French Fries, Kisses, and Other Things We Call “French”
Along with the Norman Conquest around 1,000 years ago came the intermingling of the French and English languages. Today, an estimated 30% of modern English words come from French, including the loanwords “baguette,” “ballet,” “bureau,” “boudoir,” “boutique,” “beret,” and “bon voyage.” But there is another French phenomenon in contemporary English
— add the word “French” to a phrase, and it takes on a new meaning. While "French bread" and "French horn" are clear enough, other French-ified phrases are more oblique. What makes fries or toast French, for example? Neither of these dishes is particular to France. Let’s take a closer...
