Expression: "we walk the talk"?

[Torsten]

Hi the expression we walk the talk often appears in connection with corporate responsibility. Could you please explain the origin of that phrase?

Thanks,
Torsten
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Test Of English for International Communication
TOEIC Preparation & TOEIC Vocabulary

[Mister Micawber]

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I cannot locate an original source, Torsten, though it sounds rather hip-hop, doesn't it?-- at least in its full form: to walk the walk and talk the talk.

And its interpretation has become somewhat ambiguous, too, meaning either (1) to be knowledgeable and able to perform in a particular field /subject; or (2) to bluff such knowledge and talent by exhibiting the surface features.

Your version sounds slightly less ambiguous. To walk the talk would be to actually perform what you say you can do.
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Canadian-American native speaker
who teaches English for a living at Mister Micawber's
ESL cafe: Interview with Mr. Micawber

[Yankee]

Hi Torsten

I also don't know the source of that expression, but I basically would say that if a company "walks the talk", that means they don't just "give lip service to" things. They actually do what they say.

Amy
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Amy
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ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English