Fun and easy on the wallet: what’s not to love about that? A potluck is a gathering where each guest brings a dish (often a homemade family favourite) to share. Not surprisingly, potlucks gained popularity in North America during the Great Depression, when times were tough. But did you know the word previously had a different meaning? In medieval Europe, it described an impromptu meal served to travellers or unexpected guests, who would get “the luck of the pot,” or in other words, whatever food was left over. In modern usage, “potluck” can be either a noun or an adjective (as in “a potluck dinner”). And nowadays, there’s usually nothing impromptu about potlucks: each guest agrees ahead of time to contribute something specific so you don’t find yourself with all desserts and no mains!
