merrythought (also wishbone)
noun

- a forked bone (the furcula) between the neck and breast of a bird. According to a popular custom, this bone from a cooked bird is broken by two people and the holder of the longer portion is then entitled to make a wish.


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ORIGIN

The delightful word merrythought is the older term for that part of a turkey, chicken or other fowl served at table and which is now more commonly called a wishbone. The word wishbone was appeared in America sometime around 1850 and has since taken hold everywhere.

But merrythought was still the more common term in America and Britain until about 1900 when it was overtaken by wishbone. Here’s an American example, from Mrs. Goodfellow’s Cookery as it Should Be, published in Philadelphia in 1865:

"Remove the merrythought and neck bones next, this you will accomplish by inserting the knife and forcing it under the bones, raise it and it will readily separate from the breast."

The meaning of wishbone comes from the folk custom in which two people hold its ends and pull, the one left with the longer piece making a wish.

Merrythought refers to an older version of the custom, in which it is assumed that the one left with the longer piece will get to marry first.

It's easy to imagine that the bone-pulling ceremony resulted in what were euphemistically called "merry thoughts" among those taking part.

(adapted from World-Wide-Words)


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QUICK, BEFORE YOU GO, TEST YOUR MEMORY !!

Do you remember yesterday's OWAD?

What's the missing phrase?


bornierter (nicht weltoffener) engl. Nationalist = L _ _ _ _ _ E _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


"You're more likely to meet L _ _ _ _ _ E _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ S at the beach than at the negotiating table."

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LITTLE ENGLANDER