n. A person who spoils a pleasant social situation.
This metaphor is powered by a particularly vivid contrast: the inviting sensory appeal of a festive beverage juxtaposed with the revolting suggestion of feculent contagion. Therefore, labeling someone a turd in the punch bowl is most appropriate when the individual's deleterious influence goes beyond mere faux pas or nuisance behaviors, and rises to the level of deliberate offense for its own sake. Consider that the literal act of depositing or excreting fecal matter into a communal food-service container would be sabotage.
The punch bowl and the feces connote certain additional nuances. The former is a symbol of public community, as such dispensers are frequently encountered at parties where they become a focal point for interaction. Freud famously identified feces with aggression and the possessive instinct. Thus a turd in the punch bowl suggests rage toward, and / or the urge to conquer, a community or society as a whole. Defecating into a punch bowl is a very public act, in contrast with poisoning the well or laying an upper decker, which are generally surreptitious. In particular then, to be a turd in the punch bowl is to be a willful and attention-seeking obstructor to the success of a social community.
This metaphor is powered by a particularly vivid contrast: the inviting sensory appeal of a festive beverage juxtaposed with the revolting suggestion of feculent contagion. Therefore, labeling someone a turd in the punch bowl is most appropriate when the individual's deleterious influence goes beyond mere faux pas or nuisance behaviors, and rises to the level of deliberate offense for its own sake. Consider that the literal act of depositing or excreting fecal matter into a communal food-service container would be sabotage.
The punch bowl and the feces connote certain additional nuances. The former is a symbol of public community, as such dispensers are frequently encountered at parties where they become a focal point for interaction. Freud famously identified feces with aggression and the possessive instinct. Thus a turd in the punch bowl suggests rage toward, and / or the urge to conquer, a community or society as a whole. Defecating into a punch bowl is a very public act, in contrast with poisoning the well or laying an upper decker, which are generally surreptitious. In particular then, to be a turd in the punch bowl is to be a willful and attention-seeking obstructor to the success of a social community.
The turd in the punch bowl was Brian, who had to go rat out our awesome senior prank idea to the principal.
by Carl Willis February 14, 2011
by Joao Bufamarillo May 13, 2005
1. Southernism. Adds a certain repugnance to describe an idea, remark or occurrence that fell flat, killed conversation, was socially unacceptable, or went over like the proverbial lead balloon.
2. Similarly, a gauche, socially inept or unwelcome person who has a stultifying effect on social gatherings, or, by extension, was involved in some futile or hugely unpopular effort.
2. Similarly, a gauche, socially inept or unwelcome person who has a stultifying effect on social gatherings, or, by extension, was involved in some futile or hugely unpopular effort.
.
1. -- "All I did was tell one harmless little dirty joke and the whole room went silent. Apparently I had crossed some kind of taboo. No one even chuckled at the joke; it was a veritable turd in the punchbowl. I felt like one too, since the whole party immediately seized up and everyone stared at me."
2.(a) -- "There we were discussing local politics, and who shows up uninvited and parks himself right in the middle of our group? Little Georgie, the mayor's brat, who has an unerring sense of inappropriateness. I'd rather see a turd in the punch bowl than have to deal with that nuisance."
(b) "Practically everyone in town was in favor of a weeknight youth curfew, but as usual our "freethinking" pastor went contrary and opposed it. He didn't change anyone's mind. I think he's a jinx! A turd in the punch bowl of civic affairs."
1. -- "All I did was tell one harmless little dirty joke and the whole room went silent. Apparently I had crossed some kind of taboo. No one even chuckled at the joke; it was a veritable turd in the punchbowl. I felt like one too, since the whole party immediately seized up and everyone stared at me."
2.(a) -- "There we were discussing local politics, and who shows up uninvited and parks himself right in the middle of our group? Little Georgie, the mayor's brat, who has an unerring sense of inappropriateness. I'd rather see a turd in the punch bowl than have to deal with that nuisance."
(b) "Practically everyone in town was in favor of a weeknight youth curfew, but as usual our "freethinking" pastor went contrary and opposed it. He didn't change anyone's mind. I think he's a jinx! A turd in the punch bowl of civic affairs."
by al-in-chgo March 1, 2010
Person 1: That was an awesome movie!
Person 2: Yeah, awesome special effects.
Person 3: I was so offended by that movie! Could you believe how many subliminal racist messages there were? I think we need to write a letter to the studio and tell them to ban this movie.
Later on...
Person 1: Brian's getting some guys together to go play football at his house.
Person 2: Cool, let me go get my cleats and we'll head over.
Person 3: Football's barbaric! So typical of American society to love a violent game like that!
Person 1: If you don't like it, then don't come! Jeez, why do you always have to be such a turd in a punch bowl?
Person 2: Yeah, awesome special effects.
Person 3: I was so offended by that movie! Could you believe how many subliminal racist messages there were? I think we need to write a letter to the studio and tell them to ban this movie.
Later on...
Person 1: Brian's getting some guys together to go play football at his house.
Person 2: Cool, let me go get my cleats and we'll head over.
Person 3: Football's barbaric! So typical of American society to love a violent game like that!
Person 1: If you don't like it, then don't come! Jeez, why do you always have to be such a turd in a punch bowl?
by Paul785 September 27, 2007
by deitbussy December 10, 2019
This is a sexual fetish in which a willing participant dons a pair of deep sea swim fins and a full faced snorkel mask. While handcuffed nude and on his knees a group of full bladdered women enter the room and attach and large pet cone (lamp shade) around the participants neck. One by one each women urinates into the cone until the participants face is fully submerged. At this point the final vixen then tops it off with a long over due bowle movement, thus creating the bliss of a turd in a punch bowl!
Honey, don't forget your full faced snorkle mask for tonight's swinger party. Remember it's you week to take the "Turd in a punch bowl".
by Ray Sissome February 2, 2021
a phrase that is said whenever there is a bad outcome in any venture. also, something would not be a very good sight at any party.
by lil connor the anchor March 10, 2006