For Thanksgiving a
couple of years ago, I explained the etymology of that fine old bird, the
turkey. Without going into the
same detail, suffice it to say that the word derives from the country of
Turkey, through which 16th-century English traders imported guinea fowl
from Madagascar. The birds became
known as “Turkey-birds,” and this same appellation was mistakenly given to the
larger North American fowl to which they bore some resemblance.
The wild turkey, the North
American form of the bird, was so called from 1610s. By 1575, turkey was
becoming the usual main course at an English Christmas.
Other uses of the word turkey came much later. To talk turkey—“lay it on
the level, speak candidly” (1824)—supposedly comes from an old tale of
an Anglo pioneer attempting to swindle an American Indian in dividing up a
turkey and a buzzard as food. The pioneer offered to let the Indian choose
which he wanted: ''You take the buzzard and I'll take the turkey, or I'll take
the turkey and you take the buzzard,'' whereupon the Indian declared that the
Anglo was not “talking turkey to him.”
Cold turkey (1921) as a sudden method of totally giving up addictive
substances, so-called because, like a meal of previously cooked and
refrigerated turkey leftovers, it requires no preparation.
Turkey’s
show-biz meaning—“inferior show, flop”—can be traced to 1927 and probably arose
from the bird’s alleged stupidity.
Irving Berlin’s show business anthem speaks of a “turkey that you know
will fold.” Out of this grew the
word’s use as a “stupid, ineffectual person,” which” dates only to 1951.
Turkey shoot, referring to "something easy," is World War II
slang, alluding to marksmanship contests where turkeys were tied behind a log
with their heads showing as targets.
The Bard of Buffalo Bayou occasionally partakes in Wild Turkey, but only if it comes in a bottle.
The
Turkey once was King of Beasts,
And
showed all critters who was boss.
But
he became the King of Feasts,
With
dressing, yams, and cranberry sauce.
He
had an heir whose name was Tom,
By
whom the royal robes were taken,
But
Tom, his siblings, and his Mom
Are
now a slab of turkey bacon.
The
line of kings had one more Turkey,
And
shortly he was royally crowned.
But
he wound up as Turkey Jerky
At
nineteen ninety-five a pound.
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