Turkey! And other food-based insults

From calling a failed Broadway show a "turkey" to casually dismissing a foolish person as one, food has long provided a deliciously descriptive vocabulary for insults. The history of calling someone a "turkey" for being a silly, inept, or undesirable person (dating back to the mid-20th century, and preceded by its use in theatrical slang for a "flop" in the 1920s) is just one example of how the pantry can stock a superior verbal attack.

But the culinary cupboard is full of far more colorful pejoratives. Here is a look at a few other food-based insults that are much more flavorful than simply calling someone an idiot.

An American Original: The Turkey vs. The Eagle

The turkey’s reputation for being "vain and silly" (one of the elements that fuels its use as an insult) stands in stark contrast to one famous defense of the bird made by a Founding Father.

Though it is a common myth that Benjamin Franklin formally proposed the turkey as the national bird, he did famously express his deep displeasure with the choice of the bald eagle in a 1784 letter to his daughter, Sarah Bache.

Franklin tore into the eagle's "bad moral character," calling it lazy for stealing fish from the diligent "fishing hawk," and labeling it a "rank Coward." He then offered this spirited defense of the turkey:

"For the Truth the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America... He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on."

While he noted the bird was "a little vain & silly," Franklin’s spirited defense of the turkey as a courageous, honest, and truly American original gives the bird a much more respectable, if still slightly goofy, place in history.

Benjamin Franklin, also the father of the public library, might've had a point: would Americans be more popular on the world stage if their national animal was of better moral character? What do you think?

The Best of the Rest: Three Food-Based Insults (that you may use to describe me)

1. Fruitcake

This is the quintessential insult for a person who is strange, eccentric, or outright crazy. The term "fruitcake" is derived from the expression "nutty as a fruitcake," which was recorded as early as 1935.

The Origin: The fruitcake, a dense cake packed with both candied fruits and nuts, lent itself perfectly to this idiom. Since "nuts" was already slang for crazy, a cake "full of nuts" naturally became a metaphor for extreme irrationality or strangeness.

The Dig: The insult delivers a double blow: suggesting both a lack of mental soundness and a general sense of being overly dense or undesirable (like the perennial holiday fruitcake).

Although, word to the wise, I'm a Foolproof Fruitcake!!

2. Bananas

The word "bananas" has been adopted as a casual way to describe someone who is wild, eccentric, or behaving irrationally.

The Origin: This term is believed to be derived from the idiom "go bananas," which started in the U.S. in the 1960s and means to become wildly excited, angry, or crazy. The phrase may evoke the image of a monkey's frantic excitement over a banana.

The Dig: Calling someone "bananas" suggests their behavior is erratic or that they've lost control of their senses, but it is generally a milder, more playful insult than many others on this list.

Fessing up here: my childhood nickname was Dana Banana! In recent years, since my mum became a Nana, I’ve somewhat been able to pass it back to her

3. Roast Beef

Unlike many food insults that target a person's intelligence or sanity, "roast beef" (or rosbif in French) is a national slur that targets nationality, particularly in a culinary rivalry.

The Origin: This is the most famous French nickname for the English. It arose as far back as the 18th century, when roast beef was regarded as a quintessential and popular English dish. The French used rosbif to mock what they saw as the overly simplistic diet of their traditional rivals.

The Context: In France, the term rosbif still exists as a casual (though sometimes derogatory) shorthand for an English person, a playful reminder of the historical culinary and national differences. The insult focuses less on a personal flaw and more on the perceived lack of imagination in a nation's cuisine.

I absolutely love this insult! The first time I went to France I couldn't understand why people were shouting a delicious meal at me. I wondered if I should say “I wish you roast beef also.” Although misplaced because I'm more Canadian than British, this is definitely culinary rivalry at its best ❤️

From the ridiculous to the regionally charged, food offers an inexhaustible, and surprisingly creative, source for the worst things you can say to someone. The next time you need to call someone a fool, remember that a simple "turkey" is just the beginning.

So this long weekend remember life is short, so call up your siblings if you can't share food with them in person, and shout food based insults at them to keep them laughing. Smart Pig Kitchen says “Ham” is another good one!! ❤️