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.

"The next 12 weeks must not become a talking shop," he says.

From BBC

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

Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay last week confirmed he would not attend the event and described it as a "talking shop".

From BBC

He described it as unnecessary and a "talking shop" because there was already mainstream agreement that "racist hatred should have no place in Scotland"

From BBC

However, Downing Street seems determined to avoid giving the impression that this new body will simply be a talking shop.

From BBC

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