Re: Is yours up yet?

Always stuffing

Dressing is used for preparing the dead fowl for the kitchen. It used to be quite normal to get a " **** *** dressed" fowl, where I'm not swearing but not remembering properly. It might, quite possibly, be New York Dressed (I'll ask Mr Google in a tick) - what is mean was that the creature was dead and had been 'drawn' (all entrails removed, useful giblets (neck, heart, liver, gizzard) returned to the body cavity). It was plucked, but that was it. You got the head and feet still on and had to complete the preparation yourself. I suppose there was a time when people would wash and use same for stock or soup flavouring?

Edit Yes, New York Dressed. Not Mr Google, he didn't really know; I had to Ask Jeeves

Re: Is yours up yet?

We still say we'll 'trim' up here ........ I think it must be a sign of the times as the younger generation are more inclined to say 'decorate' now.

Oh yes and we always 'stuff' the turkey!

Re: Is yours up yet?

I say trimmings when speaking...but seem to put decorations when writing.

Re: Is yours up yet?

I haven't had a tree now since we have had Lexi as she is a little terror and eats things she is not supposed to so I have visions of her eating a bauble or tinsel she once eat a sewing needle on a visit to my mums which cost us £547 to have removed so you can see why I worry over this but we do have all the other decorations up and I decorate my display cabinet to the hilt... I love Christmas when it's here... I also call it dressing the tree...
Sue

Re: Is yours up yet?

Now that was very interesting! I don't know if dressing is an Americanism or simply an expression in Pennsylvania where my Mom was from ...part German. Our fowl when I was growing up always came with the giblets in the cavity in a small bag, but sans feet and head. Still do.

Re: Is yours up yet?

I think the term Dressing was probably taken by the early settlers. There is a folk tradition here of `Tree Dressing` and Well Dressing. So `decoration is probably quite modern.