Meaning of Idiom ‘Turkey Shoot’
A turkey shoot is something astonishingly easy to do, especially a battle, fight, or competition where one side is much stronger and the weaker side is hopelessly inferior and has no chance of winning; something took advantage of.
Also, a marksmanship contest in which shooters fire at moving targets which were originally live turkeys that were tethered. 1definition of turkey shoot, Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers,2Ayto, John. [http://amzn.to/2vdGvI7 Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms]. Oxford: Oxford U, 2010.
Sentence Examples
“If the United States got involved in this conflict it would be a turkey shoot.”
“It was a turkey shoot. The United States proceeded to shoot down more than 300 aircraft and sink two Japanese aircraft carriers, losing only 29 of their own planes in the process.”
“The Great UFO Turkey Shoot of 2023 began with a bang—several, in fact. U.S. fighter jets shot down a Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina in early February.” — Scientific American, February 23, 2023
“The Leesburg Ruritan turkey shoot is happening every Saturday night from 5:30 until about 7 p.m.” — Herald & Tribune, Jonesborough, Tennessee, February 24, 2023
Origin
Used in a literal sense since at least the 1830s, this chiefly American idiom is not one that is much used today except in regard to an actual shooting event. When used idiomatically, it is most often reserved for situations in which actual shooting takes place. Although any turkey hunting trip might be called a ‘turkey shoot’ the term originally referred to a competitive event where shooters shot at live turkeys that were tethered so that they were much easier to shoot than if they were allowed to run free.
