Fun festive feast

Gobble up these 10 Thanksgiving words to make the holiday extra special!

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Have you ever wondered about the special language of Thanksgiving? There’s a time of year when certain words are heard more frequently—turkey, dressing, gratitude… Do they ring any bells? This holiday is more than just turkey, family gatherings, and football games; it’s a time stuffed with unique words that make perfect sense in the spirit of the season. Thanksgiving vocabulary is as rich as the meal itself. Join us as we explore 10 Thanksgiving-related words that carry meanings, histories, and fun trivia. Are you ready? Let’s go!

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Bounty is one of those words that instantly brings to mind Thanksgiving’s spirit of giving. Essentially, bounty means "a generous gift" or "abundance," so there is no other word more suitable than this one for a holiday dedicated to gratitude. Thanksgiving is the ideal time to celebrate the bounty of food, family, and friendship that fills our lives.

The word bounty has been around since the 1200s and traces its roots to the Latin word bonitas, meaning "goodness." It’s not just about quantity, but also quality, and during Thanksgiving, we get both. Don’t you think?

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The classic side dish that completes any Thanksgiving meal goes by two names: dressing or stuffing, and the choice of word depends largely on where you’re from.

"Dressing" originally referred to preparing a fowl for roasting—a term that gained popularity during the Victorian era, when "stuffing" was considered too informal or crude.

Nowadays, we don’t worry much about that, and the terms are almost interchangeable. Some people say stuffing if it’s cooked inside the turkey, and dressing if it’s served on the side. We don’t know about you, but we’re on that team—it just makes sense!

Either way, the debate (a tale as old as time) doesn’t really matter. It’s all about enjoying the food!

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When you think of Thanksgiving, certain elements just pop into your mind, right? The cornucopia—or "horn of plenty"—is one of them. It’s one of Thanksgiving’s most iconic images, typically shown overflowing with autumn fruits and vegetables.

The origins of the cornucopia trace back to classical mythology and a goat named Amalthaea, whose horn was said to produce endless food and drink. Adopted as a symbol of Thanksgiving, the cornucopia represents abundance and the generous gifts of the season.

The word itself combines the Latin terms cornu ("horn") and copia ("plenty"). First recorded in English in the late 1500s, cornucopia has come to represent overflowing harvests and hearty feasts.

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Before it became a popular Thanksgiving 5K race, the Turkey Trot was actually a quirky dance—and it still is! This lively jig first appeared in the early 1900s and featured a bouncy, almost prancing step, with dancers moving their shoulders up and down in sync.

Today’s Turkey Trot usually refers to a 5K race held on Thanksgiving morning, but whether it’s a race or a dance, the joyful spirit is the same. Both let your body move and feel free, right before you stuff it with a delicious meal!

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We may not do any actual harvesting on Thanksgiving today, but the holiday is still all about celebrating the harvest, even if most of us now gather goodies from the supermarket rather than the fields.

The word harvest, which dates back to before the year 950, originally referred to the season of gathering crops. It was a major event in every agricultural society, marking the time to prepare for the colder months ahead. The Old English word _hærfest_—a cousin of the German Herbst, meaning "autumn"—evolved into the word we use today.

Harvest time was once a communal event, when families and neighbors worked together to bring in crops before winter. Today, we simply prepare to enjoy a cozy evening surrounded by loved ones.

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No article about Thanksgiving would be complete without a reference to gratitude. After all, at its core, Thanksgiving is all about that, and the word has been part of the English language since the early 1400s.

Gratitude is more than just saying "thank you"; it reflects a genuine appreciation for the people, privileges, and joys in our lives. It’s also a tradition—and a cherished part of the evening—to take a moment to share the things we’re grateful for.

For example, we’re thankful for our readers. What about you?

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Nothing says autumn quite like a gourd—or should we say gourds? After all, they come in all shapes, colors, and sizes. These hard-shelled beauties are often confused with squashes, though gourds are usually reserved for decoration rather than dinner.

The word gourd dates back to the late 13th century, with roots in Middle English and Old French (gourde or coorde). Unlike pumpkins or butternut squash, gourds are typically hollow with a tough outer shell—perfect for fall displays but a bit tricky to eat. They may not end up on the Thanksgiving table, but they definitely help set the scene for the season.

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If your family has a "who gets the drumstick" showdown every Thanksgiving, you’re not alone—we all respect our traditions. This meaty turkey leg gets its name from its resemblance to a real drumstick, the kind musicians use.

The term has been around since the late 1600s, when people began noticing that a fowl’s leg looked a lot like the stick used to beat a drum. These days, nobody really thinks about the resemblance—we all just agree that a good drumstick is a prize at the Thanksgiving table.

For many, snagging the drumstick feels like winning a little Thanksgiving victory—and maybe a sign that the odds are in your favor for the rest of the day!

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Traditionally, Thanksgiving is a time to spend with family, but these days, it’s increasingly common to celebrate with your chosen family for special events. And by chosen family, of course, we mean friends. That’s where Friendsgiving comes in.

This gathering has grown in popularity over the past few decades, and the best part is that Friendsgiving often happens a day or two before Thanksgiving. That means people can celebrate with their close friends before heading off to family gatherings.

Thanks to this, we must admit, we get the best of both worlds. Friends are family too, don’t you think?

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Yeah, yeah, we all know turkey and love it—it’s the main course, the number one option for any family during Thanksgiving. But hear us out: deboned turkey stuffed with a deboned duck, which is stuffed with a deboned chicken—would you be willing to try that?

That’s turducken! The word turducken is a blend (or portmanteau, to be specific) of turkey, duck, and chicken. Though turkey usually reigns supreme, turducken has gained popularity among anyone looking to impress with something bold and hearty. We’ve never tried it, but we’re definitely impressed already!

Who killed the lettuce?

What does "poutine" mean? 12 foods with strange names deciphered

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We often take these words for granted, but if we stop to think about them, they might not make sense. What is a possum pie? Is monkey bread made by monkeys? These 12 otherwise common foods have names that might surprise anyone unfamiliar with them. Do you know the origin of any of these names?

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A very Canadian thing to eat, poutine means "mess" in Québécois slang. It has also been jokingly said to stand for "put in everything," as the dish is a mixture of various ingredients.

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There are no oysters in the Rocky Mountains, which should be the first clue about the true nature of this dish. Rocky Mountain oysters are actually bull testicles that are battered, fried, and served as a delicacy in some parts of the Western US. The name is a humorous euphemism designed to make the dish sound more appealing.

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As with Rocky Mountain oysters, the name of this dish does not describe exactly what its ingredients are. It has no cheese. It is a savory jelly made from the head of a pig or calf, typically including various bits of meat, cartilage, and skin. The name comes from its firm, cheese-like consistency and the fact that it is often served cold.

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An odd name to anyone from outside the US, a corn dog is a hot dog on a stick, coated in cornmeal batter and deep-fried. The name comes from the cornmeal coating and its shape, which somewhat resembles a dog on a stick.

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We are used to hearing certain words and we don’t question what they mean. Chowder, at least for many, is one of those words. This thick, often creamy, seafood-based soup likely derives its name from the French word chaudière, meaning a large cooking pot.

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An unusual name for an otherwise ordinary salad. This recipe features wilted lettuce dressed with a hot vinaigrette or another type of dressing. The term "killed" refers to how the hot dressing wilts the lettuce, making it appear "dead."

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These tasty Louisiana sandwiches were originally served to striking workers during a New Orleans streetcar strike in 1929. A restaurant owner decided to help the workers with these "poor boy" sandwiches.

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No, it’s not made of monkeys or by monkeys. Monkey bread is a sweet, pull-apart bread made from small balls of dough dipped in butter and cinnamon sugar before baking. The name likely comes from the way people "pick" at it, similar to how monkeys groom each other.

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Sometimes, a plate of garbage is just that. But if you’re in Rochester, New York, it’s a big, messy dish starting with a base of fried potatoes and macaroni salad, topped with meat like a hamburger, hot dog, or sausage, and usually smothered in a chili-like "hot sauce." Unsurprisingly, legend has it that it was created for college students.

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It may sound like a joyous cry, but at least in northern Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula, booyah is actually a humble stew with a peculiar name, likely derived from the word bouillon. It’s made with chicken, sausage, or beef, and vegetables like carrots, onions, and potatoes.

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While in some countries, ant-eating is a pretty normal thing, that is not the main ingredient in this dish which consists of peanut butter in celery stalks, topped with raisins that resemble ants crawling along the "log." A pretty self-explanatory name, don't you think?

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Thankfully, possum pies are not made with possum. Instead, this dessert is layered with chocolate and vanilla puddings, usually with pecans. The name likely comes from the color scheme, which resembles that of a possum.