History
Eating
Random Vocab
Idioms
100
The Pilgrims suffered a severe winter in 1620 and ran out of food supplies, so many of them died from cold or famine.
famine (noun)--an extreme scarcity of food
100
My family held a huge feast to celebrate my grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary.
feast (noun)--a large or special meal, especially for a lot of people, often to celebrate something or someone
Feast is also used as a verb meaning to eat an especially good or fancy meal, e.g. "At the expensive restaurant I feasted on steak and lobster."
100
The day after Thanksgiving, often called "Black Friday," is when many retailers offer the best sales.
retailer (noun)--A person or business that sells goods to the public.
100
My cousins and I like to throw the pigskin around before Thanksgiving dinner.
pigskin (noun)--informal synonym for an American football
The American football is a direct descendant of the ball used in the game of rugby. The rugby ball originally was made of a pig's bladder with a leather cover; the leather cover was often made of pigskin.
200
Autumn or harvest-time fetes had been enjoyed in England, the Pilgrims' home country, for many centuries.
fete (noun)--a special celebration for a particular purpose.
Fete is also used as a verb meaning "to honor or entertain (someone) lavishly," e.g. "After her hit movie, the young actress became an instant celebrity, feted by the media."
200
You need a lot of sugar to make cranberry sauce because cranberries are tart.
tart (adjective)--having a sharp or sour taste
Tart can also be a noun meaning an open pastry case containing a filling, e.g. "My grandma makes the best apple tart."
200
Wild turkeys live in flocks.
flock (noun) a number of birds of one kind feeding, resting, or traveling together
Flock is also a verb meaning to move in a large group, e.g. "On Black Friday, shoppers flock to malls to take advantage of great sales."
200
Traditionally, many Americans like to watch football teams duke it out on Thanksgiving.
duke it out (idiomatic verb phrase)--to compete, to fight
Duke is a slang word for "fist," dating back to at least the mid-19th century. Thus, we also have the idiom "Put up your dukes," meaning "Get ready to fight (physically)."
300
The Pilgrims sailed from Europe to North America because they were seeking religious freedom.
pilgrim--a person who travels to a place for religious reasons, e.g. "The city of Jerusalem in Israel has been a destination for Christian, Jewish, and Muslim pilgrims for many centuries."
300
The foods available in early North America were bountiful and included wild game, fish, and a variety of native plants like corn and pumpkin.
bountiful (adjective)--large in quantity; abundant.
300
A cornucopia, sometimes called a "horn of plenty," is a traditional Thanksgiving decoration.
cornucopia (noun)--a symbol of abundance consisting of a goat's horn (or a basket in the shape of a goat's horn) overflowing with flowers, fruit, and corn. It comes from the Latin term cornu copiae, literally meaning "horn of plenty."
Cornucopia can also mean an abundant supply of good things of a particular kind, e.g. "Disneyland offers a cornucopia of rides."
300
I try not to pig out on Thanksgiving, but my mom's cooking is so good that it's difficult to restrain myself.
to pig out (idiomatic verb phrase)--to eat too much
400
On September 6, 1620, the Pilgrims embarked on their journey to North America from England.
embark (verb)--to board a ship, aircraft, or other vehicle in order to begin a journey
400
The Native Americans introduced the Pilgrims to a plethora of North American foods.
plethora (noun)--an amount that is greater than is needed or can be used; a great amount of something
400
The Pilgrims were indebted to the Wampanoag Indians who helped them survive a harsh winter.
indebted (adjective)--owing gratitude for a service or favor
Indebted can also mean to owe money, e.g. "Tom is indebted to his uncle for that car loan."
400
Every Thanksgiving I count my blessings, like that I have enough food to eat, and that I live in a free country.
to count one's blessings (idiomatic verb phrase)–to be grateful for the good things in one's life
500
Thanksgiving 2021 marked the 400th anniversary of the first Thanksgiving celebration in North America.
mark (verb)--to officially begin or remember an important event
500
In addition to duck, turkey, fish, and lobster, the Native Americans and Pilgrims ate venison at the first Thanksgiving.
venison (noun)--meat from a deer or elk
500
Thanksgiving week is when the greatest number of Americans make a trek across the country to visit relatives.
trek (noun)--a long, arduous journey; trek especially means such a journey made on foot but can also mean any long trip.
Trek is also a verb meaning to go on such a journey, e.g. "Every Thanksgiving Lucy treks from California to Minnesota by car to visit her grandparents."
500
Politicians need to start talking turkey about serious issues facing our country.
to talk turkey (idiomatic verb phrase)–to discuss a problem in a serious way with the intention to solve it