Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

surf and turf

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.51 in modern English

Syllables
sur-f and -turf
IPA
18
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
3
Syllables
8
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A meal that combines seafood and meat, typically lobster or shrimp and steak.

Uncountable

Etymology

From the environments of the animals used in its preparation (surf being the sea and turf the land), chosen for the rhyme. The earliest-known published use is in a 1967 advertisement in the Buffalo, New York Yellow Pages, placed by a restaurant called Michael's House of Steaks.

Usage

Inflected Forms

surf 'n' turf (alternative)

Phrases

reef and beef

Frequently Paired Words

reef and beef

Questions

What does surf and turf mean?
A meal that combines seafood and meat, typically lobster or shrimp and steak.
Where does surf and turf come from?
From the environments of the animals used in its preparation (surf being the sea and turf the land), chosen for the rhyme. The earliest-known published use is in a 1967 advertisement in the Buffalo, New York Yellow Pages, placed by a restaurant called Michael's House of Steaks.

How to pronounce surf and turf

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “surf and turf”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “surf and turf”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “surf and turf” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.