rubber chicken dinner

rubber chicken dinner

A dinner served at a large catered event, especially a political or corporate fundraising event, in which many people must be served simultaneously and the quality of food suffers as a result. ("Rubber chicken" is sometimes hyphenated.) I'll tell you, though: more than the long hours on the road, the repetitive speeches, or the manic workload, I cannot stand the rubber chicken dinners when I'm on the campaign trail. We really wanted to throw the whole "rubber-chicken dinner" association out the window for our next charity drive, so we've partnered with a local co-op kitchen to bring fresh, home-cooked meals to the table.
See also: chicken, dinner, rubber
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • a straw in the wind
  • straw in the wind
  • gala affair
  • tailgate party
  • the happy event
  • a/the happy event
  • happy event
  • in the event of
  • in the event of (something)
  • in the event of something
References in periodicals archive
"Rather than a rubber chicken dinner where everyone is sitting at a hotel and talking through performances, I really wanted this to be in a formal setting to give the respect to the people who are onstage being honored," Wilson explains.
SAG Foundation celebrates decades of giving back: the nonprofit organization will take center stage in an anniversary show also honoring Leonardo DiCaprio and Lee Daniels
That is why Gordon Brown spent so many long months on the so-called rubber chicken dinner circuit before the 1997 general election, wooing just these people.
David Cameron and Ed Balls Woo Industry Bosses at CBI Conference
Peter had booked a table for 10 in the Bamburgh Suite and there was the promise of copious amounts of free wine and beer, even though I assumed it would be accompanied by a rubber chicken dinner.
Stadium food in a league of its own