BBB Etymology - Talk Turkey

The large bird which is now commonly eaten was domesticated by the American Indians before Europeans reached the country. The settlers called it turkey from confusion with the fowl they had known in Europe; this was actually guinea-fowl (a native of Africa) but called turkey at the time because it was thought to come from Turkey. Such was the settler's taste for it that serious barter with the Indians, on whatever subject, became known simply as 'talking [about] turkey'.