In 2003, a new term for French fries designed to protest France's opposition to U.S. plans for a war on Iraq. The new term was coined by restaurateur Neal Rowland, who began selling freedom fries in Cubbie's of Beaufort, North Carolina in February, and attracted the interest of his elected representative Walter Jones (R-NC).
On March 11, 2003, Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH), chair of the House Administration Committee, led a charge to bring freedom fries to a larger spotlight. Ney, himself of French descent, championed a bill that would replace French fries in the House cafeteria with freedom fries. The bill passed the Republican-led House of Representatives, and House administrators thereby changed the menus to comply with the new standard. French fries are now freedom fries, and French toast is now freedom toast.
The move evoked memories of World War I, when such German staples as frankfurters and sauerkraut were renamed (to hot dog and liberty cabbage, respectively) as a sign of American opposition to Germany. Here, however, France is challenging the U.S. on a matter of foreign policy and bears no aggression towards us. Other actions have gotten legislators riled up to vilify France: in my home state of Pennsylvania, for example, State Rep. Steve Barrar (R-Delaware Co.) sought to ban French wine from the state's liquor stores -- that would have denied French vineyards their share of Pennsylvania's $625 million liquor spending budget.
Feedback!
Sasha Gabba Hey! says "The funniest thing is that the U.S. called chips 'french fries' in the first place. They're effectively denouncing their own bad decision."
ariels says "...french fries are, in fact, Belgian, and that the French HATE the use of the term." This was also stated by an official for the French Embassy on March 12, 2003.
TenMinJoe says "French Toast was named after a bloke called 'French,' not the nation." See French Toast for the yummy details.
Just_Tom summarized the chatterbox discussion after this node's creation: "we should get freedom bread, freedom polish, freedom dressing, freedom kissing, freedom maids, and freedom letters too." Let's not forget Freedom's Yellow Mustard to put on our frankfurters hot dogs liberty sausages.
Sources:
http://edition.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/03/11/sprj.irq.fries/
http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/South/02/19/offbeat.freedom.fries.ap/
http://kyw.com/Local%20News/local_story_046205802.html