Curmudgeons' Corner

Curmudgeon Barb Dwyer chews out bakers of "French" bread

French bread, indeed! Almost every loaf of bread I see in America is called French when, quite plainly, it is American. Obviously, this American "French bread", which comes in all shapes and sizes, sliced and unsliced, is in no way related to the baguettes eaten in France. Presumably, the designation "French" is intended to convey some meaning, but what? 

Could it possibly mean that this bread is made with normal ("sweet") dough and not the "sour-dough" popular in California? Well, indeed, it could but in fact it doesn't. I have even found loaves of "French sour-dough" so what can it mean?

Taking the bull by the horns, I marched into a bakery and demanded an explanation of the head baker. "Oh, that doesn't have any meaning at all" he said, "It just helps to sell loaves."

For once I was speechless. Grrr.

Barb speechless? Boy that must have some occasion!

Have you heard or read similar or equally distressing usages?

Do tell us. 

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