# jive turkey

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/jive-turkey
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A fool, a chump, a target for jiving.

## Examples

- Don't be a jive turkey — just tell me the truth.
- My uncle called the salesman a jive turkey after he tried to sell him a broken car.
- The con artist sized up the crowd, looking for a jive turkey naive enough to fall for his elaborate scheme.

## Origin

Coined in the 1970s, originally African-American.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.