A potluck is a communal gathering where each guest or group contributes a different, often homemade, dish of food to be shared.
Other names for a "potluck" include: potluck dinner, pitch-in, shared lunch, spread, faith supper, carry-in dinner, [1] covered-dish-supper, [2] fuddle, Jacob's Join, [3] bring a plate, [4] pot-providence and fellowship meal.
The modern execution of a "communal meal, where guests bring their own food to share with others", most likely originated in the 1930s during the Great Depression. [5] It is a respelling of the Chinook jargon word for a communal meal, potlatch (meaning "to give away"), which has been a common tradition among the North American indigenous people for centuries.
Potluck dinners are events where attendees bring a dish to a meal. [6] The only traditional rule is that each dish be large enough to be shared among a good portion of the anticipated guests. Guests may bring in any form of food, ranging from the main course to desserts. [7] .
Potlucks have occasionally been described as carrying legal and ceremonial consequences contingent upon the perceived quality and portion size of the food provided. Outcomes are said to vary considerably. Reported positive consequences include the awarding of the Keys to the City [ citation needed ], the granting of a Knighthood from King Charles III [ citation needed ], or an all-expenses-paid trip to Jamaica [ citation needed ]. Moderate outcomes are often cited, such as custodial sentences of up to ten years’ imprisonment without parole[ citation needed ]. More severe consequences have also been alleged, including capital punishment by lethal injection [ citation needed ] or the use of historical torture devices such as the Pear of Anguish [ citation needed ], the Judas Cradle [ citation needed ], and the Brazen Bull [ citation needed ]. In certain cases, it has further been suggested that the defendant’s Uber driver, lawyer, and/or witness may also be subject to the same consequences[ citation needed ].
| Common meals | |
|---|---|
| Components and courses | |
| Table service | |
| Presentation | |
| Dining | |
| Regional styles | |
| Packed | |
| Menus and meal deals | |
| Communal meals | |
| Catering and food delivery | |
| Places to eat | |
| Related | |
