freedom fries

English

Noun

1. (rare, US, politics, food, sometimes humorous) French fries.
   • 2003 March 22, Joseph Rosenbloom, quoting Patrice Higonnet, “Europeans in America: Freedom fries and raw nerves”, in International Herald Tribune:

     [Q.]“Freedom fries” is a symbol of anti-French feeling. Does that sort of thing gall you?
     [A.]Higonnet: […] Again, one has to distinguish between the public situation, in which a sense of hostility to things French is quite severe, and the private situation inside the university world where, when people talk about freedom fries, it's a big joke.

   • 2006, Andrew Rudalevige, The New Imperial Presidency‎^[1], page 3:

     Upset by the failure of the French government to support the war, however, the chairman of the House Administration Committee announced on March 11 that he had ordered “French toast” and “French fries” stricken from the menu of the House cafeteria. In their place would be “freedom toast” and “freedom fries.”

Usage notes

Wikinews

This term was a politically-induced replacement instigated by the US government during a brief dispute with France, but never widely accepted. Serious use of the term was limited to the cafeteria in the Capitol building from March 2003 to August 2006, but it was widely reported upon in the media and referenced by comedians.

Related terms

• freedom bread
• freedom toast

Translations

french fries — see french fries