Thanksgiving is a holiday in the United States that involves family , friends , fellowship , and food ! So , today we will talk about some English expressions that deal with food and eating . Let's start with the star of many Thanksgiving meals – the turkey ! You could say it's time to “talk turkey !” When we say that in American English , it means it is time to start talking seriously about a problem and solve it . It does not mean to talk about how dry the cooked turkey is . (Although that is a common Thanksgiving conversation .) “Talking turkey ” is talking direct . For example , let's say some politicians are having a very long meeting about education . They say a lot without really saying anything important . Finally , one of them says , “Look , we need to start talking turkey about our failing schools in the city . They are not going to fix themselves !” Now , let's move on to a popular side dish – mashed potatoes ! Now , potatoes do not have a strong taste . So , when you make mashed potatoes it is important to add butter and salt . It is important to butter up those potatoes , but did you know that you can also butter up people ? If I butter up my friends , I tell them lots of wonderful things about them . In other words , I flatter them . I give them lots of compliments . However , I don't say these things just to be nice . I want something from them . Back in middle school , I once buttered up my teacher for weeks hoping to get a better grade . That did not work . It just made him angry . Some people do not like to be flattered or buttered up . The person who you are buttering up might even say , “Don't try to butter me up . Flattery will get you nowhere .” Now , let's add some salt to those mashed potatoes ! But not too much . If you add too much salt , you make a dish unhealthy and it is likely to taste bad . Sometimes just a pinch is all you need . A grain of salt is even less . That is the smallest piece of salt . If I take something with a pinch of salt , or grain of salt , I do not take it too seriously . For example , one of my friends is known for exaggerating and sometimes lying . One day , he tells me that he plans to sell all of his belongings , move to New York City and become a poet . I take this information with a grain of salt . I've heard these kinds of plans from him before . And they never turn out to be true . While eating Thanksgiving dinner , you must remember to save room for dessert ! The sweet food that comes after dinner is a big part of the celebration . For some reason pie is more common at Thanksgiving than cake . Pumpkin pie is probably one of the most common in America . But apple , cherry , and pecan pie are often served , too . In fact , one dinner may have a collection of different pies . So , here is an expression related to pie . If something is very , very easy to do , it is “easy as pie .” In fact , I have made many , many pies . So , I could say making pie is – you guessed it -- easy as pie . You can use this idiom for just about anything that is not too serious . When I invite people to my home for Thanksgiving , I make LOTS of pie . I want to have enough . This way , everyone gets a slice of the pie . When you “get a slice of the pie ,” it is not always something you can eat . This idiom also means that you get part of the money or profits from a shared deal . Before we end , there is one more Thanksgiving expression we need to talk about . Stuffing is a very popular Thanksgiving food . It is a combination of bread , onions , celery or other vegetables and herbs . Some people stuff the mixture into the turkey and bake the whole thing together . While many people serve it as a side dish , some families have a stuffed turkey for Thanksgiving . And like a turkey , we can also feel stuffed after finishing a big Thanksgiving meal and eating too much . “Would you like more turkey ? More mashed potatoes ?”