Whose name is the sandwich named after?
Quick Answer
The sandwich is named after John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, an 18th-century English aristocrat who liked meat served between slices of bread.
The Full Story
People had eaten food between or on bread for centuries, but the name comes from John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich (1718–1792). According to a popular story, he asked for meat between bread so he could eat without leaving the gambling table, though his biographer suggested he more likely ate this way while working at his desk. Others began ordering “the same as Sandwich”, and the word “sandwich” appears in English writing by the 1760s. Montagu was also First Lord of the Admiralty, and Captain James Cook named the Sandwich Islands, now Hawaii, after him. Today sandwiches are among the most eaten foods in the world.
Key Facts
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Suggested video title for this topic:
"A card table or a desk? — the Earl behind the sandwich"