A few Thanksgiving-related items:
- To go “cold turkey”: to stop an addictive habit suddenly and completely. To be contrasted with a gradual cessation or weaning.
There are differing opinions on the origin of the term. One theory is that the term derives from the cold, clammy feel of the skin during withdrawal, like a turkey that has been refrigerated. Along the same lines, the term may refer to the goosebumps and cold sweats that abstaining addicts may suffer from.
Another theory is that the term derives from a combination of “cold”: in the sense of “straightforward” or “matter-of-fact”, as in “the cold, hard truth”, and “talking turkey”, meaning to speak plainly. Proponents of this theory refer to the fact that the term was used before it was applied to withdrawals from drug addiction.
- John Lennon wrote a song called “Cold Turkey”, which was performed by the Plastic Ono Band. The song was first performed on September 13, 1969 in Toronto, and appeared on an album called “Live Peace in Toronto 1969”. The song’s lyrics are definitely not about a Thanksgiving dinner leftover.
- When cooking turkey, it shouldn’t be cold. Butterball has a “Turkey Calculator” that will tell you how big a turkey to buy, how long to thaw it, and how long to cook it, based on the number of guests.
- “Did you know that Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving at the beginning of October and yet Americans celebrate their Thanksgiving at the end of November? That means we must have invented it, because we celebrate it first. Did you? It’s a fact.” – “It’s a Canadian Fact”, SCTV.
Cold turkey or hot, enjoy your Thanksgiving.
Thanks.