RWO wrote:

>
> well-reasoned, but the sticking point is, why would the French name
> dishes to commemorate defeats? (after all, there would be so many,
> wouldn't there? grin)
>
>
At the time, anything English in the way of food was given French names:
despite the French being our sworn enemies, anything French was
fashionable whereas English stuff was deeply ordinary, however good.
The habit of Frenchifying food and recipe names resulted in many English
food inventions being thought erroneously to be French.

Another part to this is that by the time of the victory feast, 'bombe'
would have become a technical term, and there was also the irony of
naming the dish in the defeated enemy's language. Just to rub salt in
their wounds!

It didn't just happen with food. Many women's fashion and garment terms
are French as well, or can be traced to French influence. Empire line
dresses, for example, where there is a seam just under the bust, and
which were so fashionable in the 1800-1820 period, started in France but
were the only accepted fashion in Great Britain and much of Europe, and
were named for the empire of Napoleon in which the fashion started.

Names happen for social and political reasons as much as for their place
of origin.
--
Kate XXXXXX
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