talking point

See also: talking-point

English

Alternative forms

• talking-point

Noun

talking point (plural talking points)

1. A specific topic raised in a conversation or argument which is intended as a basis for further discussion, especially one which represents a point of view.

   Synonym: talker

   • 1908, J. W. Jenks, "The Principles of Government Control of Business," American Economic Association Quarterly, 3rd series, vol. 9, no. 1, p. 3:

     Such an expression ["natural rights"] is, of course, an excellent talking point as a basis for argument to convince people, and perhaps through them to change the opinion of the government.

   • 1960, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, chapter XXI, in Jeeves in the Offing, London: Herbert Jenkins, →OCLC:

     “Something attempted, something done, has earned a night's repose. You have the satisfaction of having sacrificed yourself in the interests of [your uncle].” He had found a talking point. He had reminded me of those postal orders, sometimes for as much as ten bob, which Uncle Tom had sent me in the Malvern House days. I softened. Whether or not a tear rose to my eye, I cannot say, but it may be taken as official that I softened. “How right you are, Jeeves!” I said.

   • 2002, Elizabeth Foyster, "Creating a Veil of Silence? Politeness and Marital Violence in the English Household," Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, 6th series, vol. 12, p. 399:

     First, it will be demonstrated that marital violence continued to be a talking point within polite society.

   • 2023 October 8, Phil McNulty, “Arsenal 1-0 Manchester City”, in BBC Sport‎^[1]:

     The biggest talking point until the goal was how City's Mateo Kovacic somehow stayed on the pitch after late tackles on both Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice.

   • 2024 March 15, Catherine Shoard, quoting László Nemes, “Jonathan Glazer’s Oscars speech condemned by Son of Saul director: ‘He should have stayed silent’”, in The Guardian‎^[2], →ISSN:

     Had he embraced the responsibility that comes with a film like that, he would not have resorted to talking points disseminated by propaganda meant to eradicate, at the end, all Jewish presence from the Earth.

   • 2024 April 3, Howard Johnston, “TfL is overflowing with ideas... but is short of the capital”, in RAIL, number 1006, page 31:

     The Bakerloo Line, the poor relation of the London Underground, has become a huge talking point in terms of both its immediate and medium-term future.

   • 2024 April 15, Anne Applebaum, “Why Did U.S. Planes Defend Israel but Not Ukraine?”, in The Atlantic‎^[3]:

     By contrast, a part of the Republican Party, including its presidential candidate, does sympathize with the Russian dictatorship, does repeat its talking points, and does seek to appease Russia when it invades and occupies other countries.

Translations

specific topic raised in a conversation or argument

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 話題 / 话题 (zh) (huàtí), 論題 / 论题 (zh) (lùntí)

• Dutch: agendapunt (nl) n
• Finnish: puheenaihe (fi)
• German: Gesprächsthema (de) n
• Italian: punto chiave m
• Japanese: 論点 (ja) (ronten)
• Russian: please add this translation if you can
• Spanish: punto central m, punto de discusión m, punto de conversación m

Further reading

• “talking point”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “talking point”, in Cambridge English Dictionary, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, 1999–present.
• “talking point” in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Longman.