A turkey is a large bird native to North America, often eaten at holiday meals like Thanksgiving. The word can also informally mean a failure or something that performs badly.
The bird was mistakenly linked to the country Turkey because early European traders thought it came via Turkish lands, or confused it with similar birds from that region. The name stuck even after people knew the bird was from the Americas.
English accidentally named this American bird after a completely different country—similar mix‑ups happened in other languages, too. In show business, calling a play or movie a "turkey" continues the idea of something big and impressive that turns out to be disappointing.
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