it would be a talkfest among friends.

In compounds

talk-tosser (n.)

(US) a speech-maker, a rhetorician.

1906

Mexico Missouri Message (MO) 18 Jan. 3/1: Haven’t they hired a Talk-tosser witha Shamrock name to throw Word Bombs at you?

In phrases

talk that talk (v.) (US black)

1. to chatter inconsequentially; to make empty promises.

1955		The Du Droppers [song title] Talk That Talk.
1965		C. Brown Manchild in the Promised Land (1969) 320: He keeps talking that talk about how he might go back later on and that kind of shit.
1972		Milner & Milner Black Players 43: An important part of ‘hitting on’ a woman is a particular style of verbal encounter called talking shit, talking that talk, or talking trash. This manner of publicly accosting a woman and attempting to interest her with a fast-talking line of patter is by no means restricted to pimps, but is a common mode of ghetto encounter.
1983		R. Klein Jailhouse Jargon and Street Sl. [unpub. ms.].

2. (US black) to engage in games of ritual verbal abuse.

1988

(con. 1930s) C.E. Lincoln The Avenue, Clayton City (1996) 4: Guts hated to hear anybody talkin’ that talk [...] but here they were under the streetlight [...] cutting the fool and talking that nasty talk. [Ibid.] 4: Talkin’ that talk. Two quick-tongued contestants were already hacking away at each other’s family tree.

talk that talk and walk that walk (also talk one’s talk and walk one’s walk, talk the talk and walk the walk)

1. (US black) to conduct oneself in a manner that matches one’s proclaimed beliefs, standards and/or abilities.

1965		B. Jackson Get Your Ass in the Water (1974) 157: There was Professor Fenny, who made eyes aplenty, / and yet talked that gangster talk, / and his good pal Boss pulled like a hoss / to prove that he could walk that walk.
1979		(con. c.1970) G. Hasford Short Timers (1985) 60: We talk the talk, but we don’t walk the walk.
1980		E. Folb Runnin’ Down Some Lines 257: talk (one’s) talk and walk (one’s) walk Reference to doing whatever is natural and comfortable .
1989		L. Block Out on the Cutting Edge 72: My mother [. . . .] I must have heard her say it a thousand times. ‘Don't tell nobody your business.’ And she walked the walk, God bless her.
1997		G. Sikes 8 Ball Chicks (1998) 69: Once in jail, they’ll talk the talk and walk the walk, empowered by the fact there’s no men here to call the shots.
2010		Codella and Bennett Alphaville (2011) 328: DEA’s civilian informant knew how to walk the walk and talk the talk.
2014		D.B. Flowers Bangs 121: ‘He talks the talk but looks a little meek [...] Sure we can trust him?’.

2. (US black) to mind one’s own business.

1969

U. Hannerz Soulside 65: ‘I walk my walk and talk my talk’ is a ghetto phrase for minding one’s own business.