Where did the term Pot luck come from?

Question

Is there a website on interesting facts such as how and from where sayings/customs/myths originated from?

Answer 1

What ever was available was thrown into the pot over the fire. Pot luck described what supper was and especially if there was any meat in it.

Answer 2

It was a term (and still is) for a shared meal in which everyone brought a pot of something, and trusted to luck wheter it would all be basically the same dish, all different, all desserts, etc. It was supposed to be a fun surprise. Many groups kind of spoil the fun by asking certain ones to bring main dishes, side dishes, or desserts, and a more balanced meal happens. But a pot luck today is still pretty much the same as it was when it began.

Answer 3

A potluck, also called potluck dinner, or covered dish supper, is a gathering of people where each participant is expected to bring a dish of food to be shared among the group. These gatherings are often organized by churches, mosques, covens and other community groups since they simplify the meal planning and distribute the costs among the participants. Smaller, more informal get-togethers may also occur in the form of potlucks.
In Indiana, the term "potluck" is virtually unkown. The appropriate term used is a "pitch-in".
The only traditional rule for dishes is that they be large enough to be shared among a good portion (but not necessarily all) of the anticipated guests. In the United States, jello salads and casseroles are popular, often as Italian-style dishes.
Such events can also go by the name "Jacob's join", in which each participant brings along as much food as he or she is likely to want to eat, but puts it into a common stock for the communal meal.
Another variation on potlucks is "rota" meals, short for rotation. With rota, rather than each person bringing a dish, participants take turns providing food for the entire group. For regular potlucks (e.g. daily, weekly or monthly) amongst a fairly consistent set of participants, this dramatically reduces the amount of preparation effort required. One popular and long-standing implementation of this approach can be found at Sirius, an intentional community in rural Massachusetts.
The word potluck is sometimes erroneously thought to originate from the Native American custom of potlatch but, in fact, is of English origin.
The word potluck dates from the sixteenth century, and the earliest written citation is 1592 - in England. ("That that pure sanguine complexion of yours may never be famisht with pot lucke", Thomas Nashe, see the Oxford English Dictionary for full reference). It is a portmanteau word formed from pot and luck.

A secondary use of the term is to refer to whatever food happens to be available, especially when offered to a guest. Another use also mentioned in dictionaries is "that which is tendered or available in certain circumstances or at a certain time".

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potluck"

Answer 4

Long before its new use in North America, to describe a planned shared meal with contributed dishes, it was used in Britain to refer to a casual visit at a meal time, when the welcome but unexpected visitor would simply see if he was lucky enough to find anything left in the family pot, and whether it was to his taste. "Pot luck" in this sense is common in the dialogue in authentic period novels of 1800-1820. This distinguishes it from a formal dinner with invited guests, and a planned menu with enough variety and quantity to suit them.