Mini Rant Over Phrase "Turkey And All The Trimmings"

Where and how did this phrase originate?

I have heard people talk about their turkey dinner and their side dishes - but have never once heard a human being say, “try my trimmings!”

Nor have I ever heard anyone say:

“Bob is a great cook, but his trimmings were limp.”

“Mary made a great dinner, but her trimmings were burnt.”

“Alan had two plates of trimmings.”

“Put those leftover trimmings in the Tupperware.”

“Great dinner, but damn - not enough trimmings for my taste.”
Am I from the only family in the USA who has never once commented on “trimmings” at Thanksgiving?

Now, if you want to talk about trimming a Christmas tree, OK…but otherwise, where did I miss this phrase of “trimmings” when referring to food?

Some friends once invited me over to trim their tree. They were not happy with what I did to it. Why didn’t they say decorate?

Trim, as a noun, can mean “material used for decoration or embellishment” - wheel trim on a car, etc.

In the context of turkey, it’s all of the relevant accompaniments, which, if it’s a generous and spectacular turkey, look like garnish, rather than side dishes.

What, like those little white frilly things around the ankles of the drumsticks?

DMark, I hope you don’t take offence, but I think you’re an even worse ranter than me…

My heart goes out to the poor vegetarian, who must subsist on a diet of mere trimmings . . . not even as good as what’s left for the dog.

Right - because in this context, the term is much too general to be used for anything specific. It has the sense of “all the many extras that make the occasion grand.” For Thanksgiving dinner it could easily include:

  • gravy
  • giblets
  • mashed potatoes
  • squash
  • sweet potatoes
  • cranberry sauce
  • stuffing
  • other veggies of many types
  • pies of unlimited variety

And a host more I haven’t thought of.

Biscuits.
And the cranberry sauce must have the ridges from the can on it, just like Mother used to make.

Indeed.

“Just like Mother used to open.”

Kielbasa and sauerkraut is a must.

Great. Now I’m hungry.

It’s called an idiom.

For a moment I thought we were in The Pit, and was going to make a joke at the OP’s expense based on that.

Home decorations. Those aren’t edible, normally.

Actually, it’s an efficient phrase. “We’re having turkey and all the trimmings” is much easier than saying “we’re having turkey and side dishes and condiments and sauces.”

“Trimmings” = all the usual stuff that goes with turkey. Gravy, cranberry sauce, stuffing, white and/or sweet potatoes, veg.

Thank you. Now that I am familiar with the grammar aspect, I am still left wondering who ever says this in real life?

I appreciate the clarification - although I already knew what the idiom means.

I know what it means. My point of this lame (you are correct mascaroni) mini-rant is, why say it?

It is like saying, “I am buying a car - with all the accessories!” Meaning you are buying a car with tires, windshield wipers, glove compartment and seatbelts? Duh. I think most people sort of expect those things with a car - and for Thanksgiving dinner, my guess is most people also sort of expect some kind of side dishes to be included.

And I still maintain never once in my lifetime have I ever heard anyone in real life say “How were the trimmings?”, “What were the trimmings?”, “Who brought the trimmings?”, “Those trimmings were damned good!” when talking about Thanksgiving dinner.

Stay tuned for the equally lame Christmas mini-rant: Why do some people say Santy Claus instead of Santa Claus?

And you know what else pisses me off? “All the bells and whistles” has never *once *come with bells or whistles!

And I have never seen any non-human mammals at a dog and pony show.

Seriously - what a great idea for a Christmas gift…a box full of bells and whistles taped on top of any other gift I give! “Here ya go - Merry Christmas, with all the bells and whistles!”
I love it!

And in that vein of thought, I now shall bring a bushel basket of clippings from bushes in my garden to the next Thanksgiving party and say, “And here are all the trimmings!”

Thank you Vinyl Turnip - my mini rant can now be considered a success!

Two things come to my mind:

1 - it’s not uncommon for Thanksgiving dinners to be sort of a co-op effort. Say, the person who hosts is making the turkey and stuffing and maybe a vegetable, but Aunt Millie brings the rolls, Uncle Janek brings the sweet potato casserole, Parthenia brings dessert, etc. Someone who is hosting Thanksgiving may say, “we’ll have turkey and all the trimmings!” as a way to say they are taking care of all the dishes and so no one else need bring anything.

2 - the alliteration of “Turkey and all the trimmings!” makes it more “fun” to say (I use “fun” rather loosely here, heh) and creates a shorter expression to convey the same idea. Sorta like a brand slogan or a catchphrase.