Why Are Three Strikes Called a Turkey?

With Thanksgiving in just a few days, it seems fitting to talk about the one thing on everyone’s mind: turkey. Okay, so maybe we’re thinking more about bowling than a tasty holiday entree. That’s because three consecutive strikes in bowling is called a turkey. Why? There’s a bit of a backstory…

Modern bowlers of any skill level have a reasonable shot of scoring a turkey—three strikes in a row—in a game. Bowling was once significantly more challenging, however, so the achievement was a rarity. In earlier incarnations, lanes were uneven, pins were hand-set and (most importantly) pins were often weighted to make them harder to knock down. To this end, tournaments in the 18th and 19th centuries featured major prizes for outstanding accomplishments, from food baskets to hams...and yes, live turkeys.

While no one really knows who or exactly where it started, tournament runners started giving out live turkeys to bowlers who managed to score three consecutive strikes. For a time, it was an especially common prize at holiday tournaments, namely in the U.S.

You’d be hard-pressed to win a gobbler today, but we do carry on the tradition by way of language, terming the three-strike feat itself a “turkey.” As time has passed, we’ve added to the bowling vernacular, too, with a whole host of names for multi-strike accomplishments.

“Turkey” may be the most recognizable bowling achievement, but it’s far from the only one. Want to speak the language of bowling? Consecutive strikes have numerous designations depending on their total number.

• Double - A Fairly obvious one, a double is two strikes in a row.
• Hambone - Seemingly random, this one was dubbed by sports commentator Rob Stone, and signals four consecutive strikes.
• Brat - Just like there are five bratwursts in a pack, so too are there five consecutive strikes in a “brat.”
• Wild Turkey/6-Pack - Once you get to half a perfect game, the names get witty. Each of these designates six consecutive strikes.
• Ham-Turkey Dinner - Logically, this is a marriage of two accomplishments into one name: “hambone” (four) and “turkey” (three)—that’s seven in a row.
• Octopus - Whether it’s tentacles or bowling pins, an “octopus” means eight—strikes in a row, that is.
• Golden Turkey - Can’t’ even think of getting three turkeys in a row? Nine consecutive strikes is impressive.
• Dinosaur - So rare it’s almost equivalent to being extinct, the elusive 300-point perfect game of 12 strikes takes on the name of creatures we can only dream of.

These don’t cover every possible scenario of course, and they can be easy to mix up. When in doubt, tack the word “bagger” onto any strike number (four-bagger, eight-bagger, ten-bagger), and you’ll still sound like a pro.

What’s your consecutive strike record? Zone 28 is open Thanksgiving day, so stop in to try your luck to bowl a turkey, then eat the real thing at your family feast! We’ll see you in the Zone.