Chook raffle
Chook raffle is the name given to the Australian tradition of "raffling off" chooks, i.e. whole (dressed) chickens, often in clubs or pubs.
The name derives from "chook", an Australian term for a chicken. Most often the chicken is prepared by a butcher, but live chickens are sometimes raffled.[1]
The chook raffle is a special case of a meat raffle, but is more often used as a fund-raising activity by an amateur club or organisation.
Perhaps because of this association, the expression tends to be used disparagingly about someone who claims to have, or should have, superior organisational skills, that they "couldn't run a chook raffle".[2]
The term is also used to describe any random process. An example is selecting the winner of an election by drawing a name from a hat, said to be turning the process into a "chook raffle".[3]
References
External links
- Sydney Morning Herald article, Chook Raffle, 22 October 2003
- Brisbane Courier Mail article, Cloncurry mayor chosen by 'chook raffle', 1 April 2008