[Ads-l] Turkey Day (1867), turkey = flop (1923)

[Ben Zimmer]

Happy Turkey Day! My latest Wall Street Journal column is all about
"turkey":

https://on.wsj.com/3MWK67V

I found these antedatings along the way...

* Turkey Day = Thanksgiving (OED3 1870)

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https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-san-francisco-examiner-turkey-day/135585765/
San Francisco Examiner, Nov. 27, 1867, p. 3, col. 3
Turkey and Thanksgiving. -- This is turkey day, because to-morrow will be
Thanksgiving Day, and how can one better evince thankfulness on such a day
than by feeding on turkeys and other palatable and savory dishes.
---
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-leavenworth-bulletin-turkey-day/135585706/
Leavenworth (Kans.) Bulletin, Nov. 12, 1868, p. 4, col. 1
Turkey Day. -- The Governor of this State has appointed the 26th day of
this month for "Turkey Day," or Thanksgiving. "Let us have (a) Peace."
[lines of text are out of order]
---

* turkey = 'an inferior theatrical production, a flop' (OED2 1927)

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https://archive.org/details/variety69-1923-02/page/n7/mode/2up?q=turkey
Variety, Feb. 1923, p. 8, col. 5
Last season Jaffe was associated with Arthur Pearson, who left the Columbia
Wheel to produce a Shubert vaudeville unit. It's a safe bet that the
present aggregation would never have passed with Pearson at the helm. Just
such a producer is needed, for the "Step Lively Girls" are stepping lively
toward one of the season's lowest gross records and they deserve it.  It's
a turkey. Con.
---
https://archive.org/details/variety77-1925-01/page/n153/mode/2up?q=turkey
Variety, Jan. 1925, p. 45, col. 5
Burlesque Reviews. Band Box Revue (Columbia).
It's a turkey, if ever there was one, and as vulgar as it is
unentertaining. Con.
---

Both of the Variety reviews are by theater critic and noted slang-slinger
Jack "Con" Conway. This usage grew out of "turkey (show)" to describe "a
touring show, usu. burlesque, mounted at a moment’s notice and staffed by a
third-rate cast, even stage-struck amateurs" as GDoS has it, citing Gerald
Cohen's _Studies in Slang IV_ (1995), pp. 100-119.

https://greensdictofslang.com/entry/hwibi6q

Barry Popik has a full history of "turkey shows" on his site (currently
under construction).

https://web.archive.org/web/20170611082911/http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/turkey_a_flop_production/

Barry has "turkey show" from 1900, but here's another early example that
explains what it means.

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https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-buffalo-enquirer-turkey-show/135358279/
Buffalo Enquirer, May 31, 1902, p. 7, col. 4
The "Gay Girls of Gotham" company which is playing at the Lafayette this
week is, in theatrical parlance, a "turkey show." For the benefit of the
public it is explained that Thanksgiving is the best holiday in the year
for theatrical attractions. Accordingly every Thanksgiving a large number
of companies are formed in New York to go out to nearby towns for a single
day, giving two performances on Thanksgiving Day. From this custom came the
term "turkey show" which is now used to indicate a troupe of actors engaged
for a special engagement.
Most of the regular burlesque companies have closed their season but things
have been going so well at the Lafayette that Manager Bagg decided that it
would be profitable to keep open several weeks longer. In order to do this
he had recourse to a "turkey show" and the first was booked as the "Gay
Girls of Gotham." There had been a burlesque organization by this name on
the road, and the "turkeys" secured the paper carried by the original
company.
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--bgz

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