In bowling, why do we call three strikes in a row a turkey? I’ve been wondering this for a long time and no one seems to know.
There used to be a sweepstakes tournament during the holidays, Christmas and Thanksgiving. If a person bowled three strikes against the heavier pins (usually four pounds), the crowd would scream “turkey” and the bowler would receive a live turkey for his or her performance.
Check out Blood Sucking Fiends by Christopher Moore for a literal treatment of bowling a turkey.