merrythought
Definition
- Noun:
- Wishbone: "merrythought" is an informal or archaic term for the wishbone (the forked bone found between the neck and breast of a bird, especially a chicken or turkey). It is so named because children traditionally pull it apart while making a wish, and the person who gets the larger piece is said to have their wish granted.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- At Thanksgiving dinner, the children fought over the merrythought to make a wish. (They competed for the wishbone.)
- She snapped the merrythought with her brother, hoping her wish would come true. (She broke the bone in two as part of the tradition.)
Advanced Usage
"to break a merrythought": the act of pulling apart the wishbone to make a wish.
- The two friends broke a merrythought together, each silently wishing for good luck. (They performed the traditional gesture.)
"the merrythought of a chicken": a specific reference to the bone from a chicken.
- The old cook saved the merrythought of the roasted chicken for the children. (She reserved the wishbone for the ritual.)
Variants and Related Words
- Merrythought is itself a variant of the more common term wishbone. No other common variants exist.
- Wishbone (n): the modern, standard term for the same bone.
- He pulled the wishbone apart with his cousin. (He used the bone for the same tradition.)
Synonyms
- Wishbone: the standard, contemporary term.
- Furcula: the scientific anatomical name for the bone (used in zoology).
- The furcula of a bird is shaped like a fork. (The technical term for the merrythought.)
Related Idioms
"Make a wish on the merrythought": to perform the tradition of pulling the bone and making a wish.
- She closed her eyes and made a wish on the merrythought before snapping it. (She engaged in the superstitious practice.)
"The lucky merrythought": a phrase referring to the belief that the larger piece brings good luck.
- He got the larger half of the merrythought and considered it a lucky omen. (He believed the bigger piece held special fortune.)