Talk:walk the walk

This has been bothering me for quite some time. It is idiotic to say "talk the talk" or "walk the walk" since the only version of the phrase that makes sense is "Walk the talk." This figuratively means that you do what you say. You take action (you walk) on what you say (your talk).

On the contrary, I believe that the original version was walk the walk and talk the talk from a book of that title (an ethnography of a drug abuse treatment facility) published in 1992 by Geoffrey R. Skoll, though the words were previously used in Skoll's 1991 dissertation. Please prove me wrong? Dbfirs 12:28, 2 January 2010 (UTC)

anon comment

The following comment was posted to the entry by an anon:

The above is a misinterpretation of the original idiom popularized through repetition by people who were either confused by the similar sounding words and failed to comprehend the meaning. To "walk the walk" means nothing, since it literally means to do what you do, whereas to "walk the talk" translates to do as you say by putting your words (your talk) into action (your walk).

Please see my comment above. Could it be that you are confused? Dbfirs 20:36, 4 February 2010 (UTC)

Wiktionary:Feedback

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This is the second time I've edited this page because the first edit seems to have been deleted. Can someone please tell me why this edit is not correct? Just because seemingly intelligent people misuse the idiom, does not make it correct or acceptable. User:4.242.239.62

What you wrote was not dictionary material, it was a discussion and belongs on a discussion page. There are several things that have to be done before any of that could find its way onto the page, most importantly you have to document what you say and show convincing evidence that it has merit. I don’t believe you can do that. —Stephen 13:34, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

If you can prove your claim, then we could, perhaps, add a usage note, but Wiktionary records actual usage (whether or not some believe that it is misuse). I disagree with your assertion because I believe that the original version was "walk the walk and talk the talk" from a book of that title (an ethnography of a drug abuse treatment facility) published in 1992 by Geoffrey R. Skoll, though the words were previously used in Skoll's 1991 dissertation. Please prove me wrong? Dbfirs 12:43, 2 January 2010 (UTC)

You're both wrong. It's "walk 'the walk" as in you're saying all the right things "the talk", but do you do the right thing "the walk". There are lots of different walks, but do you walk the one that you talk about? Second, I don't know where it comes from but it's definitely been around longer than 1992. I know for a fact that the exact phrase is used in the Kubruck 1987 film "Full Metal Jacket". Earliest known occurence appears to be in an Ohio newspaper in 1921. Tommy goodwalker (talk) 07:47, 8 November 2019 (UTC)