Literal Translation
To be the turkey of the joke/stuffing
Actual Meaning
To be the butt of the joke or the victim of a prank
Etymology
Since time immemorial, turkeys have been considered extremely stupid birds. That is why, since the end of the 18th century, in theatrical comedies and farces, the naive father who is duped by his children has been called ‘père dindon’ (father turkey). He is therefore the ‘dindon de la farce’ (the butt of the joke).
A century later, Georges Feydeau named one of his plays Le Dindon (The Turkey) and definitively popularised the expression.