Search: lunch etymology
Why: I just had a terrible one. First, the dopes at the food store gave me the wrong order, so I had to eat turkey chili instead of chicken tortilla soup. THEN I got jalapeno chip dust on my finger and accidentally touched my eyeball, temporarily blinding myself for the second time in 3 days.
(Click for full effect.)Anyway, "lunch" is one of the ugliest words in the English language. I just hate it.
Answer: Lunch comes from luncheon, which played out like this:
- Old English scencan and scenc, "pour out"
- 1580 - nonechenche, "light midday meal" (from none, "noon" + schench, "drink")
- Spanish lonja, "a slice" (literally "loin")
- 1590 - lunch, "hunk of bread or cheese"
- luncheon meat, "thick piece or hunk"
- 1650s - "light repast between mealtimes"
Source: EtymOnline.com
The More You Know: "Specialized in loose-meat sandwiches." Yum.
