What is "to talk shop"

Shop \Shop\, n. [OE. shoppe, schoppe, AS. sceoppa a treasury, a storehouse, stall, booth; akin to scypen a shed, LG. schup a shed, G. schoppen, schuppen, a shed, a coachhouse, OHG. scopf.]

1. A building or an apartment in which goods, wares, drugs, etc., are sold by retail.

   From shop to shop Wandering, and littering with unfolded silks The polished counter.
   --Cowper.

2. A building in which mechanics or artisans work; as, a shoe shop; a car shop.

   A tailor called me in his shop.
   --Shak.

3. A person's occupation, business, profession, or the like, as a subject of attention, interest, conversation, etc.; -- sometimes in deprecation or disapproval; as, to talk shop at a party. Also used attributively, as in shop talk.

4. A place where any industry is carried on; as, a chemist's shop; also, (Slang), any of the various places of business which are commonly called offices, as of a lawyer, doctor, broker, etc.

5. Any place of resort, as one's house, a restaurant, etc.

6. the group of workers and the activities controlled by an administrator; as, to have five people in one's shop.

   Note: Shop is often used adjectively or in composition; as, shop rent, or shop-rent; shop thief, or shop-thief; shop window, or shop-window, etc.

   To smell of the shop, to indicate too distinctively one's occupation or profession.

   To talk shop, to make one's business the topic of social conversation; also, to use the phrases peculiar to one's employment. [Colloq.]

   Syn: Store; warehouse. See Store.