Let's Talk Turkey Quiz

You're right -- believe it or not. These birds can really cook! Wild turkeys can fly for short distances at speeds up to 55 miles an hour. But they prefer to have their feet on the ground, where they can run up to 30 miles an hour. Domesticated turkeys -- the ones that end up in the grocer's freezer -- are not so light on their feet. They can't fly.

Whoops! Wrong answer. Believe it or not, these birds can really cook! Wild turkeys can fly for short distances at speeds up to 55 miles an hour. But they prefer to have their feet on the ground, where they can run nearly 30 miles an hour. Domesticated turkeys -- the ones that end up in the grocer's freezer -- are not so light on their feet. They can't fly.

You're partly right -- turkeys are rather dim. Tom Tyson, a free-range turkey farmer in Hartland, Michigan, says that if you don't put stones in their water trough, they'll stick their heads all the way in and drown. But it doesn't stop there. Turkeys are also mean when they are in a group or "flock." Tyson has seen them attack the family dog. And to make matters worse, they smell bad too, but only when they're wet. Tyson says, "There's nothin' worse than the smell of wet poultry."

You're partly right -- turkeys do smell bad, but only when they're wet. Tom Tyson, a free-range turkey farmer in Hartland Michigan, says, "There's nothin' worse than the smell of wet poultry." But it doesn't stop there -- turkeys are also mean when they are in a group or "flock." Tyson has seen them attack the family dog. And to make matters worse, they're rather dim. "If you don't put stones in their water trough," Tyson says, "they'll stick their heads all the way in and drown."

You're partly right -- turkeys are mean when they are in a group or "flock." Tom Tyson, a free-range turkey farmer in Hartland Michigan, has seen them attack the family dog. But it doesn't stop there -- turkeys also smell bad, but only when they're wet. Tyson says, "There's nothin' worse than the smell of wet poultry." And to make matters worse, they're rather dim. If you don't put stones in their water trough," Tyson says, "they'll stick their heads all the way in and drown."

You're right! Turkeys have developed quite an unsavory reputation. They are rather dim. Tom Tyson, a free-range turkey farmer in Hartland, Michigan, says that if you don't put stones in their water trough, they'll stick their heads all the way in and drown. But it doesn't stop there. Turkeys are also mean when they are in a group or "flock." Tyson has seen them attack the family dog. And to make matters worse, they smell bad too, but only when they're wet. Tyson says, "There's nothin' worse than the smell of wet poultry."

Close, but you've gone too far. A turkey does have a long beard-like tuft of feathers in the center of its breast, but it's the wattle that hangs from beneath its beak. If you thought "snood," you would have been close, too. The snood is also red, but it starts at the base of the turkey's beak and hangs over the top.

Right on target! The wattle is the loose skin that hangs below a turkey's beak. If you thought "snood," you would have been close. The snood is also red, but it starts at the base of the turkey's beak and hangs over the top.

Close, but you're on the wrong side of the beak. The snood is also red, but it starts at the base of the turkey's beak and hangs over the top. The wattle is the loose skin that hangs below the beak.

Yes, that's one possibility. All turkeys "turk," but did you know that only male turkeys gobble! Female turkeys make a clicking noise.

It's not exactly clear how the turkey got its name, but all three answers are plausible explanations.

Source: The ButterBall Turkey website's Turkey Trivia, Tidbits, and Teasers

Yes, that's one possibility. Columbus thought he was in India when he encountered his first New-World turkey. There are a lot of peacocks in India, and Columbus thought the finely-plumed turkey was its relative. Turkeys actually originated in North and Central America and have existed for about 10 million years.

It's not exactly clear how the turkey got its name, but all three answers are plausible explanations.

Source: The ButterBall Turkey website's Turkey Trivia, Tidbits, and Teasers

Yes, that's one possibility. Many Native American tribes ate wild and domesticated turkey, but others wouldn't touch the stuff. The Apache, for example, thought the turkey was a timid bird and wouldn't eat it or use its feathers on their arrows. Turkeys originated in North and Central America and have existed for about 10 million years.

It's not exactly clear how the turkey got its name, but all three answers are plausible explanations.

Source: The ButterBall Turkey website's Turkey Trivia, Tidbits, and Teasers

Now you're cooking! It's not exactly clear how the turkey got its name, but these are three good possibilities:

Columbus thought he was in India when he encountered his first New-World turkey. There are a lot of peacocks in India, and Columbus thought the finely-plumed turkey was one of its relatives. He called it "tuka" which is India's Tamil word for peacock. Turkeys actually originated in North and Central America and have existed for about 10 million years.

All turkeys do "turk" when they're frightened, but did you know that only male turkeys gobble! Female turkeys make a clicking noise.

Many Native American tribes ate wild and domesticated turkey, but others wouldn't touch the stuff. The Apache, for example, thought the turkey was a timid bird and wouldn't eat it or use its feathers on their arrows.

Source: The ButterBall Turkey website's Turkey Trivia, Tidbits, and Teasers

Right decade, wrong expression. Saturday Night Fever was the craze, but "jive turkey" was the phrase.

Dy-no-mite! Jimmy Walker popularized the insult "jive turkey" on the hit 70s sitcom Good Times.

Could be, but this expression has probably been around for a lot longer. Think 70s; think music. Now you've got it -- you jive turkey!

You're right! Early explorers to the new world acquired a taste for this bird and brought it back to Europe for their fellow Europeans to try.

Although the name might suggest the turkey originated in Turkey, it's not the case. Turkeys are originally from Mexico.

Try again! Although Americans love to eat turkey, this bird didn't originate here. Turkeys are originally from Mexico.

Nope! Not everyone in this country enjoys turkey on Thanksgiving. About 88% of Americans eat this bird on Turkey Day.

Try again! You underestimated. About 88% of Americans eat this bird on Turkey Day.

Right on! And consider this -- the average bird bought for Thanksgiving weighs about 15 pounds. That means approximately 690 million pound of turkey are eaten on Turkey Day!

Yup! What a lucky bird!

No, silly. The president doesn't keep the bird as a pet. It is flown off to Disneyland.

Nope! This turkey doesn't return home. It is flown off to Disneyland to spend time with the other pardoned turkeys of Thanksgivings past.

You're right! Benjamin Franklin wasn't too happy with this decision either. He thought the eagle had a "bad moral character".

Nice try, but not quite. The bald eagle is the official bird of the United States.

Good guess, but no. The bald eagle is the official bird of the United States.