President Obama didn’t hold back the turkey puns this year

Whether it was senioritis or simply because he isn’t running for reelection, President Obama did not appear to worry about what anyone thought of his pun-heavy final Thanksgiving turkey pardon Wednesday.

Obama (or perhaps his speechwriters) managed to get several turkey or Thanksgiving-related puns into his remarks as he and his two nephews declared turkeys Tater and Tot spared from the holiday table.

Here’s a roundup of the best puns:

On his final year as president:

“Malia and Sasha, by the way, are thankful that this is my final presidential turkey pardon. What I haven’t told them yet is that we are going to do this every year from now on. No cameras. Just us. Every year. No way I’m cutting this habit cold turkey.”

On the turkeys of Thanksgivings past:

“And it is my great privilege — well, it’s my privilege — actually, let’s just say it’s my job to grant them clemency this afternoon. As I do, I want to take a moment to recognize the brave turkeys who weren’t so lucky, who didn’t get to ride the gravy train to freedom who met their fate with courage and sacrifice — and proved that they weren’t chicken.”

On the spirit of the holiday:

“So, later today, the Obama family will participate in our traditional Thanksgiving service project. And when somebody at your table tells you that you’ve been hogging all the side dishes and you can’t have any more, I hope you respond with a creed that sums up the spirit of a hungry people: Yes, We Cran. That was good. You don’t think that’s funny? Look, I know there are some bad ones in here, but this is the last time I’m doing this, so we’re not leaving any room for leftovers.”

On holiday traffic:

“And so let’s get on with the pardoning because it’s Wednesday afternoon and everyone knows that Thanksgiving traffic can put people in a fowl mood.”