What does talkie mean?
A talkie is, in current informal British usage, someone who readily talks at length. The expression can be fond or mildly teasing, suggesting that a person is a chatterbox rather than necessarily unpleasant. In historical American English, a talkie was a film with spoken dialogue, especially one produced during the transition from silent cinema to synchronized sound. The word also survives in “talkie-talkie,” British and Irish informal English for a portable two-way radio. Although once associated with lively conversation and the early sound era, “talkie” now often carries a nostalgic or slightly dated quality. It remains useful in dialogue because its meaning depends on context: among friends it may describe an animated conversationalist, while in references to film history it denotes a work featuring spoken dialogue.
An informal, chiefly British word for a person who talks a lot, especially at length.
"Our talkie kept the whole group entertained throughout the drive."
Informal and somewhat old-fashioned; often mildly teasing or affectionate.
Historically, a film featuring spoken dialogue rather than silent performance.
"The musical was one of the studio's most successful early talkies."
Chiefly historical in American English and associated with the early sound-film era.
The plural is used for people who talk a great deal and, historically, for films with spoken dialogue.
"The café was full of friendly talkies who animated the afternoon."
Before wireless radios became ordinary, a “talkie” could mean both a chatterbox and a cinema full of talking pictures.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does talkie come from?
The modern senses developed from the older English verb “talk,” meaning to converse or discuss. “Talkie” for a talkative person was formed by adding the informal suffix “-ie,” while the now largely historical sense for a spoken film was a shortening of “talking picture.” The related word “talkie-talkie” was coined in the early twentieth century to describe a two-way radio, borrowing the same playful suffix.
Related word forms
How talkie is actually used
For the sense “talkative person,” the word is informal and now sounds especially British and somewhat old-fashioned. Its use for a film with dialogue is chiefly historical in American English; the sense for a portable radio normally occurs within the compound “talkie-talkie.”
Easily confused with talkie
A talkie is a talkative person or, historically, a film with dialogue, whereas a talkie-talkie is a portable two-way radio.